Buckeye Nine Heads to Clearwater, Fla. for Four Games – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/8/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 8, 2006
Ohio State 2-4, 0-0 Big Ten
at
Clearwater Tournament
March 10-12, 2006
Jack Russell Stadium
Clearwater, Fla.
Fri., March 10 vs. Lehigh (DH) @ 1 p.m.
Sat., March 11 vs. Northern Iowa @ 3:30 p.m.
Sun., March 12 vs. Bethune Cookman @ 1 p.m.
Series Meetings
Lehigh (5-2, 0-0 Patriot): First Meeting
Northern Iowa (9-3, 0-0 MVC): OSU leads 2-1
last game: Ohio State 11-3, March 18, 2005
Bethune-Cookman (2-0, 0-0 MEAC): First Meeting
Television/Radio
None
Gametracker
None
Ohio State is heading back to Florida for the third time this spring. This weekend the Buckeyes travel to Clearwater for four games, beginning Friday at 1 p.m. with a double dip against Lehigh. The weekend continues Saturday at 3:30 p.m. with a single game vs. Northern Iowa and concludes Sunday at 1 p.m. with a single game with Bethune-Cookman. All four games will be played at Jack Russell Stadium, the former spring training home of the Philadelphia Phillies. No games will have a radio broadcast and for the first time this season and none of the games will be available on Gametracker.
About Ohio State
The Buckeyes dropped to 2-4 on the year after tournaments in Gainesville and Jacksonville the first two weekends of the season. Ohio State lost to Wake Forest and previously No. 1 Florida before upsetting then-No. 12 Missouri. In Jacksonville, the Buckeyes beat UNC Greensboro 12-2 before sustaining setbacks at Jacksonville (4-3) and against Western Michigan (12-11).
Highlighting Buckeye batters are Ronnie Bourquin and Jedidiah Stephen, who both have batting averages topping .400. Bourquin leads the team with 12 hits this season and is batting .480, while Stephen, who has at least one hit in all six games this season, is batting .407. Stephen has 11 hits with a team-best four doubles. Matt Angle, who had a hit in his first five at bats vs. Western Michigan before grounding out to finish 5-for-6 against the Broncos, is batting .320. He has scored a team-best seven runs. Eric Fryer, who had the team’s only home run in his first at bat of the season vs. Wake Forest, paces the team with seven RBI. Ohio State is batting .289 as a team. On the hill, the three starters combine for a 1.77 ERA, while the team boasts a 3.83 ERA. Cory Luebke and J.B. Shuck have earned the two wins for the team. Shuck beat Missouri, while Luebke defeated UNC Greensboro this past weekend by striking out eight in 7.0 innings, while allowing one unearned run on five hits. Luebke, a Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American in 2005, is 1-1 on the year with a 0.79 ERA and 10 strikeouts in 11.1 innings. Shuck is 1-0 and has seven strikeouts and a 1.74 ERA in 10.1 innings. Dan DeLucia is the other starter. He is 0-1 with a 2.57 ERA and eight strikeouts in 14.0 innings. He was in line to get his first win of the year at Jacksonville until relief pitching surrendered a two-run lead with three runs in the bottom of the ninth.
The Buckeyes have a fielding percentage of .943, committing 13 errors in six games. The opposition has committed 16 errors.
Luebke Earns Weekly Honor
Ohio State left-handed pitcher Cory Luebke was named the Big Ten Pitcher of the Week Tuesday after getting his first win of the season Friday against UNC Greensboro.
Luebke struck out eight batters in the 12-2 victory over the Spartans at the Kennel Club Classic in Jacksonville, Fla. The win was the team’s second of the season. The strikeout total for the sophomore from Maria Stein, Ohio (Marion Local), was one off his career high of nine against UW-Milwaukee last year, a season in which he was named a Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American. Against UNCG last Friday, Luebke allowed only one unearned run on five hits, while walking just one batter. He posted two strikeouts in his final inning before giving way to Dan Barker, who entered the game in the eighth inning with a 12-1 lead.
Milestones
The game against Florida marked the 1,300th game of Bob Todd’s career, which is in its 23rd season in 2006. He will coach his 1,100th game at Ohio State, where he has coached since 1988, in the Buckeyes’ eighth game of the year, which is the second game of a doubleheader against Lehigh Friday in Clearwater, Fla. Todd owns a career record of 852-450-2 and is 728-368-2 at Ohio State.
