Coca-Cola Classic in Mobile Up Next for Baseball Buckeyes – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/11/2004 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 11, 2004
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OHIO STATE
(3-6; 0-0 Big Ten)
at
19TH ANNUAL COCA-COLA CLASSIC
March 12-14, 2004
Stanky Field, Mobile, Ala.
Fri., March 12 vs. McNeese State, 3:30 p.m.
Sat., March 13 at South Alabama, 3:30 p.m.
Sun., March 14 vs. Winthrop, Noon
SERIES MEETINGS
McNeese State: McNeese State leads 3-1
last game: McNeese State 5-3, March 8, 2003
South Alabama: Ohio State leads 3-1
last game: Ohio State 6-4, June 1, 2002
Winthrop: Ohio State leads 4-2
last game: Ohio State 7-6, March 12, 2000
OHIO STATE RADIO/INTERNET
None
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The 16-game road trip to open the season continues for Ohio State as it heads to Mobile, Ala. for the 19th annual Coca-Cola Classic at the University of South Alabama. The Buckeyes will open play at 3:30 p.m. Friday with a game against McNeese State before meeting South Alabama at 3:30 p.m. Saturday. The final game for the Buckeyes at the tournament will be at noon Sunday against Winthrop.
Ohio State has met McNeese State and South Alabama in the last two season, but has not faced Winthrop since 2000. The Cowboys had the Buckeyes a 5-3 loss March 8, 2003 at the Mardi Gras Ball, which was hosted by the University of Louisiana-Lafayette. Two years ago, Ohio State defeated the South Alabama Jaguars 6-4 on June 1, 2002 to advance to the final of the South Bend Regional against Notre Dame. The Buckeyes handed Winthrop a 7-6 loss in their last meeting March 12, 2000.
Both South Alabama and McNeese State both played in the NCAA tournament a year ago while Winthrop last advanced to postseason in 2001. Florida State need both championship games to get by the Jaguars at last year’s Tallahassee Regional while the Cowboys went 0-2 in the Houston Regional at Rice’s Reckling Park. The games against South Alabama and McNeese State will be the fourth and fifth games of nine scheduled games this season against 2003 postseason squads.
Ohio State’s home opener is not until March 31 against Eastern Michigan. The 6:35 p.m. game will mark the start of the eighth season at Bill Davis Stadium.
ABOUT OHIO STATE
The Buckeyes dropped to 3-6 on the year with a 1-2 weekend at the Kennel Club Classic in Jacksonville, Fla. Ohio State opened with an 8-0, two-hit shutout loss at North Florida before rebounding for a 4-3 ninth-inning victory over Connecticut. Western Michigan sent the Buckeyes back to Columbus with a 4-3 loss.
Ohio State was out hit 29-19 for the weekend and hit only .211 in the three games to drop the season average to .232. Second baseman and preseason All-American Drew Anderson led the Buckeyes in Jacksonville getting four hits in 10 at bats. Shortstop Brett Garrard was 3-for-10 with a pair of doubles. Outfielders Jacob Howell, who also had three hits, and Mike Rabin batted in two runs apiece.
Anderson leads the squad with a .389 batting average. The junior is also the top Buckeye with 14 hits, five doubles and a slugging percentage of .611. He is a perfect 4-for-4 in stolen bases. Outfielder Steve Caravati is second on the team with a .286 batting average and 10 hits. He leads the team with two home runs and is tied for the team lead with Rabin with six runs batted in.
On the mound, the Buckeyes had its best weekend of the season, posting a team ERA of 4.26 in Jacksonville. The team walked nine batters, though three walks were intentional, and struck out 14. For the season, Ohio State has walked 43 while striking out 49. The team has an ERA of 5.70, down from 6.40 after the first six games of the season. Individually, the ERAs continue to drop. Left-handed pitcher Trent Luyster started the UConn game and left with the score tied after 8.1 innings. He allowed three runs, only of which two were earned, to lower his ERA to team-leading 3.60, of those who have pitched an average of 1.0 innings per game. Right-handed pitcher Mike Madsen, who got the start Sunday against Western Michigan, allowed three runs (two earned) in eight innings. His ERA dipped from 9.00 to 5.62.
