Ohio State Opens Home Season Wednesday, Big Ten Play This Weekend – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/28/2007 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 28, 2007
OHIO STATE BUCKEYES
13-3, 0-0 Big Ten
vs.
TOLEDO ROCKETS
6-9, 0-3 Mid-American
(Toledo plays host to Oakland Tuesday)
March 28, 2007 o 2 p.m.
Bill Davis Stadium (Capacity: 4,450)
Columbus, Ohio
Series History: Ohio State leads 22-6
Last Meeting: Ohio State 8-5, March 29, 2006
PROBABLE OSU PITCHER
Josh Edgin
TELEVISION/RADIO/INTERNET
None
GAMETRACKER
ohiostatebuckeyes.com
After playing its first 16 games of the year in the state of Florida, Ohio State makes its home debut in Columbus Wednesday when it opens the 11th season of play at Bill Davis Stadium with a 2 p.m. afternoon match up vs. Toledo.
The Buckeyes are 184-74 (.713) during the first 10 seasons in the facility which opened in 1997. 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).
Ohio State will play 24 games at Bill Davis Stadium in 2007. Toledo is the first of seven home midweek opponents, which also includes Cleveland State, Miami (Ohio), Ball State, Xavier, Akron and a pair vs. North Florida. Iowa will be the first of four conference opponents to visit Bill Davis Stadium when it comes to Columbus this weekend (March 30-April 1). The Scarlet and Gray also welcome Michigan (April 13-15), Indiana (April 20-22) and Michigan State (May 4-6).
The Toledo game will not be broadcast on the radio but, like all home games this season, the game will feature Gametracker at ohiostatebuckeyes.com.
ABOUT OHIO STATE
The Buckeyes have won 12 straight games, including all seven on their spring break trip in Bradenton, Fla., and are 13-3 overall. OSU played seven games in seven days from March 17-23, with a split doubleheader on March 18 and a day off on March 20. The Scarlet and Gray beat Bucknell (9-5), Jacksonville State (8-3), Dartmouth (6-3), Yale (11-3 and 16-10), Northwestern in a non-conference game (11-6) and Harvard (5-3). The first three games of the trip were played at Manatee Community College and the final four at IMG Academy.
In Bradenton, OSU batted .349 in the seven games and was led by Matt Angle, who hit .444 in the seven games. He was 12-for-27 with five RBI and 10 runs scored. He also added seven stolen bases in eight attempts. The junior is second on the team in hitting at .393. Leadoff hitter Jacob Howell hit .423 with a double, triple, home run, four stolen bases (in four attempts), six RBI and eight runs scored on the trip. J.B. Shuck hit .391 in six games with eight RBI. Shuck leads the Buckeyes in batting for the year at .423. Eric Fryer and Justin Miller led the team in RBI in Bradenton with nine each.
On the hill in Florida, Cory Luebke and Josh Barrera were 2-0, while Theron Minium, Darren Sizemore and Shuck also earned wins. The OSU pitchers posted a 3.86 earned run average over the seven games, while holding opponent hitters to a .235 batting average. Luebke went 13.2 innings in two games and gave up just three earned runs for a 1.98 ERA. He struck out 13 and walked just four. Shuck had a 3.00 ERA in two appearances, including one start. For the season, Luebke is 4-0 with a 1.47 ERA and a team-high 33 strikeouts. Barrera has a 2.31 ERA on the year and Shuck is at 2.82 with 20 strikeouts. Rory Meister also has two wins.
For the year, Ohio State has a .320 batting average and has knocked in 105 runs for an average of 6.56 runs per game. The Buckeyes have been tearing up the base paths as well, stealing 27 bases in 33 attempts. On the mound, OSU boasts a 3.11 ERA and is holding opponents to a .227 average.
BUCKEYES CRACK NATIONAL RANKINGS AT NO. 29 IN NCBWA POLL
On the strength of a 12-game winning streak, Ohio State has cracked the national rankings for the first time this season. The Buckeyes are ranked 29th in the March 26 National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) poll.
COACH TODD EARNS CAREER VICTORY 900
With a 5-3 win over Harvard on March 23 in Bradenton, Fla., Ohio State head coach Bob Todd earned his 900th career victory. The Buckeye skipper is 900-470-2 all-time, including 776-388-2 at OSU. His 900 wins rank 17th among active coaches in NCAA Division I and 47th all-time. He needs to 24 victories to earn his 800th win at Ohio State.
GATE PROCEEDS FROM HOME OPENER WILL GO TO FUNDS ESTABLISHED FOR BLUFFTON UNIVERSITY BASEBALL TEAM
The Ohio State University Department of Athletics announced Monday the gate proceeds from the Buckeyes’ baseball home opener Wednesday will go to two funds established for the Bluffton University baseball team.
