Ohio State Makes 20th Appearance in Big Ten Tournament – Ohio State Buckeyes
5/23/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 23, 2006
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NO. 3 SEED OHIO STATE BUCKEYES
35-19, 19-12 Big Ten
at
BIG TEN TOURNAMENT
May 24-28, 2006
Ray Fisher Stadium (2,500)
Ann Arbor, Michigan
First Game: vs. No. 6 Seed Purdue
Wednesday, May 24, 3:35 p.m.
TOURNAMENT APPEARANCES (20)
1982, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998,1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006
TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIPS (7)
1991, 1994, 1995, 1997, 2002, 2003, 2005
PROBABLE OHIO STATE PITCHERS
G1: Dan DeLucia (LHP)
G2: Cory Luebke (LHP)
TBA beyond G2
RADIO
AM 920 WMNI
OHIOSTATEBUCKEYES.COM
GameTracker and Streaming Audio
Ohio State finished third in the Big Ten and will be the third seed in this week’s conference tournament at Ray Fisher Stadium in Ann Arbor, Mich. Michigan, the regular season winner, and Northwestern received first-round byes as the Top 2 seeds. The Buckeyes will play No. 6 seed Purdue Wednesday at 3:35 p.m., following the day’s first game between No. 4 seed Minnesota and No. 5 seed Illinois.
The Buckeyes are making their 20th overall appearance in the Big Ten tournament and their 10th straight which is the longest streak in tournament history. The Scarlet and Gray has won the league’s postseason tournament seven times in its history, including three of the last four seasons. Ohio State has played Minnesota in each of the last four conference tournaments. All postseason games the team plays will be broadcast in Columbus on AM 920 WMNI. Frank Fraas and Randy Rhinehart will call the action. GameTracker and streaming audio will be available at ohiostatebuckeyes.com.
ABOUT THE BUCKEYES
Ohio State improved to 35-19 overall and finished Big Ten play with a 19-12 record after beating Penn State three out of four games last weekend at Bill Davis Stadium. The Buckeyes won 4-3 Friday before losing 3-2 Saturday, but they responded to claim 3-0 and 12-2 victories the final two games of the series. The win in the finale was the 35th win for the Buckeyes, giving them at least 35 wins every season since 1991, a span of 16 seasons.
Ronnie Bourquin continued to stay hot at the plate against Penn State. He was 5-for-12 (.417) with three home runs, seven RBI and four runs scored. In five games last week, including the Pittsburgh game, he had four home runs and drove in eight with five runs scored. Justin Miller also had a strong week. He also was 6-for-14 (.429). Senior Jedidiah Stephen led the Buckeyes in his final weekend at Bill Davis Stadium. He was 7-for-14 with a double and a home run for three RBI and three runs scored.
Bourquin maintains his conference lead with a .426 batting average. In fact, the Buckeyes rank 1-2-3 in individual batting average entering the Big Ten tournament. Behind Bourquin are teammates Eric Fryer, who is batting .385, and Matt Angle, who is batting .377. Purdue’s Mitch Hilligoss also is batting .377. Bourquin has 86 hits, which is six away from tying Steve Caravati’s 2004 school record. He also has 66 RBI, which is tied for fourth, 14 off the record. Ohio State has the best batting average in the Big Ten at .339 and has five starters batting better than .340.
On the mound, Ohio State owns the only sub-4.00 ERA in the conference with its 3.59. Dan DeLucia became the first 10-game winner at Ohio State since 1999 when Justin Fry won 11 games and E.J. Laratta won 10. DeLucia picked up the win in the series opener vs. Penn State to improve to 10-2 overall and 7-1 in the Big Ten. His 10 wins leads the Big Ten by three victories. Teammate J.B. Shuck, Northwestern’s Dan Brauer and Michigan’s Paul Hammond each won seven games. DeLucia leads the Buckeyes with 62 strikeouts and leads the league with 98.0 innings pitched. Shuck is 7-4 and is second in the conference with a 2.18 ERA. He has 54 strikeouts. Cory Luebke is 6-6 with 59 strikeouts in 77.1 innings, while Jake Hale is 4-4 with 35 strikeouts in 57.0 innings. Opponents are batting .274 off Buckeye pitching this season. DeLucia will get the ball Wednesday in game one vs. Purdue and Luebke will throw in the second game. The rotation after that will depend on the matchup.
Ronnie Bourquin NAMED BIG TEN PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Ohio State third baseman Ronnie Bourquin was named Big Ten Player of the Year the Big Ten office announced Tuesday. The 10 league coaches voted on the postseason awards. Bourquin, a junior from Canton, Ohio (Canton South), becomes the fourth Buckeye to be voted as the conference’s top player. He joins Jonathan Sweet (1994), Dan Seimetz (1997) and Steve Caravati (2004) as Ohio State players who have been honored with the annual award since 1982. Bourquin, a three-time Big Ten Player of the Week selection this season, led the conference in hitting (.426), slugging percentage (.629), on-base percentage (.502), hits (86), runs batted in (66) and total bases (127), while ranking second in walks (31) and tied for third in home runs (eight). Bourquin also was a unanimous First Team All-Big Ten selection.
Ohio State Big Ten Players of the Year
Ronnie Bourquin, 3B, 2006
Steve Caravati, OF, 2004
Dan Seimetz, 1B, 1997
Jonathan Sweet, C, 1994(c)
J.B. Shuck TABBED LEAGUE’S TOP ROOKIE
Ohio State starting pitcher/utility player J.B. Shuck was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year the Big Ten office announced Tuesday. The 10 league coaches voted on the postseason awards. Shuck, a true freshman from Galion, Ohio (Galion), continued the streak of impressive Buckeye rookies as he became the ninth Ohio State player to be named the conference’s Freshman of the Year since the award’s inception 19 years ago in 1988. He also is the sixth Buckeye to earn the honor in the last eight seasons. A utility player for the majority of the season, Shuck shined on the mound, recording an overall ERA of 2.18 and seven total wins, which both were the second-best marks in the league. Shuck also hit .336 this season and totaled 19 RBI and was a Second Team All-Big Ten selection.
