Baseball Opens Big Ten Play this Weekend – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/26/1998 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 26, 1998
BUCKS LEAVE FLORIDA 5-0 OSU moved to 12-4 on the year after winning all of its games at the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic in Ft. Myers, Fla. The Buckeyes defeated: Fairleigh Dickinson, 11-1, Canisius, 10-2, Albright, 20-1 and Central Connecticut State 15-8 and 7-3. OSU is now on a six-game winning streak. After losing its first two games to No. 24 Duke (8-7) and No. 21 Florida State (6-4), Ohio State has won 12 of its last 14 games, outscoring opponents 160-59 in those contests.
THE BIG TEN OPENER OSU opens the 1998 Big Ten campaign on the road at Northwestern. The Buckeyes and Wildcats will play a four-game series (3 p.m. Friday, 1 p.m. Saturday doubleheader and 1 p.m. Sunday) at Rocky Miller Park (847 491-4200). The 1998 season marks the 40th anniversary of the NU ball field. The Wildcats are 11-5 on the year after their spring trip to Florida. The squad took two of three games from Central Florida (3-12,9-7,8-7) and split with Stetson (4-16, 10-8). This is the first meeting between the two squads since 1995 when the Buckeyes swept the Wildcats at home (8-7, 3-1, 4-3, 5-4). OSU leads the all-time series 57-32. Head Coach Paul Stevens has a career record of 266-288-4 (114-164-1 in Big Ten) in his 11th year as the NU skipper. The Wildcats were 20-35 last year and finished ninth in the conference with a 9-19 record. Northwestern has not beaten OSU since April 30, 1989 when the Wildcats took three of four games in Columbus, Ohio.
THE CONFERENCE WEEKEND After losing the first conference weekend to foul weather, all 10 teams will compete this weekend. The other series matchups are as follows: Michigan at Illinois, Penn State at Indiana, Michigan State at Iowa and Purdue at Minnesota. Last week’s scheduled game were Illinois at Michigan State, Iowa at Michigan and Purdue at Penn State. The games will not be made up due to the Big Ten’s policy of no rain dates. (Policy No. 21 of Big Ten Game Management Manual).
TRAVEL INFORMATION The Buckeyes will depart from Port Columbus International Airport on Thursday at 11:15 a.m. via United Airlines. The team will be staying at the Holiday Inn in Chicago, Ill. (847 679-8900; FAX 847 679-7447). Departure time for the return trip is set for 8:45 p.m. on the Sunday.
ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS
Assistant Director Greg Aylsworth will represent the Athletic Communications office on the road. Please contact him with any questions or requests regarding the OSU baseball team.
HELLO MR. LOCKWOOD
Mike Lockwood (So., Powell, Ohio) was greeted with a fine salutation by the conference as he was named the Big Ten’s Player of the Week for March 24th. The center fielder is batting. 485 (33-68) with 7 HR, 6 2B, 29 RBI and 29 runs scored. He went 10-19 with eight runs scored, 15 RBI, one home run, two doubles and two triples at the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic. He also batted 6-9 with two home runs, six RBI and six runs scored in two games vs. No. 22 UNLV and went 10-21 with three home runs, nine RBI and nine runs scored at the Coors Desert Classic in which the Buckeyes won the championship. Lockwood has had 11 multiple-hit games in 16 played and has notched three or more hits in a game eight times. He has also recorded six multiple-RBI games including three with four or more runs batted in.
THE SOUND OF THUNDER RETURNS
All-American Dan Seimetz (Sr., Massillon, Ohio) returned to action last Sunday after missing five games due to a knee injury that required arthroscopic surgery. Seimetz went 5-7 on Sunday in two games, hitting a home run in each contest, the 41st and 42nd of his career. He finished the weekend 10-17 and is batting .489 (22-45) with 5 HR, 4 2B and 17 RBI.
STAFFORD SPELLS RELIEF
Mike Stafford (Sr., Canton, Mich.) pitched 5.1 innings in relief against Central Connecticut State, not allowing a hit while striking out a career-high seven batters. This was the left hander’s finest effort since pitching 4.2 innings of relief in the Big Ten Tournament championship game that sealed a NCAA tournament berth. Stafford boasts a team best 2.03 ERA with 16 strikeouts in 13.1 innings pitched and has not given up an earned run since Jan. 31 against Florida State (10.2 consecutive innings).
THREE BAGS FOR CAREK
With one more triple this season, Mark Carek (Sr., Bowling Green, Ohio) will tie the OSU career triples record (11). The shortstop already broke Robbie Cobb’s (1980-83) mark of 183 runs scored this season and has crossed the plate 188 times to date.
