Buckeye Baseball Begins Big Ten Play at Home vs. Illinois – Ohio State Buckeyes
4/1/2004 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 1, 2004
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OHIO STATE
(7-10; 0-0 Big Ten)
vs.
ILLINOIS
(6-10; 0-0 Big Ten)
April 2-4, 2004
Bill Davis Stadium
Columbus, Ohio
Fri., April 2 6:35 p.m.
Sat., April 3 4:05 p.m. (DH)
Sun., April 4 1:05 p.m.
SERIES HISTORY
Ohio State leads 86-78-2
last game: Ohio State 6-3, March 25, 2003
OHIO STATE RADIO/INTERNET
NPR 820 (WOSU-AM)
Frank Fraas, Neil Sika and Paul Barnes
www.wosu.org
PROBABLE OSU PITCHERS G1 23 Josh Newman 3-3, 5.05 ERA, 36K, 35.2 IP G2 6 Mike Madsen 3-2, 5.01 ERA, 27K, 32.1 IP G3 36 Dan DeLucia 0-0, 4.97 ERA, 5K, 12.2 IP G4 39 Trent Luyster 0-3, 3.23 ERA, 33K, 39.0 IP
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio State begins Big Ten play this weekend in a four-game series against Illinois at Bill Davis Stadium. The Buckeyes open the conference campaign in search of its 15th regular season championship and the seventh under head coach Bob Todd, who also is looking for his 300th Big Ten victory. Todd enters the weekend with 299 league wins. Ohio State has not won the regular season conference crown since 2001 though it has won the last two conference tournament championships.
Eastern Michigan stole the Buckeyes home opener Wednesday night, scoring two run in the final two innings to hand Ohio State a 2-1 loss. Buckeye pitching had carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning, but gave up six hits the final three innings. Ohio State, which fell to 7-10 overall scored its one run in the first inning and had only two hits for the game. Illinois is 6-10 after winning at Indiana State Tuesday night. The Fighting Illini have yet to play a game on their home field.
Ohio State and Illinois will play a single game Friday at 6:35 p.m., a doubleheader Saturday at 4:05 p.m. and then another single game Sunday at 1:05 p.m. All four games will be broadcast on the radio and on the Internet by NPR 820 (WOSU-AM).
ABOUT OHIO STATE
Ohio State fell to 7-10 on the year after giving up two runs in the final two innings to lose 2-1 to Eastern Michigan Wednesday in the home opener. The Buckeyes took a no-hitter into the seventh inning but gave up six hits in the final three stanzas and only got a season-low two hits of their own.
Brett Garrard is the leading hitter on the team following Wednesday’s loss to the Eagles. Garrard is batting .386. Six of his 17 hits this season have been doubles and he has knocked in five runs, while scoring nine. Jedidiah Stephen is batting .378 and also has 17 hits this season. Six of his hits have gone for extra bases and include two doubles, two triples and two home runs. He has knocked in seven runs and scored an additional nine himself. Drew Anderson has 22 hits to lead the Buckeyes though Steve Caravati, who enters the weekend riding an eight-game hit streak, is on his heals with 21 hits. Caravati has 10 RBI, one off the pace of Mike Rabin. The Buckeyes are hitting .257 entering the series against the Illini.
Against Illinois, the Buckeyes are expected to go with a pitching rotation of Josh Newman on Friday, Mike Madsen and Dan DeLucia Saturday and then Trent Luyster Sunday. Newman has 36 strikeouts in 35.2 innings to go with a 3-3 record and 5.05 ERA. Madsen is 3-2 with a 5.01 ERA with 27 strikeouts in 30.1 innings. DeLucia made his first, albeit abbreviated, start Wednesday against Eastern Michigan. It was his fifth appearance of the season and he now has five strikeouts to go with a 0-0 record and 4.97 ERA in 12.2 innings. Luyster has the lowest earned run average among Buckeye starters with a 3.23 ERA, though he is 0-3 on the season in a team-high 39.0 innings. He had 33 strikeouts against only nine walks. The Buckeye pitching staff has an ERA of 4.55.
