Baseball Buckeyes to Play Eight Games on Spring Break Trip – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/16/2005 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 16, 2005
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Ohio State (4-4; 0-0 Big Ten)
on Spring Break Trip
March 18-26, 2005
Bradenton, Fla.
Fri., March 18 vs. Northern Iowa* @ 2 p.m.
Sat., March 19 vs. Bucknell @ 10:30 a.m.
Sun., March 20 vs. UW-Milwaukee @ 2 p.m.
Mon., March 21 vs. Illinois-Chicago @ 2:30 p.m.
Tues., March 22 OFF
Wed., March 23 vs. Vermont @ 3 p.m.
Thu., March 24 vs. Cornell @ 2:30 p.m.
Fri., March 25 vs. Dartmouth @ 3 p.m.
Sat., March 26 vs. Cornell @ 11:30 a.m.
* at Ed Smith Stadium, Sarasota, Fla.
Ohio State Radio/Internet
None
Ohio State Probable pitching 6 Mike Madsen, RHP 1-1, 4.50 ERA, 8K, 10.0IP 39 Trent Luyster, LHP 2-1, 5.40 ERA, 8K, 16.2IP 36 Dan DeLucia, LHP 0-1, 0.75 ERA, 8K, 12.0IP 19 Cory Luebke, LHP 0-0, 3.09 ERA, 10K, 11.2IP Pitchers listed in no particular order
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio State takes a 4-4 record into its longest road trip of the season, an eight-game excursion to Florida’s gulf coast March 18-26. The Buckeyes begin the trip Friday vs. Northern Iowa at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota before moving up the road to Bradenton for the last seven games of the spring break trip.
The Buckeyes will play those seven games at IMG Academy, a slate that includes single games against Bucknell, Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Illinois-Chicago, Vermont and Dartmouth, and two games against Cornell. The team will have Tuesday off, but will play every other day before returning to Columbus after its Saturday game in time to celebrate Easter.
After the Florida road swing, Ohio State will finally gets a taste of home cooking, when it returns to Bill Davis Stadium for a matinee game Wednesday, March 30 against Toledo. By then, the Buckeyes will have played 16 games, all on the road.
About Ohio State
The Buckeyes are 4-4 after going 2-1 March 11-12 at the Kennel Club Classic in Jacksonville, Fla. Ohio State beat North Florida 16-10 and Rider 15-9, but lost to Bradley 4-3. The Scarlet and Gray hit .350 and had a .602 slugging percentage in the three games and had 43 hits, including 18 for extra bases: 10 doubles and three triples. The team entered the weekend without a home run, but left with five. Wes Schirtzinger and Jedidiah Stephen each had two and Ronnie Bourquin added one.
Jason Zoeller led the Buckeyes in Jacksonville, Fla., where he was 8-for-15 with two doubles, a triple and two home runs to knock in seven runs. He scored six times as well and finished the three games with a slugging percentage of 1.200 and did not walk or strikeout. Schirtzinger batted .500 with seven hits, scored twice and batted in two runs and Bourquin was .462 in the three games in his 6-for-13 effort that included three doubles, one home run and four RBI.
Zoeller and Schirtzinger lead the team with .400 batting averages through the first eight games of the season. Schirtzinger has 12 hits and four RBI while Zoeller has 10 hits, two doubles, one triple, two home runs and seven RBI. Bourquin and Cody Caughenbaugh are batting .333. Bourquin has 11 hits, four doubles, one home run and five RBI, while Caughenbaugh, the Buckeyes’ designated hitter, has eight hits and five RBI. Stephen leads the team with eight RBI. Ohio State is batting .285 for the season, up from .238 before going to Jacksonville.
Trent Luyster picked up his second victory of the season beating North Florida 16-10 March 11. He pitched the first 5.2 innings and allowed seven runs, only four earned off 11 hits. He, like all Ohio State pitchers in the two victories in Jacksonville, had run support. Luyster has eight strikeouts, five walks and has allowed 25 hits in 16.2 innings. Cory Luebke is the team leader with 10 strikeouts. The true freshman made his first start against Rider and though he did not factor into the decision, he allowed only one run from seven hits in 5.2 innings and had six strikeouts against only one walk. It was his fourth appearance of the season. He has allowed four runs on 13 hits in 11.2 innings and has a 3.09 ERA without a decision. Dan DeLucia has the lowest ERA on the team at 0.75. He has started both of his appearances and has eight strikeouts in 12 innings, but has allowed only one run on nine hits.
