No. 25 Baseball in a Battle For the Top Spot in the Big Ten – Ohio State Buckeyes
4/20/2001 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 20, 2001
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COLUMBUS, Ohio – Bill Davis Stadium will be the center of attention in the Big Ten Conference this weekend as two of the Top 4 teams in the league standings will battle in a crucial four-game series. A logjam has been created at the top of the conference ledger with one loss separating the Top 3 teams. Entering this weekend, Purdue (11-3) is percentage points ahead of Ohio State (8-3) with Minnesota hot on the trail (11-4). The No. 25 Buckeyes are the only ranked team in the conference and need to continue their winning ways as they play host to the Penn State Nittany Lions (8-6 in the Big Ten) at Bill Davis Stadium. The Buckeyes have won all three of their Big Ten series this season by 3-1 margins, including at Michigan State last weekend. Penn State, currently in fourth place in the conference, needs to rebound after winning just 1-of-4 at Purdue last weekend. The series opener is Friday at 6:35 p.m. The teams will engage in a twi-night doubleheader Saturday at 4:05 p.m. and play the series finale Sunday at 1:05 p.m.
The Broadcast
The series finale on Sunday will be broadcast live on the Ohio News Network (ONN). Randy Rhinehart will call the action with former Major League catcher Larry Owen providing the color commentary. ONN’s complete statewide channel listings can be found on the Internet at ONNnews.com. WOSU Radio (820 AM) and ohiostatebuckeyes.com will air games one, two and four of the series live with the tandem of Herb Howenstine and the jovial Frank Fraas calling the action. Game three will be a live Internet only broadcast.
The Rankings
The Buckeyes are ranked in two polls this week. In the USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll OSU is ranked No. 25. In the Collegiate Baseball poll this week, the Buckeyes were ranked No. 26. OSU cracked the Top 30 rankings during the week of March 26.
The OSU Offense
Entering this weekend, John Mayor leads OSU with a .387 batting average. Nick Swisher is powering the Buckeyes with 11 home runs, a .760 slugging percentage, .537 on base percentage and 43 walks. Doug Dendinger leads OSU with 37 runs batted in. Mike Harris and Mike Check have 23 and 22 stolen bases, respectively. Harris also leads the team with 48 hits. As a team, the Buckeyes are batting .313 with 40 home runs and 242 RBI.
The Pitching Staff
Entering this week, E.J. Laratta leads OSU with six wins (6-1). Cory Cox leads the Buckeyes with seven saves. Kevin Goodrum is pacing the staff with 39 strikeouts. As a staff, OSU is carrying a 3.89 earned run average.
Big Ten Leaders
Entering this weekend, Ohio State leads the Big Ten Conference with a .321 batting average and 40 home runs. Individually, Nick Swisher leads the conference with, a .760 slugging percentage, a .537 on base percentage and 43 walks. He also is tied for the conference lead with 11 home runs. Mike Harris leads all thieves with 23 stolen bases and Mike Check is second with 22 thefts. Steve Caravati is tied for the league lead with four triples. John Mayor ranks No. 7 with a .387 BA. On the mound, OSU ranks second with a 3.89 team earned run average. Cory Cox leads the conference with seven saves and 17 appearances. E.J. Laratta is pacing the league with six pickoffs and has the second most wins with six. Greg Prenger ranks No. 3 with a 3.00 ERA. Defensively, catcher Joe Wilkins is second in the conference with three pickoffs.
Big Ten Dominance
With the 3-1 series win over Michigan State, the Buckeyes now have won or tied 82-of-94 Big Ten series in the 14-year tenure of head coach Bob Todd. The team has won all three Big Ten series this year (3-1 over Iowa and Illinois).
Home Dominance
In the five-year history of Bill Davis Stadium, the Buckeyes never have lost a Big Ten series at home. The Buckeyes have compiled an 87-25 overall record at home.
250 Big Ten Wins
The April 15, 13-3 win over Michigan State was the 250th Big Ten Conference win for head coach Bob Todd.
Walk This Way
The combination of a selective eye at the plate and respect from opposing pitchers has given Nick Swisher an amazing 43 walks in 35 games. Not only does he lead the Big Ten Conference in this category, he also is tied for fourth on the OSU single season record list for walks. He is well on pace to obliterate the school record of 50 set by Mike Lockwood in 1997.