LEE REMAINS UNDEFEATED
Andy Lee (Jr., West Chester, Ohio) has been nothing but spectacular in his four starts this season, garnering a perfect 4-0 record. His success has been attributed to hard work in the OSU system and a great summer in the Cape Cod League (5-2, 2.57 ERA) in which he was named to the all-star team and selected as team MVP for the Harwitch Mariners.
WHO’S THE MACK
True freshman Trent McIlvain (Louisville, Ohio) appeared four times on the spring break trip, including two starts against Albright (SS) and Central Connecticut State (2B).
FRY STILL GOING THE DISTANCE
All-American Justin Fry (Jr., Munhall, Pa., 3-0, 3.90 ERA) hurled the 15th complete game of his career against Fairleigh Dickinson, pitching 7.0 innings of five-hit, one-run ball while striking out 10.
CURRENT OSU HITTING STREAKS
Buckeyes that are currently on hitting streaks of four or more games include: Chad Ehrnsberger (Fr., Kalida, Ohio) – 4 games, Mike Kremblas (Sr., Carroll, Ohio) – 5 games, Seimetz – 4 games, Jason Trott (Jr., Dublin, Ohio) – 7 games and Jason Turner (So., Versailles, Ohio) – 6 games.
THE NIGHT APPROACHES
OSU’s first game under the new Bill Davis Stadium lights will be Friday, April 4 at 6:35 p.m. against defending Big Ten champion Michigan. Lights were installed in the one year old stadium in late November, enabling the Bucks to schedule night games twilight doubleheaders.
FOR THE RECORD
Carek is currently tied for fourth for base on balls with 106, fourth for at bats with 687 and 10th for hits with 217. In addition to holding the career home run record (42), Seimetz holds the all-time marks for doubles with 67 and RBI with 207. He is also second for hits with 244, fifth for runs scored with 170 and seventh for at bats with 649. Trott (Jr., Dublin, Ohio) remains OSU all-time batting leader with a .385 average (105-273). Seimetz is second on that list at .376 (244-649). Fry is tied for 11th for career wins with 21.
POSSIBLE STARTING LINEUP
RF Dan Zabloudil 15 or Jason Driscoll 6 CF Mike Lockwood 20 LF Jason Turner 24 or Jason Driscoll 6 1B Jason Trott 36 2B Lou Santangelo 5 or Trent McIlvain 17 SS Mark Carek 27 3B Chad Ehrnsberger 7 C Mike Kremblas 9 DH Dan Seimetz 33 not projected batting order
PROBABLE STARTING ROTATION RHP Justin Fry 38 RHP Eric Thompson 26 RHP Andy Lee 19 RHP Phil Vogelmeier 31 Top reliever LHP Mike Stafford 22
INJURY REPORT
Matt Middleton (Jr., Conover, Ohio) is still suffering from a badly sprained right wrist he hurt against Lewis-Clark State.
BUCKEYE TRAINER MAKES MOVE
Team trainer Jay Holdgreve has accepted an internship with the San Francisco 49ers for the upcoming summer.
OSU WINS DESERT CLASSIC CROWN
The Scarlet and Gray won the 18th annual Coors Desert Classic in Las Vegas, Nev. The Bucks went 4-1 for the tournament, losing to host UNLV 9-8 in a contest that came down to OSU’s last at-bat. OSU pounded UNLV the next day 18-1 in the championship game, leaving Las Vegas with a 7-4 overall record. The squad also beat Oral Roberts 10-5, Washington State 11-2, Lewis-Clark State 11-8.
BUCKS CLAIM LAKE AREA TITLE
OSU went 2-1 at the Lake Area Classic this past weekend, claiming the eighth annual title. The championship marks the second time (the Scarlet and Gray won in 1996) the Buckeyes have taken the Lake Charles, La. tournament.
RECAPPING THE BASEBALL BLAST
OSU lost the first two games and won its last at the season opening ACC Baseball Blast at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. An untimely error late in the first game and a grand slam in the second led to the Buckeyes 0-2 start to the 1998 season. The squad was tied in the first game and leading in the second and was in position to win both contests. Lee, Lockwood and Seimetz were all-tournament team Bucks.
OSU IN THE POLLS
In the Mar. 22 national polls, Ohio State is ranked 33rd by USA Today/Baseball Weekly. The Bucks have not been ranked in the Baseball America poll since Feb. 23 and last appeared in Collegiate Baseball’s top 30 on Feb. 9.