Ohio State has played 3,579 games since it began playing baseball in 1881. The 3,600th game in school history will be played against Central Michigan April 12th at Bill Davis Stadium. The Buckeyes are 2,155-1,386-38 all time.
About Lehigh
The Mountain Hawks are on spring break and are 5-4 after falling 4-0 to Penn State Tuesday night. Lehigh, which opened the season with a two-game series split with Delaware State, took both ends of a doubleheader vs. Maryland-Eastern Shore before beginning its spring break trip to Clearwater. The Hawks have beaten Sacred Heart and IPFW but have suffered a pair of losses to Michigan State.
Lehigh will meet Central Michigan on Thursday before it plays two against Ohio State on Friday. Entering the game with the Chippewas, the Mountain Hawks are batting .310 as a team and are led by Matt McBride, who is batting .529. He leads the team with 18 hits, two home runs, 12 RBI and a slugging percentage of .824 in nine starts. Nick Bet is batting .429 with 15 hits, a team-best 14 runs, five doubles and 10 RBI. Three other players — Joe Erocolano (.318), Mike Sandonato (.312) and Matt Geiger (.300) — are batting .300 or better. Lehigh has outscored its opposition 60-51.
On the mound, five different pitchers have tallied wins for the Mountain Hawks. In two starts, Kyle Collina has struck out a team-high 18 batters in 13.0 innings to go with his 1-0 record and 4.85 ERA. Jed Davitt is 1-1 with a 2.03 ERA and has 11 strikeouts in 13.1 innings, while Joe Rainiszewski is 1-0 with a 2.45 ERA and 10 strikeouts in 11 innings. Joe Matteo is 1-1 and Joel Hockman is 1-0 in four relief appearances.
Lehigh is coached by Sean Leary (Lehigh, 1993), who is 202-238-4 in his 11th season at his alma mater and as a college coach.
Against the Mountain Hawks
The first game of the doubleheader Friday will be the first meeting between Ohio State and Lehigh.
About Northern Iowa
The Panthers are 7-2 this season and won seven consecutive games to open the season before dropping their last two. Northern Iowa won its first two games at Arkansas-Little Rock and then swept a four-game series at Centenary. Last weekend at New Mexico State, UNI took the first game (15-11) before dropping the last two (37-11 and 13-3). The Panthers will play Central Michigan in Bradenton, Fla., Friday before taking on the Buckeyes Saturday in Clearwater.
Through the first nine games of the year, UNI is batting .333, led by Brett Featherston, who is hitting .520. He also is the team leader in hits (13), runs (10), doubles (5), home runs (3) and RBI (13). Brett Douglas (.455) and Eric Hoffmann (.406) also are batting better than .400. Seven other players are batting .300 or better.
Six different pitchers have victories for the Panthers. Taylor Sinclair and Jeff Hille each have started three games. Sinclair is 1.1 with a 2.84 ERA, while Hille is 1-0 with a 4.09 ERA. Zach Jevne, who is 2-1 with a 5.54 ERA, leads the team with 13 strikeouts in 13 innings. The team’s ERA is 5.24 and opposing batters are hitting .266 against it.
Rick Haller (Upper Iowa, 1986) is 193-175 in his seventh season at Northern Iowa. In his 19th year as a college coach, his teams are 464-369-4.
Against the Panthers
Ohio State leads the all-time series vs. Northern Iowa 2-1 after downing the Panthers 11-3 last year at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Fla.
Ohio State vs. Northern Iowa Series Date W/L Score Site 3/15/1992 W 16-1 1N 2/23/1997 L 18-16 2N 3/18/2005 W 11-3 3N 1-Louisville, Ky.; 2-Phoenix, Ariz.; 3-Sarasota, Fla.
About Bethune-Cookman
The Wildcats beat Boston College 8-2 Tuesday to improve to 7-12 overall heading into a Wednesday game against Pittsburgh in Daytona Beach, Fla. After that game Bethune Cookman heads to Clearwater, where it will play Penn State Friday and Lehigh Saturday before facing the Buckeyes Sunday at 1 p.m.
