Baseball: Ohio State vs. Illinois for 125th Celebration Weekend – Ohio State Buckeyes
5/8/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio State and Illinois meet this weekend in a four-game set at Bill Davis Stadium that will conclude Ohio State’s 2008 Big Ten home schedule. The Buckeyes are 24-21 overall, 11-12 and in fourth place in the Big Ten Conference. The Illini are 28-18 overall and are sitting in third place in the Big Ten with a 14-10 record.
This is a huge series for both teams, but especially for the Buckeyes, who are just one-half game in front of Penn State and Northwestern and one game in front of seventh-place Michigan State. The top six teams in the regular season advance to the Big Ten tournament, which will be held May 21-25 probably in Ann Arbor as Michigan is enjoying a three-game lead over second place Purdue.
Big Ten Conference Standings
Big Ten Overall
W L T W L T
Michigan 20 4 0 35 11 0
Purdue 17 7 0 26 20 0
Illinois 14 10 0 28 18 0
Ohio State 11 12 0 25 21 0
Northwestern 11 13 0 18 23 0
Penn State 11 13 0 20 27 0
Michigan St. 10 13 0 22 23 0
Indiana 9 15 0 21 26 0
Iowa 8 16 0 20 27 0
Minnesota 8 16 0 18 30 0
This Week: Ill. at Ohio State; Ind. at NU; Iowa at Penn St.; Mich. at Minn.; MSU at Purdue.
Next Week: OSU at Iowa; Ind. at Mich. St.; Purdue at Ill.; NU at Michigan; Penn St. at Minn.
Ohio State Buckeyes
(25-21, 11-12 Big Ten) vs.
Illinois Fighting Illini
(28-18; 14-10 Big Ten)
May 9-11, 2008
Bill Davis Stadium (4,450)
Columbus, Ohio
Friday, May 9: 6:35 p.m. EDT
Saturday, May 10: 1:05 p.m. EDT (DH)
Sunday, May 11: 1:05 p.m. EDT
Series History: Ohio State leads, 93-85-2
Last Meeting: May 24, 2007; Ohio State, 4-2 (Big Ten tourn.)
Broadcast Information
Radio: WMNI-AM 920 (Games 1, 2 & 4)
OhioStateBuckeyes.com (Game 3)
OhioStateBuckeyes.com
Live Stats
Audio Broadcast
Streaming Video
BOB TODD HONORED FRIDAY NIGHT
Head coach Bob Todd, the winningest coach in Ohio State history with 826 wins in his 21 seasons as Ohio State coach, will be honored before the Friday, May 9, game on his induction into the American Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame. Todd has an all-time record of 950-512-2 in this, his 25th season as a head coach.
RETIRING MARTY KAROW’S No. 13
Marty Karow, Ohio State skipper from 1951 until 1976 and who led the Buckeyes to four College World Series, including winning the national title in 1966, will have his jersey No. 13 officially retired by the athletics department in a ceremony between doubleheader games Saturday.
Karow, who is deceased, will be represented by a contingent of former players, including Dick Finn, an Ohio State captain under Karow who took over as head coach for 12 seasons following Karow’s retirement.
OHIO STATE vs. ILLINOIS NOTES
Ohio State vs. Illinois has always been a competitive series. All-time, Ohio State leads the series, 93-85-2. Additionally…
The two teams did not meet last year.
In 2006 at Bill Davis Stadium, Ohio State won the series, 3-1. Ohio State also took 3-1 series wins at home in 2004 and 2001.
The teams split four games in 1998, the only other OSU/UI series at Bill Davis Stadium.
Illinois won in 2005 at Illinois Field, 4-0.
In Big Ten games: Illinois leads the league with a .357 batting average; Ohio State is eighth at .291.
Illinois is also first in runs scored, hits, RBI, doubles and on base pct.
Ohio State is second in earned run average in Big Ten games (4.58) with Illinois seventh (6.79).
Ohio State state’s staff is also second in opponents’ batting average, batters struck out, saves and fewest earned runs allowed.
