Michael Basil is Indiana’s senior shortstop, which means he’s been around long enough to know any ball he can reach he can probably catch. He proved that Friday night against Ohio State. With the Hoosiers down 2-0 in the seventh inning, Basil made a leaping catch to close out the inning. Watch the play here.

Some think Ohio State is the best team not just in the Big Ten but perhaps the best team in the nation as it comes off a 12-0 debut under Urban Meyer. A wealth of talent is one reason for optimism, as the Buckeyes are NCAA probation-free and eligible to win the Big Ten and BCS crowns. A favorable schedule is another reason for optimism. Ohio State should be favored in every game but one in 2013: the season finale at Michigan on Nov. 30.

It’s the time of week when I reach into my mailbag. Another good batch of correspondence from BTN readers and viewers. I appreciate all of the cards and letters. Keep them coming.

Before Friday’s baseball game between Illinois and Minnesota on BTN/BTN2Go, Illinois players Anthony Milazzo and Bryan Roberts introduced their team’s starting line-up in a most amusing way. It’s only the latest in what we hope is a never-ending series of great Big Ten baseball game lineup introductions — and we’ve posted them all here.

The Big Ten released its 2014 Big Ten conference schedule on Thursday, incorporating Rutgers and Maryland into the family. There were some interesting scheduling quirks.