NEXT BIG TEN WIN NO. 300 FOR HEAD COACH Bob Todd
The next Buckeye conference victory will be the 300th career Big Ten victory under head coach Bob Todd, who is in his 17th season at Ohio State. Only one other coach in league history has more than 300 wins and that is John Anderson, the current coach at Minnesota. Anderson has guided the Golden Gophers to 354 Big Ten victories entering his 23rd season in Minneapolis. He recorded his 300th conference victory during the 2001 season, his 20th season at Minnesota. Todd has won an average of 18.69 Big Ten games per season while Anderson has won 16.09 conference games per season.
ABOUT ILLINOIS
The Fighting Illini improved to 6-10 on the season with a 6-5 victory at Indiana State Tuesday night. Shortstop Eric Eymann was 3-for-4 with an RBI and third baseman Chad Frk was 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI as Illinois sprinted out to a 6-2 lead and held on for the one-run victory in Terre Haute, Ind.
Frk is the leading Illinois with a .424 batting average, which is fourth best in the Big Ten and has a team-best 25 hits and five doubles and slugging percentage of .559. His 12 RBI is one off the pace of Drew Davidson, who is batting .277. Trevor Huisinga is batting .405 with 17 hits on a team that boasts a .301 batting average, fourth best in the conference.
On the mound, Illinois is expected to throw Joe Ziemba Friday and Jimmy Conroy and Ted Rowe Saturday. The Fighting Illini have not settled on a Sunday starter. Ziemba is 1-2 on the season with a 5.62 ERA and 21 strikeouts in 32.0 innings, while Conroy is 4-1 with a 3.09 ERA and 26 strikeouts. Rowe is 1-2 with a 5.82 ERA and has 20 strikeouts in 21.2 innings. As a staff, Illinois has a 5.40 ERA.
Illinois is coached by Richard “Itch” Jones, who is the eighth-winningest active coach in the country, is 1,191-706-5 in his 38th year as a collage coach. He is 425-328 at Illinois.
AGAINST THE FIGHTING ILLINI
Ohio State leads the all-time series with Illinois 86-78-2 after winning the last game played between the schools, 6-3, March 25, 2003 as part of a three-game non-conference series between the schools on each team’s spring break last season. Illinois won the series by taking two games of a doubleheader the day before. The schools have not met in Big Ten play since the 2001 season when the Buckeyes took three of four in Columbus during the regular season before claiming a 10-0 shutout of the Illini in the Big Ten Tournament.
Last 13 games, OSU leads 7-6
April 28, 2000 at Illinois 5, Ohio State 2
April 29, 2000 Ohio State 6, at Illinois 4
April 29, 2000 Ohio State 6, at Illinois 1
April 30, 2000 at Illinois 6, Ohio State 3
May 20, 2000 Illinois 4, Ohio State 0*
April 6, 2001 at Ohio State 11, Illinois 6
April 7, 2001 at Ohio State 6, Illinois 5
April 7, 2001 at Ohio State 5, Illinois 2
April 8, 2001 Illinois 9, at Ohio State 6
May 19, 2001 at Ohio State 10, Illinois 0**
March 24, 2003 Illinois 4, Ohio State 1***
March 24, 2003 Illinois 5, Ohio State 2***
March 25, 2003 Ohio State 6, Illinois 3***
* Big Ten Tournament, Minneapolis, Minn.
** Big Ten Tournament, Columbus, Ohio
*** Non-conference game in Bradenton, Fla.
LAST TIME VS. ILLINOIS
Illinois won both ends of a doubleheader to open a three-game non-conference series March 24-25, 2003 in Bradenton, Fla. The Fighting Illini scored two runs in each of the fourth and fifth innings to get past Ohio State with a 4-1 victory in the first game and then used two home runs in the first inning to jump out to an early 3-0 lead on its way to a 5-2 victory over Ohio State in the nightcap. In the third game of the series, Ohio State scored four runs in the fifth inning and had solid relief pitching that limited Illinois to just one hit in the last seven innings as it took a 6-3 win against the Illini. Illinois scored in the first and added a pair of runs in the third to better Ohio State’s two-run second inning. The Illini had five hits in the first two innings, but did not get another hit until the fifth, its only hit the remainder of the game. The Buckeyes scored four times in the fifth inning to get the 6-3 win.
