Ohio State and SMS Battle for Trip to CWS – Ohio State Buckeyes
6/5/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
June 5, 2003
No. 16 Ohio State Buckeyes
(44-19, 20-12 Big Ten)
vs.
No. 14 SMS Bears
(38-24, 19-11 Missouri Valley)
Bill Davis Stadium
Columbus, Ohio
Saturday, June 7: 8:05 p.m. (Sold Out)
ESPN2, WOSU Radio (820 AM)
Sunday, June 8: 6:05 p.m. (Sold Out)
ESPN2, WOSU Radio (820 AM)
Monday, June 9: 1:05 p.m.*
ESPN, WOSU Radio (820 AM)
* if necessary
Ohio State Pitching Rotation No. Name 2003 Stats G1 23 Josh Newman, LHP 8-5, 4.12 ERA, 65K, 91.2IP G2 6 Mike Madsen, RHP 8-1, 3.17 ERA, 43K, 59.2IP G3 17 Chris Hanners, LHP 4-4, 6.38 ERA, 37K, 55.0IP
Ohio State Position Players P No. Name 2003 Stats C 8 Derek Kinnear .303 BA, 53 H, 39 RBI, 5 HR 1B 29 Paul Farinacci .291 BA, 57 H, 33 RBI, 7 HR 2B 1 Drew Anderson .314 BA, 76 H, 33 RBI, 11 HR 3B 20 Jedidiah Stephen .236 BA, 26 H, 19 RBI, 5 HR SS 7 Brett Garrard .310 BA, 62 H, 30 RBI, 7 HR LF 14 Cody Caughenbaugh .290 BA, 40 H, 18 RBI, 1 HR CF 25 Mike Rabin .298 BA, 67 H, 18 RBI, 2 HR RF 36 Christian Snavely .335 BA, 65 H, 54 RBI, 16 HR DH 4 Steve Caravati .330 BA, 64 H, 46 RBI, 6 HR TEAM TOTALS .293 BA, 587 H, 326 RBI, 64
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COLUMBUS, Ohio – As the No. 3 seed, Ohio State swept through the NCAA Auburn Regional last weekend posting victories over southern baseball powers Clemson and Auburn. By virtue of the regional championship, the Buckeyes are now two victories away from the College World Series in Omaha, Neb.
Standing in their way is Southwest Missouri State, the No. 3 seed in the Lincoln Regional, which took two victories over Nebraska to advance to the super regional round. The Cornhuskers had been made appearances just up the road from Lincoln at Rosenblatt Stadium each of the last two years.
The good news for the Buckeyes is that they were awarded the right to host the Bears this weekend in a best two-of-three series at Bill Davis Stadium with the winner moving on to the CWS, June 13-23 in Omaha.
This is the second time the Buckeyes have played in a super regional. After winning the Columbus Regional with a win over Bowling Green and a pair of wins over Mississippi State, Ohio State played host to Cal State-Fullerton in 1999. The Titans came back after losing the first game to win the next two and advance to the CWS.
The Buckeyes were also one victory away from Omaha in 1992 and 1993 and have not been to the CWS since 1967. Ohio State went three straight years, finishing as the runner up in 1965 before winning the National Championship in 1966. The Buckeyes went 0-2 in 1967. The only other appearance was in 1951.
This is the 16th appearance for the Buckeyes in the NCAA Tournament and they are playing in their 10th tournament head coach Bob Todd.
ABOUT OHIO STATE
The 2003 Buckeyes improved to 44-19 overall after sweeping through the Auburn Regional beating Clemson 10-8 before taking a pair of wins against national No. 4 seed Auburn by scores of 6-2 and 9-7. Drew Anderson was unanimously named the most outstanding player of the regional by batting .429 (6-of-14) with two doubles and four home runs. He touched 20 bases, double the amount of any other Buckeye, for a slugging percentage of 1.429. Joining him on the all-regional team were teammates Brett Garrard, Cody Caughenbaugh, Mike Madsen and Steve Caravati.
Christian Snavely leads the Buckeyes with a .335 batting average this season. He leads the team with 16 home runs, 54 RBI, 58 walks, 131 total bases, a slugging percentage of .675 and an on-base percentage of .483. Steve Caravati is hitting .330, while Anderson, the team’s leading hitter with 76 hits is third on the team with a .314 batting average. Josh Newman picked up the win against Clemson to improve to 8-5 on the year. He has 65 strikeouts in 91 2/3 innings with an ERA of 4.12. Madsen improved to 8-1 by beating Auburn Saturday, while Matt Davis picked up three saves at the Auburn Regional to increase his record to 14 saves.
OSU IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
Ohio State made its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 1951 and advanced to the College World Series. Since that time, the Buckeyes have qualified for the tournament 15 more times for a total of 16 NCAA Tournament appearances. Since coach Bob Todd arrived at Ohio State 16 years ago, OSU has earned a berth into the tournament 10 times, and all have been since 1991. The Buckeyes were in the tournament last season, participating in the South Bend Regional, where they played No. 2 seed Notre Dame in the championship game as the No. 3 seed. Notre Dame ended its season at the College World Series after upsetting national No. 1 seed Florida State in Tallahassee to advance to Omaha. The Buckeyes lost to Notre Dame in the opener before rebounding in the loser’s bracket with wins over No. 4 seed Kent State and No. 1 seed South Alabama.
Including this year’s 3-0 run at the Auburn Regional, Ohio State is 38-31 (.551) overall in the tournament. That includes 1-2 in one super regional appearance in 1999.
OHIO STATE AT THE CWS
Thirty-seven years ago, the Ohio State Buckeyes ruled college baseball. OSU defeated Oklahoma State, 8-2, and won the College World Series in Omaha, Neb. The following year, in 1967, the Buckeyes returned to Omaha and were eliminated in two games. Since that time, OSU has never made it back to the College World Series a span of . Ohio State has appeared a total of four times at the CWS (1951, 1965, 1966 and 1967). The Buckeyes have compiled a 9-7 record with one national championship (1966) and one runner-up finish (1965).
BUCKEYES WERE CLOSE IN 1999
In 1999, the NCAA Tournament returned to Columbus, this time at Bill Davis Stadium. It ended a 35-year absence after the last tournament was played at old Trautman Field in 1966.
The nation took notice as the Buckeyes used their home-field advantage to help propel themselves to the Columbus Regional Championship. After wins over Bowling Green and Mississippi State, OSU took home its first regional title in 32 years with a 10-7 victory over the Bulldogs.
The following weekend, the Buckeyes played host to the NCAA Columbus Super Regional, a three-game showdown vs. Cal State-Fullerton, the winner of the South Bend Regional. After winning game one 10-7 courtesy of an eighth-inning grand slam, the Buckeyes lost the final two games and the Titans advanced to the College World Series.
BUCKEYES CLOSE TO OMAHA TWO OTHER TIMES UNDER TODD
Ohio State finished second in six-team regional play in 1992 and 1993. In 1992, Bob Todd’s fifth season in Columbus, his team went to the South I Regional at LSU in Baton Rouge, La. The Buckeyes lost to Cal State-Fullerton 3-2 to open the regional, but worked their way back with a 5-0 victory over top-seeded LSU and a 7-6 triumph over Providence to get back to the regional final against CSUF. The Titans easily dispatched of the Buckeyes, winning 13-1. The next year, Ohio State traveled to Atlanta, Ga. for the Atlantic Regional at Georgia Tech. Again, the Buckeyes lost their opening game, a 14-5 loss against Wichita State. OSU battled back to win its next two games, beating Georgia Tech 7-4 and East Carolina 6-2, to set up a rematch with the Shockers for the regional championship. Needing two wins against Wichita State, OSU took an 8-6 decision in the first game before falling 5-3 in the second game.
