Baseball: Senior Ceremony Moved to Tuesday vs. Buffalo – Ohio State Buckeyes
5/12/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
The Ohio State baseball team was set to honor its four seniors Sunday in the Big Ten home finale vs. Illinois, but poor weather conditions moved in and put an end to the festivities at Bill Davis Stadium.
Because of the cancellation, seniors Dan DeLucia, Tony Kennedy, Chris Macke and Rory Meister will be honored before first pitch of the final regular season contest at noon Tuesday vs. Buffalo. The ceremony will be added to a day full of events as the department of athletics welcomes approximately 2,600 local area sixth graders for Columbus City Schools Day. Additional information of Columbus City Schools Day can be viewed at the link above.
Last week, OhioStateBuckeyes.com ran daily salutes to the seniors leading up to the series vs. the Illini. Fans can watch the video interviews at the links provided above. The interviews include insight and perspective on each player’s career as a Buckeye, a tribute to their family support and a couple entertaining impressions of hall of fame head coach Bob Todd.
Senior Salutes …
Dan DeLucia, the first three-captain in Ohio State baseball history, will be remembered as the fierce competitor that allowed him to win more than 20 games during his career, rank among the top five Ohio State pitchers all-time in innings pitched and come back to pitch 10 months after enduring Tommy John surgery. Here is some more good stuff to know about Dan:
- Dan has been Ohio State’s opening day starting pitcher three times.
- Coach Todd said before the season: “If anyone can return from Tommy John surgery and pitch well, it’s Dan DeLucia.”
- Dan has a career record of 22-13 and he ranks 15th all-time at Ohio State in wins.
- He has an impressive career ERA of 3.95, good for 17th on Ohio State’s all-time list.
- Regarding his internal drive, Dan says this: “I just don’t accept failure that well. I hate knowing that someone got the better of me. When it’s me vs. the batter, I never want to lose. This goes back to how hard I work out vs. how hard he works out, too. I love succeeding, seeing the team do well. I just don’t take losing very well.”
- Dan is a four-time OSU Scholar-Athlete and a two-time Academic All-Big Ten selection.
- Dan is close to his Mom, Julie: “She raised Brian and me by herself from when we were 8 and 10. I can’t say enough about her. She is the person I will always attribute my success to. She will be the front runner for many thank you’s. Words can’t describe how much she means to me.”
Tony Kennedy has adapted and adjusted well to playing three positions in college second base, third base and outfield and he is closing his career with a terrific senior season. He is hitting.337 with three home runs and a personal-best 17-game hitting streak. Tony has a career average of .328 and he has scored 91 runs. Here is some more good stuff to know about Tony:
- Tony will have played in more than 150 games and started more than 110 at the conclusion of this season.
- He will also have set career single season highs in hits and runs scored as a senior.
- He has been one of the team’s best base stealers, with 27 steals in 34 attempts.
- He hit the game-winning RBI in a win over Penn State last year that sent the Buckeyes to the Big Ten tournament, which they won.
- Tony is a four-time OSU Scholar-Athlete and a three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection.
- Tony’s advice to younger players: “Live in the moment and don’t take for granted the opportunity you have to play the game you love because not many people get to do it after college.”
- He will graduate with a degree in business information systems next month.
Chris Macke has played in 49 games throughout his career and, despite not having the luxury of consistent playing time, has been an outstanding hitter for Ohio State, especially in clutch situations. He has hit a team-best .500 with runners in scoring position this year, including belting a grand slam home run vs. Kansas, part of a six-RBI day for the Terre Haute, Ind., native. Here is some more good stuff to know about Chris:
- Chris started 19 games in his career, including 11 starts at third base.
- He will be remembered as an aggressive hitter at the plate with a career average of .323.
- He averaged better than one RBI for every two games he played throughout his career.
- Coach Todd says that Chris “has a great attitude and is a great team player.”
- Chris scored the winning run in the Big Ten tournament title game last year vs. Minnesota that clinched an NCAA berth for the Buckeyes.
- Chris on accepting a role: “I started some as a freshman, but I haven’t started much since then. So I try to find a way to help out whenever I can…to do my best whenever I get my shot. It’s expected now for me to be reliable whenever I’m called upon.”
- He will graduate next month with a degree in sport and leisure studies.
Rory Meister has pitched in 89 games over his career, the second-most appearances in Ohio State history, and he has won 13 games and saved another 15. Perhaps most noteworthy, he owns one of college baseball’s great stories by winning five games in relief in 2005 in the span of one week. Here is some more good stuff to know about Rory:
- He has pitched nearly 140 innings during his career for the Buckeyes.
- His best season statistically was 2005 when he posted a 2.11 ERA and was 8-2 with four saves.
- He saved six games in 2006 and had a 3.82 ERA.
- Rory on lessons learned: “Baseball has been a roller coaster ride, but it’s been one of the most beneficial rides learning about the courage it takes to go back out there after you have failed. When you have that bad outing and you get your shot again, you have to go after it. You have to be confident. Confidence will carry over into the real life.”
- Rory is a four-time OSU Scholar-Athlete and a three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection.
- He will earn his degree in human development and family studies next month.