Bethune-Cookman was in Jacksonville last weekend for the Kennel Club Classic and played two games, beating Western Michigan 10-8 before falling to UNC Greensboro 3-1. The Buckeyes beat UNCG 12-2, but lost 12-11 to Western Michigan.
Through last Saturday, Michael Range led the Wildcats with a .333 batting average, though he had played in just three games. Of the starters, Jose Ortiz was the top batter with a .296 average. He led the team with 16 hits. Jorge Mico had 15 hits and team-leading 14 RBI and eight doubles. Bethune-Cookman was batting .225 and getting outscored 103-71 before its games vs. UNCG, Boston College and Pittsburgh.
Two pitching wins had come from Richard Rodriguez, who was 2-2 through last Saturday. He had struck out 26 batters in five starts totalling 31.1 innings to go with his 3.45 ERA. Other wins have come from Francis Rodriguez (1-0, 3,48), Dustin Blackwell (1-4, 5.68), Joseph Gautier (1-2, 6.05) and Raphael Kyles (1-2, 7.63).
Mervyl Melendez (Bethune-Cookman, 1986) is 184-183 in his seventh season at the Daytona, Fla., school and as a college coach.
Against the Wildcats
The meeting Sunday in Clearwater will be the first between Ohio State and Bethune-Cookman.
Dare to Mention?
In a game that perhaps is the most superstitious, should it be mentioned that senior tri-captain Jedidiah Stephen is riding a seven-game hit streak dating back to the team’s season-ending loss to St. John’s in the NCAA Corvallis Regional. He was 1-for-4 in that game and again vs. Wake Forest in the season opener and against Jacksonville. He had two hits against UNC Greensboro and has had three hits against both Missouri and Western Michigan. Stephen is batting .407 (11-for-27) with four doubles and five RBI. During the seven-game hit streak, the senior from Caldwell, Ohio, is batting .387.
Nearly Perfect
Buckeye centerfielder Matt Angle was nearly perfect Sunday in the team’s 12-11 loss vs. Western Michigan at the Kennel Club Classic in Jacksonville. In the No. 2 hole of the lineup, Angle got a single through the left side in the first inning, an RBI single to left in the second inning and an RBI single to shallow center in the fourth inning. In the sixth inning, he led off both the sixth and eighth innings with singles to center to go 5-for-5. In the top of the ninth, with one on and one out trailing 12-10, he grounded out, sending Jason Zoeller to second. It is hard to be critical of Angle given his five hits and that Zoeller ended up scoring on a fielding error on a grounder by Eric Fryer. The game ended with runners at first and second. The five hits were a career high for Angle.
In the Big Ten
The Buckeyes are third in the Big Ten in team batting with a .289 average and trail onl Michigan State (.310) and Illinois (.306). Ohio State is second in team pitching with its 3.83 ERA. Illinois’ 3.31 is just better. The Buckeyes rank eighth in team fielding with a .943 fielding percentage, besting only Northwestern and Indiana.
Ronnie Bouruqin is second in the league in individual batting with his .480 average. Lars Davis from Illinois leads the conference with a .571 batting average. In individual pitching, the Buckeyes have two players ranked in the conference’s Top 10. Cory Luebke, the Big Ten Pitcher of the Week last week, is second with a 0.79 ERA to go with his 10 strikeouts and one earned run in 11.1 innings. Luebke is 1-1 on the year. J.B. Shuck owns a 1.74 ERA to rank sixth in the league this week. Only two of the six runs he has allowed have been earned. He has seven strikeouts and is 1-0 on the year.
Buckeye Firsts
Several Buckeyes played in their first game at the Pepsi Baseball Classic in Gainesville. J.B. Shuck delivered a pinch-hit single in his only at bat against Wake Forest, his first career game. He made his first start the next day against Florida, appearing at first base. Josh Hula was the starting catcher and Justin Miller was the starting first baseman in Sunday’s win over No. 12 Missouri. Hula got his first hit as a Buckeye with a single through the right side as part of a two-run sixth inning against the Tigers. Shuck was the starting pitcher against Missouri on Sunday and went seven innings, striking out six batters and allowing one run on just three hits in getting his first win as a Buckeye.