ABOUT MCNEESE STATE
McNeese State, who the Buckeyes will play at 3:30 p.m. Friday, is 8-10 on the season after going 1-2 last weekend, losing 7-6 to Oklahoma State and 6-5 to Southern Miss around a victory over Indiana State. Charlie Kingrey leads the Cowboys with a .415 batting average. He leads the team with six doubles, two home runs and has batted in 16 runs.
The Cowboys are hitting .267 as a team and have belted 48 extra-base hits, including eight home runs in 18 games. Five players are batting better than .300 and four players – Kingrey (16), Dustin Smith (12), Michael Thompson (10) and Brian Bernhardt (8) – account for more than 50 percent of the team’s RBI.
McNeese State has four pitchers with ERAs under 3.00 and has a 3.70 ERA as a staff. Chris Denton, who is expected to throw against Ohio State’s Josh Newman, owns a team-low 2.08 ERA with a 2-1 record in 34.2 innings. He has 39 strikeouts against six walks and is holding opposing batters to a .221 average. Rusty Begnaud is 3-0 and has a 2.60 ERA in 27.2 innings.
Chad Clement is in his first season as head coach at McNeese State. It is the first college coaching position for the former Cowboys’ relief pitcher.
AGAINST THE COWBOYS
McNeese leads the all-time series with Ohio State 3-1 after beating the Buckeyes 5-3 at the Mardi Gras Ball last season in Lafayette, La.
Feb. 28, 1992 – McNeese St. 7, Ohio State 4
Feb. 23, 1996 – McNeese St. 14, Ohio State 13
Feb. 27, 1998 – Ohio State 12, McNeese St. 3
March 8, 2003 – McNeese St. 5, Ohio State 3
LAST TIME AGAINST McNEESE STATE
McNeese State scored three times in the bottom of the eighth inning to claim a seesaw battle with Ohio State by a final score of 5-3 March 8, 2003.
The Buckeyes took a 3-2 lead in the top of the eighth when Steve Caravati scored on a passed ball after singling to lead off the inning. He stole second and had advanced to third on a wild pitch.
But as quickly as Ohio State claimed the lead, the Cowboys tied the game and added another two runs to take a 5-3 lead and put the pressure on the Buckeyes to even the score in its final at bat. Ohio State failed to plate a run despite a two-out infield single by Derek Kinnear. The game ended on a fly out by Drew Anderson.
Kinnear was the offensive star for the Buckeyes. His three hits in four at bats led the Buckeye attack as he was the only OSU player with multiple hits. Mike Madsen was saddled with the loss for Ohio State. He allowed three runs in 0.2 innings with one strikeout and a walk. He came on in the eighth inning in relief of starter Josh Newman, who pitched 7.0 innings allowing just two runs on six hits.
ABOUT SOUTH ALABAMA
The Jaguars dropped to 3-10 on the year after dropping a pair of midweek games at No. 17 Mississippi State, 4-2 and 3-2. Of South Alabama’s 13 games, nine have been played against ranked opponents. Texas A&M, then No. 21, swept the Jaguars to open the season and then-No. 18 Mississippi swept them the next week after a midweek win against Southern Miss, a team ranked No. 24. South Alabama went 1-2 against Siena last weekend before heading to Starkville, Miss. earlier this week.
Justin Hawarah led the Jaguars with a .414 average entering the midweek games at Mississippi State though Adam Lind leads the team with 16 hits. Hawarah is second on the team with seven RBI behind Josh Touchstone’s 10. The squad was batting .262 through the first 11 games of the season and had seven home runs.
On the mound, P.J. Walters has a 2.49 ERA with his 1-0 record in 21.2 innings. He has 24 strikeouts and eight walks in his five appearances. Jeremy Simmonds is 1-1 with a 3.26 ERA and has 21 strikeouts and six walks in 19.1 innings. Joe Doan is 1-1 with a 4.76 ERA and has pitched 17.0 innings in three starts. The pitching staff had an ERA of 4.96 through the first 11 games.
Steve Kittrell is 801-441-1 in his 21st season at South Alabama and is 834-460-1 in his 22nd season as a college coach.
AGAINST THE JAGUARS
Ohio State leads the all-time series against South Alabama 3-1 after defeating the Jaguars 6-4 to move to the championship game of the South Bend Regional in 2002 against Notre Dame.