IN THE TOURNAMENT LAST YEAR
The Buckeyes went to the South Bend Regional as the No. 3 seed a year ago and advanced to the championship game, need two wins over host and No. 2 seed Notre Dame. The Buckeyes came up short, losing the first game 9-6 paving the way for the Fighting Irish for its upset over national No. 1 seed Florida State in the Tallahassee Super Regional to advance to the College World Series.
Ohio State opened the regional with an 8-6 loss to Notre Dame. Christian Snavely gave the Buckeyes a three-run advantage with a two-run shot to right field in the top of the seventh inning that seemed to give Ohio State the needed momentum at the upset, but Notre Dame scored five runs on six hits in the bottom of the inning to take a 7-5 lead. A solo home run by Matt Bok in the eighth gave the Irish an 8-5 lead before the Buckeyes added a run in the top of the ninth on a pair of doubles, the second of which by Brett Garrard, scored catcher Joe Wilkins.
Facing elimination, Ohio State set a school NCAA Tournament record with eight steals and 17 hits to beat Kent State 12-8. The 17 hits by Ohio State matched the number of hits the Buckeyes had against Mississippi State in the 1999 regional in Columbus and the eight stolen bases broke the 35-year record of six against Houston in the 1967 College World Series. Garrard went a perfect 4-for-4 in the game with two RBI and scored three runs. Six other Buckeyes had two hits apiece, including a home run by Snavely.
That win set up a matchup with the loser between Notre Dame and top-seeded South Alabama. The Jaguars lost that game 25-1, sending them to face Ohio State. Two solo home runs lifted the Buckeyes to a 6-4 victory and sent them to the regional final. Terry Pettorini broke a 4-4 tie in the fourth inning and Nick Swisher, the 16th overall pick last June by the Oakland Athletics, added another in the bottom of the eighth.
In the regional final, Notre Dame scored twice in the first and added three runs in the fourth to put Ohio State in a 5-0 hole. The Buckeyes scored once in the bottom of the fourth, but Notre Dame came back with a two-run answer in the sixth and added another run in the bottom of the inning. The Irish scored once more, but the Buckeyes scored four times in the eighth to pull within the 8-6 final.
ABOUT SMS
Southwest Missouri State, playing as a No. 3 regional seed like the Buckeyes, won the Lincoln Regional to earn their first-ever super regional berth. The Bears opened the Lincoln Regional with an 8-3 victory Friday over second-seeded Coastal Carolina before beating top-seeded Nebraska 4-2 Saturday to advance to the regional final. Nebraska needed two wins to claim the regional championship. The Cornhuskers won the first game 9-5, but SMS claimed the championship with a 7-0 shutout in the second game, getting a complete game from right-handed pitcher Bob Zimmermann, who beat the Buckeyes earlier in the year.
Zimmermann is 5-3 with a 4.20 ERA. He has 84 strikeouts in 83 2/3 innings to lead the Bears’ pitching staff, which has a 4.12 ERA collectively. Chad Mulholland, who pitched the final two innings against Ohio State on March 2, is 10-3 on the year with a 2.73 ERA. He has 108 strikeouts in 105 2/3 innings. At the plate, Dant’e Brikley leads the everyday starters with a .344 batting average. He has a team-high 89 hits, 17 doubles and 63 runs. Tony Piazza has 14 home runs and a slugging percentage of .570 to lead the Bears.
AGAINST THE BEARS
SMS won an earlier meeting between the schools 18-3 in Beaumont, Texas, the third game of the season. That weekend marked the first time Ohio State had played outdoors after being forced to practice inside the Woody Hayes Athletic Center the last week of January and the entire month of February. That was the only previous meeting in the history of the schools.
STATISTICAL COMPARISON NCAA Columbus Super Regional Category OSU SMS Record 44-19 38-24 Batting Average .293 .296 Runs/Games 5.7 6.2 Home Runs 64 39 Steals 70-92 65-94 ERA 3.90 4.12 K/BB 3.14 2.93 Opp. BA .250 .265 Fielding % .962 .968 NCAA Tourneys 16th 6th Super Regionals 2nd 1st
EARLIER THIS SEASON VS. SMS
Southwest Missouri State scored three times in the third inning and then added solo runs in the fifth, sixth, seventh and scored twice in the eighth and 10 times in the ninth en route to an 18-3 win over Ohio State March 2 in the Tournament of Champions Cardinal Classic at Lamar University’s Vincent-Beck Stadium.
The Buckeyes had pulled within a 3-2 score in the fourth inning, but OSU starting pitcher Nate Smith struggled, giving up four runs (three earned) on six hits with two strikeouts and two walks in 4 2/3 innings. After Chris Hanners’ 1 1/3 innings, Greg Prenger came in for two innings and Matt Davis faced seven batters in the ninth and gave up seven hits without an out before Mike Madsen entered the game. SMS put up a 10-spot on the Buckeyes in the ninth on a total of 11 hits. Bears’ pitcher Bob Zimmerman got the win to move to 1-1 on the year. In seven innings he gave up all three OSU runs on seven hits. He struck out six and walked two.
BATTLE OF NO. 3 SEEDS
Only once since the NCAA Tournament expanded to include the super regional round in 1999 has a No. 3 regional seed advanced to Omaha and that was in 2000 when San Jose State made its first-ever appearance, going 0-2. That is certain to change this year with Ohio State and SMS both No. 3 seeds. A third No. 3 seed is playing in a super regional this weekend. Houston was the No. 3 seed in College Station and now must play at Rice, the No. 5 national seed. The winners of these two super regionals will meet in the first round of the CWS, Saturday, June 14.
IN THE RANKINGS
Ohio State leaped into the national rankings in this week’s polls after whipping up on a couple of traditional Southern baseball powers at the Auburn Regional. A win over Clemson and a pair of wins over Auburn, catapulted the Buckeyes from a No. 31 ranking in the National Collegiate Baseball Writer’s Association Top 35 poll a week ago to No. 16 in the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Top 30 poll this week. That is the highest ranking for the Buckeyes this week. They are also ranked 20th by Baseball America and 21st in the NCBWA poll. USA Today SportsWeekly/ESPN did not publish a poll this week. SMS is ranked 14th by Collegiate Baseball, 17th by the NCBWA and 21st by Baseball America.
AT BILL DAVIS STADIUM
Ohio State won its first 13 games at Bill Davis Stadium this season before Indiana snapped the streak on April 19. Ohio The Buckeyes finished the regular season 22-5 at home. A year ago, the Buckeyes were 15-10 in the stadium, which included a 10-6 mark in Big Ten play. Since opening Bill Davis Stadium in 1997, the Buckeyes are 138-49 in the facility. That is a win percentage of .738, which includes a 76-34 mark against conference foes and a 62-15 record against non-conference opponents.
