Ohio State Travels to Minnesota With Big Ten Tournament Hopes on the Line – Ohio State Buckeyes
5/18/2011 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State baseball team travels north to Minnesota for a season-ending Big Ten Conference series against the Golden Gophers. The three-game series will be contested over a rare Thursday-Friday schedule at Target Field, the classy new home of the Minnesota Twins.
The Buckeyes are 23-24 overall and 11-10 in the Big Ten Conference, good for a tie for fourth-place with Indiana and Purdue. Minnesota is 12-9 and in a tie for second with Illinois. The Golden Gophers are 21-20 overall.
THURSDAY-FRIDAY?
Twins’ scheduling will not allow the teams to play a typical three-game series that ends on Saturday (all Big Ten final weekend series are Thursday-Saturday affairs) so that is the reason for the Thursday doubleheader. Game 1 will start at 4:05 p.m. with Game 2 starting at approximately 7:05 p.m. Game 3 Friday will start at 7:05 p.m. All times are EDT.
ANOTHER BTN BROADCAST
The game Friday will be carried live on the Big Ten Network with Tom Hart and Cal Eldred describing the action. Also follow all three games on ESPN 1460 (AM) with a free audio stream at OhioStateBuckeyes.com, on Live Stats at OhioStateBuckeyes.com and on Twitter at twitter.com/BrettR1321.
TOURNAMENT TALK
The top six teams make the Big Ten Tournament, which will be played May 25-29 at downtown Columbus’ Huntington Park. There are too many scenarios that can take place with just four games separating positions one-through-nine in the Big Ten standings to predict any tournament teams. But this much we do know: every one of those nine teams needs wins this week to punch that tournament ticket.
AROUND THE LEAGUE
The other Big Ten Conference series this weekend, all Thursday through Saturday games, will feature Iowa at Purdue, Illinois at Indiana, Penn State at Michigan and Northwestern at Michigan State.
STARTERS INFO
The Buckeyes will look to go with the same rotation they have had for the majority of the Big Ten season:
Game 1: RHP Drew Rucinski (5-2, 2.82 ERA)
Game 2: RHP Brett McKinney (2-3, 5.16 ERA)
Game 3: RHP Greg Greve (2-2, 5.43 ERA)
MOVING ON UP
The Buckeyes and Golden Gophers will play this Big Ten series at Target Field, the home of the Minnesota Twins. Minnesota was fortunate enough to play all of their home conference series at the two year old venue after the Metrodome roof collapse this past winter.
In 2010, ESPN The Magazine ranked Target Field the best sports stadium in North America.
OHIO STATE vs. MINNESOTA
Ohio State and Minnesota have played 163 times since 1923 and only three wins separate the two, with Minnesota holding an 82-79-2 series advantage. Minnesota has eight series wins over Ohio State, including 2-1 wins last year and in 2009, against three losses and five ties. Ohio State last defeated Minnesota in a series in 2008 at Bill Davis Stadium, 3-1. Minnesota has series wins in 1990-91-92-03-04-06-09-10. Ohio State’s wins were in 2001-05-08.
LAST YEAR
Minnesota denied Ohio State a Big Ten-record 14th consecutive appearance in the Big Ten Tournament by taking two of the three games at Bill Davis Stadium. The Golden Gophers eliminated the Buckeyes with 16-2 and 4-3 wins in the first two games of the series. The Buckeyes won the finale, 9-6, to send Hall of Fame coach Bob Todd into retirement with a win, the 1003rd of his career. Todd’s No. 18 jersey was retired prior to that 9-6 win, and a plaque was unveiled in right field ensuring that Bill Davis Stadium, built through his leadership and efforts, will never have a game without No. 18 in it.
OHIO STATE TODAY
The Buckeyes are coming off a weekend in which they dropped two of three to the Iowa Hawkeyes at Bill Davis Stadium. The weekend put Ohio State in a three-way tie for fourth place in the Big Ten with an 11-10 record in conference play. Some Ohio State notes:
- Josh Dezse leads the Buckeyes with a .341 batting average and 39 RBI. He also has a team-high four saves.
- Drew Rucinski is 5-2 with a team-best 2.82 earner-run average and 45 strikeouts.
- Seniors Tyler Engle and Matt Streng have really picked it up in Big Ten play, batting .351 and .330, respectively. Both have six doubles while starting all 21 conference games.
BUCKEYE BULLETS
The Buckeyes are 15-5 when scoring at least six runs and are 14-3 when allowing four runs or less … Andrew Armstrong has struck out three batters in three of his last five appearances … Tyler Engle has recorded two-hit games in his last two games … Engle also drove in a season-high three runs May 15 vs. Iowa … Josh Dezse had his streak of 10-consecutive scoreless appearances snapped May 14 vs. Iowa … Dezse struck out 20 batters over those 10 appearances … John Kuchno was excellent in his last start May 11 vs. Oklahoma State, giving up ust one earned while striking out three over five innings against the nationally-ranked Cowboys … Greg Solomon drilled his first career home run, a three-run shot to left May 14 vs. Iowa … Time Wetzel led the Buckeyes offensively in the series vs. Iowa, going 4-for-11 with three runs scored … Home crowds at Bill Davis Stadium averaged 1,225 per game this season.
OSU’s 2011 BIG TEN HONOREES
Josh Dezse – Freshman of the Week (2/21, 3/7, 4/18. 5/2)
Josh Dezse – Player of the Week (4/18, 5/2)
Greg Solomon- Player of the Week (4/4)
Tim Wetzel – Freshman of the Week (4/11)
HEAD COACH GREG BEALS
Head coach Greg Beals is just the 11th head coach in Ohio State history and only the fourth in the last 60 years. He has a 266-226 career record and is in his ninth season as a collegiate head coach.
15th SEASON AT BILL DAVIS STADIUM
Ohio State is 246-122 all-time at Bill Davis Stadium for a fine .670 winning percentage. Ohio State is 142-79 vs. the Big Ten Conference.