March 21, 1976 – Ohio State 9, at S. Alabama 2
March 21, 1976 – Ohio State 10, at S. Alabama 2
March 21, 1993 – S. Alabama 13, Ohio State 5*
June 1, 2002 – Ohio State 6, S. Alabama 4**
* at Tigertown, Lakeland, Fla.
** NCAA South Bend Regional
LAST GAME VS. SOUTH ALABAMA
Two solo home runs lifted third-seeded Ohio State to an 6-4 victory over top-seeded South Alabama in the NCAA South Bend Regional June 1, 2002 sending the Buckeyes to the regional championship against Notre Dame.
Terry Pettorini gave the Buckeyes their first lead of the game, breaking a 4-4 tie in the bottom of the fourth inning. The shot to left was his seventh home run of the season and his third of the postseason, having homered twice last week at the Big Ten Tournament.
The 5-4 lead lasted three innings until Nick Swisher’s 10th home run of the year gave the Buckeyes a run of insurance heading to the top of the ninth. OSU starter Scott Lewis sat the Jaguars down in order in the ninth to pick up his eighth win of the year against just two losses. Lewis pitched his second nine-inning complete game in the postseason with 10 strikeouts and no walks. Against South Alabama, he gave up four runs on 10 hits, all of the runs coming on five hits in the first two innings. Lewis retired the last seven batters of the game and 10 of the last 12. He also picked off Josh Touchstone to end the fifth inning, the last time the Jaguars threatened.
ABOUT WINTHROP
The Eagles are 8-5 on the season after picking up both ends of a Wednesday doubleheader against Seton Hall, 8-2 and 10-1. That was the second straight twinbill for the Eagles, which split action last Sunday with Wake Forest. Winthrop won 3-1 in the first game before falling 4-2 in the nightcap.
Pacing the Eagles at the plate is Matt Repec, who took a .400 batting average into the Wednesday games against the Pirates. He has a team-best 16 hits and has two home runs with 10 RBI. David Scoggins is hitting .333 with three home runs and 10 RBI, while Kyle Roberson is hitting .306 with 11 RBI.
On the hill, Jon Wilson owns a 0.90 ERA and a 3-0 record in 10.0 relief innings. The Buckeyes will likely see left-handed pitcher Chase Edwards, who has the lowest ERA among the starters. He is 1-1 with a 2.63 ERA in 13.2 innings. Kevin Slowey is 1-2 with a 4.70 ERA in 30.2 innings. He has 24 strikeouts against five walks. The team has a 5.29 ERA.
Winthrop is coached by Joe Hudak, who is 422-293-5 in his 13th season at the Rock Hill, S.C. school. He owns a 625-430-5 mark in 22 total years.
AGAINST THE EAGLES
Ohio State leads the all-time series against Winthrop 4-2 after winning the last game 7-6 on March 12, 2000. That win broke a two-game win streak by the Eagles.
March 1, 1997 – Ohio State 8, at Winthrop 3
March 1, 1997 – Ohio State 3, at Winthrop 2
March 2, 1997 – Ohio State 9, at Winthrop 7
March 3, 1997 – at Winthrop 8, Ohio State 0
March 11, 2000 – at Winthrop 5, Ohio State 2
March 12, 2000 – Ohio State 7, at Winthrop 6
ON THE RADIO
Ohio State baseball will not be broadcast on the radio until the home opener March 31, once Buckeye women’s basketball and men’s ice hockey have concluded their respective seasons. NPR 820 (WOSU-AM) will again serve as the broadcast home for Ohio State baseball and will broadcast a total of 40 regular-season games, plus all postseason contests. Joining veteran broadcaster Frank Fraas will be newcomers Neil Sika and Paul Barnes. Of Ohio State’s opponents in Mobile, both South Alabama and Winthrop will have radio Internet broadcasts. Please visit the following sites:
McNeese State – None
South Alabama – www.wnsp.com
Winthrop – www.winthropeagles.com
South Alabama will also offer live stats for all six games of the tournament on its web site at: www.usajaguars.com
IN THE RANKINGS
After starting the season ranked as high as 26th in the four major preseason college baseball polls, the Buckeyes have dropped out of the rankings. Ohio State continues to receive votes in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Top 35 poll, but are not in any of the other three. The preseason ranking of 26th was in the NCBWA poll. Ohio State received note in all four preseason polls, ranking 31st in Collegiate Baseball, 32nd in Baseball America. The Buckeyes received the 28th most votes in the USA Today Sports Weekly/ESPN coaches’ poll. Last season, the Buckeyes finished the season ranked as high as 17th and no lower than 21st in any of the polls.