PRESEASON ALL-AMERICANS
Both Fry and Seimetz were named to Collegiate Baseball’s preseason All-America squads. Fry (RHP) was a first team selection and Seimetz (1B) was named to the second team.
NATIONAL RECOGNITION FOR BDS
Bill Davis Stadium was ranked as the 11th-best college stadium in the nation by Baseball America. Arkansas, home of $8.9-million Baum Stadium at Cole Field, topped the rankings as the No. 1 venue.
HEAD COACH BOB TODD
Bob Todd’s Ohio State Buckeyes have been the dominant Big Ten team of the 1990s. His 1997 squad returned to the Big Ten tournament after a one year layoff and rolled to a playoff victory, earning OSU’s sixth NCAA tournament berth in seven years. His Buckeyes went 42-18 last season, the sixth 40-win season for Todd in the 90’s.
Under Todd, Ohio State won five straight Big Ten titles, made eight straight Big Ten playoff and five straight NCAA tournament appearances. Todd has Ohio State baseball solidly among the best in the nation. Now entering his tenth season at Ohio State, Todd has guided the Buckeyes to a 414-211-1 record (an average of 40 wins a year), four Big Ten championships, five straight first place finishes in the Big Ten regular season standings between 1991-95, and to five straight and six total, NCAA regional appearances (1991-95, ’97). He also has guided OSU to a third-place and two second-place finishes in those six NCAA Regional Tournaments. His career record is 538-293-1.
LAST YEAR
The 1997 Ohio State University baseball team reestablished itself as a Big Ten power and a national contender by winning 42 games, capturing the 1997 Big Ten tournament championship and advancing to the NCAA Mideast Regional in Starkville, Miss. The 42-18 campaign represented Ohio State’s sixth 40-win season in the last seven seasons. The NCAA Regional appearance was also the Buckeyes’ sixth in the last seven years. And the Big Ten Tournament championship was OSU’s fourth in the last seven years. The Buckeyes finished second in the Big Ten regular season standings, just .011 percentage points behind Michigan, which played two fewer games.
Ranked as high as 17th nationally at one point, and in either Collegiate Baseball’s or USA Today/Baseball Weekly’s top 25 for the final 10 weeks of the season, the Bucks did not lose a Big Ten series last season, taking three of four from Iowa, Michigan State, Indiana and Penn State and splitting with Illinois, Minnesota and Michigan. The team’s 18-10 record included an 11-5 mark at Bill Davis Stadium and a 7-5 road record.
Player Notes
MARK CAREK Smooth operator. One of the finest fielding shortstops in college baseball. Co-captain of the Buckeyes for the second year in a row. Hit first HR of the year in the 9-8 loss at UNLV to pull the Bucks within one. Batted 4-6 with three runs in the championship game against the Rebels and 12-24 (.500) with nine runs scored for the tournament. Went 2-4 with two runs scored and an RBI against Iowa State. Batted .364 (4-11) at the ACC Baseball Blast and knocked in three runs on the weekend.
JASON DRISCOLL The sophomore’s bat is back after a 3-3 performance against Central Connecticut.
TOM DURANT Had a big weekend at the Desert Classic batting 7-14 with seven runs scored and four RBI. Hit a two run HR against Oral Roberts.
CHAD EHRNSBERGER Starting to evolve as a premier player. Has filled in and started at both second and third base and may have the best hands on the team next to Carek. A great athlete. Hit first career HR against Washington State. Batted 2-3 with three RBI and one run scored against the Cougars.
JUSTIN FRY All-American that is effective throwing the fastball, slider and changeup. Went the distance against Fairleigh Dickinson and Oral Roberts. Struck out 14 against McNeese State at the Lake Area Classic. Had control problems against Duke, pitching 6.0 innings giving up seven hits, seven earned runs and four base on balls and did not factor in the decision.
KURT FULLENKAMP Moved to 2-0 on the year with a complete game victory against Albright. Pitched 2.1 innings in relief against Lewis-Clark State striking out three. Relieved Eric Thompson against Louisiana Tech and pitched 3.2 innings giving up three hits and two earned runs while striking out four. Pitched 1.0 inning against NC State giving up three hits and two earned runs.
MARCELLO GAROFALO Hit first career home run against Albright, batting 3-5 against the Lions. Came in for the injured Seimetz against Oral Roberts, scoring once. Scored once against Florida State, batting 0-4 against the Seminoles.
