Baseball: Diamond Club Luncheon Kicks off 2008 Season – Ohio State Buckeyes
2/16/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
COLUMBUS, Ohio The Ohio State baseball team attended the Diamond Club’s annual meet-the-team luncheon Saturday in front of parents, fans, and baseball program supporters at the Holiday Inn on Lane Avenue.
After a buffet lunch, each student-athlete introduced himself to the crowd before head coach Bob Todd discussed the upcoming 2008 season. Coach Todd stated that the team has the talent to make a championship run once again, but how the student-athletes respond to the frustrations and mental adversity commonly found during a baseball season will ultimately define their success.
“I think this team definitely has the capability to win another Big Ten championship,” Todd said. “But we have to focus not on the results, but the process that we go through to achieve those results. During the year, there will be frustration, and what matters is how we handle it. This team has the capability to handle that adversity the right way.”
The Buckeyes will have the opportunity to build their mental toughness right from the start of the season, as they will play in three road tournaments that feature teams either currently ranked or that played in last year’s NCAA tournament. Team co-captain Justin Miller believes the team is ready to embrace the challenge.
“The teams that we will play during these first few weekends are very good,” Miller said. “A lot of our young guys will have to step up and play big roles for us. Hopefully the experience of playing these teams will help us when Big Ten play starts.”
The Buckeyes open their 2008 season Feb. 22 at the Service Academies Spring Classic in Millington, Tenn. The team plays Arkansas State in its season opener at 2 p.m.
###OhioStateBuckeyes.com###
