Baseball Draws Second Seed in Big Ten Tourney – Ohio State Buckeyes
5/21/2002 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 21, 2002
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By virtue of a series split with Minnesota this past weekend in Columbus, Ohio State will be the No. 2 seed at this week’s Big Ten Tournament at Siebert Field in Minneapolis, May 22-25. The Buckeyes needed to win three of four games against the Gophers and put themselves in a position to do that on Sunday.
After getting rained out on Friday, the two teams would have to play two games each Saturday and Sunday. OSU took a 13-3 victory in game one, but were shut out for just the second time this season in the nightcap of the doubleheader 4-0. The Buckeyes stormed to a 9-2 win in Sunday’s first game to make the fourth game of the series a one-game season for the championship. Ohio State battled back to take a 5-3 lead in the fourth, but the Gophers tied the game in the sixth and added three runs in the seventh for an 8-5 victory that gave them the Big Ten regular season title and the priviledge to host the conference tournament as the No. 1 seed.
So, the Buckeyes travel to Minneapolis for the second time in three years to play for its first tournament championship since the 1997 season when it won in Ann Arbor. In all, Ohio State has won the tournament four times (1991, 1994, 1995 and 1997) in its 15 previous tournament appearances. OSU has a 27-23 (.540) all-time record in the Big Ten Tournament, which began in 1981. Only Minnesota has appeared in the Big Ten Tournament more than Ohio State, with its 17th appearances this season.
With the top two seeds receiving byes to the second day of the tournament, the Buckeyes begin play on Thursday at 4:35 p.m. (EDT, 3:35 p.m. CDT) against the higher-seeded winner from Wednesday’s two games that pit No. 3 Michigan State vs. No. 6 Northwestern and No. 4 Indiana vs. No. 5 Iowa. Minnesota will play the lower seeded winner Thursday at 8 p.m. (EDT, 7 p.m. CDT).
Michigan State is making its first appearance in the tournament since 1994 and its sixth overall, while the will be just the fourth trip for Indiana and the fifth appearance for both Iowa and Northwestern.
About Ohio State
The Buckeyes enter the Big Ten Tournament with a 33-18-1 overall record and an 18-11 record in conference play. The team leads the conference with a 4.28 ERA and is fourth in batting with with a .309 batting average. In conference action only, OSU was second (behind Minnesota) in batting with a .312 average and was tied for third (with Minnesota) with a 4.44 ERA.
Individually, the Buckeyes are led by a pair of players – rightfielder Doug Deeds and second baseman Christian Snavely – batting .383. Deeds paces the team with 11 home runs while Snavely leads Ohio State with 74 hits. Nick Swisher has 47 RBI to guide the Buckeyes. He also has a team-best slugging percentage of .639.
On the mound, junior righthanded pitcher Nate Smith steers the Buckeyes with a 2.54 ERA and an unblemished 6-0 record in 60 1/3 innings of work. Freshman lefty Scott Lewis has a team-high 75 strikeouts in his 74 innings on the hill and boasts a 2.80 ERA. Fellow lefty Josh Newman leads Ohio State with eight wins and has worked a team-leading 82 innings from the rubber. He has a 3.73 ERA.
In the Tournament
Ohio State has an all-time record of 27-23 (.540) in the Big Ten Tournament and has won the tournament title four times, though not since the 1997 season. The Buckeyes have played in 16 conference tournaments, one fewer the Minnesota, which has played in 17.
Last Year’s Tournament
The Buckeyes went 2-2 in the 2001 Big Ten Tournament, hosted by the Buckeyes at Bill Davis Stadium. Ohio State opened with an 8-4 win over Michigan, but then dropped into the loser’s bracket with a 4-3 defeat to Penn State. OSU crushed Illinois 10-0 to advance, but then lost to Minnesota, the eventual tournament winner, by a score of 6-5.
Doug Deeds batted .357 in the four games last season, doubled three times, scored twice and knocked in two runs on five hits. Doug Dendinger went 6-for-20 (.300) with a pair of doubles and two RBI. E.J. Laratta got the opening win against Michigan.