The proceeds will go to the two funds established for the Bluffton baseball team’s student-athletes involved in a fatal charter bus accident March 2 in Atlanta. The bus was on its way to Florida for the team’s first games of the 2007 season. Five student-athletes, Zachary Arend (Oakwood, Ohio), David Betts (Bryan, Ohio), Scott Harmon (Lima, Ohio), Cody Holp (Arcanum, Ohio), Tyler Williams (Lima, Ohio) and the bus driver, Jerome Niemeyer, and his wife, Jean Niemeyer, both of Columbus Grove, Ohio, were killed in the accident.
“It’s such a tragedy,” Bob Todd, Ohio State head coach said. “I’ve been in the front seat of a bus many times and it easily could have been me and Ohio State. Anything we can do at all to try and help ease the pain is the right thing to do. Our thoughts and prayers are with those young men and their families.”
There are two separate funds that have been established, one that will provide support for the student-athletes and one to create a lasting campus memorial. Below is the information on both funds.
To provide support for the student athletes
A fund has been established at Citizens National Bank for the Bluffton University baseball team student-athletes. Contributions can be made by check payable to Bluffton University and mailed to Citizens National Bank, 102 S. Main Street, Bluffton, Ohio 45817. Please note “Baseball Team” in the check’s memo line. Credit card contributions can be made by calling 419-358-3324 during the university’s business hours. Funds will be available to the baseball players involved in the accident and their families.
To establish a lasting memorial
A Bluffton University fund has also been established to create a lasting campus memorial. Contributions can be made by check payable to Bluffton University and mailed to 1 University Drive, Bluffton, Ohio 45817-2104. Please note “Baseball Team Memorial” in the check’s memo line. Credit card contributions can be made online at http://www.bluffton.edu/giving/baseball07/ or by phoning the university advancement office at 419-358-3240. If giving online, please select the option “other” for the designation and type in “baseball memorial.”
ABOUT TOLEDO
Today’s opponent is in-state and Mid-American Conference opponent Toledo. The Rockets are 6-9 on the year and 0-3 in MAC play. The Buckeyes lead the all-time series 22-6, including an 8-5 win last year at Bill Davis Stadium. Toledo is led by Josh Johnson who is hitting .410 on the year. The Rockets play host to Oakland University on Tuesday before heading to Columbus.
BUCKEYES OPEN BIG TEN PLAY AT HOME THIS WEEKEND VS. IOWA
After playing host to Toledo Wednesday, OSU begins Big Ten play vs. Iowa Friday-Sunday (March 30-April 1) at Bill Davis Stadium. Friday’s nine-inning game starts at 6:35 p.m., followed by two seven-inning games Saturday starting at 1:05 p.m. and a final nine-inning game on Sunday at 1:05 p.m. The Buckeyes took three of four from the Hawkeyes last season.
IOWA SERIES
March 30-April 1, 2007
Bill Davis Stadium (Capacity: 4,450)
Columbus, Ohio
March 30 @ 6:35 p.m.
March 31 @ 1:05 p.m. (DH)
April 1 @ 1:05 p.m.
TWELVE-GAME WINNING STREAK LONGEST SINCE EARLY 2001
The 12-game winning streak the Buckeyes are currently on is the team’s longest winning streak since a 17-game run early in the 2001 season.
SHUCK HITTING STREAK AT 13
Sophomore outfielder/pitcher J.B. Shuck has a 13-game hitting streak heading into Wednesday’s game vs. Toledo. Shuck has a hit in all 13 games he has batted this season. He did not bat in the three games he started as a pitcher.
FRESHMAN MINIUM EARNS FIRST CAREER WIN IN FIRST CAREER START
Freshman Theron Minium earned his first career win in his first career start in OSU’s 11-3 win over Yale on March 19. Minium went six innings, giving up just two earned runs, striking out seven and walking none.
THE BATS ARE HEATING UP
After registering just four double-digit hit games through the first nine games of the season, OSU has reached double figure hits the last seven games. The Buckeyes had a season-high 17 in a 16-10 win over Yale March 21.
ALSO STREAKING
In addition to J.B. Shuck’s 13-game hitting streak, three other Buckeyes also have modest hitting streaks. Tony Kennedy and Eric Fryer have hit safely in seven straight and Justin Miller in six consecutive.
FRYER ONE OF 27 NAMED TO COLEMAN-COMPANY JOHNNY BENCH AWARD WATCH LIST
Ohio State catcher Eric Fryer is one of 27 catchers to appear on the official watch list for the 2007 Coleman Company-Johnny Bench Award, the Greater Wichita Area Sports Commission announced March 15.