Ohio State Big Ten Freshmen of the Year
J.B. Shuck, SP, 2006
Jacob Howell, OF, 2004
Scott Lewis, SP, 2002
Doug Deeds, DH, 2001
Nick Swisher, 1B, 2000
E.J. Laratta, SP, 1999
Dan Seimetz, DH, 1995
Matt Beaumont, SP, 1992
Scott Klingenbeck, SP, 1990
NINE BUCKEYES NAMED ALL-BIG TEN
Ronnie Bourquin was joined by three of his teammates in earning First Team All-Big Ten honors and was a unanimous selection at third base. Jason Zoeller was the first-team second baseman, Matt Angle was a unanimous choice in the outfield and Dan DeLucia was one of four starting pitchers to earn first-team distinction. Zoeller ended the regular season with a .340 batting average and had 55 hits, including 11 doubles, four triples and five home runs to help bring in 25 runs while he scored 38. Angle’s .377 was tied for third in the Big Ten. He had 75 hits, 25 RBI, scored 61 runs and sacrificed himself 16 times. He stole 23-of-27 bases and had six outfield assists. DeLucia finished the year 10-2, the most victories by three over any other Big Ten pitcher and had an ERA of 3.49 with 62 strikeouts in 98.0 innings pitched. DeLucia was a third-team selection in 2005.
J.B. Shuck was one of four pitchers to earn Second Team All-Big Ten honors and was joined on the team by Jedidiah Stephen and catcher Eric Fryer. Stephen batted .348 during the regular season and had 70 hits, including 19 doubles, three triples and eight home runs. He drove in 45 runs and scored 34 runs. Fryer had 75 hits, including 14 doubles, four triples and four home runs to drive in 51 runs. He scored 44 runs.
Outfielder Jacob Howell, the 2004 Big Ten Freshman of the Year, was joined on the third team by starting pitcher Cory Luebke. Howell, who has battled a hamstring injury the second half of the season, managed a .409 batting average in 33 games. He had 52 hits, 22 RBI and 34 runs scored. Luebke finished 6-6 overall in 12 starts and tossed seven complete games, all in Big Ten play. He pitched a complete game shutout in the second game of the Purdue series and finished the regular season with a 3.72 ERA and 59 strikeouts in 77.1 innings.
IN THE TOURNAMENT
The Buckeyes are making their 20th overall appearance at the Big Ten Tournament and the 18th under 19th-year head coach Bob Todd. The only year Ohio State has not qualified for the tournament under Todd was in 1996 when Penn State played host to a four-team championship. The Buckeyes had won the tournament in 1994 and 1995, but the void allowed Indiana to win the championship. The appearance by the Buckeyes trails only the 23 appearances made by Minnesota. Michigan is making its 18th Big Ten Tournament. Those three programs are the winningest programs in the history of the event. Minnesota has won eight tournament championships while Ohio State has won seven and Michigan has won six. By going 4-1 last year in the tournament, Ohio State now owns a .609 (42-27) winning percentage in the tournament, which it the best of any team in the league. Ohio State is making its 10th straight appearance at the conference tournament, the longest current streak of any school in the Big Ten and the longest in conference history. The Buckeyes tied Michigan’s record nine appearances (1981-89) last year.
AGAINST THE FIELD
Ohio State had a combined 7-8 record against the other five teams that qualified for the Big Ten Tournament, though the Buckeyes did not play Northwestern this year. Ohio State was swept in a four game series at Ann Arbor and lost two-of-three games in a rain-shortened series vs. Minnesota. The Buckeyes won three-of-four from both Illinois and Purdue. Ohio State leads the all-time series with four of the five teams, trailing to only Michigan (149-88-2) and Minnesota (72-71-2), but head coach Bob Todd has a winning record against all five schools in this year’s tournament. In Big Ten tournament play, only Illinois and Penn State have winning records against Ohio State. The Buckeyes are 42-27 and their winning percentage of .609 is the best in the history of the event.
Ohio State vs. the Big Ten in the Tournament
| Illinois | 2-4 | .333 |
| Indiana | 3-0 | 1.000 |
| Iowa | 2-1 | .667 |
| Michigan | 9-6 | .600 |
| Michigan State | 2-1 | .667 |
| Minnesota | 14-12 | .539 |
| Northwestern | 4-0 | 1.00 |
| Penn State | 1-2 | .333 |
| Purdue | 5-1 | .833 |
| Total | 42-27 | .609 |
Ohio State Against the Field All-Time
| School | Overall | Bob Todd |
| No. 1 Michigan | 88-149-2 | 49-37 |
| No. 2 Northwestern | 78-40 | 34-13 |
| No. 4 Minnesota | 71-72-2 | 37-36-1 |
| No. 5 Illinois | 92-84-2 | 37-29 |
| No. 6 Purdue | 129-53-1 | 44-13 |
| Ohio State vs. | Overall/Big Ten | ’06 Series |
| No. 1 Michigan | 38-18/23-9 | 0-4 |
| No. 2 Northwestern | 25-31/21-11 | 0-0 |
| No. 4 Minnesota | 31-24/17-14 | 1-2 |
| No. 5 Illinois | 29-27/15-17 | 3-1 |
| No. 6 Purdue | 30-25/15-17 | 3-1 |
| Total | 7-8 |
DÉJÀ VU AFTER SWEEP?
Last year, Ohio State was swept in a four-game series at Illinois and the Fighting Illini went on to win the regular season and host the Big Ten tournament. Playing as the No. 5 seed, the Buckeyes won the Big Ten tournament for the third time in four years. This year, Ohio State was swept in a four-game series at Michigan and the Wolverines were able to clinch the Big Ten regular season championship to earn the right to host the postseason tournament. Will the Buckeyes be able to repeat last year’s feat and win the tournament title? Last year, Ohio State did not have to face Illinois, which went 0-2 to start the tournament after its first-round bye.
