1/7 Roundup: Big Ten’s Best
January 7, 2013 Leave a comment
The first roundup of 2013 hits on Big Ten news from college baseball’s biggest media outlets.
Baseball America lists Big Ten coaches among the best in the nation, Collegiate Baseball offers its Big Ten predictions while Perfect Game produced its top Cape Cod prospect lists featuring several Big Ten players.
Baseball America highlights Bakich, Erstad
Baseball America recently published a list of top assistant baseball coaches as well as the game’s top head coach under 40.
Purdue’s Jeff Duncan was among top vote -getters outside of the top 10 on the assistant side while among head coaches, Michigan’s Erik Bakich, #3, and Nebraska’s Darin Erstad, #9, shows the Big Ten is home to some of the top young coaching talents in the nation.
A week prior, Aaron Fitt, BA’s national college baseball writer, feature Minnesota assistant Todd Oakes and his fight with Leukemia.
Collegiate Baseball selects Hoosiers
Indiana’s baseball Twitter account IUBaseballNews gives a look at Collegiate Baseball Newspapers’ Big Ten predictions. This photo shows CBN’s projected order of finish is:
Indiana
Nebraska
Michigan State
Ohio State
Illinois
Minnesota
Purdue
Penn State
Iowa
Michigan
Northwestern.
The publication selected Hoosier first baseman Sam Travis as its player of the year following Travis’ selection as the Big Ten’s Freshman of the Year. CBN named right-handed relief pitcher Jonny Hoffman its pitcher of the year, but the 2012 first-team all-conference selection has since been removed from the Indiana roster.
Collegiate Baseball did not have a Big Ten player among its preseason All-America teams.
Big Ten players among Perfect Game’s top Cape prospects
Mid-December saw the release of Perfect Game’s top 2012 Cape Cod prospects and scouting reports. Big Ten players are scattered through the list of 100 as well as superficial honors. Here are the standouts.
#14 Minnesota Jr. LHP Tom Windle
#24 Michigan Jr. OF Michael O’Neill
#55 Indiana So. C Kyle Schwarber
#72 Indiana So. 1B Sam Travis
#83 Michigan Sr. OF Patrick Biondi
#88 Michigan St. Jr. RHP David Garner
Fastest base runner: #2 O’Neill
Best defensive outfielder: Biondi
Best curveball: #3 Windle
