Number Crunching

The Big Ten has posted its official statistics. Not surprisingly, Indiana has a number of players amongst the conference leaders in a variety of offensive categories. While it's hard to pick just one Hoosier who merits attention over the others, I think Jay Brant's numbers are noteworthy.

Brant is fourth in the conference batting race at .462. He is also fourth in slugging percentage at .712, on-base percentage at .541 (Yeah, his OPS is really good. More on that in a minute.) and tied for fourth in RBI at 12. Brant also leads the Big Ten in runs scored (21), hits (24) and stolen bases (7). Brant, who has junior eligibility, is second in the conference in total bases (37) and doubles (5).

Obviously, a number of Big Ten players deserve some mention. However, Brant's is clearly a player having a dynamic start to the season. To get a look at all the stat leaders click here. On to those OPS figures.

While Brant leads the conference in a number of categories, it is Iowa's Andy Cox who currently paces the Big Ten in OPS. The Hawkeyes' senior has an OPS of 1.389. Northwestern's Pat McMahon is in second place at 1.287. Third is Ohio State's Jason Zoeller at 1.264. Fourth is last week's leader, Penn State's Matt Lewis at 1.256.

Next comes our Indiana contingent. IU's Brant checks in at 1.253. He is followed by teammate Ryan Parker at 1.238. Seventh in the Big Ten is Neal Gorka of Purdue at 1.216. Joe Kemp, another Hoosier hitter, is eighth overall at 1.188. The Hawkeyes' Andy Lytle (1.167) and Michigan's Kyle Bohm (1.161) round out the top ten.

As always, don't hold me to the OPS numbers, as my math skills are questionable. I may review some pitching number next time. Or I may not.