The Buckeyes have a 4.63 ERA as a pitching staff and have 48 strikeouts. Opponents are hitting .312 against Buckeye pitching. The rotation for the spring break trip has yet to be decided.
Last Spring Break
Ohio State went 2-2 last year on spring break in Boca Raton, Fla., beating Rider and Rutgers before losing a pair of games at Florida Atlantic. The Buckeyes beat Rider 8-3 and Rutgers 6-4 before losing to FAU 6-4 and 7-6.
Last Time in Bradenton
The last time Ohio State was in Bradenton for spring break was in 2003, when the team went 4-5. That season, the Buckeyes opened with a 6-3 win over Columbia before falling to Vermont 7-6 at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota. Ohio State then dropped two of three to Illinois in a mini-non-conference series before opening Big Ten play in a four-game series vs. Northwestern. The series was to have been played in Evanston, Ill., that year, but with both teams going to be in Bradenton for spring break, the series was moved to IMG Academy. Ohio State won the first two games before dropping the final two games of the series to the Wildcats.
About Northern Iowa
Northern Iowa is 4-1 on its spring break trip to Bradenton. The Panthers opened with a 17-5 loss to Kentucky on March 11, but have since beaten Fairleigh Dickenson (13-3), Sacred Heart (3-1), Rhode Island (9-4) and Bucknell (13-6). UNI is scheduled to meet a team of minor league players from the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday before its game vs. Ohio State Friday. UNI, now 8-7 on the year, is coached by Rick Heller, who was 140-145 entering his sixth season with the Panthers. He brought a 431-339-4 record into his 18th season as a college coach.
Against the Panthers
Ohio State and Northern Iowa have split the two games played between them, the last meeting in 1997.
March 15, 1992 – Ohio State 16, N. Iowa 1
Feb. 23, 1997 – N. Iowa 18, Ohio State 16
About Bucknell
Bucknell is 0-3 through Tuesday of its spring break trip to Bradenton. The Bison have lost to Indiana, Illinois State and Northern Iowa (13-6) and will meet UMass, Miami (Ohio) and Dartmouth before playing Ohio State on Saturday. Bucknell, now 0-9 on the year, is coached by Gene Depew, who was 412-474-5 entering his 24th season with the Bison.
Against the Bison
Ohio State leads the all-time series 1-0 after a 24-5 win in 1995.
March 22, 1995 – Ohio State 24, Bucknell 5
About Wisconsin-Milwaukee
The Panthers do not begin its schedule in Bradenton until Saturday when they meet Rhode Island. Wisconsin Milwaukee is 2-7 on the season after getting swept in three games last weekend at Oklahoma State (11-0, 20-3, 5-1). UWM will meet Rhode Island and Vermont before playing Ohio State on Sunday. The Panthers are coached by Jerry Augustine, who brought a 389-237-1 record into his 11th season in Milwaukee.
Against the Panthers
This will be the first meeting in the series. Ohio State and Wisconsin-Milwaukee have never met on a baseball diamond.
About Illinois-Chicago
The Flames snapped an 0-8 start to the season with a three-game sweep at St. Louis (13-10, 14-7, 14-7) last weekend. Illinois-Chicago begins its trip to Bradenton with two games against Iowa on Friday and Saturday before it meets Ohio State on Monday. UIC, now 3-8 on the season, is coached by Mike Dee, who was 191-139 entering his seventh season in Chicago.
Against the Flames
Ohio State trails the all-time series with Illinois-Chicago 0-1 after the Flames won 3-2 in 2002.
March 24, 2002 – UIC 3, Ohio State 2
About Vermont
Vermont is 2-1 on the season after it opened the season by taking two of three games at George Washington last weekend. The Catamounts will play Indiana, Columbia, Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Illinois-Chicago before meeting Ohio State on Wednesday. Vermont is coached by Bill Currier, who was 367-331 entering his 19th season at UVM.
Against the Catamounts
Ohio State leads the Vermont series 4-1, but lost to the Catamounts the last time out, a 7-6 loss in 2003.