LAST YEAR IN THE BIG TEN TOURNEY
The Buckeyes beat Minnesota 14-6 to win their seventh ever Big Ten tournament championship and the third in the last four years. Ohio State opened the tournament by beating No. 4 seed Michigan 7-3 in 13 innings and then beat No. 2 seed Purdue 6-5 in the top of the ninth. The Buckeyes got to the championship with a 15-6 over No. 6 seed Minnesota and then after the Gophers eliminated Purdue, they gave the Buckeyes a taste of their own medicine with a two-run walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth to force a second championship game.
The Buckeyes scored four runs in the top of the 13th inning, including a three-run home run by Paul Farinacci to down Michigan to win their opening game of the Big Ten tournament. With the score knotted 3-3 after each team scored one run in the 12th, Jason Zoeller gave the Buckeyes the lead on an RBI double over the head of Michigan third baseman’s head that sailed down the left-field line. Farinacci deposited his second home run of the season over the left-field fence and Rory Meister struck out the side to strand runners at the corners in the bottom of the inning.
Wes Schirtzinger drove in Steve Caravati with a single to right in the top of the ninth inning to lift Ohio State over Purdue 6-5 in the second round. The win was the sixth straight for the Buckeyes in their last at bat and moved them on to the semifinal. Caravati beat out an infield single with one out in the ninth and then stole second before moving to third on a ground out. In the bottom of the inning, Caravati made a great diving catch for the third out of the inning and strand the tying-run at third.
The Buckeyes moved to the championship by beating Minnesota 15-6. Ohio State had to fight back from a 6-3 hole to tie the game and then erupted for nine runs in the bottom of the seventh. Caravati was a perfect 4-for-4 with three RBI and scored four times. Designated hitter Adam Schneider also went 4-for-4 with two RBI and scored two runs. Caravati had one single, two doubles and one home run, while Schneider had one single to go with three doubles. Eric Fryer was 3-for-4.
The Buckeyes were within two outs of celebrating a Big Ten tournament championship when Meister walked his third batter in the bottom of the ninth before Joe Maciej worked the count full before lifting a ball over the right-field fence and give Minnesota a 4-3 victory to force a second championship game. Caravati later called it the most heart-breaking loss during his Ohio State career. Minnesota and Ohio State would play for the tournament championship for the fourth straight season in a winner-take-all matchup on Sunday. The Buckeyes jumped out to an 11-1 lead through four inning and the cruised to a 14-6 victory over Minnesota for their seventh Big Ten tournament championship and the third in the last four years. Mike Rabin went 4-for-4 and scored a career-high five times, while Caravati went 3-for-3 and knocked in four runs while scoring three times.
EARLIER THIS YEAR VS. PURDUE
Ohio State won three of four at home against Purdue, April 28-30, winning 10-5 Friday before sweeping the doubleheader Saturday by scores of 4-0 and 4-1. Purdue won game four, 7-6, after stopping a late rally. The Buckeyes scored three in the eighth and another in the ninth and had runners at second and third when the game ended. Ronnie Bourquin led the Buckeyes in the series, batting .667 at the plate with 10 hits and had five RBI and scored four runs to earn Big Ten Player of the Week honors. The junior third baseman had a slugging percentage of .733 and an on-base percentage of .688. Matt Angle also had a great series for the Buckeyes with nine hits, including two doubles, and a .643 batting average. He knocked in three runs and scored five times. Jedidiah Stephen was 7-for-14 with a pair of doubles and one home run that yielded six of the team’s 23 runs in the series. The pitching staff had a 3.09 ERA in the Purdue series and held the Boilermakers to a .254 batting average while the OSU offense backed it up with a .392 batting average. Cory Luebke and Jake Hale pitched complete games in the doubleheader sweep to follow Dan DeLucia’s 10-5 win in the series opener. J.B. Shuck nearly was bailed out in the finale, but was saddled with the loss.
LAST YEAR VS. PURDUE IN THE TOURNAMENT
Wes Schirtzinger drove in Steve Caravati with a single to right in the top of the ninth inning to lift Ohio State to a 6-5 victory over No. 2 seed Purdue in the second round of the Big Ten tournament at Illinois Field. Caravati beat out an infield single with one out in the ninth inning and then stole second. Ronnie Bourquin moved Caravati to third on a single that caromed off the top of the Purdue shortstop’s glove. After a strikeout, Schirtzinger singled to right to bring in the senior co-captain for the one-run lead. The Boilermakers still had to bat. Andy Dahl led off the inning with an infield single and went to second on a sacrifice bunt by Eric Osborn. A groundout by Dane Wolfe put Dahl 90-feet from tying the game. That brought first-team All-Big Ten shortstop Mitch Hilligoss to the plate and on a 1-2 count he fired a shot that appeared would score Dahl and perhaps send the game to extra innings, but Caravati, the 2004 Big Ten Player of the Year, dove to catch up to the ball and end the game, sending the Buckeyes to the Big Ten semifinal.
LAST WEEKEND
OHIO STATE TAKES THREE VS. PENN STATE
The Buckeyes won their sixth Big Ten series of the year by the same 3-1 count when they beat Penn State 12-2 Sunday in the regular season finale. Ohio State won 4-3 on Friday before losing the first game of the doubleheader 3-2. The Scarlet and Gray rebounded to win the final two games of the series, getting a 3-0 shutout in game three before the big win Sunday.
Team co-captain Dan DeLucia won his 10th game of the season and Rory Meister picked up his sixth save of the year. The other two co-captains, Jedidiah Stephen and Jacob Howell, each had two of the team’s eight hits. Stephen hit his eighth home run of the year and a one-out single in the in the sixth that led to the decisive run. In game two, Penn State jumped out to an early 3-0 lead before the Buckeyes added runs in the sixth and seventh inning thanks to an RBI single by Ronnie Bourquin and a solo home run by Jason Zoeller.