Fryer, a second-team All-Big Ten catcher in 2006, is batting .313 in the team’s 16 games this season. He has 20 hits and paces the Buckeyes with 19 RBI. He has scored 10 runs and has four doubles, a triple and a home run. He has committed just two errors on the year and opponents are just five of 10 trying to steal. Last year, Fryer played all 58 games and made 57 starts, including 43 behind the plate. He made the second-team All-Midwest Region Team as selected by the American Baseball Coaches Association and finished third on the team with a .368 batting average and 78 hits. He was second on the team with 52 RBI and hit five home runs.
The watch list will be narrowed down to 10 semi-finalists on May 17. Three finalists will be selected by a national voting panel and will be announced May 30, prior to the NCAA regionals. A final vote among the national committee will occur during the College World Series. All three finalists will be brought to Wichita, Kan. and the winner will be announced at the 10th Annual Greater Wichita Sports Banquet on June 27.
BUCKEYES SIGN 2-YEAR DEAL WITH WMNI
Ohio State and the North American Broadcasting Company have signed a two-year agreement that will put Buckeye baseball games on WMNI Radio (920 AM) for 2007 and 2008, the athletics department announced March 21.
The station will carry 27 regular-season games over the air and on the Internet at ohiostatebuckeyes.com, and has agreed to broadcast another 11 games on an Internet-only basis, also on the school’s official web site. All Ohio State postseason games, including any appearances in the Big Ten and NCAA tournaments, will be broadcast over the air and on the Internet.
Of the eight Big Ten series the team will play, three of the four games – games one, three and four – will be broadcast on AM 920 WMNI, while game two will be offered solely on the Internet at ohiostatebuckeyes.com.
The WMNI broadcast schedule begins Friday, March 30 at 6:35 p.m. when Ohio State opens Big Ten play vs. Iowa in Columbus, and continues through the regular season, which ends Sunday, May 20 at Penn State. All postseason games the team would qualify for also would be carried by the station.
WMNI, which broadcast Ohio State baseball games during the 2006 season, has a long-standing history of sports coverage since it went on the air in 1958. Coverage has included Ohio State basketball, football and men’s hockey.
IN THE BIG TEN RANKINGS
Ohio State ranks first in the Big Ten in pitching and with a3.11 earned run average, 0.56 ahead of Michigan. The team battingaverage of .320 ranks second, trailing only Illinois at .337. J.BShuck sits fourth in the conference in batting at .423 and MattAngle is 10th at .393. Eric Fryer is tied for second in the Big Tenwith 19 RBI. On the mound, Cory Luebke leads the conference withfour wins. He also ranks third in ERA (1.47), tied for first instrikeouts (33), first in opposing batting average (.144) and firstin innings pitched (36.2). Jake Hale is tied for the league leadwith four saves.
Bob Todd RADIO SHOW IN 1460 THE FAN
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 this Monday (March 19) with the final program broadcast on Tuesday, May 22. The nights of the show will vary this year because of station conflicts with broadcasts of either Columbus Blue Jackets hockey or Cleveland Indians baseball. Four shows will be broadcast each on Monday and Tuesday with two shows on Thursday. The 30-minute show will begin at 8 p.m. the first week before moving to 7 p.m. the final nine weeks of the show.
Bob Todd RADIO SHOW SCHEDULE
Tuesday, March 27 @ 7 p.m.
Monday, April 2 @ 7 p.m.
Thursday, April 12 @ 7 p.m.
Thursday, April 19 @ 7 p.m.
Tuesday, April 24 @ 7 p.m.
Monday, April 30 @ 7 p.m.
Tuesday, May 8 @ 7 p.m.
Monday, May 14 @ 7 p.m.
Tuesday, May 22 @ 7 p.m.
Schedule Subject to change
FRESHMEN MAKING CONTRIBUTIONS, 11 HAVE SEEN ACTION
In 16 games this season, a total of 11 Buckeye freshmen have played. Outfielder Ryan Dew has seen the most action, appearing in 15 games with 11 starts. He is hitting .262 on the year. Two infielders, Cory Rupert and Cory Kovanda have each played in 11 games, with Rupert starting 10 and Kovanda eight. The other freshman field players to see action are Brian DeLucia, Ben Toussant, Zach Hurley, Chris Griffin and Nick Steponovich. Rookie pitchers to appear are Theron Minium, Josh Edgin and Eric Best. Minium has seen the most action, pitching 7.2 innings.
LUEBKE ROLLING AT 4-0
Ohio State junior pitcher Cory Luebke continues his dominate form, winning for the fourth time this year in a 5-3 win over Harvard March 23. Luebke is 4-0 with a team-leading 1.47 earned run average in 36.2 innings. The lefty has given up just six earned runs while striking out 33. He has not gone fewer than six innings in any of his five starts and has walked just 13. The Maria Stein, Ohio native fired his first complete game of the year March 10 in a 10-1 win over Western Michigan. He gave up just three hits in the win. He had a season-high 11 strikeouts in a 7-2 win over Lehigh March 4.