IN BIG TEN OPENERS
The Buckeyes are 10-6 in conference openers since head coach Bob Todd arrived in Columbus prior to the 1988 season. Ohio State has won it last five Big Ten openers, including last season’s 1-0 victory over Northwestern in Bradenton, Fla. When opening league play at home, the Buckeyes are 7-4 under Todd. Since 1988 when the team is on the road to open Big Ten play it is 2-2 and at a neutral site, the team is 1-0. Ohio State has not lost a Big Ten season opener at home since dropping a 5-2 decision to Iowa March 23, 1996.
OSU FALLS 2-1 IN PITCHERS DUEL
Ohio State took a no-hitter into the seventh inning but Eastern Michigan starting pitcher George Biddle allowed only two hits in 8.2 innings as the Eagles came back to score two runs in the final two innings to steal the Buckeyes’ home opener by a score of 2-1.
Having just gotten a one-run lead in the top of the ninth inning, Biddle took a one-hitter into the bottom of the inning. Jacob Howell, the potential tying run, reached base on a two-out fielding error by the Eastern Michigan second baseman, who dropped a pop up just beyond the infield dirt. Steve Caravati singled to left field to put two runners on base. That prompted a pitching change as the Eagles went with Ryan Vandenbussche in to face perhaps the Buckeyes’ hottest hitter of the moment, Jedidiah Stephen, but Stephen flew out to center to end the game.
Biddle ended up with three strikeouts against the two hits. After giving up a hit to his second batter of the game, he retired the next 13 batters before his second walk. He than sat down the next 12 before the ninth inning error and Caravati base hit.
The Buckeyes were equally as strong to begin the game. Dan DeLucia made his first start as a Buckeye and threw the first four innings of the game in the abbreviated started. The only base runners came from walks in the second and fourth innings. Mike Madsen came on to pitch the next two innings keeping the Eagles off the score board and out of the hit column.
Keeping in line with the pregame plan of getting several pitchers into the game to prepare for this weekend’s Big Ten opener, Trey Fausnaugh came in to pitch in the top of the seventh. He gave up base hits to the first two batters of the inning and then gave up a sac bunt to advance both runners into scoring position before settling down to strike out the next two batters to get out of the inning without allowing a run. It was just the second run allowed by Fausnaugh in 13 innings this season.
Biddle’s only hit in the first eight innings of the game came in the first inning. Drew Anderson drew a leadoff walk and turned it into the only Ohio State run of the game. Anderson stole second and then moved to third on a single to shallow left-center field by Howell. Caravati scored Anderson on a sacrifice fly to center field.
The Eagles tied the game in the eighth on their third hit of the game off Fausnaugh. Brian Bixler’s two-out single fell just in front a charging Mike Rabin and that scored Ben Jones who had reached on a one-out walk. Trent Luyster came on to finish the inning with a strikeout of Ford.
Eastern Michigan took the lead in the top of the ninth off of Luyster thanks to three hits in the inning, including a leadoff hit to right-center field by Derrick Peterson. Luyster struck out Ryan Arnett, but back-to-back singles by Todd Kimling and Brad Hrovat advanced Peterson and then allowed him to score the go-ahead run with one out.
Luyster fell to 0-3 in his eighth appearance of the season and the fourth in relief. He gave up the winning run on three hits with two strikeouts in 1.1 innings. Vandenbussche picked up his second save for the Eagles.
IN HOME OPENERS
Since Bob Todd arrived to Ohio State prior to the 1988 season, the Buckeyes are 12-5 in home openers. The Scarlet and Gray defeated Eastern Michigan 4-2 in the first game of a doubleheader last season to get back in the winning column after losing a 6-4 decision to Detroit in 2002. In the eight home openers at Bill Davis Stadium, Ohio State is 5-3.
IN THE RANKINGS
After starting the season ranked as high as 26th in the four major preseason college baseball polls, the Buckeyes 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.
BUCKEYES SPLIT FOUR GAMES IN BOCA RATON
Ohio State won the first two games during its spring break trip to Boca Raton, Fla. to even its record to 7-7, but back-to-back losses to No. 19 Florida Atlantic dropped the Buckeyes back below .500. Ohio State opened by beating Rider 8-3 March 19 at FAU Field and then picked up a 6-4 victory against Rutgers March 20. Following a two-day layoff, the Buckeyes returned to action at Florida Atlantic, dropping 6-4 and 7-6 decisions as two comeback bids fell short.
