Week Two of Baseball Training Camp – Ohio State Buckeyes
2/1/2000 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Feb. 1, 2000
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State baseball team began week two of its winter training camp yesterday at the Woody Hayes Athletics Center with some good news. As voted by the team, the Buckeyes named Marcello Garofalo and Jason Turner the 2000 team captains. Now it’s back to business for OSU as the season opener is in just 24 days.
The Captains
On Monday, the baseball team announced its team captains for the 2000 season. Seniors Marcello Garofalo and Jason Turner were elected by their teammates to lead them into the upcoming season. Garofalo, from Worthington, Ohio, will see action this season at both first base and designated hitter. Turner, from Versailles, Ohio, started last year in right field and is expected to win the starting nod this season.
Week One of Practice
The Buckeyes went back to basics in week one of practice. Baserunning and fielding were the main focus but the team still worked on all other aspects of the game. Infielder Mike Check actually saw a lot of time in centerfield. The speedy junior is doing his best to crack the starting lineup at any position. The overall athleticism of the infield has been impressive led by upperclassmen Check, Chad Ehrnsberger, John Mayor, Marcello Garofalo, Joe Palazzo, Lance Rolston, Trent McIlvain and Trevor Vaught.
Preseason All-Conference
In the Baseball America preseason poll, Ohio State is the highest ranked Big Ten school at No. 31. As a conference, the Big Ten is ranked as the sixth toughest in the nation. In their conference preseason prognostications, the Buckeyes are predicted to win the championship and earn an NCAA Tournament berth. Both second baseman Chad Ehrnsberger and pitcher E.J. Laratta were named to the preseason all-conference team. Laratta is also the preseason Big Ten Pitcher of the Year and Nick Swisher is the magazine’s choice as the preseason Big Ten Freshman of the Year. Ehrnsberger was voted as the conference’s best defensive second baseman while Laratta was voted as having the best breaking ball. To read more about Baseball America’s preseason prognostications, log on to their website at www.baseballamerica.com.
Baseball America Predicted Finish (rank)
1. Ohio State (31) 2. Penn State (41) 3. Illinois (56) 4. Minnesota (70) 5. Michigan (76) 6. Purdue (100) 7. Indiana 8. Northwestern 9. Iowa 10. Michigan State
Other Early Rankings
In the Collegiate Baseball NCAA Division I Preseason Poll, the Buckeyes are ranked No. 27. OSU is one of three Big Ten schools ranked along with No. 27 Minnesota and No. 35 Illinois. The Buckeyes are also scheduled to face No. 21 Texas A&M and No. 25 Notre Dame.
Rank Team (1999 Record) Points 1. Stanford (50-15) 480 2. Cal. St. Fullerton (50-14) 477 3. Alabama (53-16) 474 4. UCLA (31-31) 470 5. Miami, Fla. (50-13) 469 6. Florida St. (57-14) 467 7. Rice (59-15) 463 8. Louisiana St. (41-24-1) 460 9. Georgia Tech. (38-20) 459 10. Houston (40-24) 455 11. Clemson (42-27) 452 12. Texas (36-26) 450 13. Tulane (48-17) 447 14. Wichita St. (59-14) 442 15. Southern Calif. (36-26) 439 16. Baylor (50-15) 438 17. Auburn (46-19) 435 18. Texas Tech. (42-17) 433 19. Arizona (33-23) 430 20. North Carolina (41-18) 426 21. Texas A&M (52-18) 425 22. Long Beach St. (35-25) 422 23. Oklahoma St. (46-21) 419 24. Florida (31-25) 415 25. Notre Dame (43-18) 413 27. Minnesota (46-18) 406 35. Illinois (34-22) 381 37. Ohio State (50-14) 373
Preseason All-American
The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association has named pitcher E.J. Laratta to its 2000 Preseason All-America baseball team. The sophomore hurler was a third-team selection. Laratta returns after a stellar 1999 season. He carried a 10-3 record with a 3.74 earned run average and 59 strikeouts. At the conclusion of the season, he was named a Freshman All-American, first-team all-Big Ten and the 1999 Big Ten Freshman of the Year. The sophomore was the Big Ten Conference’s only representative on the NCBWA Preseason All-America team.
All-American Ehrnsberger
Chad Ehrnsberger was named to the 1999 National College Baseball Writers Association All-American team. A second team selection at second base, Ehrnsberger led the Buckeyes with 16 home runs and 73 runs batted in. These numbers placed him third in both categories in the Big Ten Conference. Ehrnsberger also carried a .356 batting average and a .648 slugging percentage.
Four All-Big Ten’s Return
Last season, the baseball team had nine student-athletes named to the all-Big Ten team. Of these nine, four are returning this year -first team selections pitcher E.J. Laratta and second baseman Chad Ehrnsberger, second team selection pitcher Cory Cox and third team selection shortstop Trent McIlvain.
A Look at the Schedule
The 2000 season will begin on Feb. 25 in Millington, Tenn., as the Buckeyes compete in the Service Academy Baseball Classic. The other spring tournaments scheduled are the North Florida Baseball Tourney in Jacksonville, Fla. (March 3-5), the Winthrop Classic in Rock Hill, S.C. (March 10-12) and the Aggie Continental Airlines Tournament in Commerce, Texas (March 17-20). The Buckeyes have 15 home dates scheduled at Bill Davis Stadium. The three Big Ten weekends are against Iowa (March 31-April 2), Indiana (April 21-23) and Michigan State (May 12-14).