March 20, 1995 – Ohio State 16, Vermont 3
March 23, 2000 – Ohio State 6, Vermont 4
March 17, 2001 – Ohio State 7, Vermont 4
March 18, 2001 – Ohio State 5, Vermont 1
March 22, 2003 – Vermont 7, Ohio State 6
About Cornell
The Big Red took two of three games from West Virginia last weekend in Winston-Salem, N.C., beating the Mountaineers 6-5, 7-5, 6-1. It was the first action for Cornell, which begins play Saturday in Bradenton. That slate includes games against Illinois State, Northwestern, two games against Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Illinois before it meets Ohio State for the first time on Thursday, March 24. After a second game against Northwestern, Cornell and the Buckeyes meet back up in the last game of the trip for each team on Saturday, March 26. Cornell, 2-1 on the year, is coached by Tom Ford, who was 210-337-2 entering his 15th year in Ithaca, N.Y.
Against the Big Red
Ohio State leads the all-time series with Cornell 8-3-1. The teams met every year from 1924 through 1931, but did not meet again until 1973 and have met only twice since 1993. The Big Red won three of the first four games, but have not won since 1927.
May 31, 1924 – @Cornell 6, Ohio State 4
1925 – Ohio State 4, Cornell 0
1926 – Cornell 12, Ohio State 5
1927 – Cornell 2, Ohio State 1
May 12, 1928 – Ohio State 7, Cornell 4
April 13, 1929 – Ohio State 4, Cornell 1
April 27, 1930 – Ohio State 4, @Cornell 3
April 28, 1931 – Ohio State 19, Cornell 3
March 22, 1973 – Ohio State 1, Cornell 1 (tie)
March 23, 1973 – Ohio State 4, Cornell 2
March 22, 1993 – Ohio State 19, Cornell 0
March 23, 2002 – Ohio State 4, Cornell 3
About Dartmouth
The Big Green has yet to play any games after a pair of doubleheaders against Lafayette were cancelled March 5-6. Dartmouth will play 11 games in Bradenton and will not meet Ohio State until Friday, March 25, its 10th game of the trip. The Big Green will play UMass, Bucknell, Northern Iowa, St. Francis (N.Y.), Illinois (twice), Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Northwestern (twice). Dartmouth is coached by Bob Whalen, who was 282-291 entering his 16th season in Hanover, Conn.
Against the Big Green
Ohio State and Dartmouth have met three times and the Buckeyes have won all three games, beginning the series with a 14-7 win in 1991.
Feb. 22, 1991 – Ohio State 14, Dartmouth 7
March 23, 1999 – Ohio State 15, Dartmouth 3
March 26, 1999 – Ohio State 7, Dartmouth 2
Buckeyes Win Slugfest with UNF
Ohio State erupted for a season-high 19 hits in a 16-10 victory over North Florida March 11 at the Kennel Club Classic.
The teams combined for 37 hits, but the Buckeyes hits were more timely. After only one hit in the first three innings, Ohio State had three big innings in the victory that evened the team’s record to 3-3. Ohio State scored three in the fourth inning, four in the fifth, one in the sixth and then seven runs in the seventh. Six runs crossed the plate in the seventh before the first out of the inning was recorded in the scorebook.
Eight Buckeyes had multiple hits, including home runs by Jedidiah Stephen, a two-run shot in the seventh, Jason Zoeller, a three-run shot in the seventh, and Ronnie Bourquin, a solo shot in the ninth.
The 16 runs were the most by Ohio State since winning the 2003 Big Ten Tournament championship with a 17-10 victory over Minnesota. The Buckeyes handed North Florida its first loss in the Kennel Club Classic and also snapped a six-game win streak by the Ospreys. It was only the second time North Florida, ranked No. 12 in the NCAA Division II poll, had lost at home. UNF will move to Division I next season. Ohio State nearly doubled its run production for the season. The team entered the game having scored 18 runs.
Paul Farinacci and Schirtzinger each had three hits. Farinacci knocked in two runs and scored twice, while Schirtzinger drove in one run and scored once. Zoeller and Stephen each went 2-for-5 with three RBI. OSU starting pitcher Trent Luyster picked up his second win of the season to improve to 2-1.
OSU Gives Up Four Runs in 8th, loses to Bradley
Ohio State committed three errors in the bottom of the eighth inning and allowed Bradley to score four unearned runs in a 4-3 loss to the Braves Saturday at the Kennel Club Classic March 12.