Name Year Walks 1. Mike Lockwood 1997 50 2. Greg Mohler 1982 45 3. Chris Williams 1995 44 4. Nick Swisher 2001 43
Scouting the Nittany Lions
The Penn State Nittany Lions enter this weekend in fourth place in the Big Ten Conference with an 8-6 record and carry an overall record of 19-21. Wednesday, the Nittany Lions defeated St. Bonaventure, 11-9, at home. Last weekend, PSU lost 3-of-4 at Purdue and lost the series finale, 5-4, in the bottom of the ninth inning, courtesy of a three-run rally by the Boilermakers. Entering this weekend, offensively, Mike DeRenzo leads the team with a .418 batting average. Chris Wright supplies the punch with a team-leading eight home runs and 42 runs batted in. Rod Perry has stolen a team-high 18 bases. As a unit, the Nittany Lions are carrying a .297 BA with 26 home runs and 211 RBI. On the mound, Dan McCall has been the most consistent starting pitcher. He is 3-1 with a 3.14 earned run average and two saves. As a staff, PSU is carrying a 5.11 ERA. The PSU mentor is Joe Hindelang. He is in his 11th year at Penn State and guided the Nittany Lions to the 2000 NCAA Upper Montclair Regional Championship. Hindelang graduated from Temple in 1967.
OSU vs. PSU All-Time
The Buckeyes lead the all-time series, 29-13. The teams have played nine series with OSU holding a 7-1-1 edge. The Buckeyes have won the last four series over the Nittany Lions.
OSU vs. PSU Last Year
Last year, OSU took a four-game series in University Park, Pa., 3-1. E.J. Laratta, Kevin Goodrum and Kevin Wynk recorded the wins. Nick Swisher was in midseason form as he finished the series with a .333 batting average (5-for-14) with one home run and nine runs batted in. At the Big Ten Tournament in Minneapolis, Minn., PSU rallied in the bottom of the ninth inning with two runs to defeat OSU, 8-7.
OSU Defeats YSU, 4-2
Wednesday, the Buckeyes endured frigid temperatures and a stiff breeze in defeating the Youngstown State Penguins, 4-2, at Bill Davis Stadium. Doug Dendinger led the Buckeyes with a stellar performance at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI. Ohio State broke a 2-2 tie in the fifth inning. With one out, Mike Check drew a walk from YSU reliever Jonathon Smart. Dendinger took the 2-1 pitch from Smart and deposited it over the right-center field wall for his seventh home run of the season. Dendinger drove in three runs in the game, pushing his team-leading RBI total to 36. Kyle Blachuta earned the win and Brandon Steen picked up the save.
Mr. Clutch
Christian Snavely had another huge weekend in OSU’s 3-1 series win at Michigan State. On Friday, he entered the game as a pinch-hitter, with the bases loaded in the top of the ninth inning with the game tied at six. He took a 2-2 offering from Michigan State reliever Bryan Gale and belted it over the right field wall for a game-winning grand slam. The Buckeyes needed every run as MSU scored three runs in the bottom half of the inning. OSU held on for the 10-9 win. In Sunday’s finale, Snavely went 2-for-4 with two solo home runs to help lead OSU to a 13-3 win over the Spartans. Snavely finished the series with a .400 batting average (4-for-10) with three home runs and six runs batted in. On April 7 against Illinois, Snavely smacked a game-winning, two run, walk-off home run in the bottom half of the seventh inning in OSU’s 6-5 win over Illinois. On April 1 at Iowa, with the Buckeyes down 5-4 in the top of the seventh and final inning, Snavely led off with a triple down the left field line. He scored two batters later and OSU would eventually win the game, 6-5.
Blank Man
April 14 against Michigan State, Greg Prenger threw a complete game, six-hit shutout to help lead OSU to a 4-0 win. He went seven innings, did not allow a walk and recorded three strikeouts. Prenger was both efficient and dominant throwing 94 pitches, including 64 for strikes (68 percent) and faced just three batters over the minimum. He also became the first OSU pitcher since E. J. Laratta in 1999 to record two complete-game shutouts in a season (first shutout vs. Harvard on March 24).
Show of Unity
Five members of the Ohio State catching corps have shaved their heads in a show of unity. Self nicknamed “The Usty’s,” the trend was started when Todd “Musty” Calcamuggio, who wears his head shaved all year round, helped convince Chris “Dusty” Alvord to sport the same look during the Spring Break Trip in Bradenton, Fla. In the two weeks since, Derek “Busty” Kinnear, Doug “Clusty” Larason and Brian “Rusty” Panke have followed suit, giving the catchers a more aerodynamic look collectively.
