Gophers senior first baseman Robb Quinlan was named Big Ten player of the year Thursday, becoming the fourth Minnesota player to earn the honor in the 1990s.
Quinlan, from Maplewood, Minn., led the conference in batting average (.416) and hits (92) and was second in runs scored (65) and doubles (24) heading into the Gophers’ Big Ten tournament-opening loss to Illinois.
This year, Quinlan became the Big Ten’s all-time hits leader with 330, as well as Minnesota’s career leader in hits, home runs, doubles, runs scored, runs batted in, total bases and at-bats.
Two other Gophers received first-team All-Big Ten honors. Senior Aron Amundson was recognized at designated hitter. He finished second in the Big Ten with a .400 batting average (62-for-155) heading into the Illinois game. Senior pitcher Brad Pautz earned a spot on the conference pitching staff with an 8-3 record and a 4.64 earned run average.
Junior third baseman Matt Scanlon earned second team All-Big Ten honors. He leads the conference and the nation with 30 doubles, and leads the Big Ten with 68 RBIs. Junior pitcher Dan McGrath also earned a second-team spot; he went 6-0 with a 4.23 ERA.
Junior Chadd Clarey is on the third team with a 6-2 record and a 5.82 ERA. Junior reliever Frank Wagner got in as a relief pitcher, going 4-3 with a 5.13 ERA this season.
ù Ohio State, which won the Big Ten regular season title, put five players on the All-Big Ten first team, the most of any team in the conference.
Justin Fry was the conference pitcher of the year and E. J. Laratta was the freshman of the year. Teammates Chad Ehmsberger (second base), Mike Lockwood (outfield) and Tom Durant (catcher) also made the first team.

U signs fifth champ
The Gophers men’s swimming team announced Wednesday the signing of David Batulis, a Minnesota state high school champion from Burnsville.
Batulis was the 1999 state champion in the 100 backstroke with a time of :50.82, as well as a state runner-up in the 200 individual medley (1:53.70). He warned All-America honors in the 100 back and was an honorable mention All-American in the 200 IM.
Batulis is the fifth Minesota state high school champion to sign with the Gophers this year. The others are: Mark Atwood (200 free relay and 400 free relay, 1999); Mike Mahoney (100 back, 1998); Aaron Wood (200 IM, 1998 and 100 fly, 1999); Matt Taylor (200 and 500 freestyle, 1999).

All-Star Eggum
Minnesota junior Brandon Eggum will wrestle for the Big Ten All-Stars team against the Ukraine on Sunday at Bryce Jordan Arena in University Park, Pa.
Eggum, a native of Sidney, Mont., will wrestle at 191.65 pounds. Joining Eggum will be Pat McNamara of Michigan State, Robert Sessley, Jr. of Ohio State, Scott Schatzman of Northwestern, Doug Schwab of Iowa, Otto Olson on Michigan, Viktor Sveda of Indiana, John Lockhart of Illinois and Jacob Vercelli of Purdue.
The freestyle dual meet is funded by a grant to the Big Ten conference as part of the NCAA/U.S. Olympic Committee conference grant program.