ON TELEVISION
ESPN2 will televise the Saturday and Sunday games between Ohio State and SMS, while a potential game three Monday would be televised by ESPN. The games will be shown regionally only in Ohio and Missouri, but will be offered nationally as part of the ESPN College Grand Slam pay-per-view package. The rest of the country will be part of ESPN’s whip-around coverage, where ESPN and ESPN2 will take viewers to the best action from different games. That pay-per-view package (available for $19.95) includes access to all games from the super regional round of the 2003 NCAA Division I Baseball Championship. Featuring up to 24 games, ESPN College Grand Slam ensures coverage of NCAA college baseball like fans have never seen before.
The Buckeyes have been on television 11 times this season, eight of which have been on the Ohio News Network. The Buckeyes were 5-3 on ONN this season. The other three television appearances by the Buckeyes this year were on Comcast/Charter Sports Southeast during the Auburn Regional, when they went 3-0.
Play-by-play announcer Bill Roth and color analyst Nick Belmonte will be calling the action at the NCAA Columbus Super Regional for ESPN and ESPN2.
ON THE RADIO
All postseason games will be broadcast on WOSU Radio (820 AM) in Columbus. Fans worldwide can hear Herb Howenstine and Frank Fraas call the action of Buckeye Baseball live on the Internet at www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com.
PSEUDO RPI’S
According to the Pseudo RPI’s published by Boyd’s World, Ohio State is ranked 37th (0.571), while Southwest Missouri State is ranked 47th (.558). Boyd’s World claims its formula and bonus amounts are in line with the official results from the 2001 season.
THREE BUCKEYES TAKEN IN DRAFT
Ohio State junior outfielder Christian Snavely, right-handed relief pitcher Matt Davis and left-handed pitcher Josh Newman were selected in Major League Baseball’s First-Year Player Draft. Snavely was selected in the sixth round as the 170th overall pick by the Toronto Blue Jays. Davis, was picked in the seventh round as the 198th overall pick by the Cleveland Indians, while Newman went in the 31st round as the 921st overall pick to the Cincinnati Reds.
Snavely leads the Buckeyes with a .335 batting average this season. He leads the team with 16 home runs, 54 RBI, 58 walks, 131 total bases, a slugging percentage of .675 and an on-base percentage of .483. He has a .338 career average with 189 hits, 31 doubles, 10 triples and 34 home runs and 139 RBI. He has a .612 career slugging percentage.
Davis, a redshirt sophomore, has a school-record 14 saves this season in 32 appearances, all in relief. He is 3-1 on the year with a 5.17 ERA in 38 1/3 innings. He has struck out 38 batters while walking just nine against 39 hits. He is holding batters to a .264 batting average.
Newman is 8-5 this season with a 4.12 ERA and has won his last three appearances after moving into the No. 1 spot of the Buckeyes’ rotation. He is 24-14 with a 4.08 ERA in his three years with the Buckeyes. His 24 career wins is tied for 10th in school history while his 258 1/3 career innings also is 10th.
BUCKEYES WIN AUBURN REGIONAL
Third-seeded Ohio State battled back for a 9-7 upset victory over top-seeded Auburn to win the NCAA Auburn Regional June 1 to earn the team’s first appearance in a Super Regional since 1999.
Ohio State swept through the Auburn Regional beating second-seeded Clemson 10-8 Friday, before sending Auburn to the loser’s bracket Saturday with a 6-2 victory. Auburn would have needed to win two games against Ohio State Sunday to win the regional championship, instead the Buckeyes disposed of the Tigers in one game. The Buckeyes had to come back for the third straight game to earn their 44th victory of the season.
Auburn scored the first two runs of the game in the top of the second inning before the Buckeyes came back in the bottom of the inning to score one run on a sacrifice fly by Brett Garrard. The Tigers answered with three runs in the third including back-to-back home runs by Huddleston and Amonite.
A leadoff double to left field by Drew Anderson in the third inning added another run for the Buckeyes. He moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Mike Rabin and scored on a sacrifice fly to right by Christian Snavely to make the score 5-2. Ohio State manufactured three runs in the bottom of the fourth to tie the game. Despite the three-run rally by the Buckeyes, they could not hold the Tigers off the scoreboard in the top of the fifth. Hanners walked Huddleston to open the inning and was promptly replaced by Kyle Brown. Brown got Amonite to ground out before Thomas sent a shot under the glove of a Anderson to score Huddleston and give the Tigers a 6-5 lead. The second run scored on a base hit to right field by Schade to make the score 7-5.
Ohio State erupted three times in the bottom of the sixth inning to take a one-run lead and then Cody Caughenbaugh gave the Buckeyes a run of insurance in the seventh inning with a solo home run to right that was fair by about five feet. It was his first career home run as a Buckeye and gave Ohio State a 9-7 lead.
Trent Luyster then retired the first two batters of the eighth before Hulett tripled to right-center field, which forced Bob Todd to bring in closer Matt Davis.
After the Buckeyes went in order in the bottom of the eighth, Davis walked Thomas. He then got Schade to ground into a 4-3 double play before getting Sain to fly out to Rabin in center to end the game.
Brown picked up the win to improve to 3-0 on the year. He went 2 2/3 innings, allowing one run (earned) on four hits with a walk and two strikeouts. Davis pitched himself out of a jam in the eighth to pick up his third save of the regional and his 14th of the season. Steven Register, who entered the game with a national best 16 saves for the Tigers, was tagged with the loss to fall to 3-3.
Anderson, Farinacci and Garrard each finished with two hits as the Buckeyes scored all nine runs on just nine hits, while 14 hits by Auburn produced their seven runs. The Tigers left 10 base runners, while the Buckeyes stranded only four. Garrard finished 2-for-3 with four RBI.
MOST OUTSTANDING PLAYER IN AUBURN IS OSU’S ANDERSON
Drew Anderson was unanimously named the most outstanding player of the regional by batting .429 (6-of-14) with two doubles and four home runs. He touched 20 bases, double the amount of any other Buckeye, for a slugging percentage of 1.429. Joining him on the all-regional team were teammates Brett Garrard (shortstop), Cody Caughenbaugh (leftfield), Steve Caravati (designated hitter) and Mike Madsen (pitcher).
NCAA Auburn Regional All-Tournament Team
M.O.P.: Drew Anderson, Ohio State*
C: Tim Lahey, Princeton
1B: Karl Amonite, Auburn
2B: Drew Anderson, Ohio State
3B: Scott Schade, Auburn
SS: Brett Garrard, Ohio State
LF: Cody Caughenbaugh, Ohio State
CF: Javon Moran, Auburn
RF: Zane Green, Clemson
DH: Steve Caravati, Ohio State
P: Mike Madsen, Ohio State
P: Colby Paxton, Auburn
* unanimous
BUCKEYE COMEBACKS
In all three games at the Auburn Regional, the Buckeyes trailed at one point and had to fight back for the victory.
In the opener against Clemson, the Buckeyes spotted the Tigers a 3-0 lead in the first inning before fighting back to take one-run lead the top of the fourth inning on a two-run home run by Steve Caravati. Clemson tied the game in the bottom of the inning but Ohio State scored another run in the top of the fifth. Every time an opponent came back on the Buckeyes in Auburn they had an answer. Against Clemson, it was Drew Anderson. Anderson already had a two-run home run when he came to bat in the fifth, but he sent a solo shot out of the park to give the Buckeyes a 5-4 lead. Ohio State added two runs in the sixth to take a 7-4 lead and then Clemson scored another two runs in the bottom of the inning. Both teams went scoreless in the eighth before the Buckeyes put up a three-spot in the ninth to take a 10-6 lead. Clemson got a pair of runs in the bottom of the ninth, but Ohio State got the 10-8 victory.