The Buckeyes had scored twice in the first inning and added a run in the fifth and protected the 3-0 lead until poor defense allowed Bradley to take the lead in the eighth.
Ohio State starter Dan DeLucia pitched well, but not as well as he did in his debut against Arizona State. He pitched six inning and allowed only two hits despite four walks. He also had four strikeouts, but did not factor in the decision. Brett Hatcher was pegged with the loss in his 2/3 of an inning after he allowed two runs on two hits. Rory Meister pitched 1.1 innings and gave up two runs on one hit. None of the four Bradley runs were earned.
Five different Buckeyes accounted for the five hits. Zoeller, Caughenbaugh and Angle drove in the team’s three runs.
OSU Wins Wild One With Rider
After giving up the lead in the top of the eighth inning, Ohio State battled back to score eight runs in the bottom of the inning on its way to a 15-9 victory over Rider at the Kennel Club Classic March 12.
The Buckeyes had Rider in a 7-0 hole, but over the course of the sixth, seventh and eighth innings, gave up eight runs to the Broncs and saw the lead vanish.
Back-to-back doubles by Jason Zoeller and Ronnie Bourquin tied the game at eight. Bourquin went to third on a single by Adam Schneider and scored on a fielder’s choice by Paul Farinacci to give the Buckeyes a 9-8 lead, one it would not lose. Ohio State added six more runs in the inning on a total of six hits and three errors. Rider added a run in the top of the ninth to close within the 15-9 final score.
Zoeller finished 5-for-6 in the game with two singles, two doubles and a triple, while knocking in three runs and scoring three times. Wes Schirtzinger added four hits with one run and one RBI and Bourquin added three hits with two runs and two RBI. The Buckeyes edged Rider 19-18 in hits while playing error-free defense opposed to five errors on the Broncs.
Despite allowing the go-ahead run in the top of the eighth, Brett Hatcher got the benefit of his teammates offensive outburst in the bottom half of the inning to pick up his first win of the season. He improved to 1-1 on the season allowing two runs on five hits in 1.2 innings.
Buckeyes a Little Wounded
Ohio State is feeling the bite of an injury bug this season. It started the first game of the season when senior co-captain Steve Caravati pulled his hamstring. The 2004 Big Ten Player of the Year has not played since, missing a string of seven games. The outfielder from Dover, Ohio physically probably could have returned last weekend in Jacksonville, but the coaches gave him an extra week of rest since the Big Ten season is right around the corner.
The Buckeyes did not take senior pitcher Mike Madsen to Jacksonville last weekend after a case of tendonitis and were forced to shuffle the pitching rotation. Madsen, who won his 18th game of his career earlier in the season, pitched the first game in the Buckeyes first two road trips of the season. Madsen was a third team All-Big Ten selection last year.
Last week, Jacob Howell, the 2004 Big Ten Freshman of the Year injured his right shoulder diving back to first base in the game at North Florida. Howell will make the spring break trip, but may not return until the middle of next week. All three players will be with the team in Bradenton.
Reliable Rabin
Fifth-year senior Mike Rabin has come to be known as Mr. Reliable. The co-captain from West Chester, Ohio is a three-year starter and actually started 166 straight games for the Buckeyes dating back to his sophomore season. He started the first three games this year before it snapped against North Carolina and Arizona State. He has started the last three games so he has starts in 169 of his last 171 games. In his career he has started in 176 of the 189 games he has played. Rabin has started six of the eight games this season, all 61 games last season, all 65 games as a sophomore and the final 37 games of his freshman year. Rabin owns a .289 career batting average. In its preseason publication, Baseball America said Rabin is the best defensive outfielder in the Big Ten. Rabin had five outfield assists last season and has one this season.
Hit Streaks
Jedidiah Stephen has started all six games he has played this season and has had a hit in all six of those games. His six-game hit streak is the longest of the team and is one game shy of his career-long hit streak, which he did twice last season: games nine through 15 and games 36-42. Jason Zoeller has a hit in his last four games, a career-best streak. He had one against Georgia and then did not play against North Carolina or Arizona State, but returned in a big way with two hits against North Florida, one hit against Bradley and five hits against Rider. Steve Caravati ended the 2004 season with hit in his last six games and had a hit against Middle Tennessee, the only game he has played this season. That also gives him hits in his last seven games.