Last weekend in Jacksonville, Michael Arp made his first appearance in a Buckeye uniform. He pinch hit against UNC Greensboro and then got his first career hit in a right-field start against Western Michigan.
Still Looking for First Baseman
The Buckeyes entered the year looking for someone to play first base after three-year starter Paul Farinacci completed his eligibility last season. In the first six games of the season, Ohio State has started Kris Moorman (vs. Wake Forest, Western Michigan) and Justin Miller (vs. Missouri, UNC Greensboro) two times each, while Eric Fryer (at Jacksonville) and J.B. Shuck (at Florida) each have one start.
Looking for Fourth Starter
With the losses of Mike Madsen and Trent Luyster, who combined to win 38 career games, the Buckeyes are looking for someone to become the team’s third and fourth starters. The Buckeyes return two players, who were in the starting rotation last season. Both Dan DeLucia and Cory Luebke are back. DeLucia, a third-team All-Big Ten pick as a sophomore, was 6-5 with a team-best 2.92 ERA and 55 strikeouts in 95.2 innings while Luebke, a Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American, was 4-2 with a 3.55 ERA and 54 strikeouts in 71.0 innings. DeLucia pitched three complete games and was the Friday night starter in the final six conference series. Luebke also pitched three complete games with the team’s only shutout.
While those two pack a formidable 1-2 punch, Ohio State needs to find a third and fourth starter before Big Ten play gets underway at the end of the month. During the first two weekends of the season, freshman J.B. Shuck has been the No. 3 starter, getting nods against Missouri and Western Michigan. He guided Ohio State to a 4-2 upset victory over the 12th-ranked Tigers in his first collegiate outing. He struggled against the Broncos, yet allowed only one of the five runs he allowed in 3.1 innings to be earned.
Junior Trey Fausnaugh could make the switch to starter after making 56 relief appearances his first two years with the Buckeyes. He started the exhibition game against Aoyama Gakuin University, a four-time Japanese national champion, in Jacksonville. Dan Barker and Matthew Selhorst could contend for the fourth starting slot, but both should be pushed by freshmen Tyler Barnes, Josh Barrera, Eric Best, Jake Hale, Brad Hays and Jake Weber. Barker started three of his 11 appearances and was 1-0 last year with a 1.76 ERA and 19 strikeouts in 30.2 innings. Three of the freshmen – Barnes, Best and Hale – earned all-state honors and Hale was a 24th-round draft pick of the Cleveland Indians.
At Pepsi Baseball Classic
Ohio State went 1-2 at the Pepsi Baseball Classic at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Feb. 24-26. The Buckeyes suffered setbacks to Wake Forest, losing 6-2 on Friday, and to No. 1 Florida, 10-3 on Saturday. The Buckeyes earned their first win of the season, getting by No. 12 Missouri on the arm of rookie pitcher J.B. Shuck, who struck out six Tigers and allowed one run on three hits in seven innings.
Junior third baseman Ronnie Bourquin led Ohio State in the three games in Gainesville, batting .545 (6-for-11). Bourquin was 4-for-5 against top-ranked Florida and was 2-for-3 in the season opener against Wake Forest, which went on to win the tournament after getting by the Gators 4-0 on Sunday. Junior outfielder Jacob Howell and Jedidiah Stephen each added five hits in the three games. Howell batted .417 with a pair of RBI and one runs scored, while Stephen batted .385 with three doubles and one RBI. As a team Ohio State batted .260.
The lone pitching victory came off Shuck, a lefty, who was making his first collegiate start. Shuck, who pinch hit against Wake Forest and started at first base against Florida, took to the hill against the Tigers and lasted seven innings, recording six strikeouts and allowing one run on three hits. Ohio State pitching struggled in the first two games, walking 11 batters, including eight against Florida. Cory Luebke, who started against the Gators, walked five batters, but allowed only two runs on three hits. Luebke walked on 17 batters all of last year, a season in which he earned Freshman All-American honors. Dan DeLucia got the loss against Wake Forest after allowing three runs on four hits. He struck out four batters, but walked three.
Fielding was an issue for Ohio State in the opening weekend of the season. The Buckeyes committed eight errors in their first three games of the season, including four against Florida and three against Wake Forest.
