High School Top 100

Sports Illustrated and Takkle.com have combined to provide a high school Top 100 player list. For those of you interested in such things, check out this new endeavor. I'll provide a link under the high school section of the sidebar.

Recuriting News

Here are some links to each program's official press release regarding those high school players who signed a letter of intent during the early signing period. Translation: here's a recruiting update. Enjoy.

Illinois signs four.

Hoosiers get four, too.

Iowa's class gets ranked.

Wolverines sign seven.

Spartans' class ranks top in conference.

Minnesota signs five.

A Few Signings And A Draftee I Missed

Indiana breaks ground on, amongst other projects, their new ballpark. The Hoosiers also announced another recruit has committed to Coach Smith's program.

Michigan added a pitching recruit.

Minnesota inked a recruit, too.

I failed to note that Gophers' 1B Bryan Jost was drafted in the 44th round of the MLB Draft. My sincere apologies to Bryan and the Jost family. (Hey, couldn't one of you Gopher supporters contacted me about this oversight?)

Where The Boys Are

Perfect Game has released a list of its national showcase players and their college choices. A few of PG's Top 100 chose to attend Big Ten universities. Illinois Nick Chmielewski, Iowa's Nicholas Jensen and Michigan's Travis Smith all participated in PG's annual showcase event.

Hat tip: College Baseball Blog.

Gophers Land Nine

The University of Minnesota added nine (yes, nine) high school players to their 2008 team. Thus far, the Golden Gophers freshman class is the largest amongst the Big Ten programs. Coach Anderson suggested "It is probably one of the most talented groups we have brought into the program since I have been here."

Five New Hawkeyes

Iowa baseball coach Jack Dahm recently announced that five players have committed to play for the Hawkeyes beginning in the fall of 2007.

Spartans Recruiting Results

Michigan State has announced it's recruiting class. The Spartans have landed seven student-athletes only one of which hails from Michigan.

Recruiting Notes

Here is a recap of some of the recruiting news around the Big Ten. (My apologies to those visiting in hopes of finding football, basketball and/or hockey news on the subject. I'm only forwarding the baseball recruiting notes. Thanks for stopping in, though.)

Illinois adds the top player in the state. (Always a good idea.)

Indiana's next freshman class is announced.

Six players sign on to play hardball at Michigan.

Another half dozen sign on at Ohio State.

Penn State adds five to next year's class.

Illinois Signs Four

The University of Illinois announced the signing of four players to letters of intent. All four will be part of the Fighting Illini squad in 2008.

Losing The Recruiting Battle

Aaron Fitt at Baseball America rates the Top 25 recruiting classes in the country (subscription required). While it's no surprise to see Big Ten teams missing from the list, it's more than a bit disheartening to see that both Kent State and Evansville made the list.

Anyone at a Big Ten baseball program care to explain how Kent State and Evansville hauled in a better recruiting class than you did? Oh, I realize the rankings are just one guy's opinion. I also am aware that Evansville has been building a strong program and Kent State's coaches work as hard as anyone else, but getting better players than Ohio State, Michigan and Minnesota? That just doesn't seem right.

It would be different if the small baseball programs of the south and west were beating the Big Ten for players. I understand (and grudgingly accept) that schools with smaller athletic departments in places like Texas, Florida, Louisiana and California are signing better baseball prospects than the universities of the Big Ten. I don't like it, but such is life in college baseball.

However, let's forget the Central Floridas, Stetsons and South Alabamas for a minute. How in the world do Evansville and Kent State get tossed on a list with college baseball big boys like South Carolina, Clemson, Southern California, Miami (Florida), Cal State Fullerton and Texas when there isn't even a rumor about a Big Ten school on the list? How do Evansville and Kent State out-recruit Big Ten programs right in their own backyard?

It's baffling to see smaller athletic programs in the heart of Big Ten country beat the likes of Penn State, Purdue and Illinois for high school baseball players. It should also be disturbing to any of us (or both of us) that care about status of baseball in the Big Ten. At a time when many Big Ten programs either already have or are planning large scale renovations or completely new stadiums, it's remarkable to consider that the kids of the Midwest are opting to play baseball in the region, but at much smaller institutions.

The baseball coaches of the Big Ten have to overcome far greater obstacles than their brethren to the south and west -- a protracted road trip to begin each season, inclement weather at home, an inability to get college baseball's super powers to schedule a series in the north, a lack of revenue and tepid fan interest. To see them lose the recruiting battle to smaller conference baseball programs in the same geographic region is not something that should be added to the list. Nor should it be accepted.

Mattingly Going To UT

Preston Mattingly, son of ex-New York Yankee star, Don, has committed to attend Tennessee. He will play baseball for the Volunteers next season. This is bad on two accounts.

First, Mattingly attends high school in Indiana. It's disappointing to see another youngster in Big Ten country jump ship and head off to a "southern school". I don't blame the younger Mattingly for choosing a more baseball friendly institution, but a player of his pedigree would have helped the Big Ten's image and quality of play.

The second bad thing about this is that elder Mattingly isn't even a star from my childhood. He's in the group that immediately followed that. Basically, this means a guy who played pro ball when I was a very young adult now has a son in college baseball. What I am trying to say is that I am really, really getting old.