Three Buckeyes were named to the all-tournament team: pitcher Greg Prenger, shortstop Trent McIlvain and outfielder Steve Caravati.
Against the 2002 Field
Ohio State has played all five teams in this year’s Big Ten Tournament and has an 11-6 record against the field. The Buckeyes were 3-1 against both Northwestern and Iowa, 2-1 against Indiana, 1-1 against Michigan State and 2-2 against top-seeded Minnesota. Series recaps appear later in the notes.
The Broadcast
WOSU Radio (820 AM) and www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com will air all post season games involving Ohio State with the tandem of Herb Howenstine and Frank Fraas calling the action.
Minnesota Claims Big Ten Title with 8-5 Victory over Buckeyes
Minnesota fought back from a 5-3 deficit to tie the game in the sixth and then scored three runs in the top of the seventh to take an 8-5 victory over Ohio State in the second game of Sunday doubleheader to clinch the Big Ten regular season title.
With the victory, Minnesota improved to 18-10 in conference play, while dropping Ohio State to 18-11 with the loss. The Gophers, who played one fewer league game than the Buckeyes because of rain, clinched the Big Ten title by one half of a game.
The Gophers scored the three runs in the top of the seventh off of OSU reliever Brandon Steen, who had come on in relief in the sixth inning after OSU starter Nate Smith.
Scott Howard singled to right-centerfield and then moved to third on a failed pickoff attempt by Steen, who threw over the head of OSU first baseman Nick Swisher. Luke Appert walked to put runners at first and second before Steen got strike three past Jason Kennedy. A base hit by Scott Welch loaded the bases and then a sacrifice fly by designated hitter Dan Pattee put the Gophers on top 6-5. Two more base hits netted two more runs gave Minnesota the three-run advantage.
Steen got the loss for the Buckeyes falling to 0-2 on the year. He pitched just one inning, giving up three runs before being replaced by Chris Hanners (Fr., Groveport, Ohio/Desales), who got the final out.
Ohio State scored three runs with two out in the fourth inning to take a 5-3 lead. After two fly outs to centerfield, a base hit by Mike Rabin. A base hit by Swisher to leftfield scored Christian Snavely and Brett Garrard to put the Buckeyes up by two. Matt Loberg got the win for the Gophers to improve to 4-3 on the year. He pitched 3 1/3 scoreless innings while giving up only four hits.
OSU Cruises to Game 3 Win
Ohio State left little doubt in game one handing Minnesota a 9-2 loss to make the fourth and final game of the series a true championship game.
The Buckeyes benefited from three walks and two hits in take a 6-0 lead in the fourth. Minnesota scored a run in the top of the fifth, but Ohio State got it right back and then some in the bottom half, scoring three more times to go up 9-1.
Joe Wilkins finished 2-for-3 in the game with and RBI and two runs scored. Deeds also had two hits for the Buckeyes in four official at bats, and also scored twice. Scott Lewis pitched the complete game for the Buckeyes in improving to 6-2 on the season. He struck out five and walked two, giving up both Gopher runs on five hits.
Gophers Shutout Buckeyes
Minnesota starter C.J. Woodrow struck out seven Buckeyes in getting his fifth consecutive complete game Big Ten victory, this time a 4-0 shutout over Ohio State in the second game of a doubleheader last Saturday at Bill Davis Stadium. The Buckeyes mustered only five hits in the game against Woodrow, who improved to 8-4 with the victory. He had one walk in the game, but allowed only six Ohio State baserunners.
Minnesota took a 2-0 lead in the second inning on a triple by catcher Jermey Beaulieu. Welch singled with one out and then OSU starter Scott Newman had him caught in a rundown, but the first base umpired ruled Newman balked and Welch was awarded second. After moving to third on a ground out by third baseman David Hrncirik, he was knocked in by Beaulieu’s triple. First baseman David Roach singled to bring in Beaulieu.
The Gophers scored again in the third and then added a fourth run in the top of the seventh on a wild pitch by Newman, who fell to 8-5 with the loss. He gave up 11 hits in the complete game, striking out seven with three walks. The four runs scored off 11 hits.
Scott Howard finished 3-for-3 from the plate for Minnesota, while Mike Rabin was the only Buckeye with at least two hits.