NEWMAN NINTH ALL-TIME
With his win over Richmond Feb. 28, Josh Newman moved into a ninth-place tie on the Ohio State career wins list with his 25th victory with the Buckeyes. The senior from Wheelersburg, Ohio, who was drafted in the 31st round of the 2003 draft by the Cincinnati Reds, is tied with Matt Beaumont, who pitched with the Buckeyes from 1992-94. Newman won eight games each of his first three seasons and is 1-1 in 2004. The school record for career victories is 36 by Justin Fry (1995-99). Newman’s 284.2 career innings ranks seventh all-time.
OHIO STATE ALL-TIME VICTORIES 1. Justin Fry 1995-99 36 2. E.J. Laratta 1999-02 34 3. Pete Perini 1947-50 30 4. Scott Klingenbeck 1990-92 28 Tom Schwarber 1987-91 28 6. Chris Granata 1991-94 27 Bill Cunningham 1982-85 26 Mark Dempsey 1977-80 26 9. Josh Newman 2001-present 25 Matt Beaumont 1992-94 25
OHIO STATE CAREER INNINGS PITCHED 1. Justin Fry 1995-99 419.2 2. E.J. Laratta 1999-02 379.2 3. Pete Perini 1947-59 344.0 3. Chris Granata 1991-94 295.1 5. Tom Schwarber 1987-91 295.0 6. Mark Dempsey 1977-80 289.1 7. Josh Newman 2001-present 284.2 8. Doug Swearingen 1980-83 278.0 9. Scott Klingenbeck 1990-92 277.2 10. Tim Smith 1989-91 263.2
ANDERSON EIGHTH IN STEALS
Ohio State second baseman Drew Anderson has 41 career stolen bases to rank eighth on the Buckeyes’ all-time stolen base list. He needs one to move into a three-way tie for sixth place with Tim Kauffman (1975-78) and Ken Peters (1961-63). Anderson is a perfect 4-for-4 this season after picking up a pair of steals against North Florida March 5. He was 20-for-25 as a freshman and was 17-for-19 last season. The school record is 73 set by Roy Marsh (1992-94). Offensively, Anderson has a hit in all but one game this season, including the first seven games before going hitless against UConn March 6. He leads the team with a .389 average.
BUCKEYES TURNED BACK BY UNF
North Florida pitcher Travis Stanton improved to 5-0 on the season with a two-hit, complete game 8-0 shutout of Ohio State Friday at Harmon Stadium. The Buckeyes struggled on defense committing four errors, while the Ospreys looked brilliant defensively.
Stanton picked up his third complete game of the season allowing only two hits while recording six strikeouts and walks. He retired 11 batters in a row at one point and then ended the game sitting down the final nine batters following Drew Anderson’s second hit of the game, which led off the seventh inning. Anderson was 2-for-4 accounting for both Buckeye hits.
Ohio State pitcher Josh Newman did not pitch poorly until giving up five runs in the eighth inning. He had allowed only four hits the first seven innings of the game. He finished with seven runs on six hits. He walked four, two intentionally, and struck out three.
RABIN DELIVERS WIN IN BOTTOM OF NINTH INNING
Centerfielder Mike Rabin sent a shot up the middle to score Cody Caughenbaugh in the bottom of the ninth inning to give Ohio State a 4-3 victory in the Kennel Club Classic Saturday at Harmon Stadium.
Steve Caravati scored the tying run in the bottom of the eighth when he went from second to third on a fielder’s choice by Paul Farinacci and then scored when the throw from second baseman Dave Tokarz got past first baseman Jeff Hourigan. That throw took Hourigan away from the bag and he collided with Farinacci, a play the forced the Buckeye first baseman to leave the game with a sprained right ankle.
The Buckeyes gave up a one-out hit in the top of the ninth, but got two ground outs to end the inning. Brett Garrard stuck out to start the Buckeye ninth and then Caughenbaugh pinch hit for an injured Derek Kinnear. Caughenbaugh delivered in huge fashion with a double to the wall in right-center field. Jacob Howell then lined out to left field for the second out of the inning.
