Broadcaster Andy Masur says Illinois is one example of the improved talent in the Big Ten conference.  But he says no one could have expected the 36-win Illini to win 17 straight.  

The win streak has allowed Illinois to crack the top ten in the rankings for the first time ever, including a No. 8 rankings from a USA Today Coaches poll. UI also is ranked No. 9 by D1Baseball.com, Perfect Game and Baseball America.