Two Buckeyes Tabbed to Team
Junior third baseman Ronnie Bourquin and junior outfielder Jacob Howell were named to the all-tournament team of the Pepsi Baseball Classic following Wake Forest’s win over Florida in the final game Sunday. Bourquin batted .545 in the three games, leading Ohio State with six hits. He was 4-for-5 in the loss at Florida. Howell had five hits and knocked in two runs.
College Baseball Foundation Honors Shuck
Ohio State freshman left-handed pitcher J.B. Shuck was named to the College Baseball Foundation Honor Roll Feb. 28 after leading the Buckeyes to a 4-2 upset victory over then-No. 12 Missouri. Making his first career start, Shuck allowed only one run on three hits with seven strikeouts, as the Buckeyes pounded out 11 hits to win their first win of the season at the Pepsi Baseball Classic at McKethan Stadium in Gainesville, Fla. Shuck, a freshman from Galion, Ohio, made his Buckeye debut Friday against Wake Forest with a pinch hit in the eighth inning and then made his first start as a Buckeye Saturday vs. Florida as the starting first baseman. In his seven-inning outing against Missouri, he allowed one run on three hits, struck out six batters, and allowed one walk in his first pitching start as a Buckeye. The honor marks the first time an Ohio State player has appeared on the second-year list.
In Season Openers
With the loss to Wake Forest in the season opener, Bob Todd’s Buckeyes are 10-9 in season openers. Now in the 123rd year of Ohio State baseball, the Buckeyes are 75-46-2 (.618) in season openers.
Meister Named to Stopper Watch List
Ohio State closer Rory Meister has been named to preseason watch list for the second annual National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Stopper of the Year Award.
Meister was 8-2 with four saves in 2005. In 26 innings, all in relief, the sophomore from Mansfield, Ohio (Mansfield Madison), boasted a 2.11 earned run average and held opposing batters to a .181 average. He struck out 38 batters in 47 innings. All four of his saves came in Big Ten play, when he was 3-0 with an 0.47 ERA. He owned one of the great stories in college baseball to close last year, picking up five wins in the span of eight days. He beat Miami (Ohio) and then won all three games against Minnesota in the final regular-season series of the year. Meister then opened Big Ten tournament play by getting his eighth win of the year when he pitched the final 5.2 innings in a 7-3, 13-inning victory over Michigan on the team’s way to its third conference tournament championship in the last four years and the seventh overall.
The Buckeyes have had a closer on the watch list each of the first two years of the award. Meister joins teammate Trey Fausnaugh, who appeared on the 2005 preseason watch list. Texas’ J. Brent Cox won the inaugural award last season.
Meister Gets Save vs. Missouri
It might not have been the prettiest of saves, but Rory Meister pitched the ninth inning in the 4-2 victory over Missouri to pick up his first save of the season. He struck out the first two Tigers he faced before pinch hitter Bryson LeBlanc reached on a fielding error. He scored on a base hit by Ryan Lollis before he got Derek Chambers to ground out to second base. It was his fifth save of his career.
Luebke Named to 2006 Wallace Watch
Sophomore left-handed pitcher Cory Luebke has been named to the watch list for the Brooks Wallace Award, which is one of several national college baseball player of the year awards. The award is presented by the College Baseball Foundation in Lubbock, Texas. Last year’s winner was Alex Gordon of Nebraska.
Luebke, a Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American in 2005, made 12 starts in 16 appearances as a true freshman. He finished 4-2 with a 3.55 ERA and tossed three complete games and one shutout. Luebke, who is from Maria Stein, Ohio (Marion Local), struck out 54 batters with 17 walks and gave up 40 runs, though only 28 were earned, on 73 hits. He was 2-2 with a 6.14 ERA in seven Big Ten starts.
Buckeyes Elect Three Captains
Junior left-handed pitcher Dan DeLucia, junior outfielder Jacob Howell and senior short stop Jedidiah Stephen will serve as tri-captains for the 2006 baseball team. The trio was selected by a team vote prior to the start of spring practice on Jan. 30.
DeLucia, a third-team All-Big Ten pick last season, led the Buckeyes with a 2.92 ERA, 95.2 innings pitched and 55 strikeouts to go with a 6-5 record in 15 starts. Howell was a Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American in 2004 and made 31 starts in 39 games last season after missing 12 games because of a shoulder injury. Howell ended up batting .270 with 31 hits and 16 RBI in 2005 after batting .336 in 58 starts as a freshman. Stephen is one of three seniors on the squad and is one of three returning infielders. Stephen batted .305 last season with 52 hits, including 13 doubles, two triples and five home runs to go along with 46 RBI, the second best on the team.