That brought Rabin to the plate. He had not had a hit since the first inning when he singled to left-center field, following it with a walk, a ground out and a strike out. He delivered for the Buckeyes sending a shot up off the pitcher’s rubber and up the middle to win the game. Rabin finished 2-for-4 in the game, knocking in the game winner and scoring the team’s first run with his leadoff walk in the fourth inning.
BRONCOS STEAL ONE FROM BUCKS
Ohio State scored twice in the top of the ninth inning to tie the game 3-3, but gave up a bases-loaded single to Western Michigan third baseman Mark Abro as the Broncos treated the Buckeyes to a taste of their own medicine with a 4-3 ninth-inning victory March 7 in the Kennel Club Classic Just one day earlier, the Buckeyes defeated Connecticut by the same score with a single up the middle by Mike Rabin.
Cody Caughenbaugh led off the top of the ninth with the team’s third double of the game, a shot he sent to right-center field. Jeffrey Carroll walked and then Wes Schirtzinger pinch ran for him. Brett Garrard sent a shot to shallow center field that went off the glove of charging Bronco centerfielder R.C. Dickerson. That loaded the bases for Jedidiah Stephen, who grounded to the catcher who then threw home to prevent Caughenbaugh from scoring.
With the bases still loaded relief pitcher Charles Christner hit Kelly Houser to make the score 3-2. Jacob Howell flew out to left, but scored Garrard with the sacrifice. The inning ended with Stephen getting thrown out at second after the sac fly.
Ohio State skipper Bob Todd brought in Trey Fausnaugh, who picked up the relief win against UConn in only 2/3 inning, to pitch the ninth inning. He walked the first batter faced before giving up a bunt by Dickerson to put runners at first and second. Matt Bolton followed with another bunt, advancing the runners with the sacrifice. Fausnaugh intentionally walked the next batter to load the bases in hopes of a potential double play to send the game to extra innings, but Abro delivered with a base hit through the right side to scoring the winning run.
Abro finished the game 4-for-5 and knocked in three runs for Western Michigan as the Broncos out-hit Ohio State 12-7. Three other Broncos added two hits apiece. Drew Anderson was the only Buckeye with more than one hit as he went 2-for-4.
TWO DAYS, TWO DIFFERING RESULTS
Redshirt freshman right-handed pitcher made two appearances totaling 1.0 inning last weekend at the Kennel Club Classic in Jacksonville, Fla., and picked up the win against Connecticut before losing the next day against Western Michigan.
Against the Huskies on Saturday, Fausnaugh came on for starter Trent Luyster with one on, one out and the scored tied 3-3 in the top of the ninth inning. He got the next two batters to ground out to third base before Mike Rabin delivered the winning run with a single up the middle in the bottom of the inning. It was his first collegiate victory.
Then on Sunday against Western Michigan after the Buckeyes had tied the game 3-3 in the top of the ninth inning, he came on in the ninth inning instead of starter Mike Madsen. Fausnaugh walked the first batter he faced before a pair of bunts put runners put runners at second and third. He intentionally walked the next batter before giving up a hit threw the right side scored the winning run. It was his first collegiate defeat.
Fausnaugh pitched his first 6.1 innings without allowing a run. He is now 1-1 with one save (against Kent State Feb. 28).
Bob Todd RADIO CALL-IN SHOW BEGINS MARCH 30
The Bob Todd weekly radio call-in show will begin Tuesday, March 30 and run every Tuesday night through the remainder of the season. The show will be hosted by Skip Mosic on Sports Radio 1460 The Fan (WBNS-AM). The program has received mention in Baseball America for its promotion of college baseball.
UP NEXT…
Ohio State will conclude its 16-game road trip that started the season with four games in Boca Raton, Fla., March 19-24 on its annual spring break trip. The Buckeyes will play Rider at 2 p.m. Friday, March 19 before meeting Rutgers at 1 p.m. Saturday, March 20. Following two days off, the Scarlet and Gray will take on Florida Atlantic twice (Tuesday, March 23, and Wednesday, March 24, at 7 p.m.) before returning to Columbus. Both Rutgers and Florida Atlantic were in the NCAA tournament in 2003.