Jake Hale evened his record to 4-4 as he pitched a three-hit, complete-game, 3-0 shutout. It was his third complete game as a Buckeye and he equaled a season-high in strikeouts with six. Bourquin had a two-run home run in the third and Adam Schneider delivered a pinch-hit RBI in the sixth. In the finale, Bourquin belted two home runs, including a two-run laser to right in the fourth and a solo shot to right in the sixth. Ohio State scored six times in the fourth inning to take an 11-1 lead before the 12-2 victory that clinched the series for the Buckeyes. Ohio State, which had 20 hits in the finale, batted .336 in the series and limited Penn State to a .233 average. The Buckeye pitching staff had a 1.97 ERA as the Buckeyes outscored the Lions 21-8.
BOURQUIN NAMED PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Ohio State third baseman Ronnie Bourquin was named the Big Ten Player of the Week May 22 after hitting four home runs in five games last week, a week he hit .429. He had six hits (in 14 at bats), but drove in eight runs and scored five times. One of 16 semifinalists for the Dick Howser Trophy and one of 30 finalists for the Brooks Wallace Award, Bourquin drew three walks and added a sacrifice fly. He was 2-for-2 with a home run and drove in two runs in a 3-0 shutout victory over Penn State and then followed it up with a 2-for-3 day that had two home runs, including a two-run laser in the fourth and a solo shot in the sixth to help Ohio State to a 12-2 win the clinched the series. The Big Ten’s leading batter with a .426 average, also had a home run in the midweek game vs. Pittsburgh and finished the week with a 1.296 slugging percentage and had an on-base percentage of .500. He now has eight home runs on the year, the third most in the Big Ten and the most by a Buckeye this year.
DELUCIA A 10-GAME WINNER
Ohio State junior left-hander Dan DeLucia won his 10th game of the season, becoming the first 10-game winner for the Buckeyes since Justin Fry won 11 games and E.J. Laratta won 10 in 1999. DeLucia is 10-2 with a 3.49 ERA and 62 strikeouts in 98.0 innings pitched. In Big Ten play, the junior from Columbus (Bishop Watterson), is 7-1 with a 3.41 ERA and 40 strikeouts in 60.2 innings. DeLucia earned first team All-Big Ten honors. Illinois’ Brian Blomquist finished 10-3 last year as the conference’s last 10-game winner.
BOURQUIN ONE OF 16 SEMIFINALISTS FOR DICK HOWSER TROPHY
Ohio State third baseman Ronnie Bourquin is one of 16 semifinalists for the Dick Howser Trophy, given to the top player in collegiate baseball, the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, in conjunction with the St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce, announced May 18.
The membership of the NCBWA will choose the Dick Howser Trophy based on three rounds of voting. The 2006 winner will be announced at the College World Series in Omaha on Friday, June 16, at 11 a.m. EDT. The Dick Howser Trophy, given in memory of the former Florida State University All-American shortstop and major league player and manager who died of brain cancer in 1987, is regarded by many as college baseball’s most prestigious award. NCBWA membership includes writers, broadcasters and publicists. Designed to promote and publicize college baseball, it is the sport’s only college media-related organization, founded in 1962.
BOURQUIN ALSO SEMIFINALIST FOR WALLACE AWARD
Third baseman Ronnie Bourquin also was named one of 30 semifinalist for the Brooks Wallace Award, the College Baseball Foundation announced Monday. The selection committee will trim the list to three finalists following the eight super regionals and make that announcement in Omaha on Thursday, June 15. The finalists, their head coaches and parents will be invited to Lubbock, Texas, July 3-4, when they will participate in a two-day celebration of college baseball, culminating with the induction of the first class of the College Baseball Hall of Fame July 4.
BIG TEN STATS
Ohio State continues to lead the Big Ten with a .339 batting average and a 3.59 ERA. Illinois is second with a .316 batting average, while Michigan State (.315) and Purdue (.300) join the Buckeyes at being .300 or better. Ohio State is the only team with an ERA of less than 4.00, though Minnesota is at 4.01 and Michigan is at 4.09. The Buckeyes are sixth with a .962 fielding percentage.
Ronnie Bourquin continues to set the standard among all Big Ten batters. He is batting .426 while Eric Fryer and Matt Angle are second and third with respective .385 and .377 averages. Bourrquin’s 86 hits lead the conference by five. Purdue’s Mitch Hilligoss has 81. Angle has scored a league best 61 runs, while Bourquin is fifth with 51. Bourquin has 66 RBI to lead the conference by 13 in front of Michigan State’s Ryan Basham. Fryer is fourth with 51 RBI. Two Buckeyes also rank in the Top 5 of total bases. Bourquin has touched 127 bases, while Jedidiah Stephen is third with 119, three behind Hilligoss’ total of 122. Bourquin’s slugging percentage (.629) and on-base percentage (.502) also lead the Big Ten.
J.B. Shuck is now second in the Big Ten with a 2.18 ERA, trailing Michigan’s Chris Fetter, who checks in with a 1.95 ERA. Dan DeLucia paces all pitchers with 10 wins, three in front of four others who are tied for second. Northwestern’s Dan Brauer, Michigan’s Paul Hammond, Michigan State’s Mike Monterey and Shuck all have seven wins. DeLucia has pitched 98.0 innings. Shuck’s .245 opposing batting average is tied for sixth, while Jake Hale’s .246 is eighth. DeLucia’s 62 strikeouts rank eighth, while Cory Luebke has 59 to rank ninth. Rory Meister is tied for the conference lead with 25 games finished and his 26 relief appearances is two off the lead, held by Penn State’s Matt Ogrodnik. Meister’s six saves this season are tied for third, but trail Iowa’s Tim Gudex (10) and Minnesota’s Andy Peters (seven), though Whitmore has moved into a starting role with the Illini.