For his career, Luebke sits at 15-8 with a 3.08 ERA. He has thrown 193 innings and has 11 complete games. He has 152 career strikouts.
HALE PACES OSU WITH FOUR SAVES
Ohio State starter-turned-closer Jake Hale is tied for the Big Ten lead with four saves. The sophomore has made a team-high eight appearances on the year and has a 3.60 earned run average. His fourth save of the year was in OSU’s 6-3 win over Dartmouth March 18. He has 10 strikeouts in 10 innings of work.
DELUCIA ENTERS TOP 10 IN INNINGS PITCHED
Preseason All-American Dan DeLucia pitched three innings on the team’s spring break trip to Bradenton, Fla., to crack the school’s Top 10 list in career innings pitched. Since the senior from Columbus first took to the rubber against Kansas State in the Minute Maid College Classic in Houston in 2004, DeLucia has pitched 265.2 innings, including 17 this season. He trails Scott Klingenbeck (1990-92), who holds down 9th place with 277.2 career innings. Ohio State’s all-time leader in innings pitched is Justin Fry (1995-99) with 419.2. DeLucia totaled 108.0 innings in 2006 and with another season like that, the Bishop Watterson product would likely find himself in the Top 5.
Career Innings Pitched
| 1. Justin Fry | 1995-99 | 419.2 |
| 2. E.J. Laratta | 1999-02 | 379.2 |
| 3. Josh Newman | 2001-04 | 369.0 |
| 4. Pete Perini | 1947-59 | 344.0 |
| 5. Chris Granata | 1991-94 | 295.1 |
| 6. Tom Schwarber | 1987-91 | 295.0 |
| 7. Mark Dempsey | 1977-80 | 289.1 |
| 8. Doug Swearingen | 1980-83 | 278.0 |
| 9. Scott Klingenbeck | 1990-92 | 277.2 |
| 10. Dan DeLucia | 2004-present | 262.2 |
‘HOP’ WATCHES BUCKEYES
Former Ohio State Heisman Trophy winner, Howard “Hopalong” Cassady, who now lives in the Tampa area, attended the first of two games against Kansas State. Cassady is a scout and coach in the New York Yankees organization.
OHIO STATE TEAM CAPTAINS
Ohio State elected four captains following the conclusion of the fall season in October. The team re-elected seniors Dan DeLucia and Jacob Howell, who served as captains in 2006. They also elected juniors Matt Angle and Eric Fryer. Ryan Dew and Brian DeLucia were elected freshmen captains.
TODD LEADS ACTIVE BIG TEN COACHES
Now in his 20th season at Ohio State, Bob Todd is in his 24th season as a college head coach, including four years at Kent State. Entering the year, he owns a career record of 887-467-2 for a win percentage of .655. That win percentage is the best among active coaches in the Big Ten (minimum five years) and ranks 20th nationally. He trailed Minnesota’s John Anderson in total victories by only 18. Anderson, now in his 26th season, has won 905 games entering 2007.
Todd is the winningest coach in Ohio State annals 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 at least 35 games 16 straight seasons and 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.
MILESTONE CAREER WINS
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)
900 – March 23, 2007 vs. Harvard (5-3)
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)
700 – April 9, 2005 vs. Purdue (6-4)
800 – Needs 24
*became the winningest coach in Ohio State history
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)
PRESEASON AWARDS
Dan DeLucia was named a third-team preseason All-American by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association. Last year, DeLucia was Ohio State’s first 10-game winner since 1999 and led the Big Ten with his 10-2 record and 108 innings pitched. The first-team All-Big Ten selection managed a 3.25 earned run average and limited opposing batters to a .255 average. DeLucia maintains a 19-10 career record and his 3.80 career ERA is the 13th best in school history.
DeLucia was joined by teammate J.B. Shuck on the preseason watch list for the Brooks Wallace Award, the College Baseball Foundation’s player of the year award. Shuck was Ohio State’s ninth player to earn Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors last year when he went 8-5 and managed a team-best 2.51 ERA in 15 appearances. His eight victories equaled the second best total by any league pitcher and his ERA was the fourth best. The pair also appears on the preseason watch list for the Roger Clemens Award, which goes to the college baseball pitcher of the year.
Also getting preseason recognition is right-handed reliever Rory Meister, who appears on the 35-member early season watch list for the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Award. The award, created in 2005, is given annually to the top closer in Division I college baseball.Meister, a junior from Mansfield, Ohio, made 29 appearances last year for the Buckeyes, all in relief. Meister, who also appeared on the preseason watch list in 2006, finished 0-1 with six saves and a 3.82 ERA in 33.0 innings. Nominations were made by each school’s baseball sports information contact. A mid-season release, including the national saves leaders, will be updated during the week of April 16. Five finalists will be announced May 30 and the third annual winner will be announced June 6.