Buckeye Record Book
? Steve Caravati ranks ninth with his .356 career batting average. His 198 hits tie him for 20th, while his 556 at bats barely miss the school’s Top 25 list. The fifth-year senior co-captain from Dover, Ohio (Dover) is tied for seventh with nine triples and his 21 career home runs are tied for 21st. Caravati has batted in 137 runs during his career, including 52 RBI last season. He needs 44 to move into second place all-time at Ohio State. Dan Seimetz (1995-98) holds the school record with 236 RBI.
? Mike Rabin has 648 career at bats, which is tied for the 12th most of any player in school history. The OSU record is 823, set by Mark Carek (1995-98). Rabin, who already has 23 at bats in 2005, needs 176 at bats to break that record. He had 234 at bats as a sophomore and 228 last year, so that is one record to watch. His 35 steals are the 35th most in school history.
? With 18 career victories, Mike Madsen is tied for 5039 win percentage (18-6) ranks 12th in school history. With five innings in his last start against Georgia, Madsen has now pitched 178.2 innings, making him eligible to be ranked among several career stat categories. With a minimum of 175.0 career innings pitched, he ranks seventh in fewest hits allowed (185), fourth in fewest bases on balls (75), eighth in fewest runs (97) and sixth in fewest earned runs allowed (85).
OSU Goes 1-2 in North Carolina, Pulls Upset of No. 4 Tar Heels
The Buckeyes might have gone 1-2 at the Keith LeClair Classic in Greenville, N.C., but Ohio State did have some success in its third, fourth and fifth games against three of the top teams in college baseball. The Scarlet and Gray lost the opening game of the tournament, falling 4-3 to No. 7 Georgia, but rebounded to beat No. 4 North Carolina and Daniel Bard, 2-1. Arizona State handed Ohio State a 3-0 loss in the weekend finale.
Against Georgia, Ohio State scored first, but Georgia countered with a three-run home run in the third and a solo shot in the fifth and held on to down the Buckeyes 4-3 in the opening game. Georgia had taken a 4-1 lead in the fifth inning and kept Ohio State bats quiet until the eighth inning when it had three hits on reliever Joshua Fields. UGA starter Will Startup gave up a double to Bourquin to start the third, but retired 15 of the final 17 batters he faced. Those two hits came off the bats of Jason Zoeller, who singled in the top of the fourth, and Jacob Howell, who singled in the seventh.
Ohio State made the two runs in scored in the first inning hold up in a 2-1 upset of No. 4 North Carolina. The Buckeyes took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning and never surrendered it. Wes Schirtzinger singled deep in the hole at second base and Ronnie Bourquin followed with a walk. Jedidiah Stephen delivered Schirtzinger with a single down the right-field line and then Cody Caughenbaugh flew out to center, scoring Bourquin on the sac fly. OSU starter Trent Luyster kept the Tar Heels off the scoreboard until the seventh inning when Chase Younts pulled UNC within a 2-1 score with a single to right-center field to score Seth Williams. Luyster improved to 1-1, while the Buckeyes gave Bard his first defeat against two wins. Trey Fausnaugh picked up his first save of the season in his second appearance.
Arizona State, who was playing its 21st game of the season, scored the only run it needed in the bottom of the fifth and added two more runs in the eighth to down Ohio State a 3-0 in a duel between pitchers. Each starting pitcher – Ohio State’s Dan DeLucia and Arizona State’s Pat Bresnehan – pitched great games from the opening pitch, but it was Bresnehan who had the timely offense to pick up his first victory of the season. For DeLucia, he allowed seven hits with two walks and four strikeouts in his six-inning start. The difference was the run in the fifth. DeLucia, who got the loss, allowed four hits in the first four innings, but Arizona State scored its first run on three hits, including a one-out double by Andrew Romine. Ohio State could not turn three Sun Devil errors, including two in the first inning, into any offense threat. The Buckeyes left 11 base runners, including six in scoring position, half of which reached third base. Buckeye pitching and defense stranded eight ASU base runners.