The Saturday game vs. Auburn was not quite the seesaw that the Clemson game was, but the Tigers scored a run in each of the first two innings to take a 2-0 lead. The Buckeyes got two runs in the third to tie the game and then scored single runs in the fourth and sixth innings before getting two in the seventh in the 6-2 victory.
In the championship game Sunday, Auburn sprinted out to a 5-1 lead after 2 1/2 innings, but the never-say-die Buckeyes remained competitive and closed the gap to three runs with a run in the bottom of the third. Ohio State tied the game, 5-5, in the bottom of the fourth by scoring three times. Auburn again reclaimed the lead in the top of the fifth with a pair of runs. Most of the 3,759 fans at Plainsman Park expected that to be the end of the Buckeyes, but they rallied for three more runs in the bottom of the sixth and then added a run in the seventh for the 9-7 victory, dashing Auburn’s hopes of making a run at a fifth College World Series.
POWER SURGE
When the Buckeyes found out that they would be without sophomore pitching ace Scott Lewis (torn UCL) following his start May 16 at Minnesota, they have become a different team. Perhaps trying to make up for the loss of a “guaranteed” win when Lewis was on the mound, Ohio State has come out swinging.
With Lewis either in the lineup or in the dugout with his teammates, a span of 52 games, the Buckeyes averaged 9.2 hits and 5.3 runs per game. Since May 17, the first game without Lewis, the Buckeyes have averaged 10.1 hits per game and 7.6 runs per game. That is a span of 11 games. Ohio State also has hit 22 home runs, 19 of which have come in either the Big Ten or NCAA tournaments. In the last six games the Buckeyes have scored 65 runs.
Three Buckeyes in particular have stepped up in those 11 games. Shortstop Brett Garrard, who has been hitting in the eight-hole, is 18-39 (.462) with five doubles and four home runs with 10 RBI. He had been hitting just .273 in the first 52 games of the season. Centerfielder Mike Rabin, the Buckeyes’ leadoff hitter, is 17-for-41 (.415) in the 11 games since Lewis’ departure after hitting .272 with the support of Lewis. Rightfielder Christian Snavely has been hot as well. While he is hitting .368 on 14 hits, he has three doubles, seven home runs and 19 RBI. Five of designated hitter Steve Caravati’s 11 hits have been home runs. He also has a double and 17 RBI.
BOMBS AWAY
Ohio State exploded for 11 home runs over the five games at the Big Ten Tournament and then added eight home runs in regional play against Clemson and Auburn to give them 19 home runs since postseason play began May 22.
During that span, Steve Caravati leads all Buckeyes with five home runs. The Buckeyes designated hitter didn’t hit his first home run of the season until May 3 against Michigan and then not again until facing Penn State in the Big Ten Tournament, when he hit two. He then hit another in the second championship game vs. Minnesota and then hit won against both Clemson and Auburn. Three other Buckeyes – Brett Garrard, Christian Snavely and Drew Anderson – each have four, while Paul Farinacci and Cody Caughenbaugh each have won. Caughenbaugh went yard for the first time as a Buckeye in the final game against Auburn.
TWO FOR DREW
Drew Anderson had a two-run home run and a solo home run in the opening game of the Auburn Regional against Clemson and then added a pair of two-run homers in the first victory over Auburn. Anderson, the Buckeyes’ sophomore second baseman had entered the series with only seven home runs, his last on May 7 against Cincinnati when had his first two-homer game of his career. The Buckeye hits leader (76) now has 11 home runs to go with a team-best 13 doubles and four triples, giving him 28 extra base hits. He has 33 RBI and has touched 130 bases for a .537 slugging percentage, both of which trail Christian Snavely. Anderson now has 14 career home runs.
TWO HOMER GAMES
Drew Anderson is now the team lead with three two-homer games and all have been this season. He had two home runs in the opening game of the Auburn Regional against Clemson and then followed it with another two against Auburn on Saturday. Seven current Buckeyes have hit at least one two-homer game in their careers and four have done it more than once. Steve Caravati hit two home runs in the 13-3 victory over Penn State in the Big Ten Tournament. Brett Garrard hit two home runs the next day in the 17-10 win over Minnesota that clinched the Big Ten Tournament championship. It was the second time this season he had two home runs in the same game. Garrard and Paul Farinacci both went deep twice in the series finale against Michigan State May 11. Anderson had a pair of home runs May 7 against Cincinnati, while Terry Pettorini went long twice against Eastern Michigan March 15. The very next day, Derek Kinnear hit two balls out of the park against Detroit. Christian Snavely had two home runs in a game in 2002.
RBI MACHINES
Steve Caravati has batted in a team-best 17 runs in eight games of the Buckeyes’ postseason run. That included the game against Penn State when he had back-to-back three-run home runs in the third and fourth inning that produced six RBI. He had four RBI in the regional, including a three-RBI game against Clemson. Drew Anderson also had a monstrous regional, knocking in seven runs thanks to his six hits that included two doubles and a whopping four home runs.
DAVIS GETS THREE SAVES
Against Clemson, Matt Davis came into the game with two outs in the eighth inning after Kyle Brown surrendered a walk and then hit a batter to put runners at first and second. Davis came in and struck out Garrick Evans for the final out of the inning. Things got a little interesting in the ninth, but Davis overcame two errors, two walks and two hits that scored two unearned runs to make the score 10-8 before he caught Collin Mahoney looking at strike three to end the game.
In the first game against Auburn, the Buckeyes again had needed Davis’ services after he entered the game with two on and just one out and the tying run in the on-deck circle. Davis got a ground out and then got Chuck Jeroloman looking at strike three to end the game.
In the championship against Auburn, Davis entered the game in the eighth inning with two out and a runner at third. He walked his first batter than then hit the next to load the bases, but then got a fly out to end the inning. He walked the first batter of the ninth before getting Scott Schade to ground into a double play. Derek Sain fly out to Mike Rabin in center field, advancing the Buckeyes to the super regional.
DAVIS EXTENDS SAVES RECORD
Matt Davis, the hard throwing Buckeye closer, made three appearances at the Auburn Regional and walked away with three saves to increases his school season saves record to 14. That is four better than Cory Cox, who held the record with 10 saves in 2001.
Davis is tied for second nationally with five other players and is two behind Auburn’s Steven Register, who Davis dueled in the championship game June 1. Register gave up the final two runs scored by the Buckeyes to break a 7-7 tie and was pegged with the loss.
Davis needs one more appearance to tie Bob Spears’ 1995 record of 33 appearances. Spears currently serves as a color analyst for Buckeye Baseball telecasts on the Ohio News Network.
One of Davis’ more impressive saves did not come in a Buckeye uniform, but came last summer when he was pitching for the Great Lakes League All-Star Team against Team USA. He pitched the final inning in an upset 6-5 victory, getting a strikeout and the final batter of the game to ground into a double play.
