We’re still in the middle of the Spring break trip but seeing it’s Monday, I’ll post this anyway.
A quick look at the standings:
| Team | Record | Pct. | Record | Pct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan State | 0-0 | .000 | 12-4 | .750 |
| Ohio State | 0-0 | .000 | 12-4 | .750 |
| Indiana | 0-0 | .000 | 9-9 | .500 |
| Michigan | 0-0 | .000 | 9-9 | .500 |
| Purdue | 0-0 | .000 | 7-8 | .467 |
| Illinois | 0-0 | .000 | 5-8 | .385 |
| Penn State | 0-0 | .000 | 6-10 | .375 |
| Minnesota | 0-0 | .000 | 6-13 | .316 |
| Northwestern | 0-0 | .000 | 5-12 | .294 |
| Iowa | 0-0 | .000 | 5-12 | .294 |
Obviously, the big winners so far are Ohio State and Michigan State at 12-4. As a matter of fact, they are the ONLY winners with no other Big Ten team possessing a winning record.
The big surprise is pre-season favorite Minnesota with their 5-12 start. Illinois is making a rise with their recent winning ways. With a more respectable 5-8 record, they place sixth.
Quite appropriately, the two conference players of the week hail from the top two teams. This week’s Big Ten Player of the Week Award is a repeat. OSU’s Zach Hurley who won his first Player of the Week award earlier this month, is one of the reasons his team is doing so well. Hurley hit .643 for this past weekend scoring 9 runs while hitting three doubles and two homeruns.
A.J. Achter, a hurler on Michigan State’s squad, was named Big Ten Pitcher of the Week. Achter defeated Notre Dame on a complete game shutout while striking out nine batters and walking just three. Achter is 2-0 for the year with a 1.83 ERA. That ERA mark is second in the conference behind Indiana’s Drew Leniniger who sports a nifty 0.79 ERA in 34 innings.
Speaking of conference leaders, Indiana’s outfielder Alex Dickerson is slugging the ball quite nicely. He’s leading the Big Ten in homeruns (8) and rbis (25). Coley Crank has developed nicely for Michigan. A sophomore, Crank (I love that name… it’s just made for baseball!) is just trailing Dickerson in rbis with 23. He’s also second in the conference in total bases with 53.
Meanwhile on the Illinois side of things, Matt Dittman still reigns supreme in the batting race. His .512 average trumps all qualifiers by a sizable margin.
The Big Ten conference season officially starts on April 2 when Northwestern takes on Ohio State at 3pm. It will be a full conference ticket that night.
I’ve umpired better high school teams than some of the D1 teams OSU has played this season. They scheduled a NAIA school this week. I cry fraud! Fraud I say!
Michigan State is in much the same vein, but at least their losses are respectable (Louisville, Clemson, 2x Mississippi St.). Ohio State lost to Saint Louis, Cincy, Marshall, and a good UCONN team. Saint Louis!?!?! Marshall?!?!?! Bah! Fraud!
no wait, tell me how you REALLY feel. :)
Seriously, your point is well taken. But like it or not, Ohio St is still considered the team to beat.
But I hope you’re wrong. :)