OSU Takes Game One 13-3
Ohio State scored 10 runs in the fourth inning to take a 13-3 decision over Minnesota in the Big Ten series opener Saturday at Bill Davis Stadium. A three-run home run by Doug Deeds, his 11th of the season, broke a 3-3 tie. But that was not all the scoring for OSU in the inning as it would score 10 times on only seven hits with the aid of an error.
Craig Moldrem fell to 5-4 with the loss after giving up eight runs off 10 hits walking two with two strikeouts. OSU starter E.J. Laratta went the distance for the Buckeyes in earning the win to improve to 7-4. Minnesota’s three runs scored on four hits. Laratta walked one and struck out one in the outing.
Todd Posts 600th OSU Win
With the 14-0 two-hit shutout victory by the Buckeyes over Cleveland State on May 15, Ohio State coach Bob Todd won his 600th game at Ohio State. Todd now has a 602-296-2 record and is already the winningest baseball coach in Buckeye history, doing that with his 479th win in 1999 vs. Pittsburgh. Todd, now in his 15th year at Ohio State, has a career record of 726-378-2 in his 19th season as a head coach, having previously coached at Kent. Todd won his 700th career game earlier this season against Detroit on March 16.
Todd’s Milestone Victories
Career Wins
1 – March 23, 1984 vs. Mercer (18-4)
100 – March 25, 1987 vs. UNC-Wilm. (12-10)
200 – April 1, 1990 vs. Wisconsin (7-4)
300 – April 20, 1992 vs. Penn State (8-0)
400 – May 11, 1994 vs. Cincinnati (14-4)
500 – March 29, 1997 at Michigan State (6-1)
600 – May 2, 1999 vs. Purdue (3-2)
700 – March 16, 2002 vs. Detroit (10-0)
Ohio State Wins
1 – Feb. 27, 1988 vs. Louisville (16-2)
100 – Feb. 22, 1991 vs. Dartmouth (14-7)
200 – March 27, 1993 vs. Cleveland State (8-5)
300 – April 12, 1995 vs. Marshall (9-6)
400 – May 16, 1997 at Michigan (8-5)
*479 – May 5, 1999 vs. Pittsburgh (7-1)
500 – March 19, 2000 vs. Oregon State (8-3)
600 – May 15, 2002 vs. Cleveland State (14-0)
*became the winningest coach in Ohio State history.
Big Ten Wins
1 – April 3, 1988 vs. Illinois (14-6)
100 – May 1, 1993 vs. Michigan (3-2)
200 – May 10, 1998 vs. Michigan State (5-4)
Tenth Time to 18 The 18 wins in Big Ten play by the Buckeyes this year marks the 10th time in school history that Ohio State has reached that plateau. The 1994 and 1999 teams each won 25 conference games, while the 1991, 1992 and 2001 teams each won 20 games. OSU won 19 games in 1993. The 18 victories this season duplicates the number of W’s in 1995, 1997 and 1998.
Bucks Have 17 Triples
Christian Snavely and Drew Anderson each tripled in last Friday’s 13-3 victory over Minnesota to bring the season’s triple total to 17. Only seven other teams have had more in a season.
Snavely now has five triples for the year, which ties him for the sixth best season in school history. Anderson’s four triples tie him for the 14th best season. Steve Caravatti had six triples a year ago, one off the OSU season record set by Dale Hampshire in 1959.
Snavely and Anderson led the Buckeyes in the four-game series vs. Minnesota. Snavley was 7-for-14 (.500) with two doubles, a triple and six RBI while scoring five times. Anderson was 5-for-12 (.417) and had a double, triple and three RBI while scoring once. Snavely had a .786 slugging percentage and a .562 on-base percentage.
Adding the Cleveland State game, Anderson was 8-for-17 (.471) for the week, which was second on the team behind Nick Swisher’s 7-for-14 performance. Anderson had a home run against the Vikings and finished the week with an .824 slugging percentage.
Laratta Snaps Skid
Senior pitcher E.J. Laratta broke a three-game losing streak with his 33rd career victory in the first game of the Minnesota series.