Luyster Named Big Ten Pitcher of the Week
Ohio State senior pitcher Trent Luyster was named the Big Ten Pitcher of the Week after leading the Buckeyes to a 2-1 victory over No. 4 North Carolina Saturday at the Keith LeClair Classic in Greenville, N.C. Luyster allowed only one run while scattering seven hits over six innings. The senior lefthander from Flushing, Ohio (Harrison Central) struck out four batters while producing only one walk to boost Ohio State to its first win over a top 25 opponent since 2003, when OSU defeated Clemson and Auburn during NCAA regional play. Luyster, who returned to Ohio State after being drafted by the Chicago Cubs last year, is the first Buckeyes hurler to be honored this season.
Win vs. UNC the 200th Since 2000
The 2-1 Ohio State victory over North Carolina was the 200th win since the 2000 season. The Buckeyes now have a record of 202-111-1, the best in the Big Ten. During that time, Ohio State has made three trips to the NCAA tournament, including a super regional appearance in 2003 after sweeping through the NCAA Auburn Regional with wins over Clemson and Auburn. The Buckeyes also have the best record in the Big Ten since 1990, with a record of 625-293-2.
Buckeyes Open Season 1-1
Ohio State opened the 2005 season with an 8-4 victory over Middle Tennessee Feb. 25, but lost its second game of the season, falling to Troy, 6-4, the next day. A third game at the Wiregrass Baseball Classic in Dothan, Ala., against Iowa was rained out.
Leading 2-1 against Middle Tennessee through 6 1/2 innings, Ohio State scored six runs in the bottom of the inning on its way to an 8-4 victory over Middle Tennessee. Jacob Howell, who finished 3-for-4 in the game, led off with a triple before back-to-back walks by Mike Rabin and Steve Caravati loaded the bases. Adam Schneider delivered a pinch-hit double to left-center field to score Rabin and Caravati to give Ohio State a 5-1 advantage. Jason Zoeller walked to load the bases and Paul Farinacci doubled to left-center field to clear the bases and build the Buckeye lead to 8-1.
Middle Tennessee added a run in the eighth and a run in the ninth to close within four runs. Buckeye starting pitcher Mike Madsen retired the first six batters of the game, including three strikeouts in the first inning.
Troy’s Blake Green launched a three-run homer in the bottom of the sixth inning broke a 2-2 tie as Troy held on to down Ohio State, 6-4. Troy relied on the arm hometown standout Landon Brazell, a fifth-year Troy senior from Dothan, who came up just short of going the distance for the Trojans. He allowed four runs on nine hits, threw 127 pitches and faced three batters in the ninth inning before giving way to Ryan Ramsey, who recorded the final three outs of the game. Ohio State got to Brazell for two unearned runs in the ninth. Trent Luyster was tagged with the loss after pitching 5.0 innings and allowing five runs on seven hits with three walks and a pair of strikeouts.
Rain washed out the final day of the Wiregrass Baseball Classic at Northcutt Field. Ohio State was scheduled to play a non-conference game vs. Iowa last Sunday, but steady rain coming off of the Gulf of Mexico forced the cancellation of game.
75th Season Opening Victory
With the win over Middle Tennessee Feb. 25, Bob Todd’s Buckeyes are 10-8 in season openers. Now in the 122nd year of Ohio State baseball, the Buckeyes are 75-45-2 (.623) in season openers.
Fausnaugh on NCBWA Stopper of the Year Award Watch List
Ohio State sophomore pitcher Trey Fausnaugh is one of 30 players who have been named to the initial watch list for the inaugural National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Stopper of the Year Award, the association announced Feb. 23. The award will be given annually to the top relief pitcher in Division I.
Fausnaugh, a 2004 Third Team All-Big Ten selection from Circleville, Ohio (Westfall), led the conference with 32 appearances, all in relief. He also led the league with nine saves and was second in the conference with 18 games finished. Fausnaugh’s nine saves and 32 appearances equaled the third most in a season by an Ohio State pitcher. He finished 2-1 with a 3.50 ERA and 26 strikeouts in 46.1 innings.
From the list of finalists, which will be announced June 1, the NCBWA’s All-America Committee will select a winner. The first annual winner will be announced on June 8, two days prior to the beginning of NCAA super regional action.
2005 Season Outlook
The goals are simple. Ohio State has finished second in the Big Ten each of the last three seasons since winning its 14th conference championship in 2001, the sixth title since 1991. All three years the Buckeyes were edged by Minnesota in the final weekend of the regular season. Twice the Scarlet and Gray fought back to win the Big Ten tournament and the league’s automatic berth into the NCAA tournament. But even that was missing last year when the team sat out postseason for the first time since 2000.