STEPHEN, HOWELL EARN ACADEMIC HONORS
Ohio State shortstop Jedidiah Stephen and leftfielder Jacob Howell have been named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District IV Baseball Team. Each player earned second-team honors as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America, the organization announced May 11.
Stephen, a senior human development and family science major from Caldwell, Ohio (Shenandoah), has started all 54 games for the Buckeyes this season and is batting .348 with a team-high 19 doubles, eight home runs and a .592 slugging percentage. He has driven in 45 runs and has scored 34 runs. Howell, a red-shirt junior majoring in communication, has started all 33 games he has played this year, which has been hampered by a hamstring injury. Howell is batting .409 with 52 hits, 22 RBI and 34 runs scored. He has played in only 11 of the team’s last 32 games. He returned to the lineup as the DH in the Minnesota series, but played just two games vs. Penn State.
The Academic All-District IV Team is made up of student-athletes from Division I schools in Alabama, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee. To be nominated, student-athletes must be a starter or important reserve and carry a cumulative grade point average of 3.20 or higher. Team members are selected by a vote of CoSIDA members within the district. The academic all-district team is part of the Academic All-America program, which is sponsored by ESPN The Magazine.
16 PLAYERS NAMED OSU SCHOLAR-ATHLETES
A total of 16 baseball players will be named OSU Scholar-Athletes Wednesday at the team’s Scholar-Athlete Banquet at the Terrace Ballroom at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. To be named an OSU Scholar-Athlete a student-athlete must have a minimum GPA of 3.00. Cody Caughenbaugh, a mechanical engineering major, was named an OSU Scholar-Athlete for the fifth time in his career, while Trey Fausnaugh, Jacob Howell and Jedidiah Stephen were recognized for a fourth time.
Student-Athlete Yr. Honor Matt Angle So. 2nd Cody Caughenbaugh Sr. 5th Matt Curran Fr. 1st Dan DeLucia Jr. 3rd Trey Fausnaugh Sr. 4th Eric Fryer So. 2nd Brad Hays Fr. 1st Jacob Howell Sr. 4th Zach Hurley Fr. 1st Tony Kennedy Jr. 3rd Cory Luebke So. 2nd Rory Meister Jr. 3rd Seth Sanders Fr. 1st J.B. Shuck Fr. 1st Jedidiah Stephen Sr. 4th Jason Zoeller Jr. 2nd
BUCKEYES HAVE JUST THREE SENIORS
This is the final Big Ten tournament for three Ohio State seniors – Cody Caughenbaugh, Chris Hanners and Jedidiah Stephen. The three were honored prior to their final home game Sunday vs. Penn State.
Caughenbaugh, a fifth-year senior from Newark, Ohio (Licking Valley), has played in 133 career games and has made 86 starts either in the outfield or as the DH, including 44 starts his red-shirt freshman year when the team swept through the Auburn Regional and hosted Southwest Missouri State in an Super Regional. He was named to the all-regional team. Caughenbaugh is a two-time Academic All-District selection and a three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection and a five-time OSU Scholar-Athlete.
Hanners, a fifth-year senior from Groveport, Ohio (DeSales), has battled through injury each of the last three seasons after making his debut in 2002. That season, the left-handed pitcher was 2-2 in 22 appearances with 24 strikeouts. In 2003, he was 4-4 in 18 appearances and made eight starts with 37 strikeouts. He surprised many on Sunday when he came in and pitched the eighth inning vs. Penn State. He has a 6-6 record with a 5.79 ERA and 61 strikeouts in 43 appearances totaling 105.2 innings.
Stephen, a senior from Caldwell, Ohio (Shenandoah), has played 202 games with 191 starts. He started at third his first two years and has started at short his last two seasons. Stephen is a career .305 batter with 205 hits (including 44 doubles, eight triples and 26 home runs) and has driven in 140 RBI with 117 runs scored. Stephen is an Academic All-District selection this year and is a four-time Academic All-Big Ten selection and OSU Scholar Athlete.
The student-athletes were part of three Big Ten tournament championship teams in 2002, 2003 and 2005 and were NCAA regional participants each of those years. The team’s record during the last five years is 193-105-1 (.647) and is 155-85 (.646) the last four.
TWO FRESHMEN PART OF STARTING STAFF
Ohio State has two freshmen who have become part of the four-man starting rotation. Rookies Jake Hale and J.B. Shuck are the game three and four respective starters. Hale is 4-4 overall and 3-3 in Big Ten action after picking up the win in game three vs. Penn State, while Shuck is 7-4 overall and 4-3 in conference play after getting the win the final game vs. the Nittany Lions. Shuck is second in the league with his 2.18 ERA. Never in head coach Bob Todd’s 23 years as a college head coach, has he had two freshmen as part of the starting rotation.
MILLER SETTLING IN AT FIRST BASE
Freshman first baseman Justin Miller, or “Gus” as he is called by almost everyone, has a hit in 14 of the last 15 games and is batting .440 (22-for-50) during that stretch. Miller has started 29 of the 41 games he has played. Miller has started the last 17 games at first base after platooning with Eric Fryer and J.B. Shuck. He has made nine earlier starts at first base, two at catcher and one as the DH. He is batting .291 (34-for-117) with 11 RBI and 19 runs scored. First base had been one of the bigger question marks for Ohio State this season, which lost three-year starter Paul Farinacci after last season.
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 outfielder Michael Arp – and the Buckeyes have 18 players who had 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 and Auburn also have 15 true freshmen on their rosters. But as many new faces on the Ohio State roster, the total is not as high as it was in 1993 when coach Bob 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.