The righthander from Englewood, Colo., had not won since a 14-11 decision at Indiana on April 19 in Bloomington. He had lost his last three starts vs. Purdue on April 28 and at both Michigan (May 3) and Michigan State (May 10). The five runs scored on him at Michigan were all unearned.
The 33 wins by Laratta are the second most in school history, just three victories shy of Justin Fry’s 36 wins from 1995-99. His 366 1/3 innings are also the second most in school annals. He has 230 career strikeouts, which ranks 10th, while his 58 appearances since 1999 rank 12th.
Steen Has Seven Saves
Brandon Steen got saves in both Ohio State wins against Michigan and also had one against Youngstown State on May 1 giving him saves in each of the three Buckeye wins that week. He now has seven saves this season, which is a season high for the senior from Hendersonville, Tenn. The seven saves are also the seventh most in a season by a Buckeye. He now has 12 saves in his career.
Steen has also appeared in 69 games in his four seasons at Ohio State after pitching an inning in getting the loss against Minnesota last Sunday. That appearance ties him for third all-time in the career record book with Dennis Pachner (1992-94). He is 10 saves away from second most all time.
Team Has 10 Saves
Brandon Steen accounts for seven of the team’s 10 saves this season, but the 10 saves equal the seventh most ever in one season. The most ever saves in one season by Ohio State is 15, which happened in both 1996 and 2001. Freshman Mike Madsen has a pair of saves and freshman Chris Hanners has one save to his credit.
Bucks Pitch Another Shutout
The 14-0 shutout against Cleveland State on May 15 was the eighth time this season Ohio State has blanked an opponent. That total equals the school record set by both the 1977 and 2001 teams. The Buckeyes also have shutouts this season against Alabama-Birmingham (2-0 on Feb. 22), North Florida (3-0 on March 1), Detroit (10-0 on March 16), Harvard (9-0 on March 25), Penn State (10-0 on April 6 and 11-0 on April 7) and Purdue (8-0 on April 28). Ohio State has been shutout just once this season, a 1-0 loss in the second game of a doubleheader at Michigan.
The Cleveland State game was also the third time this season that OSU has allowed its opponents two hits or fewer. Actually, all three instances were two-hit efforts. Harvard had two-hits in the 9-0 loss on March 25 and Penn State had a pair of hits in the 10-0 loss on April 6.
OSU Evens Midweek Mark
The 14-0 win over Cleveland State on May 15 was also the third Wednesday night victory in a row for Ohio State. The Buckeyes had lost the first three midweek games of the season falling to Oakland (10-5 on April 10), Dayton (4-3 on April 17) and Wooster, the top-ranked Division III team (9-7 on April 24). Wins over Youngstown State (6-5 on May 1) and Miami (Ohio) (11-2 on May 8) allowed the Buckeyes to finish at .500 in the six Wednesday night games.
In non-conference games this season, Ohio State finished 15-7-1, but that only included a home record 5-4 outside of the Big Ten. The Buckeyes were 3-1-1 in true road games, but had a 7-2 record in neutral site affairs. Doug Deeds batted .410 in 21 non-conference games. He had 20 RBIs, which tied Nick Swisher for the team lead in non-conference action.
Freshman Rabin Leads in Big Ten Games
Freshman outfielder Mike Rabin is the co-leader of the Buckeyes in Big Ten games, batting .373 in 28 conference games. He is 31-for-83, with four doubles, 11 RBI and 12 runs.
Christian Snavley is also batting .373 in league games, with a 41-for 110 effort from the plate. He has 24 RBI with seven doubles, three triples and five home runs in said games. Nick Swisher is right on the heels of the duo with a .372 average and team best 27 RBI and six home runs. Doug Deeds is not far back with a .363 average. The four are ranked in the top 10 batters in Big Ten games only. Rabin and Snavely are tied for sixth, while Swisher is ranked eighth and Deeds tenth.
Snavely Paces With 74 Hits
Christian Snavely watched a 12-game hit streak go by the way-side after going 0-for-3 in the 4-0 shutout last Saturday against Minnesota. Earlier this season Snavely rode a 13-game streak. He has a hit in 42 of his 50 games this season and leads the Buckeyes with 74 hits this season, 27 of which have gone for extra bases, including eight home runs.
