Baseball Names Team Captains for 2004 Season – Ohio State Buckeyes
10/22/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Oct. 22, 2003
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Outfielder Steve Caravati (Jr., Dover, Ohio/Dover), shortstop Brett Garrard (Sr., Brownsburg, Ind./Brownsburg), catcher Derek Kinnear (Sr., Kenton, Ohio/Kenton) and left-handed pitcher Josh Newman (Sr., Wheelersburg, Ohio/Wheelersburg) have been voted by their teammates as baseball team captains for the 2004 season, head baseball coach Bob Todd announced Wednesday.
“I am a coach who believes a team is capable of recognizing leaders and who the people are they want to have lead them,” Todd, who is entering his 17th year as the coach of Ohio State, said. “The players made an outstanding choice. All four captains are hard workers and all four of them have great character. I am positive they will represent their teammates, the program and the university in a first-class manner.”
Caravati has the top batting average of all returning players from the 2003 team, which came within two wins of its first trip to the College World Series since 1967. As the Buckeyes’ designated hitter, Caravati, a Third Team All-Big Ten selection, was second on the team with a .333 average, just behind Christian Snavely (.335), who was a sixth-round draft pick of the Toronto Blue Jays. Caravati, who had 68 hits for the season, belted eight home runs, including seven in the team’s final eight games of the season, helping him earn a spot on the NCAA Auburn Regional Team.
Garrard was named the most outstanding player of the 2003 Big Ten Tournament after batting .474 in the Buckeyes’ five games that culminated with the school’s sixth tournament championship and the second in as many years. Garrard, who batted .308 for the season, was 9-of-17 in Minneapolis and smacked four home runs, including two in the championship game against Minnesota. He was also a member of the all-regional team. Kinnear, who received early mention as a candidate for the 2003 Johnny Bench Award, was named Third Team All-Big Ten last season after batting .298. He had 54 hits, including five home runs, and produced 41 RBI.
Newman finished the season with an 8-6 record after getting wins in four of his last five appearances, including the win over Minnesota that clinched the Big Ten tournament championship and the win over Clemson in the opener of the NCAA Auburn Regional. In 99 innings for the year, he recorded 70 strikeouts against 22 walks. The Second-Team All-Big Ten selection ranks amongst the school’s Top 10 in career wins (24) and career innings pitched (265.2).
Ohio State opens the 2004 season Feb. 13-15 at the Minute Maid Park College Classic in Houston. The Buckeyes will play Texas, the 2002 national champion, Feb. 13 at 4 p.m. and also will play Kansas State and Texas Tech. Houston and defending national champion Rice also are in the tournament, though will not face Ohio State.