In addition to their on-field exploits, all three captains have excelled in the classroom as well. DeLucia is a two-time OSU Scholar-Athlete and was an Academic All-Big Ten honoree in 2005, while Howell is a three-time OSU Scholar-Athlete and two-time Academic All-Big Ten selection. Stephen has been named an Academic All-Big Ten selection and an OSU Scholar-Athlete each of the last two years.
Two Buckeyes Taken in 2005 Draft
Ohio State senior right-handed pitcher Mike Madsen and senior left-handed pitcher Trent Luyster were the only two Buckeyes selected during Major League Baseball’s First-Year Player Draft in 2005. Madsen was selected in the 21st round by the Oakland Athletics as the 21st player of the round and the 641st player taken in the draft. Luyster was selected in the 30th round by the Toronto Blue Jays as the sixth player taken in the round and the 896th player overall.
OSU coach Bob Todd has had 64 players sign professional baseball contracts, including 13 players since the 2000 season. Current Oakland A’s outfielder Nick Swisher, the 16th overall selection in 2002, is the only current major leaguer.
OSU Among Best All-Time CWS Teams
Ohio State has been named one of the top College World Series teams of all-time in a story that appeared in the Omaha World-Herald last summer. Ohio State was listed No. 22 in the Top 25 rankings. The Buckeyes have made four appearances in the College World Series, winning the national championship in 1966 after a runner-up finish in 1965. Southern California was ranked as the top CWS team of all time.
As for Ohio State, the World-Herald said, “(Steve) Arlin was selected as one of the two pitchers on the CWS’ 50-year anniversary team for his work in the 1965 and 1966 tournaments. Arlin still holds the CWS career record for ERA (0.96), and his four victories and 47 innings pitched are tied for the all-time lead. In leading the Buckeyes to the 1966 title, Arlin finished all five of their wins — two on complete games. His most memorable performance might have come the year before, when he pitched a 15-inning, 1-0 victory over Washington State after lasting just one-third of an inning in his first CWS start against Arizona State.”
The 1966 national championship is the last won by a team in the Big Ten.
Buckeyes Have 15 True Freshmen
Ohio State welcomed 15 true freshmen to the roster this season. Six players are pitchers: Taylor Barnes, Josh Barrera, Eric Best, Jake Hale, Brad Hays and Jake Weber; three are catchers: Shawn Forsythe, Justin Miller and Nick Steponovich; four are infielders: Matt Curran, Seth Sanders, J.B. Shuck (also a pitcher) and Ben Toussant; and two are outfielders: Chris Griffin and Zach Hurley.
Add to that a group of three red-shirt freshmen — pitcher Matthew Selhorst, catcher Josh Hula and infielder Michael Arp — and the Buckeyes have 18 players who have not played college baseball before this season. Ohio State is believed to be among the national leaders in number of freshmen on 2006 rosters. Arkansas also has 15 true freshmen on its roster.
But as many new faces on the Ohio State roster, the total is not as high as it was in 1993 when Todd welcomed 19 true freshmen and another four redshirt freshmen for a total of 23 freshmen. The Buckeyes went 44-19 overall and 19-9 to finish atop the Big Ten regular season standings.
2006 Schedule
The Buckeyes’ first 16 games all will be played in the state of Florida. Ohio State, which will play games in Gainesville, Jacksonville, Clearwater and Bradenton to start the season, do not play a home game until the 17th game of the season March 29 against Toledo. Joining the Rockets in non-conference action at Bill Davis Stadium will be Miami (Ohio), Central Michigan, Oakland, Cleveland State, Eastern Michigan and Pittsburgh. Big Ten play opens March 31 at Iowa. Other conference road trips are to Michigan, Indiana and Michigan State, while Illinois, Purdue, Minnesota and Penn State all visit Columbus. The Big Ten tournament will be played May 24-28 in the home stadium of the regular season champion.
