Northwestern Rallies in Season Finale

Minneapolis, MN - Northwestern used a six-run top of the ninth inning to rally past Minnesota 8-5 on Saturday afternoon. For the second-straight game, Northwestern hung a crooked number on the Golden Gophers, one day after hanging eight runs on Minnesota in the fourth inning.

The rally began in earnest with a pair of RBI singles from Ruben Fontes and Alex Roessner in the top of the eighth inning, as the 'Cats drew within three runs. Fontes was just getting started - one inning later, he cranked a go-ahead two-run RBI double to right field as Northwestern took the lead for the first time.

Fontes was electric throughout the Minnesota series, hitting .583 in the final series of his Northwestern career, with 10 RBIs and a pair of home runs.

Grant Comstock kept the Wildcats in the game with his best start of the season, striking out nine Gophers over six innings and allowing just two runs. Jack Sauser got the win on Saturday with two innings of scoreless relief work.

Even with the win, Northwestern saw their season come a close when Nebraska defeated Michigan State. In a three-way tie with the Cornhuskers and Indiana for the final spot in the Big Ten Tournament, the Wildcats were eliminated due to their record against common Big Ten opponents.

A Purdue loss would have also seen Northwestern advance to the Big Ten Tournament, but the Boilermakers' final game of the season was rained out.

Only one Northwestern Baseball team in the last 15 years - the 2017 squad that advanced to the Big Ten Tournament championship game - finished with more wins than the 2022 Wildcats.

Team Stats

Ruben Fontes

Bennett Markinson

Jay Beshears

Anthony Calarco

Players Mentioned

Grant Comstock

Ruben Fontes

Alex Roessner

Jack Sauser

Players Mentioned

Grant Comstock

Ruben Fontes

Alex Roessner

Jack Sauser

Northwestern University Athletics