PROBABLE STARTING PITCHERS
The two coaching staffs are expected to go with the following starters during this weekend:
Friday: RHP Jake Hale (5-2, 4.58 ERA) vs.
RHP Kevin Manson (6-1; 5.93 ERA)
Sat. G1: LHP Dan DeLucia (1-3, 5.30) vs.
RHP Aaron Martin (4-5, 6.04 ERA)
Sat. G2: RHP Dean Wolosiansky (7-2, 2.83) vs.
LHP Phil Haig (1-2, 6.14 ERA)
Sunday: LHP J.B. Shuck (4-3, 4.42) vs.
RHP Scott Shaw (4-2, 6.80 ERA)
SUNDAY: SUPER SENIORS SALUTE
The four seniors will be honored Sunday prior to the start of the 1:05 p.m. game. All four will graduate next month with bachelor’s degrees.
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.
Tony Kennedy has adapted and adjusted 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.
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’s hit a team-best .500 with runners in scoring position this year, including belting a grand slam home run vs. Kansas.
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.
NEW STADIUM SIGNAGE
In honor of the 125th season of Ohio State baseball, new signage is being added around Bill Davis Stadium. Following Karow’s retirement ceremony Saturday, three retired jersey plaques will be added to the right field wall: Karow’s No. 13; Fred Taylor’s No. 27 and Steve Arlin’s No. 22. Also:
Karow, Arlin and Taylor bio plaques and retired jersey numbers will be added to the “arches” in the main concourse. (Note: Replica versions will be in place this weekend with the permanent pieces being installed this summer.)
Ohio State’s four College World Series years and Big Ten championship seasons will also be added to the “arches.”
The “Ohio State” and “Buckeyes” brands have been added to the tops of the dugouts, similar to how they are used in Ohio Stadium and in Value City Arena.
MORE ON THIS WEEKEND
There will be plenty of former Buckeyes at Bill Davis Stadium this weekend.
Past Ohio State baseball captains there have been 151 through the years will hold a captains breakfast Saturday.
A collection of Ohio State baseball trophies will be on display what day, including the 1966 national championship trophy.
Saturday the Diamond Club, the baseball program’s booster organization, will hold its annual BBQ for its members.
THE OHIO STATE BUCKEYES TODAY
This is one of coach Bob Todd’s youngest teams. A typical lineup includes six first- and second-year players: frosh at dh, c and ss; sophs at 2b, 3b, and rf. Additionally, the mound corps includes a freshman weekend starter (Dean Wolosiansky) and the top three relievers are soph. Eric Best and freshmen Alex Wimmers and Drew Rucinski. Here are some more notes about the 2008 Buckeyes:
Strange. In a five-inning win Weds. over Marshall, Ohio State, a team whose hits are 81 percent singles (400-of-496), had a season-high seven extra-base hits. (Brian DeLucia and Tyler Engle had two doubles apiece. Ryan Dew doubled. And Justin Miller and Cory Rupert each homered.)
Most teams in the Big Ten hit singles approx. 75 percent of the time (cumulative avg. for other nine schools is 74 percent). The two teams on top of the Big Ten standings – Michigan and Purdue – hit singles only 69 percent of the time.
Ohio State is 11-4 this season when it has three or more extra base hits in a game.
Ohio State 10-4 this season in games it walks two or fewer batters.
Ohio State needs five wins to extend a most impressive streak: a 23rd consecutive 30-win season for coach Todd.
The Buckeyes are also vying to make the Big Ten tournament for a 12th consecutive year, tops in the Big Ten.
Six everyday players are hitting over .300 led by J.B. Shuck (.391; 10th overall in the Big Ten) and Justin Miller (.382).
Michael Arp and Brian DeLucia, who have made 16 and 15 starts, respectively, are hot at the plate with .407 and .375 averages.
On the mound, Shuck is first in the Big Ten in opp. bat. average (.212) and second in Ks (65). Dean Wolosiansky is fourth in the Big Ten (all games) in ERA (2.83) and second in wins (7).
OSU is 18-2 when leading after six innings; 3-14 when trailing.
Click on the attached PDF for more game notes, bio updates and stats.
###OhioStateBuckeyes.com###
