In The Dugout – Ohio State Buckeyes
5/7/2002 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 7, 2002
Adjusting to college can be a difficult task, but the support of family and friends is what makes that task a reasonable goal. Chris Hanners is a freshman pitcher from Groveport and his decision to come play for the Buckeyes was relatively easy.
“My hometown is only 20 minutes away from Columbus, so it is very easy for my friends and family to come out and see me play ball,” Hanners said. “It is fortunate that they can read about the team and each game.”
Hanners is a true freshman, left-handed pitcher and he has seen most of his playing time coming from the bullpen with an occasional midweek start.
“Playing college ball is a world apart from high school,” he said. “Every time I face a hitter, I have the mindset that he was an all-star in high school. There is no drop-off in a college lineup. You have to be focused on every batter and every pitch you throw.”
Hanners graduated from Desales High School and also played high school basketball through his sophomore year before he decided to concentrate on pitching.
He wants to earn a spot in the starting rotation, but for right now he is content with doing whatever he can to help out the team.
Hanners has made 13 appearances this season including three starts. He has a 1-2 record on the season and a 4.55 ERA. He has pitched 29 2/3 innings and has struck out 14 batters while holding the opposition to a .228 batting average. Hanners did not allow an earned run until his seventh appearance – totalling nearly 14 innings – of the season against Florida International at the Homestead Challenge in late March.
He pitched six innings in his first collegiate relief appearance in a 4-3 10-inning victory over Alabama-Birmingham, the first weekend of the season. Hanners allowed just one hit and struck out two batters. He also got a save in the 10-8 victory at New Mexico.
“This year, I hope we can go as far as possible in the tournament,” Hanners said. “Of course everyone wants to go to Omaha (for the College World Series), and the further we go, the more experience I will have for the future. Right now, I am concentrating on improving every day and look forward to the day I earn a spot on the starting rotation.”