Todd Winningest Coach in Big Ten
Now in his 19th season at Ohio State, Bob Todd is entering his 23rd season as a college head coach, including four years at Kent State. Entering the year, he owned a career record of 850-446-2. His win percentage of .656 is the top winning percentage by a current Big Ten coach and ranks 20th nationally among active coaches. In all-time victories, Todd trails Minnesota coach John Anderson by 21 wins. Anderson is 871-547-3 in 24 seasons.
Todd is the winningest coach in Ohio State history and has never had a losing season. His 40 wins in 2005 marked the 10th time he has won at least 40 games. He has won 50 games twice including in 1991 when the Buckeyes won a school record 52 games. Todd coached his first game at Ohio State in 1988, a 16-2 win over Louisville on Feb. 27. Every recruit who has played at least four years at Ohio State has been a part of a championship team, either as part of six regular-season championships or as part of seven Big Ten tournament championships.
10th Season at Bill Davis Stadium
This year marks the 10th season of Ohio State baseball at Bill Davis Stadium. One of the best college baseball stadiums has been quite an advantage for the Buckeyes, who have a 169-67 (.716) overall record there. The venue has played host to two Big Ten tournament championships (1999 and 2001), two regional championships (1999 and 2001) and two super regional championships (1999 and 2003).
“Bill Davis Stadium has been ranked as one of the best college baseball stadiums in the country and I think Ohio State fans have done a great job creating an extremely positive atmosphere,” Todd said. “I can’t believe it is the 10th season.”
Buckeyes Lead Big Ten in Attendance
Ohio State baseball led the Big Ten in attendance in 2005 by welcoming an average of 2,570 in 18 home dates at Bill Davis Stadium, NCAA attendance figures released last November revealed.
The Buckeyes welcomed a total of 46,266 fans to Columbus last season which was the 36th best overall figure in the NCAA. The 2,570 average ranked 23rd among NCAA institutions.
No other Big Ten team ranked in the Top 50 either in total or average attendance. Notre Dame averaged 1,991 fans to rank 28th and drew a total of 43,798 fans for the season to rank 38th. No school in the Mid-American Conference or other Ohio school cracked the Top 50. LSU led in both categories, drawing a total of 270,300 fans over 36 dates for an average of 7,508. The Buckeyes’ drew a season-high crowd of 5,128 for the doubleheader against Minnesota the final series of the regular season. That weekend, Ohio State drew 10,876 fans over three dates, outdistancing previous weekends of 7,782 vs. Indiana, 7,370 vs. Purdue and 6,839 vs. Michigan State.
Bob Todd Radio Show
Tune in to WBNS-AM 1460 The Fan this spring for coach Bob Todd’s weekly radio show, hosted by Skip Mosic. The show will run for 10 weeks beginning Monday, March 20 with the final program broadcast on Monday, May 22. The nights of the show will vary this year because of station conflicts with either Columbus Blue Jackets or Cleveland Indians broadcasts. Six shows will be broadcast on Monday with two shows each on Tuesday and Thursday. The 30-minute show will begin at either 7 or 8 p.m. the first two weeks of the show and then at 7 p.m. the final eight weeks. To participate, dial (614) 821-1460.
Bob Todd Radio Show Schedule
Monday, March 20 – 7 or 8 p.m.
Monday, March 27 – 7 or 8 p.m.
Tuesday, April 4 – 7 p.m.
Monday, April 10 – 7 p.m.
Monday, April 17 – 7 p.m.
Monday, April 24 – 7 p.m.
Tuesday, May 2 – 7 p.m.
Thursday, May 11 – 7 p.m.
Thursday, May 18 – 7 p.m.
Monday, May 22 – 7 p.m.
Schedule Subject to change. Please visit ohiostatebuckeyes.com for complete show schedule.
Up Next for the Buckeyes
Ohio State returns to Columbus Sunday after its game vs. Bethune-Cookman in time for winter quarter final exams. The team returns to Florida for a fourth and final time during the regular season Thursday, March 16 for its annual spring break trip. This year, the Buckeyes head back to Bradenton’s IMG Academy for six games. The team will capitalize on the hopefully nice weather with practice on Friday and Saturday before beginning competition Sunday against Massachusetts. The team also will play Illinois-Chicago and has two meetings with Cornell and Vermont before returning to Columbus, Friday, March 24.
