Baseball Set To Open Seasonat Blue-Gray Classic – Ohio State Buckeyes
2/23/1999 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
February 23, 1999
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio State begins its 116th year of baseball at the Blue-Gray Classic at Montgomery, Ala., Feb. 26-28. The Buckeyes along with Kentucky, Minnesota and Troy State comprise this years tournament field.
BLUE-GRAY CLASSIC SCHEDULE
Friday, Feb. 26 Kentucky vs. Ohio State 2 p.m. Minnesota vs. Troy State 5 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 27 Minnesota vs. Kentucky 11 p.m. Ohio State vs. Troy State 2 p.m.
Sunday, Feb. 28 Ohio State vs. Minnesota 11 a.m. Kentucky vs. Troy State 2 p.m.
PATERSON FIELD
The Blue-Gray Classic will be held at Paterson Field for the fourth consecutive year. A city of Montgomery Parks and Recreation Department facility, it hosts local high school games, “Dixie” baseball competitions, various college games and has been the site of the NCAA Division II national championship since 1985. Paterson Field was used for professional baseball until the early 1980s when Montgomerys mayor at the time, Emory Folmar, decreed it would be reserved for amateur use. The park maintains dimensions of 330 down the lines, 380 to centerfield, 372 to the left field power alley and 364 in right centerfield. The outfield wall is 10 feet high. The venue is located 12 blocks from downtown Montgomery and caddy-corner to the Crampton Bowl, where the annual college football Blue-Gray Classic is held.
THE BUCKS ON OPENING DAY
Under Todd, the Buckeyes are 6-5 since 1988 on the first game of the season and Ohio State is 71-42-2 all-time on opening day.
1999 CAPTAINS
Justin Fry, Mike Lockwood and Jason Trott were elected 1999 team captains.
OSU IN THE POLLS
Ohio State was ranked 38th in the Collegiate Baseball preseason poll, 38th in the USA Today Baseball Weekly/ESPN Coaches poll and ranked 43rd by Baseball America. OSU is currently 45th in the Coaches Poll.
PRESEASON ALL-AMERICANS
Fry and Lockwood were named to Collegiate Baseballs preseason All-America third team. Fry was a first team preseason selection in 1998. Freshman pitcher Nate Smith was named a first team top freshman by Baseball America.
PREDICTED BIG TEN FINISH
According to the Baseball America college preview, Ohio State is predicted to finish third in the Big Ten behind Minnesota and Illinois. All three squads are expected to receive NCAA tournament bids and Fry, Lockwood and Trott are preseason all-Big Ten selections. The Big Ten is ranked the sixth-best conference in the nation this year.
HURRICANE WARNING
The Buckeyes will travel to Coral Gables, Fla. next week for the BELLSOUTH Classic at the University of Miami. The Hurricanes finished fifth in the College World Series last year with a 51-12 record and a No. 3 national ranking. Miami loses five starters off the 1998 squad, including Pat Burrell, the No. 1 overall pick of last years Major League draft. OSU will also play East Carolina and Georgia.
MAYOR CELEBRATES
Infielder John Mayor turns 21 on Wednesday, Feb. 24. Other February birthdays include Greg Prenger (19 on the 23rd) and Jason Driscoll (21 on the 17th). The oldest Buckeye is Kurt Fullenkamp, born Nov. 16, 1975 and the youngest Buck is Brandon Steen, born Oct. 16, 1980.
TODD SECURING A PLACE IN HISTORY
One more 40-win season and Todd will become the all-time winningest baseball coach in Ohio State history. He has won 439 games as the Buckeye skipper, second behind Marty Karow who managed 478 in 25 seasons. The Buckeyes have averaged 40-wins per season since Todds arrival in 1988.
FRY LEADS THE WAY
Fry has led the pitching staff in every category at least once during the past three years. He was tops for wins once (10 in 1997), ERA once (3.55 in 1996), strikeouts twice (101 in 1997 and 113 in 1998) and innings pitched three times (76.0 in 1996, 118.0 in 1997 and 96.0 in 1998)
CAN TROTT THREE-PEAT
Trott became the first player since Indianas Mike Smith (1991-.476, 1992-.472) to win back-to-back batting titles. Trott posted a .426 average for the 1998 regular season and claimed the crown in 1997 with a .418 mark. Wisconsins Rick Reichardt is the only other player to win consecutive titles when he posted season bests in 1963 (.429) and 1964 (.472). No player has ever claimed three conference batting titles.
1999 MEDIA GUIDES
1999 Media Guides are available for $10 at “The Winning Schott”, OSUs new merchandise shop at Value City Arena.
SEASON TICKETS
Season box seats will go on sale Monday, March 1, 1999 and individual game tickets will go on sale Monday, March 22, 1999. Contact the OSU Athletic Ticket Office for more details (1 800-GO-BUCKS). The ticket office is now located in The Jerome Schottenstein Center.
ONE OF THE TOP TEAMS OF THE 90s
With its 372-168-1 record over the past nine seasons, Ohio State is ranked the 12th winningest team of the 1990s with a .689 winning percentage. The Buckeyes are the only Big Ten Conference school among the top 25. Wichita State leads the pack with a 484-130-0 (.788) mark since the 1990 season.
STADIUM SEATING
The Ohio State baseball program has had a new treat each season for the past two years. In 1997, it was the opening of the stadium itself. Last year it was the lights for night contests, a batters eye in centerfield and the matrix scoreboard for animation. This year, expanded seating is the name of the game as the Buckeye venue maintains its spot as one of the premier college ball-parks. With the addition of bleacher seating down both foul lines, the stadium capacity has increased to 4,450, making it a probable choice for NCAA Regional competition. Permanent batting cages are also being constructed on the third base side.
THE RECORD WATCH
Career Batting Average 1. Jason Trott .417 2. Dan Seimetz (1995-98) .370 3. Mike Lockwood .369
Career Wins 1. Pete Perini (1947-50) 30 2. Scott Klingenbeck (1990-92) 28 Tom Schwarber (1987-91) 28 4. Chris Granata (1991-94) 27 5. Bill Cunningham (1982-85) 26 Mark Dempsey (1977-80) 26 7. Justin Fry 25 Matt Beaumont (1992-94) 25
Career Innings Pitched 1. Pete Perini (1947-50) 344.0 2. Justin Fry 305.1
Career Strikeouts 1. Steve Arlin (1965-66) 294 2. Bill Cunningham (1982-85) 281 3. Justin Fry 278
