ANN ARBOR, Mich. – An NCAA tournament trip will have to wait another year.

After finishing in a tie for third in the Big Ten during the regular season and then placing third in the conference tournament, Illinois has virtually no hope of an NCAA at-large berth, UI coach Itch Jones said.

"I don't think Illinois stands a chance at all," Jones said after his 32-27 Illini were ousted from the Big Ten tournament Saturday.

Although the NCAA selection committee has not given a Big Ten team an at-large bid the last two years, Jones says that could change this year. The Illini coach said s tourney runner-up Michigan has a good shot at an at-large spot. The Wolverines are 36-22 and won the Big Ten regular season title.

Ohio State is 42-16 after beating the Wolverines 8-5 Saturday for the title.

Bad hops.

Michigan's hard infield kept infielders on their toes Saturday. Several grounders took wicked hops during the Illini-Wolverine game, most noteably a hit by UI designated hitter T.J. Jackson that bounced in front of Michigan's first baseman and ended up landing in short right-center field.

"The skips were a little bit rough today," Illini third baseman Craig Marquie said. "I thought it would be soft after the rain from last night, but they covered it up (overnight with a tarpaulin). It was a little bit harder than the first few days."

Spanking Salter.

Illini starter Cody Salter, who entered Saturday's game 4-0, had his rockiest Big Ten start of the season. The junior right-hander gave up 11 hits and six runs – five earned – in 7 1/3 innings.

Michigan left fielder Jason Alcaraz was a particular thorn in Salter's side. Alcaraz entered the day 1 for 8 in tournament play and hit into a double play in his first at-bat against Salter.

But in his next at-bat, Alcaraz hit a two-out, two-run single to tie the score at 2 in the third. In the fourth, Alcaraz hit a run-scoring single, again with two out, to put Michigan up 3-2.

"One was a mistake," Salter said of his pitch on Alcaraz's first hit. "I just got it up. We tried going inside on him. He was a real patient hitter, he didn't go for any of the garbage. He pulled one for a base hit, and then I tried going away from him and he punched it through the hole. There was a mistake or two in there, but he's just a great hitter, too."

Rhodes takes losing hard.

Right fielder Danny Rhodes was especially emotional following Saturday's defeat. For the second year in a row, Rhodes reminded, he came to the plate with a prime scoring opportunity near the end of the game that eliminated Illinois from the Big Ten. Each time he'd been unable to deliver.

"I was in the same position last year with guys on second and third with two outs, and I grounded out to second," Rhodes said. "This year, there's guys at second and third with one out, and I thought to myself about that and I was determined to get it done ... "

A distraught Rhodes stopped at that point, unable to continue.

Weber's stock rising.

Illini pitcher Brett Weber likely bolstered his stock with professional scouts during the tournament. The junior right-hander struck out 10 and held Purdue to five hits in nine innings Friday in pitching Illinois to an 8-3 victory.

Weber was approached by several scouts afterward. Scouts are gathering final impressions of prospects now in preparation for the draft in early June.

"The way I've looked at that all year is wait until the season is over," Weber said. "Whatever happens with that happens. But it would be a nice decision to make."

Unless Weber is drafted high enough that the money is too lucrative to turn down, he may be lured back to Illinois by the team's prospects for next season. If Illinois is unaffected by the draft, it returns every starting position player and all but one starting pitcher.

"We could be back here, and we could be dominant," Weber said in reference to the league tournament.

By the numbers.

By going 1-2 this weekend, Illinois is 11-12 all time in the Big Ten tournament. The Illini have won the tournament twice, placed second once, third twice and fourth three times.

Moving on up.

Weber now ranks third and fourth on the UI's single-season list for strikeouts. He finished with 95 this year and had 89 last season. Current Pittsburgh Pirate reliever John Ericks ranks first with 108 in 1988, two more than Mark Rotblatt racked up in 1948.

Weber also has moved up to fifth on the UI career strikeout list with 193.

All-tourney picks.

Weber and Illini second baseman D.J. Svihlik were named to the all-tournament team. Svihlik finished the tournament 4 of 11 with two doubles and one RBI. Ohio State center fielder Mike Lockwood was named most outstanding player.