Ohio State scored four runs in the fourth inning to overcome a 3-1 deficit and went on to defeat Rider 8-3. Jedidiah Stephen and Derek Kinnear provided two hits apiece as the Scarlet and Gray out-hit the Broncs 11-4. Ohio State came up big in the bottom of the fourth inning, scoring four runs on five hits to take a 5-3 lead. Adam Schneider led off the inning with a single over the third baseman’s head and then went to third on a double down the left-field line by Stephen. Brett Garrard sent a shot through the left side to tie the game 3-3 and then stole second. He could not advance on a base hit by Jeffrey Carroll, but Kinnear loaded the bases with his second hit of the game before getting caught at second on a fielder’s choice by Jacob Howell that scored Garrard. After getting Kinnear at second, Wagner, the Rider shortstop, threw to first to try to turn the double play but threw past the first baseman failing to get Howell. The error enabled Carroll to score from second to give the Buckeyes a 5-3 lead. The Buckeyes took a three-run lead in the bottom of the seventh with an RBI single by Stephen. Two more Buckeyes crossed the plate in the eighth inning for the final 8-3 margin of victory. Josh Newman improved to 3-2 with the victory. He pitched six innings, allowing all three runs (one earned) on four hits. He struck out seven for the second straight game and did not give up a walk.
Garrard went 4-for-4 and doubled in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning as the Buckeyes went on to defeat Rutgers 6-4. Garrard had singles in his first three at bats and then doubled to left field in his final at bat to score Stephen, who led off the inning with the team’s second double of the game. The score broke a 3-3 tie. Ohio State went on to score twice more in the inning to take a 6-3 lead. Four Buckeyes had multiple hits as the team tied its season high with 14 hits. Drew Anderson and Stephen each finished 2-for-5, while Howell was 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI. Madsen threw 3.1 relief innings to pick up his third win on the year. He allowed only the ninth-inning home run on three hits with two strikeouts and one walk.
Ohio State pulled within one run in the top of the eighth inning, but allowed two runs in the bottom of the inning as No. 19 Florida Atlantic handed the Buckeyes a 6-4 loss March 23 at FAU Field. The Buckeyes got within a 4-3 score, capitalizing on the first error of the game by Florida Atlantic. After a strike out to start the inning, Mike Rabin launched a towering shot just off the infield grass, which was dropped by the Alex, Fonseca, the Owls’ shortstop. Rabin reached second on the error and scored on a single through the right side by Jedidiah Stephen. After the second pitching change by Florida Atlantic, Stephen was caught stealing to end the scoring threat. Florida Atlantic took a 6-3 lead, scoring two more runs in the bottom of the inning. Those two runs proved costly for Ohio State, which would have tied the game, 4-4, in the top of the ninth. Garrard delivered a one-out infield single and moved to second on a ground out by Ronnie Bourquin. Garrard stole third and scored on a wild pitch. Owls’ designated hitter Jordan Hafer was a perfect 3-for-3 in the game, though it was Mascia, who delivered three RBI for Florida Atlantic in a 2-for-4 night. Stephen and Anderson were both 2-for-4 for the Buckeyes, which were out-hit 12-8. Madsen got the loss for Ohio State.
Ohio State scored once in the top of the ninth and left two runners on base ending a second straight comeback bid against No. 19 Florida Atlantic March 24 at FAU Field. Trailing 7-5 entering the top of the ninth, Derek Kinnear led off the inning with a single up the middle for his third hit of the game. Anderson followed with a single to shallow left-center field to put runners at first and second. Anderson was out at second on a fielder’s choice by Jacob Howell, before Steve Caravati singled down the right line to score Kinnear and make it a one-run game with only one out. Florida Atlantic reliever Chris Saxton, who entered the game in the seventh inning, then got a fly out by Jedidiah Stephen and then struck out Brett Hatcher to end the game. Kinnear finished 3-for-4 with a pair of RBI and scored one run to pace the Buckeyes who out-hit the Owls 12-11. Anderson and Howell added two hits apiece for Ohio State.
The early story of the game appeared to be with Buckeye starter Josh Newman, who got off to an impressive start in his sixth start of the season. Through the first three innings, he struck out nine batters. Ohio State could not capitalize on Newman’s pitching in the first three innings.
