Kevin Johnson: A pitcher to watch
The Big Ten released its preseason poll of conference baseball coaches today. There’s good news and bad news. The good news is that if the coaches are right, Illinois should make the Big Ten Baseball Tournament. The bad news is that it will be by the skin of their teeth.
Here are the results:
- Indiana
- Nebraska
- Michigan State
- Ohio State
- Minnesota
- Illinois
Indiana isn’t a big surprise. They were a strong force in 2012 and are returning 20 starters. Noticeably missing in the top six was 2012’s upstart Purdue who took the Big Ten by storm. That should indicate the amount of competition in the Big Ten this year.
About Illinois, the Big Ten press release simply says:
“Illinois returns 17 letterwinners from last year’s squad, including seven position starters. The Illini are led by starting pitcher Kevin Johnson and outfielders Jordan Parr and Justin Parr, a third-team All-Big Ten performer last season.”
The coaches were also polled on “Players to Watch”. Those Illinois players on the list include:
- Kevin Johnson, Sr., SP, Illinois
- Jordan Parr, Jr., OF, Illinois
- Justin Parr, Sr., OF, Illinois
The Big Ten coaches would get no argument from me. I could probably add two or three more but that’s when my Orange and Blue bias starts kicking in.
Honestly, I don’t put a lot of faith in preseason polls. These players haven’t played together competitively in months and it’s anyone’s guess which school is going to gel and put together a solid team. Plus. we’re a good month and half from conference play when those games really begin to count.
Don’t get me wrong. If in some alternate universe where Illini were ranked #1, I’d probably be singing the poll’s praises. However, sixth place in a preseason poll is probably the optimum place to be. Picked high enough to be respected but not so high that there is only one place to go.