Swisher Streak Reached 19
The longest hit streak on the team this year was a 19-game streak by junior first baseman Nick Swisher. The length of the streak came within four games of the all-time OSU record of 23 held by Jay Semke, who had hits in games 13-35 in 1987. Swisher’s streak was snapped in the first game of the doubleheader at Michigan on May 4. Also ending that day was a string of 51 straight games in which he reached base safely.
The longest current streak is five straight by Drew Anderson, the freshman third baseman from Brownsburg, Ind.
Walking Into History
Doug Dendinger needed one walk at Michigan State to become the school’s all-time leader. It came in the form of an intentional walk in the second game of the series. He had been tied with Greg Mohler who had 136 walks between 1981-84. Dendinger walked a second time in the game and now has 140 career walks.
His 45 walks this season leads the Big Ten and equals the fourth highest season total in school history. Dendinger’s 55 walks last season were the second most in OSU history, five off the 60 free passes by Swisher a year ago. Swisher has 37 walks this season and is now third on the career list with 125. He would have to walk 11 more times to beat Mohler’s mark.
Pettorini Named Second-Team Academic All-District
Sophomore Terry Pettorini has been selected to the Verizon Academic Second-Team All-District IV, which was announced May 9.
The Buckeye sometime-designated hitter carries a 3.40 GPA in political science. On the field, Pettorini has a .253 batting average having played in 32 games, with 26 starts. He has 16 RBI with four home runs. Earlier this season, he went 6-for-6, scoring six times while driving in five runs.
The district team is made up of student-athletes from Division I schools in Alabama, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee. To be nominated, a student-athlete must be a starter or important reserve and carry a cumulative grade point average of 3.20 or higher. Team members are selected by a vote of members of the College Sports Information Directors of America within the district.
Home Run 33 for No. 33
Nick Swisher, who wears No. 33 on his uniform, hit career home run No. 33 in the 11-2 victory against Miami (Ohio) on May 8. That total moved him into seventh place on the school’s all-time home run list. He trails Alex Eckelman (1994-97) and Mike Lockwood (1997-99), who each have 34 home runs. He is within six home runs of second place on the list, but is still 19 behind the all-time record set by Dan Seimetz (1995-98) who had 52.
Swisher now has eight home runs this season, which ties him for second most on the team with Christian Snavely, two behind Doug Deeds, who has 10.
Five Buckeyes on Watch List for Smith Award
Five players are among the more than 150 players that have been named to the mid-season watch list for the 15th annual Rotary Smith Award, that was announced April 25. The award will be given to the nation’s top player June 24 in Houston, Texas.
The Buckeyes landed a pair of starting pitchers on the list in E.J. Laratta and Nate Smith. The three other OSU players nominated for this prestigious honor are first baseman Nick Swisher, second baseman Christian Snavely and outfielder Doug Deeds. Swisher was the 2000 Big Ten Freshman of the Year while Deeds copped Freshman of the Year accolades last season.
Twelve semifinalists will be announced Wednesday May 22 and then three finalists will be announced prior to the start of the NCAA super regionals, June 7-9.
Remembering Taylor
The Ohio State baseball team is wearing a black circle patch with a white No. 27 on its right sleeve to remember former Buckeye baseball All-American Fred Taylor. Taylor, who passed away Jan. 6, 2002 after a long illness, was the first baseball All-American from Ohio State in 1950. The former first baseman is probably more recognized as coach of the Ohio State men’s basketball team from 1959-76. Five of his teams earned NCAA Tournament berths (1960, ’61, ’62, ’68 and ’71) with four of those advancing to the Final Four (1960, ’61, ’62 and ’68). His 1960 team won the National Championship. The Buckeyes also made history under Taylor by winning an unmatched five-consecutive Big Ten titles (1960-64).
Rain Gives MSU, OSU Split
The final two games of the Michigan State series at Oldsmobile Park were rained out giving the two teams a 1-1 series split. The Spartans won Friday by a score of 12-5 and the Buckeyes claimed Saturday’s game 6-4.