Slim Margins
After Friday’s 10-9 win over Michigan State, the Buckeyes are now 6-1 in one-run games this season. To put this statistic in perspective, OSU finished 9-10 last year and 4-2 in 1999 in games decided by a single run.
The Fireman
Cory Cox enters this weekend with seven saves. The total is the third most in school history. He already holds the school record with nine saves set in 1999 and recorded the second most last year with eight saves.
Going One Way
After starting his career as a switch hitter, Joe Wilkins has decided to hit strictly from the right side. The early results have been favorable. In 11 games, the OSU starting catcher has compiled a .333 batting average (12-for-36) with four runs batted in. In 17 games prior to the decision to hit just from the right side, Wilkins was carrying a .222 BA with eight RBI. “It has really helped my balance,” Wilkins said. “It has been easier for me to find a rhythm in the batters box hitting from just one side. I’ll probably stick with this until the end of the season.
OSU Takes MSU Series
Last weekend in East Lansing, Mich., the Buckeyes took 3-of-4 from the Michigan State Spartans at Kobs Field. In game one, with bases loaded and the game tied at six in the top of the ninth inning, Christian Snavely entered the contest as a pinch hitter and took a 2-2 offering from Michigan State reliever Bryan Gale over the right field wall to give OSU a 10-6 lead. MSU attempted a rally in the bottom half of the inning and scored three runs to cut the lead to one run. Stopper Cox squashed the rally and recorded the final two outs to help lead the No. 26 Buckeyes to a 10-9 victory.
In game two, OSU allowed seven MSU runs in the first inning and never recovered losing, 14-3.
In game three, the Buckeyes rode the back of starting pitcher Greg Prenger as he fired a complete game, six-hit shutout to help the team to a 4-0 win.
In the series finale, OSU scored runs in six of the nine innings and cruised to a 13-3 win over MSU. Snavely belted two home runs and Doug Dendinger added another and drove in a total of four runs. Mike Check chipped in by going 3-for-4 with three runs batted in. On the mound, Josh Newman was solid and improved to 4-2 on the season with his seven-inning performance. The lefty threw 103 pitches (72 strikes), scattered 10 hits, gave up two runs, no walks and recorded four strikeouts.
The Old Man
Friday, April 6 against Illinois, stopper Cory Cox set a school record by making his 80th career appearance as a Buckeye. The old record of 79 was held by Andy Lee (1996-99). Cox enters this weekend with 85 career appearances. He (23 years and 1 month) may be the senior member of the pitching staff, but he isn’t the senior member of the team. Catcher Chris Alvord (23 years and 7 months) was born Sept. 1, 1977 and is the only member of the team born that year.
Home Cooking
Freshman Steve Caravati has quickly made Bill Davis Stadium his favorite ballpark to play in. In seven games (four starts), the outfielder is batting .529 (9-for-17) with a double, two triples, two home runs and 12 runs batted in. His home slugging percentage is an astounding 1.176 percent. On March 10, he became the first player in Bill Davis Stadium’s 5-year history to hit for the cycle. Against the Detroit Titans, he opened the game with a one-run double in the first inning. In the third inning, Caravati belted a solo home run. With the bases loaded in the fifth inning, he sent a shot off the center field wall for a bases-clearing triple. In his final at bat, Caravati spanked a RBI single to left field. For the game, he finished 4-for-4 with eight RBI.
Thievery
The Buckeyes already have totaled 67 stolen bases in 36 games this season. Last year, OSU amassed 49 steals in 60 games. Mike Check and Mike Harris are tied for the team lead with 21 steals. The team single-season record is 84 set in 1993.
The Top Thieves
Mike Check enters this week with 53 career stolen bases, ranking him second on the OSU all-time career list. Roy Marsh (1992-94) holds the school record with 73.
Wow … What a Start
The 20-5 start by Ohio State is the best 25 game start the program has seen since 1991 when the Buckeyes opened the season with a 21-4 record. That year, OSU won the Big Ten and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. In 1994, the Buckeyes streaked to a 19-6 start and eventually finished with the best record in the nation at 49-9.
Lights Out Baseball
The April 4 game against Wright State marked the first game in Bill Davis Stadium history delayed and ultimately suspended because of light failure. Initially, the lights went out during daylight and were temporarily restored. The game was then delayed at 8:32 p.m. after another outage and was restarted at 9:08 p.m. The final power outage occurred at 9:26 p.m. in the top of the ninth inning and the game was then suspended by the umpires.
