Switching gears for a bit, it is time to take another look at college baseball. As the 2012 season rolls on, the top 25 stays relatively consistent, but teams shuffle around within each week.
Per usual, most of the teams we see in the top 25 are from the South or out west, where warmer weather makes it easier to practice. But I was excited to see Purdue ranked 15th with a 31-6 record. They went 3-1 last weekend and were previously ranked 16th.
In the past, Purdue baseball has not found much success. They have only won one Big Ten Championship and have only made it to the Big Ten Tournament once, so this year is already quite the accomplishment for the Boilermakers.
But what does it say about college baseball if a team like Purdue moves even further up in the top 25?
Sure, they may break the tradition of the classic southern/western team being reigning champions (and it may make a lot of their fans angry), but as I said before, who isn’t opposed to a little change in college sports?
The Big Ten is due for some encouragement anyway, so Purdue baseball could be the perfect way to bring them back into the chatter.
The last time a Big Ten team, or a team from anywhere above the Mason-Dixon line, for that matter, won the College World Series was in 1966, when the Ohio State Buckeyes took home the title. But ever since, it has just been the same story, such as when Southern Cal took five straight titles from 1970-1974 – exciting! (Not so much.)
If Purdue can pull through, it will certainly say a lot for them and even the teams up North yearning for just a shot at the playoffs and the College World Series. It will be a surprise for sure, but change is a good thing. Go Boilermakers!