Lefthanded pitcher Josh Newman struck out eight batters and the Ohio State offense rallied with four runs in the sixth to beat Michigan State 6-4 on Saturday, May 11. Drew Anderson and Mike Rabin knocked in runs to give the Buckeyes a 6-2 lead. The Spartans rallied to score two in the bottom of the sixth to pull within the two-run final. Newman pitched all seven innings allowing the four Michigan State runs on four hits. He had two walks vs. the eight strikeouts in improving to 8-4 on the year. Swisher finished the game 2-for-4 for the Buckeyes, scored a run and knocked in a run. Dendinger was 1-for-2, scored once and drove in a pair of runs.
In the first game of the series, Michigan State scored five runs in each of the second and fifth innings on its way to a 12-5 victory.
The Spartans put up a five-spot in the second inning to take a 6-1 lead. Michigan State scored five runs in the fifth inning to extend its lead to 12-1 before Ohio State could muster any more offense. The Buckeyes scored four times in the top of the sixth. Christian Snavely and Deeds each went 2-for-5. Deeds scored once and drove in a run.
Lewis Garners Pitcher of the Week Honors
Lefthanded pitcher Scott Lewis struck out a career-best 12 Purdue batters April 28 to earn Big Ten Pitcher of the Week accolades. Lewis salvaged a series split for Ohio State, maintaining the Buckeyes’ lead atop the Big Ten in the process. He scattered six hits over seven innings, allowing only one run while complimenting his strikeout total with no walks. Lewis is the third member of the Buckeyes’ starting rotation to earn the conference weekly honor, joining Nate Smith (April 1) and E.J. Laratta (Feb. 25).
OSU Takes 2 of 3 from Indiana
Ohio State scored two runs in the top of the seventh inning to defeat Indiana 3-2 in the second game of a doubleheader April 20 in Bloomington to win the series 2-1 after Sunday’s game was cancelled because of rain.
The Buckeyes rallied to score two runs in the top of the seventh and then held on in the bottom of the inning for the win over Indiana, which was then in second place in the Big Ten standings. Drew Anderson drew a walk to lead off the inning and then stole second then advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Paul Farinacci. Mike Rabin tied the game 2-2 on a double and later scored when Christian Snavely singled to right.
Ohio State rallied in similar fashion in the first game of the doubleheader but could not hold of Indiana in the bottom of the seventh as Indiana escaped with 5-4 victory.
The Buckeyes scored twice in the top of the seventh to tie the game 4-4 thanks to an RBI single through the right side by Doug Dendinger. A double down the leftfield line by Anderson scored Joe Wilkins, but the Buckeyes stranded two runners in scoring position. Eric Blakeley’s RBI single in the bottom of the inning gave the Hoosiers the win.
Wilkins’ two-run home run in the third inning gave Ohio State the lead for good on its way to a 14-11 win on Friday in the series opener. The Buckeyes pulled out to a 4-0 lead after the opening frame, but Indiana responded to take a 5-4 lead after the first inning. OSU scored 10 times in the third and had to hold off the Hoosiers, which scored six times in the final three innings. Ohio State stranded a total of 12 baserunners in that game and then failed to score another 11 in the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader.
Ohio State left Bloomington with a two-game lead over Indiana and Michigan State.
Rabin Named Big Ten Player of the Week
Mike Rabin was named the Big Ten Player of the Week on April 22 after going 6-for-9 (.667) in the three games in Bloomington, Ind., scoring three times and knocking in four RBI. The freshman from West Chester, Ohio, hit an RBI double in the second game of the Saturday doubleheader that tied the game in the bottom of the seventh.
Including the game vs. Dayton on April 17, he finished the week 8-for-11 (.727), scoring four times, while batting in four runs. He also walked four times and did not strike out in the four games for an on-base percentage of .800. He was perfect on the base paths with two stolen bases.
Buckeyes Take 3 of 4 at Iowa
It was the first Big Ten road series for Ohio State of the season and the Buckeyes responded by winning three of four in Iowa City to remain in first place in the conference.