Triple Play
On April 1, 2001, the Buckeyes hit into the rare triple play. Mike Harris lined a ball to Iowa third baseman Ian Mattiace, who then tagged third base to putout Joe Wilkins and then immediately threw to first base to eliminate Trent McIlvain. OSU won the game over the Hawkeyes, 8-1, in Iowa City. When was the last triple play that involved OSU? Good question. The OSU coaching staff and radio broadcast team of Herb Howenstine and Frank Fraas could not recall a triple play in their collective years of association with the OSU baseball program.
A Perfect Spring Break
Faced with nearly every conceivable type of game (doubleheaders, cancelled games, makeup games, night games followed by early morning games), the Buckeyes stood strong and finished their Spring Break trip with a 10-0 mark in Bradenton, Fla. Ohio State posted wins over conference rival Northwestern along with Harvard, Fairleigh-Dickinson and Vermont.
Kennel Club Classic Recap
On, March 2-4, OSU finished the 2001 Kennel Club Classic in Jacksonville, Fla., with a 2-2 record. The Buckeyes opened the tournament with a thrilling, come from behind 10-9 win over Jacksonville. The following day, OSU upset No. 16 Stetson, 13-5. The Buckeyes concluded the tournament with losses to North Florida and Austin Peay.
Mardi Gras Ball Recap
On Feb. 23-25, the Buckeyes opened the 2001 season at the Mardi Gras Ball in Lafayette, La. OSU opened the tournament with a 10-5 loss to No. 11 Nebraska. Going into the ninth inning, OSU was down 6-5. But the Huskers broke the game open with four runs. Against No. 25 Wichita State, the two teams played scoreless baseball for the first six innings. In the seventh, both teams scored five runs each and in the bottom of the ninth, the Shockers won the game on a RBI single. Against host school Louisiana-Lafayette, the Buckeyes put together their best game of the weekend. Starting pitcher Greg Prenger gave up just four hits in seven innings of work. Steve Caravati drove in four runs to help lead OSU to the 10-2 win.
USA Baseball Adds Todd
USA Baseball has named Ohio State baseball head coach Bob Todd as the third and final assistant coach of the 2001 USA Baseball National Team. The team will consist of collegiate all-stars that will play approximately 30 games on the USA Baseball Red, White and Blue Tour this summer. Pat McMahon of Mississippi State is the head coach and will be assisted by Paul Stevens of Northwestern and Dusty Rhodes of North Florida. In June, USA Baseball, McMahon and his coaching staff will select a team comprised primarily of the nation’s top freshman and sophomore collegiate players. The players will assemble at the training site in Tucson, Ariz., then depart for Japan to play a five-game series against the Japanese Collegiate All-Stars in Tokyo and Okinawa. Upon returning from Japan, the team will play approximately 25 additional games in July in various states on the USA Red, White and Blue Tour, including Alaska, Ohio and New York.
Laratta and Swisher Listed
The 2001 Rotary Smith committee has released a preliminary watch list of over 160 Division I college baseball players who are under consideration to become the winner of the 14th annual Rotary Smith Award, which will be handed out in Houston, Texas June 28. Junior pitcher E.J. Laratta and sophomore first baseman Nick Swisher have been named to the preliminary list. To view the complete list, log on to www.smithaward.com.
Swish Picked by Magazine
Sophomore first baseman Nick Swisher was Collegiate Baseball’s preseason Big Ten Player of the Year. Last year, Swisher won Big Ten Freshman of the Year and Freshman All-America honors.
Ticket Information
The Ohio State Athletics Ticket Office has announced that season tickets for the 2001 baseball season are now on sale. The entire season is $176 and the Big Ten Grand Slam package is $96. Single game tickets are currently on sale and will be based on availability. For the general public, box seats are $10 and general admission is $5. For Ohio State students, box seats are $6 and general admission is $3. Groups of 10 or more will be able to purchase general admission seats for $2 each. For questions or to order tickets, please contact the Ohio State Athletic Ticket Office at 1-800-GO-BUCKS or at (614) 292-6861 or log on to www.hangonsloopy.com.
The TV Schedule
Prior to this season, the Ohio News Network (ONN) agreed to televise nine OSU baseball games at Bill Davis Stadium. Central Ohio Sport! television also has agreed to televise four additional games.
Getting Results
OSU baseball results can easily be found on the Internet at www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com.
On Deck
Wednesday, the Buckeyes continue through their longest homestand of the year when they play host to Akron at 6:35 p.m. Next weekend, OSU plays host to Minnesota in a four-game series beginning Friday at 6:35 p.m.