OTHER BUCKEYE NOTABLES
In three postseason outings, Kyle Brown is 1-0 with a 0.87 ERA.He has four strikeouts and has given up one run (earned) in 10 1/3innings. In eight postseason games, Steve Caravati has 11 hits,which include a double and five home runs. He also has a sacrificeand has batted in 17 runs. Brett Garrard has 15 hits in eightpostseason games, which includes four doubles and four home runs.He has knocked in 10 runs and has touched a team best 31 totalbases for a slugging percentage of 1.069. He leads the Buckeyeswith a .517 average in the postseason. Garrard led the team with a.600 batting average in Auburn (6-for-10) and batted in five runs.Christian Snavely has 10 hits in eight postseason games and has twodoubles and four home runs for 14 RBI. Mike Rabin has 14 hits inthe postseason, which is second best on the team. Of his hits, allbut one have been singles, while the other was a double. He issecond on the team in the postseason with a .452 average(14-of-31). He has also sacrificed himself three times, twice bybunt. Cody Caughenbaugh made the all-regional team at Auburndespite just one hit. Of course, that was a home run in thechampionship game vs. Auburn that gave the Buckeyes a run ofinsurance in the seventh inning. The Buckeyes are 7-6 againstranked teams this season. Only 29 of the Buckeyes’ 64 home run havebeen hit at Bill Davis Stadium, where the Buckeyes are 22-5 thisseason. Opponents have just 14. Christian Snavely leads allBuckeyes at Bill Davis Stadium with six long balls. The Buckeyes,which are hitting .294 at the plate, are hitting .320 in homegames. Christian Snavely is hitting .430, while Steve Caravati isbatting .405. Eight Buckeyes are hitting better than .300 at BillDavis Stadium. Mike Madsen, who is 8-1 overall with a 3.17 ERA, hasallowed just three runs (all earned) in home games. In 27 innings,he has struck out 29 and walked just six in giving up 18 hits. Heis 4-0 with a 1.00 ERA. That is even better than Scott Lewis, whoalso is 4-0, but has a 1.25 ERA. Ohio State is hitting .313 innight games compared to just .283 in daylight. Brett Garrard isriding the longest current hit streak by a Buckeye. He has a hit ineach of his last seven games, which matches his career-long streak.Drew Anderson has hits in his last six games. Drew Anderson leadsthe team with 24 multiple hit games, while Christian Snavely leadswith 16 multiple RBI games. The Buckeyes, which rank eighth in theBig Ten in fielding with a .962 average, had only three errors inthe Auburn Regional. Opponents had eight errors in the three games,including four by Auburn in the championship game. In the eightpostseason games, the Buckeyes have had six errors, while opponentshave had 14 errors.
TEAM RECORD WATCH
The nine shutouts by the Buckeyes this season broke the school record of eight which was accomplished in 1977, 2001 and 2002… The 16 saves by the Buckeyes are the most in a season, topping the record of 15 set in 1996 and 2001. Matt Davis has 14 of the saves, while Kyle Brown has two… Ohio State has 453 strikeouts as a team are the highest total in school history… The team’s 19 triples this season is tied for the fourth best total in school history… The 20 Big Ten wins is the second most won by Ohio State, which also won 20 games in 1991, 1992 and 2001 and holds the Big Ten record with 25 conference wins in both 1994 and 1999… The 44 overall wins this season is fifth most wins in school history, while the 63 games are the third most ever played by the Buckeyes. Only the 1991 team (66) and the 1999 team (64) played more… The 516 2/3 innings pitched by the Buckeyes this season is second most in school history, trailing the all-time best 539 2/3 innings by 23 innings, a mark the Buckeyes could top with three more nine-inning outings.
BUCKEYES IN THE BIG TEN RANKINGS
The Buckeye pitching staff now owns a 3.90 ERA, which is the best in the Big Ten… Ohio State is seventh in the league in batting (.293) and is eighth in fielding (.962)… Scott Lewis leads Big Ten pitchers in ERA (1.61), strikeouts (127), batters struck out looking (33) and opponent batting average (.160)… Sophomore reliever Matt Davis leads the conference with 14 saves and 32 appearances, all in relief, which leads the conference. Davis has finished 30 games, which is the best total in the league… Christian Snavely has been awarded a base on balls 58 times, that is 20 more than Luke Appert of Minnesota, who walked 38 times… Indiana’s Vasili Spanos has the edge in on-base percentage over Snavely. Spanos got on base 51.3 percent of the time, while Snavely is on 48.3 percent of the time… Snavely’s .675 slugging percentage is third in the conference behind Spanos (.703) and Jake Fox of Michigan (.696)… Snavely leads with 16 home runs… Drew Anderson has 242 at bats to lead conference hitters.
In Big Ten games only, Ohio State finished tied for fourth in pitching (4.34), seventh in batting (.286) and 10th in fielding (.946)… Lewis’ 1.25 ERA in conference-only games paces all conference pitchers. He also leads in strikeouts (90), batters struck out looking (25) and opponent batting average (.155)… Snavely walked 27 times in Big Ten games, a figure which set the conference standard this season. Snavely has touched 69 total bases in conference play, eight behind Spanos’ 77. He also trails Spanos’ .778 slugging percentage and .525 on-base percentage with a .719 slugging percentage and .504 on-base percentage… Mike Rabin stole 10 bases in league action, three behind Penn State’s Zack Smithlin.
SCHOOL RECORD BOOK
Christian Snavely has 10 career triples, which is tied for fourth in the school record book with Mark Carek (1995-98)… His 34 career home runs are tied with Mike Lockwood (1997-99) and Alex Eckelman (1994-97)… Snavely now has 105 career walks, which ties him for 10th in the school record book… His 16 home runs this season is tied for the seventh best season with Chad Erhnsberger (1999). He is three away from the top season mark, held by Dan Seimetz, who had 19 in 1997… Snavely’s 58 bases on balls this year is the second highest season total by a Buckeye and only two away from Nick Swisher’s 2001 record of 60… Drew Anderson has 37 career stolen bases and is tied for eighth… Josh Newman’s 24 career wins is tied for 10th with Steve Arlin (1965-66)… He has pitched 258 1/3 career innings and ranks 10th… For pitchers who have thrown at least 175.0 innings, Scott Lewis is second in fewest walks (53), first in fewest runs (59), first in fewest earned runs (44) and third in ERA (2.25)… Newman is fourth in fewest bases on balls (77), behind Lewis’ 53 walks in his 175 2/3 innings… Lewis has 17 career wins to tie for 21st… His 218 career strikeouts is the 14th highest total… Nate Smith made his 50th appearance as a Buckeye against Minnesota in the final Sunday of the Big Ten Tournament and that is 18th in Buckeye annals… Smith’s 217 2/3 career innings is tied for 20th in school history… Kyle Brown has the eighth best won-loss percentage at .786 (11-3). Brown has 53 career appearances, which is 16th… Lewis is third on that list with his .850 win percentage with a 17-3 record… Greg Prenger is tied for 28th in school history with his .667 win percentage (12-6).
BUCKEYES WIN BIG TEN TOURNEY FOR SECOND YEAR IN A ROW
Four Buckeyes hit home runs, including two by Brett Garrard, as Ohio State cruised to a 17-10 victory over Minnesota at Siebert Field in the second championship game, May 25, to win its second straight Big Ten Tournament title and the sixth in the program’s history.
It is the first back-to-back tournament titles since the Buckeyes won titles in 1994 and 1995. Ohio State has tournament titles in 1991, 1994, 1995, 1997 and 2002, when it beat Minnesota 6-3, also at Siebert Field.