In 2005, Ohio State believes it has what it takes to get back to the top of the league standings and back to the NCAA tournament, where it has ventured 16 times in school history and 10 times under 18th-year head coach Bob Todd.
“When people talk about Ohio State baseball, they realize we have developed a quality baseball program,” Todd said. “I know the goals of our players every year are to contend for the Big Ten championship, play in the NCAA tournament and earn the right to go to Omaha.”
Ohio State is only two seasons removed from making its most recent push to the College World Series. The Buckeyes came within two victories of securing a berth in the pinnacle of the sport in 2003. Todd’s 1999 team was within one victory of getting to Omaha and his 1992 and 1993 teams finished second in the old eight-team regional format.
The Buckeyes plan on making it back to the tournament this season. Since 1991, when Todd’s fourth Ohio State team made it to the postseason, after an eight-year absence, his teams have not missed out on the NCAA tournament in consecutive seasons.
Winning the Big Ten will be a tall order, just like every other season. The Buckeyes will have to face a much-improved Michigan team in Ann Arbor in late April and will play host to Minnesota the last week of the regular season at Bill Davis Stadium. Preseason prognosticators have said any of these three teams could make a run at the 2005 Big Ten Championship.
The Schedule
The eight-game spring break trip closes a 16-game swing away from home to start the season. Ohio State returns home March 30, when it will begin its ninth season at Bill Davis Stadium against Toledo. The 2005 has taken the Buckeyes to the Wiregrass Classic in Dothan, Ala., and the Keith LeClair Classic in Greenville, N.C., the Kennel Club Classic in Jacksonville, Fla., and this week to Bradenton, Fla.
Toledo is the first of six Wednesday non-conference opponents. That game on March 30 begins at 2 p.m. and should give people in Columbus a good reason for not returning to the office after lunch. All but one of the remaining six midweek games will be played at 6:35 p.m. The exception is May 4 when the Buckeyes will welcome students from Columbus Public Schools to a rare noon first pitch against Cleveland State. Oakland, Malone, Eastern Michigan and Miami (Ohio) are the other Wednesday opponents.
In the Big Ten schedule, Ohio State will play host to Purdue, Michigan State, Indiana and Minnesota. The series with the Gophers, the first time in Columbus since the 2002 season, will close out the regular season. The conference race has come down between the two schools the last weekend of the regular season each of the last three seasons. The Buckeyes open league play at Illinois April 1-3 and then have to go to Michigan, Penn State and Northwestern. The Big Ten tournament will again be played in the home stadium of the regular season champion.
NCAA regional play is June 3-6, followed by super regional action June 10-13. The College World Series will be played June 17-27 in Omaha, Neb.
2005 Team Captains
The Buckeyes elected two fellow teammates to serve as team captains for the 2005 season: senior outfielders Steve Caravati and Mike Rabin. Caravati also was a captain during the 2004 campaign.
Todd Has 812 Career Wins
Ohio State head coach Bob Todd won the 800th victory of his career in the 3-1 victory over Penn State on May 8, 2004. Todd, who is the winningest coach in school history, boasts a career record of 814-430-2 (.654). Now in his 18th season with the Buckeyes, Todd has never had a losing season and has won at least 36 games 14 times. Todd coached his first game at Ohio State in 1988, a 16-2 win over Louisville on Feb. 27.
Todd Closing in on 700 at OSU
Now in his 18th season as skipper of the Buckeyes, head coach Bob Todd needs only 10 victories for his 700th win at the school. Todd’s record at Ohio State is 690-359-2 (.658). Add his four-year record of 124-82 from Kent State (1984-87) and the 22nd-year career head coach has a 814-430-2 (.654) record. Those victories rank him 24th nationally among active coaches, and by win percentage, Todd ranks 19th nationally.
