Current Big Ten standings:

(Conference record, overall record)

1. Purdue 12-3, 31-6

2. Michigan State 7-5, 26-13

Minnesota 7-5, 23-19

4. Nebraska 8-7, 26-15

5. Penn State 6-6, 18-21

6. Indiana 6-6, 18-22

7. Ohio State 7-8, 22-18

8. Illinois 5-7, 22-17

Iowa 5-7, 16-19

10. Michigan 4-8, 17-24

11. Northwestern 5-10, 13-23

Standings summary: There are only 4 teams in the conference that could be called good. Purdue is well ahead of the pack.

Top 5 Big Ten draft prospects:

1. Kevin Plawecki, C, Purdue:

140 AB, .357/.456/.564 16 doubles, 2 triples, 3 homers, 19 BB/6 K, 2 SB/5 SBA

Plawecki is good defensively behind the plate (his pitchers trust him to call games and he has been very successful doing so, making plenty of average pitchers perform at a higher level). He is a great contact hitter but also has doubles power. The 19/6 BB/K ratio is perhaps most impressive.

2. Nick Wittgren, RHR, Purdue:

23 IP, 1.57 ERA, 26/6 K/BB

Scouts will start to wander around the stadium in the middle of Purdue's Big 10 games, but when Wittgren comes in they sit down with their radar guns. Well above the other pitchers in the conference, he has the stuff to move to a starting role.

3. Tony Bucciferro, RHS, Michigan State:

68 IP, 3.04 ERA, 60/13 K/BB

Bucciferro is a solid all-around pitcher. Not overpowering, but he has good enough strikeout potential and has improved in that area this year.

4. Torsten Boss, 3B, Michigan State

154 AB, .331/.448/.513, 12/2/4, 29/28, 9/9

Boss is developing a balanced offensive game. Like Purdue's Cameron Perkins (honorable mention), may project to being a corner IF/OF util guy.

5. Ryan Jones, 2B, Michigan State

171 AB, .386/.447/.497, 9/2/2, 21/11, 6/7

Great range defensively and is a very good contact hitter with some pop. With Plawecki, two of the hardest guys to strike out in the conference.

Honorable mentions (Cameron Perkins, 3B, Purdue, and T.J. Oakes, RHS, Minnesota--drafted in 41st round by the Twins last year)

No surprise that the top two teams in the conference dominate the top of the draft prospect ranks. With the two honorable mentions, I would not be shocked if these were the top 7 Big Ten players selected in the June draft.

Thanks for the update. Always good to read something about BiG 10 BB. My uncle played on the Gophers in 56 and 60 and my boss has a nephew on the Boilers. So I am was kind of watching for Brad Schrieber, looks like he is shut down for the year. Question for you, what do you think of some of the proposals I have heard about Big 10 baseball looking for alternatives to the NCAA? Becoming like a summer wooden bat league,playing some pro clubs here and there.