HOWELL HAS MISSED SIGNIFICANT ACTION
Junior left fielder Jacob Howell has played in just 11 of the team’s last 32 games after pulling his hamstring n the first inning of the Miami (Ohio) game April 5. He returned the opening game at Indiana (April 21) after a 10-game absence. He rested the hamstring April 26 vs. Cleveland State and then returned to the lineup in the series opener vs. Purdue. He reinjured his hamstring in that game and had missed eight more games before returning to the starting lineup in the Minnesota series as the team’s DH. He also was the DH vs. Pittsburgh before returning to left field for the first game vs. Penn State. In game two, he back at DH and then did not play the final two games of the series after tweaking his injured hamstring. He has played in just 11 of the team’s last 32 games. Howell is not just any other player. The 2004 Big Ten Freshman of the Year and Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American owns a .409 batting average in the 33 games he has played this season. He has 52 hits with five doubles, four triples and one home run. In his absence, J.B. Shuck, Michael Arp and Jonathan Zizzo have made starts in left field.
BATTING AVERAGE AMONG BEST IN HISTORY
If the season would have ended following the regular season finale on Sunday, Ohio State’s .339 batting average would have been the second best average in school history. The 1994 team holds the record with .354. The 1992 and 1996 teams each finished with a .335 batting average.
BOURQUIN’S AVERAGE AMONG TOP FIVE
Third baseman Ronnie Bourquin is leading the Big Ten with a .426 batting average. Had the season ended following the regular season, Bourquin’s average would have would be tied for fifth with Robby Cobb’s total in 1963. The all-time record of .469 set by Tom Perdue in 1960.
BOURQUIN NEARING SEASON RECORDS
Buckeye third baseman Ronnie Bourquin has 86 hits this season and is within six of the school record set only two years ago by Steve Caravati, the 2004 Big Ten Player of the Year. Caravati had 92 hits that season. Bourquin is tied for sixth with Doug Wollenburg (1992). He needs one more to tie for third and four more to tie for second. Bourquin also has 66 RBI this year, which is tied for fourth, 14 RBI behind season leader Dan Seimetz (1997), who had 80 in 1997. He needs one to tie Alex Eckelman (67) for third and seven to tie Chad Ernsberger for second (73).
ANGLE HAS 23 STOLEN BASES
Buckeye center fielder Matt Angle stole a base in the first game of the Penn State series for his 23rd swipe of the season. That moved him into seventh place on the school’s single season list. He needs one more to tie Ken Peters (1964) for sixth and three more to tie Mike Check (2000) for fifth. Mike Harris stole 35 bases in 2001 for the school record. Angle is 23-for-27 this season and had 13 stolen bases last year as a freshman to have a two-year total of 36, which is tied for 11th all-time at Ohio State. He needs one more to tie for 10th. This year, Ohio State is 59-for-74. Jacob Howell is a perfect 8-for-8, while Wes Schirtzinger is 9-for-11.
ANGLE ON THE RUN
Ohio State centerfielder Matt Angle has scored 61 runs this season to tie for 14th on the school’s season list. The sophomore from Whitehall, Ohio, needs one to tie for 13th and two to move into the Top 10. His 61 runs leads the Big Ten.
BUCKEYES TIE SCHOOL TRIPLES RECORD
Jason Zoeller tripled in the final game of the Penn State season it was the 25th triple by the Buckeyes this season, equaling the school season record set in 1991. Zoeller, Eric Fryer and Jacob Howell lead this year’s team with four triples each, while Jedidiah Stephen and Adam Schneider each have three. J.B. Shuck and Ronnie Bourquin each have two. Three other players also have triples. Ohio State had 16 last season.
HOWELL HAS 10 CAREER TRIPLES
With four triples this season, left-fielder Jacob Howell has 10 career triples and is tied for sixth in school history. Steve Caravati tied Drew Anderson for the all-time record last year with 13. Howell also had four triples as a freshman and had two triples last year. Jedidiah Stephen has eight career triples and is tied for 11th all-time, while Jason Zoeller has seven and is tied for 17th.
TWO BUCKEYES HAVE EIGHT HOMERS
Jedidiah Stephen and Ronnie Bourquin each have eight home runs this season. Stephen was the first to hit eight, doing so in the first game against Penn State last weekend. Bourquin hit his fifth long ball vs. Pittsburgh May 17, then hit his sixth in the second game of the Penn State doubleheader. He then had his first multiple home run game in the series finale, hitting a two-run shot to right in the fourth inning and a solo shot to lead off the sixth to tie Stephen for the team lead. Bourquin had four home runs in five games last week. Ohio State has hit 26 home runs this season after hitting five vs. Penn State. The Buckeyes hit six home runs at Indiana and four vs. Iowa.
STEPHEN CLIMBING OTHER CAREER LISTS
Shortstop Jedidiah Stephen continues to climb the Ohio State career lists. He is 11th with 673 career at bats and 18th with 205 hits. Stephen is in a four-way tie for eighth place with 44 career doubles. He is tied for 11th with eight triples and tied for 15th with 26 home runs. The senior from Caldwell, Ohio, has 140 RBI and is tied for 19th.
BUCKEYES FIND EARLY GAME SUCCESS
Ohio State has found success this season by building early leads against opponents. The Buckeyes have scored nearly 90 more runs than their opponents in the first four innings of games this year, 192-103. Last week vs. Penn State, Ohio State outscored the Lions 16-5 in the first four innings. Ohio State has a 57-28 edge in the first, a 51-22 edge in the third and a 56-18 edge in the fourth. The inning with the biggest run differential, however, is the sixth when Ohio State is outscoring opponents 76-21.
DELUCIA ON CAREER LIST
Dan DeLucia has pitched 238.2 career innings, which ranks 19th all-time. He became eligible for many career stat categories when he reached 175.0 innings earlier this year. DeLucia has walked just 69 batters, which fifth fewest by an Ohio State pitcher. He has allowed 120 runs (tied for 11th lowest). DeLucia is 19-10 and his win total has him alone in 20th place breaking a tie with Scott Lewis (2002-04), Kevin Goodrum (1998-2001) and Bob Spears (1993-96).