Todd’s Milestone Career Victories
1 – March 23, 1984 vs. Mercer (18-4)
100 – March 25, 1987 vs. UNC-Wilm. (12-10)
200 – April 1, 1990 vs. Wisconsin (7-4)
300 – April 22, 1992 vs. Ohio (16-2)
400 – May 14, 1994 vs. Purdue (8-7)
500 – March 30, 1997 at Michigan St. (4-0)
600 – May 5, 1999 vs. Oakland (11-9)
700 – March 17, 2002 vs. Detroit (7-2)
800 – May 8, 2004 vs. Penn State (3-1)
Todd’s Milestone Ohio State Wins
1 – Feb. 27, 1988 vs. Louisville (16-2)
100 – Feb. 22, 1991 vs. Dartmouth (14-7)
200 – March 28, 1993 vs. Cleveland St. (9-5)
300 – April 13, 1995 at Wright State (16-6)
400 – May 16, 1997 at Michigan (9-2)
*480 – May 8, 1999 vs. Michigan St. (11-1)
500 – March 22, 2000 vs. Florida Int’l (2-0)
600 – May 19, 2002 vs. Minnesota (9-2)
*became the winningest coach in Ohio State history
Todd’s Milestone Big Ten Wins
1 – April 3, 1988 vs. Illinois (14-6)
100 – May 1, 1993 vs. Michigan (3-2)
200 – May 10, 1998 vs. Michigan State (5-4)
300 – April 2, 2004 vs. Illinois (5-1)
2004 Season Review
Ohio State had a chance to win the Big Ten regular season title by taking three of four games at Minnesota the final week of the regular season, but fell one game short of earning the first regular season title since the 2001 season. Instead, the Buckeyes went back to Minneapolis the following week as the second seed in the Big Ten Tournament.
After losing the opening game of the tournament, Ohio State rattled off four consecutive wins to force a second championship game against Minnesota. The Buckeyes eliminated Michigan State, Purdue and Michigan before knocking off the Gophers to force the second championship, but a bid at a third straight Big Ten tournament title, which would have been a first by a school in the conference, fell one game short as Ohio State lost to Minnesota 7-3.
That left the Buckeyes hoping for at at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament, but that invitation never came and the Buckeyes were left out for the first time since the 2000 season. Nevertheless, it was a year highlighted by Steve Caravati being named Big Ten Player of the Year, the first Buckeye so honored since Dan Seimetz in 1997. He was also a third-team All-America selection by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association. Jacob Howell was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year, becoming the eighth Ohio State rookie to win that honor. He was also named a Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American. Six Buckeyes earned mention on the All-Big Ten teams as Caravati and Josh Newman earned first-team honors. Howell and Drew Anderson garnered second-team mention, while Trey Fausnaugh and Mike Madsen picked up third-team kudos. Cody Caughenbaugh was named a CoSIDA Academic All-District selection, while a total of seven Buckeyes were named Academic All-Big Ten and 12 named as OSU Scholar-Athletes.
Four Ohio State Players Selected in 2004 Draft
Four Buckeyes – Scott Lewis, Drew Anderson, Josh Newman and Trent Luyster – were selected in the 2004 First Year Player Draft.
Lewis was selected in the third round by the Cleveland Indians (77th overall pick), while Anderson was a 13th-round selection by the Cincinnati Reds. Newman improved his draft status by returning to Ohio State for his senior season. After getting picked in the 30th round by the Cincinnati Reds in 2003, the Colorado Rockies picked him in the 19th round in 2004. The Chicago Cubs took Luyster with a 39th-round pick.
Newman was the lone senior of the group. He finished his Ohio State career third in wins, innings pitched and strikeouts. Anderson and Lewis were early departures from the squad and while they gave up their final year of eligibility, Luyster decided to return for his senior season.
On the Radio
Ohio State baseball will not be broadcast on the radio until the home opener March 30, 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. Neil Sika and Paul Barnes will call the action.
Bob Todd Radio Show Begins Tuesday
The Bob Todd Radio Call-in Show begins Tuesday, March 22 on WBNS Radio 1460 The Fan. The weekly show can be heard every Tuesday night from 7-7:30 p.m. through May 24. To participate in the show, dial 614-821-1460. Todd, now in his 18th season at Ohio State, is one of few college baseball coaches in the country to have his own weekly radio call-in show.
Up Next for the Buckeyes…
When the 16-game road schedule comes to a close with the eight-game spring break trip to Bradenton, Ohio State returns to Columbus to open the ninth season at Bill Davis Stadium. The home opener will be played Wednesday, March 30 against Toledo. The game will begin at 2:05 p.m.