MIKE KREMBLAS Leads pitchers to wins like The Pied Piper. Intense everyday. Outstanding behind the plate against Central Connecticut and currently on a five-game hitting streak. Went 2-4 with three RBI and two runs scored against Oral Roberts. Batted .500 (6-12) at the ACC Baseball Blast with four RBI.
ANDY LEE Has established himself as the Buckeyes No. 3 pitcher, showing aggressiveness and poise on the mound. Pitched 7.0 innings in the championship game against UNLV, striking out a career high eight batters. Hurled 7.0 innings against Iowa State, scattering 10 hits and two runs while striking out five. Pitched 7.0 innings of one-hit, one-walk, zero-run ball against the NC State, earning all-tournament honors.
MIKE LOCKWOOD Named Big Ten Player of the Week. Simply got busy at the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic, batting 10-19 on the weekend. Hit two HRs in the Buckeyes 9-8 loss at UNLV, including a two-run shot that brought the Buckeyes within two in the ninth. Went 3-5 at McNeese State scoring three times and tallying three RBI. Also homered in the ninth against the Cowboys. Went 8-14 (.571) in Florida, en route to earning all-tournament honors. Has big-league tools.
MATT MIDDLETON Suffered a sprained wrist against Lewis-Clark State and missed the remainder of the Desert Classic. One of the Buckeyes only bright spots in the 9-7 loss to Louisiana Tech, batting .750 (3-4) with two RBI, a double and one run scored. Went 3-12 in the opening weekend, scoring once.
LOU SANTANGELO Batted 3-5 with three runs scored and two RBI against Central Connecticut. Recorded a 2-4 performance against Louisiana Tech. Doubled and scored against the Bulldogs. Had a rough opening weekend (1-13 and three errors) as the Buckeyes new second baseman. First hit of the year came against NC State. Recorded back-to-back errors in the seventh inning against the Wolfpack.
DAN SEIMETZ Back in the lineup as the DH and back with a vengence. Finally saw action again after missing five games due to injury, batting 10-17 at the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic. Went 6-14 at the Lake Area Classic. Scored three runs and recorded three RBI against Iowa State, including a two-run shot (the record breaker) in the seventh. Batted .429 (6-14) with four RBI and was named to the all-tournament team at the ACC/Disney Baseball Blast.
MIKE STAFFORD Ultimate reliever who not only aids from the bullpen, but also provides comic relief. No need for binoculars to spot when he is warming up as his 2-1/2-inch sideburns are easily spotted from a distance. Pitched 5.1 innings in relief for first win of the year against Central Connecticut State. Made two appearances at the Desert Classic. Relieved Andy Lee in the 18-1 demolition os UNLV and came in for Kurt Fullenkamp against Lewis-Clark State. Appeared once at the Lake Area Classic, pitching 1.0 innings against Louisiana Tech. Took both losses at the Disney Baseball Blast after pitching just 2.2 innings.
ERIC THOMPSON Struck out eight against Canisius to move to 2-1 with a 3.16 ERA. Pitched 9.0 innings against Washington State, scattering 11 hits and recording seven strikeouts. Struggled against Louisiana Tech, pitching 3.1 innings, giving up eight hits and seven runs, five of them earned. Struck out a career high 12 batters in 6.1 innings against Florida State. A shot back to the mound aided in his departure from the game in the seventh inning.
JASON TROTT Took over the responsibilities at first base when Dan Seimetz went down with an injury. Went 2-4 with two RBI and two runs scored against UNLV. Batted .400 (4-10) at the Lake Area Classic. Produced a 5-15 (.333) effort at the ACC Baseball Blast. Talented enough to play first base or outfield and is outstanding with the bat.
JASON TURNER May have found a permanent spot in the lineup either in left field or as a designated hitter. Had a huge performance against UNLV, batting 3-4 with one double, one home run, six RBI and three runs scored.
PHIL VOGELMEIER Started against Lewis-Clark State, pitching 5.1 innings but not factoring in the decision. Made two appearances in Lake Charles, dropping his ERA with 3.0 combined innings of four-hit zero-walk, zero earned run ball. Appeared twice during the opening weekend, relinquishing three hits and three earned runs.
DAN ZABLOUDIL Speed to burn. Having trouble at the plate (0-4 with four strikeouts against Central Connecticut State. Went 2-4 against Washington State with two RBI and one run. Homered against the Cougars. Batted .417 (5-12) in Louisiana with five runs scored, three RBI and two stolen bases (both against La. Tech). Was 3-3 for stolen bases at the Disney Baseball Blast and batted .250 (3-12) with two runs scored.