Unlike last year, when Ohio State won it with a three-game sweep, it had to win it this year out of the loser’s bracket after stumbling in its second game, 5-4, against host Minnesota. After a first-round bye, the Buckeyes beat Michigan 4-2 to set up the date with the Golden Gophers. Minnesota scored five runs in the first three innings and held on against an Ohio State comeback. Brett Garrard made it a two-run game in the two-run game in the fourth inning and then Minnesota made two spectacular defensive plays in the seventh to keep the Buckeyes off the base paths. That prevented Paul Farinacci from tying the game or perhaps giving the Buckeyes the lead with what turned out to be a solo home run that made it a one-run game.
The loss sent the Buckeyes to a loser’s bracket game against Penn State. Ohio State quickly disposed of the Nittany Lions for a 13-3 victory. Steve Caravati launched two three-run home runs and Christian Snavely added another as Ohio State hit four home runs in the game. The Buckeyes scored three times in the third, four times in the fourth and five times in the fifth before adding a run in the eighth. The victory meant Ohio State would have to beat Minnesota twice Sunday to win its second straight Big Ten Tournament.
Playing as the home team in the first game Sunday, the Buckeyes scored three times in the bottom of the eighth inning to break a 7-7 tie and then hung on for a 10-8 victory over Minnesota to force another championship game. Recaps of all five Big Ten Tournament games and a list of records set by Ohio State are included later in the game notes.
GARRARD NAMED TOURNEY M.O.P.
Brett Garrard was named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2003 Big Ten Tournament in going 9-for-19 with a .474 batting average. He had four home runs for five RBI and touched 23 bases for a slugging percentage of 1.211. Joining him on the all-tournament team by pitcher Josh Newman, outfielders Christian Snavely and Mike Rabin, and designated hitter Steve Caravati.
Newman picked up two wins at the tournament in 9 2/3 innings with one start. He picked up his first win in a 4-2 victory over Michigan and then came in the second championship game in relief in the 17-10 triumph. He allowed three runs (two vs. Michigan) on 10 hits. He had five strikeouts and only one walk.
Snavely batted .421 (8-for-19) in the five games and had one double and three home runs for 11 RBI, while Rabin had a tournament record 11 hits in leading the Buckeyes with a .579 batting average (11-for-19). Caravati had a tournament record 13 RBI in going 7-for-20 (.350) in five games.
Big Ten All-Tournament Team
M.O.P.: Brett Garrard, Ohio State
P: Josh Newman, Ohio State
P: Glen Perkins, Minnesota
P: Josh Lewis, Indiana
C: Jake Elder, Minnesota
1B: David Roach, Minnesota
2B: Luke Appert, Minnesota
3B: David Hrncirik, Minnesota
SS: Brett Garrard, Ohio State
OF: Christian Snavely, Ohio State
OF: Mike Rabin, Ohio State
OF: Ben Pattee, Minnesota
DH: Steve Caravati, Ohio State
LEWIS NAMED BIG TEN PITCHER OF THE YEAR
Ohio State left-handed pitcher Scott Lewis was named the Big Ten Pitcher of the Year and six other Buckeyes joined him on the All-Big Ten teams, which were announced May 20 by the conference office. All-conference and individual honors are determined by a vote of the 10 league coaches.
Lewis ran his record to 9-0 before suffering a loss in his last outing of the regular season, May 16, that snapped a string of 15 consecutive victories. His 17-3 career record is a win percentage of .850, which is third best in school history. He finished 8-2 a year ago in being named a First Team All-Big Ten selection and the Big Ten Freshman of the Year and then went 9-1 this season. To go with that he has a 1.61 ERA on the year and is holding opposing batters to a .160 batting average. His 127 strikeouts in 83 2/3 innings is the third highest total in school history. He has walked only 24 batters and given up just 48 hits. Lewis finished 6-1 in conference games with a 1.35 ERA and 90 strikeouts. He earned National Player of the Week honors twice this season in back-to-back outings in which he struck out 20 vs. Iowa and then 16 against Indiana and twice earned Big Ten Pitcher of the Week honors.
SEVEN BUCKEYES EARN ALL-BIG TEN HONORS
Scott Lewis, who was a unanimous First Team All-Big Ten selection, is joined on the first team by outfielder Christian Snavely and relief pitcher Matt Davis.
Second baseman Drew Anderson and left-handed pitcher Josh Newman earned second-team honors, while catcher Derek Kinnear and designated hitter Steve Caravati earned third-team mention.
LEWIS OUT FOR REMAINDER OF THE YEAR
Ohio State left-handed pitcher Scott Lewis sustained a complete tear of his ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his left arm May 16 against Minnesota when he had to leave the game in the fourth inning. An MRI performed May 19 revealed the tear. Lewis had surgery Thursday, May 29, in Birmingham, Ala. by orthopedic surgeon James Andrews, who specializes in this type of injury. The next day he returned to Columbus, where will rehabilitate the injury. His return has not been estimated.
PAIR OF BUCKEYES EARN ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT IV HONORS
Ohio State pitcher Greg Prenger and designated hitter/third baseman Terry Pettorini were named Second Team Verizon Academic All-District IV selections May 8.
In the classroom, Prenger is an information systems major with a 3.41 GPA. On the field, Prenger reached acclaim earlier this season for a seven-inning perfect game against Oakland on April 9. It was the first perfect game in Ohio State history and the eighth time a Buckeye hurler had thrown a no-hitter. The senior right-handed pitcher from Harpster, Ohio, is 3-1 this season with a 4.81 ERA and owns a career record of 12-6 with a 3.98 ERA.
Pettorini is studying political science and boasts a 3.27 GPA in the classroom and has a .286 batting average, splitting time between third base and as the designated hitter. The junior from Wooster, Ohio, has 36 hits, with seven doubles and three home runs that have produced 18 RBI. In his three-year career, Pettorini has a .273 batting average with 14 doubles and 10 home runs and was a Second Team Verizon All-District honoree in 2002.
The district teams are made up of student-athletes from Division I schools in Alabama, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee. To be nominated, student-athletes 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 (CoSIDA) within the district. The Verizon Academic All-District Team is part of the Verizon Academic All-America program.
FIVE BASEBALL BUCKEYES NAMED ACADEMIC ALL-BIG TEN
Five Buckeye baseball players were honored by the Big Ten May 28 as Academic All-Big Ten selections. Josh Newman and Terry Pettorini also were honored in 2002. To be eligible for Academic All-Big Ten selection, student-athletes must be letterwinners in at least their second academic year at their institution and carry a career grade-point average (GPA) of 3.0 or better.
Overall, the Big Ten Conference recognized 1,851 Academic All-Big Ten honorees during the 2002-03 academic year, the highest total in the last seven years, eclipsing the previous best of 1,745 set in 2000-01. Ohio State ended Penn State’s six-year run atop the Academic All-Conference list by setting a single-season record with 250 honorees this year, improving on the Nittany Lions’ previous record of 227 selections during the 2000-01 academic year. Penn State still tops all League schools with 1,472 Academic All-Big Ten picks over the last seven years, followed by the Buckeyes with 1,324 honorees.