DELUCIA ON SEASON LIST
First Team All-Big Ten selection Dan DeLucia became the first 10 game winner at Ohio State since 1999 and also became the 15th Buckeye to win at least 10 games in a season. He could be come only the eighth player to win 11 games in a season with a win in the Big Ten tournament. Tom Schwarber holds the school record with 14 wins and 1966 College World Series MVP Steve Arlin is second with 13 in 1965. He won 11 in 1966.
FAUSNAUGH CLIMBING APPEARANCE LIST
Ohio State junior reliever Trey Fausnaugh continues to climb up the school list in career appearances. He made his 70th career appearance vs. Pittsburgh May 17, when he did not allow a run on two hits. His 70 appearances tie him for third all-time with Brandon Steen (1999-2002). Fausnaugh has made just one start, when he beat Eastern Michigan 5-2 in an announced short start, May 3. Cory Cox holds the school record with 96 career appearances, while Andy Lee (1996-99) is second with 79.
SELHORST HAS TOMMY JOHN SURGERY
Ohio State redshirt freshman pitcher Matthew Selhorst had Tommy John surgery April 27 to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in his left arm. Selhorst was called into the Central Michigan game April 12, but did not throw a pitch after an injury in the bullpen. Dr. James Andrews preformed the surgery in Alabama. Selhorst is hoping for a full recovery and to come back stronger than before. He had made just one official appearance this season, allowing four runs (one earned) on seven hits in two innings at then-No. 1 Florida Feb. 25. He also made an unofficial relief appearance in the exhibition game vs. Aoyama Gakuin (Japan) on March 3.
OTHER BUCKEYE BANTER
Ronnie Bourquin is the team’s leading batter through the team’s54 regular season games this season. He has a batting average of.426, the best in the Big Ten. He also is the team’s leading batterin conference games with a .417 average, which also leads the BigTen. The team is batting .339 in all games and batted .338 inconference play. Both figures lead the conference. Bourquin is theteam’s leading batter in the 23 non-conference games (16-7) thisseason. He is batting .436 with 41 hits, 30 RBI and 25 runs scored.Jacob Howell is second with a .434 batting average. He has 33 hits,12 RBI and has scored 21 runs. Eric Fryer has a .417 average with35 hits, 27 RBI and 21 runs scored. The Buckeyes were 15-7 at homethis season and were led by Bourquin’s .473 batting average(35-for-6r) with 28 RBI and 17 runs scored. Fryer also battedbetter than .400 at home. He has a .415 batting average and had 34hits to go with 15 RBI. Jedidiah Stephen had 21 RBI. The team isbatting .330 in its last 10 games and has two players battingbetter than .400. Bourquin is batting .414 (12-for-29), whileJustin Miller is batting .406 (13-for-32). In the 35 wins thisseason, the team is batting .368 and is led by Bourquin’s .440batting average. Fryer is batting .434 in the wins, while Stephenis batting .40. Matt Angle is batting .394. Ohio State is averaging8.8 runs on 12.9 hits in victories. Conversely, in the 18 losses,Ohio State is batting just .278. Bourquin is batting .397, whileAngle is batting .343. Ohio State is averaging 3.2 runs on 8.9 hitsin losses. Ohio State is 25-16 and batting .341 during the day,compared to 10-3 and .332 at night. Bourquin leads the team with 26multiple hit games, including 12 of the last 23 games. Six others,including Angle, Fryer, Stephen, Howell, Zoeller and WesSchirtzinger also have multiple hits in at least 11 games. Bourquinhas 18 multiple-RBI games, while Fryer has 16 and Stephen has 12.Howell is batting .432 vs. left-handed pitchers and .398 vs.righties. Bourquin is the top batter against right-handed pitchingwith a .446 average. Bourquin is batting .457 with runners on baseand .484 with runners in scoring position. Howell is batting .475with runners in scoring position. Fryer is the team’s leadingtwo-out hitter. He is batting .464 (32-for-69) with two out and hasdriven in 28 runs in the situation. Bourquin has 20 two-out RBI andStephen has 19. With a runner at third and at least two outs,Bourquin has driven in 17 RBI. He has done that in 24opportunities. Fryer has driven in 15 RBI in 21 chances. In 31 ofthe team’s 54 games, the Buckeyes have pounded out double-digittotals in hits, including a season-high 22 in the first game vs.Lehigh on March 10. The team had seven consecutive games with 16hits or more from March 5-20. Ohio State has had at least 10 hitsin five of the last eight games. The Buckeyes have topped 20 hitsfour times this season, including Sunday the final game vs. PennState. The Buckeyes have scored at least 10 runs 15 times thisseason. The season high was 17 in the first game of a doubleheadervs. Lehigh on March 10 in Clearwater, Fla.
RECAPS VS. OTHER BIG TEN TOURNEY TEAMS MICHIGAN SHOCKS BUCKEYES
For just the third time in Bob Todd’s 19 years at Ohio State, the Buckeyes were swept in a four game series. Minnesota swept Ohio State in Columbus in 1990 and then during the opening weekend of Big Ten play last year, Illinois took all four games. Michigan won the first game 14-3 and then won by scores of 7-1 and 2-1 Saturday before winning 5-4 Sunday to complete the sweep.
The Buckeyes took a .343 batting average into Ann Arbor, but left with a .334 average after batting .269. Ohio State did not hit the ball all that poorly, but it did not get the timely hitting it had displayed entering the series. Center fielder Matt Angle led the Buckeyes at the plate in going 6-for-14 (.429) at Michigan. He drove in two runs and scored twice and was 1-for-2 in stolen bases. Jedidiah Stephen was 5-for-15 (.333) and Jonathan Zizzo was 4-for-13 (.308).
The pitching staff also showed vulnerability allowing Michigan to hit .368 for the weekend as it outscored the Buckeyes 28-9. The Buckeyes, which had led the Big Ten with a 3.29 ERA before the series, had an 8.28 ERA in the four games. Dan DeLucia and Cory Luebke the starters in the first two games allowed uncharacteristic nine and seven earned runs, respectively. Even J.B. Shuck, who had allowed only five earned runs all year, allowed three in the series finale. Jake Hale pitched well in his 7.1 innings in the third game of the series despite getting the loss.