Garrard batted .538 in the four games getting seven hits in 13 at bats. He had a double and three RBI and scored four runs. Kinnear also had a strong spring break, batting .462 with six hits in 13 at bats. He added a pair of doubles, scored twice and knocked in three runs.
NEWMAN SIXTH ALL-TIME
With his win over Rider March 19, Josh Newman moved into a two-way tie for sixth-place tie on the Ohio State career wins list with his 27th 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 Chris Granata (1991-94). Newman won eight games each of his first three seasons and is 3-3 in 2004. The school record for career victories is 36 by Justin Fry (1995-99). Newman’s 301.1 career innings ranks fourth all-time. He now needs 43 innings to move past Pete Perini (1947-50) who is third with 344.0 career innings and 78.2 innings to move past E.J. Laratta (1999-2002), who is second with 379-.2 career innings.
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. Josh Newman 2001-present 27 Chris Granata 1991-94 27
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 4. Josh Newman 2001-present 301.1 5. Chris Granata 1991-94 295.1
NEWMAN CLIMBING STRIKEOUT LIST
Josh Newman’s nine strikeouts against Florida Atlantic now give him 227 career strikeouts, which puts him in 11th place on the school’s all-time list. He trails E.J. Laratta (1999-2002) by seven strikeouts for 10th place. The nine strikeouts Wednesday were the most by Newman this season and two off his all-time high off 11 against Michigan in 2001.
STRIKEOUTS 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. Josh Newman 2001-present 227
ANDERSON A TRIPLE THREAT
Ohio State second baseman Drew Anderson had two triples on the Buckeyes’ spring break trip to Boca Raton, Fla. to give up 10 career triples. The figure is within one of the record set by Jason Driscoll (1997-2000).
TRIPLES 1. Jason Driscoll 1997-00 12 2. Scott Meadows 1985-88 11 Tim Kauffman 1975-78 11 4. Drew Anderson 2002-present 10 Mark Carek 1995-98 10 Christian Snavely 2001-03 10
ANDERSON FIFTH IN STEALS
Drew Anderson has 43 career stolen bases to tie him for sixth place on the Buckeyes’ all-time stolen base list. He needs one to move into a tie for fourth place with Wade Manning (1976-78) and six to tie Bo Rein (1965-67) for third. Anderson is a perfect 6-for-6 this season after one steal against Eastern Michigan Wednesday night. 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).
STOLEN BASES 1. Roy Marsh 1992-94 73 2. Mike Check 1998-01 63 3. Bo Rein 1965-67 49 4. Wade Manning 1976-78 44 5. Drew Anderson 2002-present 43 Morgan Assmann 1978-81 43 7. Tim Kauffman 1975-78 42 Ken Peters 1961-63 42
CARAVATI RIDES HIT STREAK
Junior leftfielder Steve Caravati is enjoying an eight game hit streak dating back to the 10th game of the season. He has 11 hits in 35 at bats (.314). The streak is four off his career long streak of 12 which he displayed in games 22-36 last season. Caravati is batting .300 this season with 21 hits and 10 RBI. He has scored nine runs and leads the team with three home runs.
CAN’T SPELL RABIN WITHOUT R-B-I
Junior outfielder Mike Rabin leads the team with 11 runs batted in this season after picking up five RBI in the four games in Boca Raton. Against Rider, Rabin had two RBI that included a sacrifice fly. He allowed a score on a ground out against Rutgers and delivered RBI singles in both games against Florida Atlantic.
BUCKEYES GIVING UP RUNS EARLY
Ohio State has struggled in the early innings of games so far this season. The Buckeyes are getting out scored 53-16 in the first four innings of games, including a 19-1 margin in favor of the opposition in the third inning. Ohio State has scored only four times in the first inning. The big inning for the Buckeyes has typically been in the sixth when they have out scored opponents 16-5. In all innings, Ohio State is getting out scored 93-75 so far this season.
ON THE RADIO
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. www.wosu.org or www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com
ALL HOME GAMES TO FEATURE CSTV GAMETRACKER
The official athletics web site for Ohio State will offer Gametracker, live scoring Internet software, for all home games this season. Access live stats at: www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com
UP NEXT…
Ohio State wraps up a quick six-game home stand with a game Wednesday against Oakland. The game between the Buckeyes and Grizzlies will begin at 6:35 p.m. The Scarlet and Gray heads to Purdue April 9-11 for its next Big Ten series.