Baseball Academic All-Big Ten Selections Name Yr. GPA Major Mike Madsen So. 3.18 Sport & Leisure Studies Josh Newman Jr. 3.34 History Terry Pettorini Jr. 3.27 Political Science Greg Prenger Sr. 3.41 Information Systems Nate Smith Sr. 3.02 Marketing
TWELVE BUCKEYES NAMED OSU SCHOLAR ATHLETES
Twelve Buckeye baseball players were selected as part of 413 Ohio State student-athletes to be recognized by The Ohio State University, the Athletic Council and the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. This group has distinguished itself by performing brilliantly in the classroom and in athletic competition this past year. All of these individuals have maintained a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or better since the end of the winter quarter of their freshman year. Senior Greg Prenger was honored for the fifth time, while Terry Pettorini was selected to the group for the fourth time.
Baseball OSU Scholar-Athletes Name Yr Award Cody Caughenbaugh So. 2nd Trey Fausnaugh Fr. 1st Jacob Howell Fr. 1st Mike Madsen So. 1st Philip Mattingly Fr. 1st Josh Newman Jr. 3rd Terry Pettorini Sr. 4th Greg Prenger Sr. 5th Wes Schirtzinger Fr. 1st Nate Smith Sr. 1st Jedidiah Stephen Fr. 1st Greg Uland Fr. 1st
LEWIS AMONG NATION’S BEST
Though the season for Scott Lewis has come to an end, he is ranked second in NCAA Division I in strikeouts per nine innings and ninth in ERA. The sophomore left-handed pitcher finished the year with a 1.61 ERA in 83 2/3 innings a breakdown of 13.7 strikeouts per nine innings pitched. Only Ryan Wagner of Houston (16.8) outranks Lewis. Sullivan has 138 strikeouts in 74 1/3 innings. Lewis’ 1.61 ERA is ninth best in the nation. He allowed only 15 earned runs.
NCAA DIVISION I K/9 LEADERS Name, University Cl. Ap. IP SO K/9 1. Ryan Wagner, Houston So. 36 74.1 138 16.7 2. Scott Lewis, OSU So. 12 83.2 127 13.7 3. Wade Townsend, Rice So. 26 96.0 141 13.2 4. Chris Schutt, Cornell Jr. 10 62.0 89 12.9 5. Steve Schmoll, Md. Sr. 18 87.2 124 12.7
LEWIS MOVES TOWARD TOP OF SCHOOL RECORD LISTS
Scott Lewis now has 218 strikeouts after two seasons as a Buckeye. He is currently 14th on Ohio State’s career strikeouts list. Atop the entire list is Justin Fry (1995-99), who finished his career with 382 strikeouts. The season strikeouts record is 165, held by Steve Arlin, who was matched for the single game total by Lewis earlier this season when he fanned 20 batters against Iowa, also has the second best season total with 129 from 1966, when Ohio State won the National Championship. The 127 strike outs by Lewis this year placed him third place, just two strikeouts behind Arlin’s second-place total. Lewis’ 127 strikeouts this season easily led the Big Ten.
OSU SEASON STRIKEOUT LIST (TOP 10) 1. Steve Arlin 1965 165 2. Steve Arlin 1966 129 3. Scott Lewis 2003 127 4. Paul Seitz 1960 117 5. Justin Fry 1998 113 6. Justin Fry 1999 104 Matt Beaumont 1994 104 8. Joe Sparma 1962 102 9. Justin Fry 1997 101 Joe Sadelfeld 1967 101
OSU CAREER STRIKEOUT LIST (TOP 15) 1. Justin Fry 1995-99 382 2. Steve Arlin 1965-66 294 3. Bill Cunningham 1982-85 281 4. Tim Smith 1989-91 254 5. Mark Dempsey 1977-80 250 6. Paul Semall 1974-77 247 7. Matt Beaumont 1992-94 245 8. Tom Schwarber 1987-91 244 9. Scott Klingenbeck 1990-92 238 10. E.J. Laratta 1999-02 234 11. Doug Swearingen 1980-83 224 12. Paul Ebert 1952-54 223 13. Kevan Cannon 1993-95 220 14. Scott Lewis 2002-present 218 15. Eric Thompson 1996-98 213 Chris Granata 1991-94 213
LEWIS NAMED SMITH AWARD SEMIFINALIST
Ohio State left-handed pitcher Scott Lewis has been named one of 12 semifinalists for the 2003 Rotary Smith Award, given annually to the NCAA Division I college baseball player of the year. Now in its 16th year, the Rotary Smith Award honors college baseball’s player of the year, as voted upon by college baseball publicists, former winners and coaches of those former winners. This year’s award will be presented June 26 at the J.W. Marriott Hotel in Houston. A total of 16 finalists of the award appeared on opening day rosters in Major League Baseball in 2003. The Award pays tribute to Houston’s original baseball ambassador, R.E. ‘Bob’ Smith and his wife Vivian. It rewards the winner’s character and leadership as well as his talent on the field of play. The Award benefits the Rotary Charities, Texas Children’s Hospital and the Karl Young League.
LEWIS LED BIG TEN IN ERA AND KS
Scott Lewis became the second pitcher in the last three years to rank first in the Big Ten in both ERA and strikeouts in conference games. His 90 Ks shattered the previous Big Ten record of 74 strikeouts, established by Penn State’s Nate Bump in 1998, while his 1.25 ERA was the second lowest in the last 10 years, trailing only Minnesota’s Ben Birk, who boasted a 1.21 ERA in 2000. Lewis is the first Buckeye to lead in both areas since Matt Beaumont in 1993 and the first to lead in strikeouts since Beaumont topped the league in 1994.
LEWIS NAMED LOUISVILLE SLUGGER PLAYER OF THE WEEK TWICE
Scott Lewis was the Louisville Slugger National Player of the Week for the second straight week, Collegiate Baseball Newspaper released April 21. It marked the second straight week Lewis was so-named after he and teammate Greg Prenger were both recognized April 14. The southpaw fanned 16 batters against Indiana in a 9-3 victory over the Hoosiers April 18, in which he threw 7 1/3 innings, allowing three runs (all unearned) on three hits. That effort followed a school record 20 strikeouts in a complete game against Iowa on April 11. In those two starts, which spanned over 17 innings, Lewis has struck out 36 batters, which is believed to be the highest two-game total in Division I history.
“You don’t see pitchers strike out 36 batters over two outings very often,” Lou Pavlovich Jr., editor of Collegiate Baseball, said. “That is an incredible achievement. Frankly, I have never heard of a pitcher ever doing this going back to 1970 when I began covering college baseball. That doesn’t mean it hasn’t happened. But I never recall anyone doing this before.”
BEST BIG TEN START REMAINS WITH 1970 BUCKEYES
The longest winning streak to start Big Ten play still remains with the 1970 Ohio State Buckeyes, which won their first 13 games. Minnesota challenged the record with an 11-0 start this year before losing two games at Illinois April 19. The start by the Golden Gophers was the second best on record, equaling their 11-0 start in 1993 and Illinois’ 11-0 start in 1982. Surprisingly, none of those teams went on to win the Big Ten title.
BEST BIG TEN FINISH REMAINS WITH 1994 AND 1999 BUCKEYES
By virtue of a series split May 9-11 in Iowa for the Minnesota Golden Gophers, Ohio State will retain its record for the most wins in Big Ten play. The Gophers could have matched Ohio State’s record 25 conference wins with a four-game sweep of the Buckeyes the final week of the regular season, but only took three wins. The Scarlet and Gray won 25 conference games in both 1994 and 1999 and won the Big Ten regular season championship each year. Minnesota finished with 24 conference wins.