BUCKEYES WIN THREE VS. ILLINOIS
Ohio State improved to 19-7 after winning three of four games at home vs. Illinois, April 8-9. After getting rained out Friday night, Ohio State and Illinois were forced to play doubleheaders Saturday and Sunday, playing the series in order with a nine-inning and a seven-inning game Saturday followed by a seven-inning and a nine-inning game Sunday. Ohio State won 4-1 and 5-1 on Saturday. Down 6-0 in the first game Sunday, the Buckeyes tied the game in the bottom of the sixth before allowing two runs in the top of the ninth in an 8-6 extra-inning defeat. The Scarlet and Gray clinched the series with a 9-1 triumph in the nightcap.
For the series, the team batted .331 and was led by center fielder Matt Angle, who was 7-for-15 (.467) with a pair of doubles and four runs scored. Shortstop Jedidiah Stephen batted .462 and third baseman Ronnie Bourquin batted .429, while J.B. Shuck, who had one start at first and two in left field, batted .400. Shuck, also a freshman pitcher, went the distance to pitch his first career complete game in the series clinching victory on Sunday. He allowed only one run on seven hits and struck out five. Catcher Eric Fryer batted .389 with six RBI and seven runs scored.
Six pitchers combined for a 2.12 ERA and struck out 30 Illini batters in 34.0 innings pitched and limited Illinois to a .203 batting average. Dan DeLucia and Cory Luebke joined Shuck in pitching complete games. DeLucia allowed one run on six hits with a career-high tying nine strikeouts, while Luebke allowed one run on three hits with seven strikeouts in his 7.0-inning complete game.
GOPHERS WIN RAIN-SHORTENED SERIES
Ohio State won the series opener, but dropped the final two games of the series to Minnesota before rain and travel plans cancelled the final game. The Buckeyes rode the arm of Dan DeLucia to his ninth win of the year and backed him up with 18 hits in a 10-2 victory in the opening game of the series. The Buckeyes had just six hits in each of the final two games of the series as Minnesota won 2-1 and 12-3. Ronnie Bourquin was 4-for-9 with four RBI to lead Ohio State against Minnesota. Justin Miller, Matt Angle, Jason Zoeller and Jacob Howell also had four hits. DeLucia allowed one run on six hits in eight innings against Minnesota.
1966 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM HONORED LAST SATURDAY
Ohio State celebrated the 40th anniversary of the 1966 national championship team last weekend at Bill Davis Stadium. The team was honored on the field prior to the second game of the Saturday doubleheader vs. Penn State. The team is the last Big Ten team to win the College World Series. The Buckeyes made three straight appearances in Omaha from 1965-67. They were the runnerup in 1965 after losing 2-1 to Arizona State in the championship game. The next year, Ohio State beat Oklahoma State, 8-2, to win the school’s only national championship and one of six won by Big Ten teams during a 14-year span (1953-66).
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.
STEVE ARLIN APPEARED ON FIRST EVER COLLEGE BASEBALL HALL OF FAME BALLOT
Former Ohio State pitcher Steve Arlin was one of 22 former players who appear on the 2006 ballot for induction into the College Baseball Hall of Fame. A total of 46 all-time collegiate baseball greats, which also included 12 former coaches and 12 veteran candidates, appeared on the ballot earlier this month for the first-ever Hall of Fame induction class this summer. The five former players chosen for the class include Bob Horner of Arizona State, Robin Ventura of Oklahoma State, Dave Winfield of Minnesota, Will Clark of Mississippi State and Brooks Kieschnick of Texas.
Arlin helped lead the Buckeyes to back-to-back appearances at the College World Series in 1965 and 1966. He not only is considered the top pitcher in Ohio State baseball history, but he also is regarded as one of the greatest pitchers in the history of the College World Series. In the 1965, facing elimination against Washington State, Arlin struck out a CWS-record 20 batters in a 15-inning 1-0 victory by Ohio State. The next year, the Buckeyes won the National Championship with Arlin on the mound in five of the team’s six games, twice beating top-seeded Southern California.
With a two-year record of 24-3 with the Buckeyes, Arlin held OSU marks for victories and strikeouts (294) until 1999 and his .889 win percentage is the best in school history. He led the nation in strikeouts as a sophomore with 165 and went 13-2 that year in leading the Buckeyes to a second-place finish at the 1965 College World Series. The next year he went 11-1 and helped Ohio State claim the championship.
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 184-74 (.713) 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).
BUCKEYES LED BIG TEN IN 2005 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.
BUCKEYES AVERAGED NEARLY 2,400 IN 2006
Ohio State drew 37,964 fans in the 10th season of Bill Davis Stadium over 16 dates for an average of 2,372.8 fans per date. The highest attendance was 4,016 in a noon matinee vs. Cleveland State April 26, but the Buckeyes also had five crowds of at least 2,500, including a crowd of 3,684 in the first game of the Purdue series and 3,497 for the doubleheader vs. Penn State last Saturday. In 42 dates this season, a total of 52,466 fans watched Ohio State baseball, an average of 1,249.2.
UP NEXT FOR THE BUCKEYES
The 16 regional sites will be announced Sunday at 3:30 p.m., EDT, on ESPNews, while team bids for the 2006 NCAA Tournament will be announced Monday at 12:30 p.m. on ESPN. Ohio State has advanced to the NCAA tournament 17 times in its history, including 11 times under current head coach Bob Todd, who is in his 19th season in Columbus. The Buckeyes have played in the tournament five of the last seven years and have advanced to a super regional twice since 1999 – last in 2003. Ohio State has earned seven automatic bids and four at-large bids to the NCAA tournament since 1991. The Buckeyes have submitted bids to host a regional and a super regional this season.