Ohio State had 15 hits in a 7-1 victory in the series opener on April 12. Pitcher E.J. Laratta went the distance to get his fifth win over the year. Laratta threw just 95 pitches scattering 10 fly outs and 11 ground outs in his third complete game of the season and the 17th of his career.
The Buckeyes got their 20th win of the season with a 2-1 triumph over the Hawkeyes in the first game of the Saturday doubleheader. Josh Newman struck out eight batters in pitching 6 2/3 innings. He gave up only four hits for run, which was unearned. At the time, it was a team-best sixth win of the year.
The third game went the way of the Hawkeyes as a three-run home run tied the game at four in the bottom of the fifth and then got the winning run in the next inning to beat Ohio State 5-4 in the second game of the doubleheader.
Pure power led the Buckeyes to an 11-1 victory and 3-1 series win on Sunday. Rightfielder Doug Deeds had two home runs and starting pitcher Nate Smith struck out a career-high 13 batters. Deeds gave the Buckeyes a 3-0 lead in the third inning with his fifth home run of the season and then his sixth homer of the season put the Buckeyes on top 7-0. Paul Farinacci and Doug Dendinger also homered in the game.
Snavely Named Big Ten Player of the Week
Second baseman Christian Snavely was named Big Ten Player of the Week April 8 after leading the Buckeyes to three wins against Penn State while batting .438 (7-for-16) with two home runs and eight runs batted in. Snavely scored three runs on the weekend and posted a slugging percentage of .938 thanks to 15 total bases, twice as many as any other Buckeye. Snavely’s first homer in the series came in the second game on Saturday, as he went a perfect 4-4 and produced four RBI and two runs. He followed that performance with another long ball and three more RBI on Sunday as Ohio State bounced back to win three straight from the Nittany Lions after dropping the opener on Friday.
Buckeyes Open Big Ten Play Winning Three vs. Wildcats
Rain pushed back the start of the Big Ten opening series against Northwestern. The first game actually got underway, but was suspended until Saturday, meaning the Buckeyes and Wildcats played 22 innings in one day.
Christian Snavely hit home runs in consecutive at bats in the fourth and sixth innings helping guide Ohio State to an 8-5 victory in the suspended nine-inning game from Friday.
Nick Swisher became the hero, hitting an 0-2 slider from Northwestern starter Rayn Bos over the leftfield fence scoring two runs to lift the Buckeyes to a 6-5 win in the bottom of the seventh inning in the game one of Saturday’s scheduled doubleheader.
Northwestern handed the Buckeyes their first loss in Big Ten action, winning the nightcap 11-8. The Wildcats won despite committing four errors in the contest. Northwestern had built a 6-1 lead before OSU fought back for a 7-6 advantage. Swisher hit his third home run of the day in the losing effort as the Wildcats scored four runs in the fifth and another in the sixth.
It was all Ohio State in the series finale. Nate Smith pitched a one-hitter through seven innings and was backed up bye a solid offense as the Buckeyes cruised to a 9-2 victory for the series win.
Smith Named Big Ten Pitcher of the Week
Righthanded pitcher Nate Smith was named Big Ten Pitcher of the Week, April 1, after guiding the Buckeyes to a 9-0 win over Harvard in the Homestead Challenge and a 9-2 victory over Northwestern March 31.
Smith pitched 14 innings and struck out 14 batters last week to get his first two wins of the season. He went seven innings and struck out six batters (all in the first three innings) while walking just one while giving up just two hits in the Buckeyes’ win over Harvard.
Against Northwestern, the junior from Bryan, Ohio, took a no-hitter in to the sixth inning, when he gave up a home run on the first pitch of the inning. It was the only hit he gave up in the game holding opposing batters to .048 average and fanning eight. He had a 0.64 ERA in the two games last week.
Swisher Belts Three Home Runs in Three Games
Junior Nick Swisher scored the winning runs in the 6-5 victory in the first game of a doubleheader vs. Northwestern March 30 with a walk-off home run that capped a five-run bottom of the seventh. His sacrifice bunt in his previous at bat in the sixth inning helped the Buckeyes score their first run of the game. Swisher hit .333 (5-for-15) in the four games vs. Northwestern and hit three home runs, one each in the first three games of the series, which Ohio State won 3-1.