WEDNESDAY NIGHTS
Ohio State finished the season a perfect 8-0 in home Wednesday night games with its 6-1 victory over Cleveland State. A streak came to an end against the Vikings, which scored a run on the Buckeyes in the fifth inning. OSU’s Wednesday night visitors had a string of 49 scoreless innings. A hump-day opponent had not scored on Ohio State since Oakland scored in the fifth inning of a 2-1 Buckeye victory on April 9. Right-handed pitcher Greg Prenger then threw a perfect game against the Golden Grizzlies in a 2-0 victory in the second game of the doubleheader. Ohio State then beat Wooster 14-0 April 16, Shawnee State 9-0 April 23, Bowling Green 6-0 April 30 and Cincinnati 17-0 May 7. Ohio State out-scored Wednesday night opponents 56-2.
SHUTOUTS
The Buckeyes now have nine shutouts after beating Cincinnati 17-0 May 7. The total now stands alone atop the school record book since the team had entered the game tied with eight shutouts in 1977, 2001 and 2002. Ohio State has been remarkable at home in midweek games, posting five straight shutouts on Wednesday nights. Following the 9-0 midweek shutout against Shawnee State April 23, the Buckeyes went to Purdue and handed the Boilermakers 6-0 and 4-0 shutouts. The last time the Buckeyes shutout three straight opponents was in 1977 (10-0 vs. Dayton, 8-0 and 2-0 vs. Indiana).
SNAVELY SHARES BIG TEN PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS TWICE
Christian Snavely was named the Big Ten Co-Player of the Week April 21 after batting .529 (9-for-17) in games against Wooster and Indiana with home runs in the first three games against the Hoosiers.
It was the second straight Big Ten Player of the Week honor for Snavely, who also shared accolades April 14. Against Indiana, he batted .500 (7-for-14) with seven RBI and six runs scored. Of his nine hits for the week, three were doubles and three were home runs, giving him 21 total bases and a slugging percentage of 1.235.
NATIONAL AWARDS FOR 2 BUCKEYES
Greg Prenger and Scott Lewis were named National Players of the Week by Louisville Slugger/Collegiate Baseball Newspaper, the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) and by College Baseball Insider for their amazing performances April 9 and 11, respectively.
Prenger retired all 21 batters he faced to post a 2-0 perfect game victory over Oakland in the second game of an April 9 doubleheader. It was the first no-hitter by an Ohio State pitcher since Eric Thompson no-hit Michigan State on May 10, 1998 and believed to be the first perfect game in Ohio State’s 120-year history. It was the eighth no-hitter in Ohio State history. The right-handed pitcher struck out one batter in the first, two in the third, two in the fifth and one for the seventh out of the seventh and final inning. He had seven fly or pop outs and eight ground or line outs to go with the six strikeouts, which equaled the most in his career. He moved to 2-0 this year with the victory, which was also the 11th of his career against five losses.
Lewis fanned 20 batters in nine innings as Ohio State beat the Iowa Hawkeyes 4-1 April 11 in the opening game of a four-game Big Ten series at Bill Davis Stadium. The 20 strikeouts tied the school record held by Steve Arlin, which he set in a 15-inning 1-0 victory over Washington State at the 1965 College World Series. Lewis, whose previous career high in strikeout was 12 last season against Purdue, had that total through the first five innings.
DUO JOINED BY SNAVELY IN GETTING BIG TEN HONORS
Fresh off a banner week in which the Ohio State baseball team won all six games, three Buckeyes have earned weekly honors, the Big Ten office announced April 14. Christian Snavely joined Greg Prenger and Scott Lewis, who split Big Ten Pitcher of the Week honors, to earn Co-Big Ten Player of the Week with Minnesota’s Sam Steidl.
Prenger and Lewis’ accomplishments last week have been well documented, but Snavely hit .538 with six RBI in a four-game sweep of Iowa, as the Buckeyes climbed into sole possession of second place in the conference race. The junior outfielder boasted a slugging percentage of .688 for the week with seven RBI in six games. He finished the week going 8-for-16 (.500) and was 7-for-13 (.538) in the four Big Ten games vs. Iowa. He touched 11 total bases after a two-run home run in the second game vs. the Hawkeyes.
PRENGER PERFECT IN 2-0 WIN
Right-handed pitcher Greg Prenger retired all 21 batters he faced to post a 2-0 perfect game victory over Oakland in the second game of a doubleheader April 9 at Bill Davis Stadium.
It was the first no-hitter by an Ohio State pitcher since Eric Thompson no-hit Michigan State on May 10, 1998 and believed to be the first perfect game in Ohio State’s 120-year history. It was the first perfect game coached by Ohio State head coach Bob Todd, who is in his 20th year as a collegiate head coach. There had only been seven no-hit games on record by Buckeye pitchers since 1955.
Prenger, a former walkon who missed all of last season after undergoing surgery on his right shoulder in the summer of 2001, said he once threw a new hitter on his high school junior varsity team when he was a freshman at Upper Sandusky.
Prenger struck out one batter in the first, two in the third, two in the fifth and one for the seventh out of the seventh and final inning. He had seven fly or pop outs and eight ground or line outs to go with the six strikeouts, which equaled the most in his career. He moved to 2-0 this year with the victory, which was also the 11th of his career against five losses.
The Buckeyes scored once in the first inning as Mike Rabin turned his free opportunity into the first run of the game. Rabin was hit by a pitch to lead off the game, stole second and then scored on a throwing error by Oakland third baseman Ty Herriott, who threw wide of first on a grounder by Cody Caughenbaugh. The second run crossed the plate in the third inning when catcher Kelly Houser doubled in Caughenbaugh with two outs. Caughenbaugh reached on a fielder’s choice that caught Christian Snavely at second base. Terry Pettorini was stranded at second base after an infield single.
BUCKEYE NO-HITTERS
The perfect game by Greg Prenger Wednesday against Oakland is believed to be the first-ever perfect game in the 120-year baseball history of Ohio State. However, there are seven no-hitters listed in the record book, but none before 1955, when Bill Soter and Ron Disher combined to throw a seven-inning no-hitter against Pittsburgh on April 2. Only two of the listed no-hitters were by more than one pitcher. The other was thrown on April 13, 1982 by Bill Cunningham and Jeff Aurentz in a 4-1 win over Bowling Green.
That means, Prenger is just the sixth individual to keep an opponent hitless on his own. The last no hitter was thrown by Eric Thompson against Michigan State on May 10, 1998. It had been a little more than nine years since anyone else had thrown a no-hitter, a 2-0 win over Indiana by Dave Mumaw. All eight no-hitters in the history of Ohio State have been thrown in seven-inning games. None have been recorded in a complete nine-inning game.
NO-HITTERS Greg Prenger Oakland W,2-0 4/09/2003 Eric Thompson Michigan State W,3-0 5/10/1998 Dave Mumaw Indiana W,2-0 4/23/1989 Bill Cunningham Bowling Green W,4-1 4/13/1982 and Jeff Aurentz Kerry Sabo Cleveland St. W,12-0 4/16/1980 Gene Rogers Purdue W,6-0 5/23/1969 Joe Sparma Michigan W,3-0 5/18/1963 Bill Soter Pittsburgh W,8-1 4/02/1955 and Ron Disher
