Ohio State Hits The Road for Four Games in Myrtle Beach at Chanticleer Classic – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/7/2012 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 7, 2012
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COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State baseball team travels to Myrtle Beach, S.C. this weekend for the Chanticleer Classic. The Buckeyes open the weekend against Marist at Noon Friday, take on Coastal Carolina and Toledo at Noon and 5 p.m., respectively, Saturday, and close the weekend with a 1 p.m. matchup against Coastal Carolina Sunday.
Ohio State is 6-4 on the season after taking three of four games at the Snowbird Classic last weekend. The Buckeyes defeated Michigan, 9-4, Friday night, Western Michigan, 5-2, Saturday afternoon and Villanova, 4-3, in 10 innings Sunday afternoon in Port Charlotte, Fla.
THE OPPONENTS
Marist is 2-3 on the season after splitting a doubleheader at Old Dominion last weekend. Mark Brennan leads the Red Foxes with a .429 batting average and seven RBI. Ohio State has won the only matchup between the schools, a 6-4 victory in the Tallahassee Regional in 2009.
Coastal Carolina enters with week with a 4-4 record. Tyler Herb is 2-1 with a 0.95 ERA and 13 strikeouts in 19.0 innings pitched on the mound for the Chanticleers. Ohio State and Coastal Carolina have also only met once on the diamond, a Chanticleer victory in 2004.
Toledo is 3-6 entering the week after getting swept at Furman last weekend. Outfielder Jeff Cola leads the Rockets with a .344 average to go along with two doubles, four RBI and five runs scored. Ohio State holds a 25-6 lead in the all-time series with the Rockets.
CIAMACCO STEPS UP
Outfielder Joe Ciamacco went 9-for-18 with a double, six RBI and three runs scored at the Snowbird Classic. The junior had a career-high three hits and four RBI in a 9-4 win over Michigan and had two-hit games in the final three contests. He scored the game-winning run in the Buckeyes 4-3, 10-inning win over Villanova. Ciamacco had three two-out RBI on the weekend and also stole three bases.
Ciamacco leads the Big Ten in both batting average (.481) and on-base percentage (.533).
MCKINNEY BOUNCES BACK
Junior right-hander Brett McKinney tossed the Buckeyes’ first complete game of the season in a 5-2 win over Western Michigan in the second game of a doubleheader March 3. McKinney allowed just two earned runs on five hits while striking out five to pick up his first win of the season. It marked the first nine-inning complete game for an Ohio State pitcher since Alex Wimmers did so in a 3-1 against Penn State April 23, 2010.
LONG SOLID IN FIRST CAREER START
Jaron Long, in his first career start, allowed one earned run while scattering six hits and striking out six without walking a batter over seven innings against Michigan. The only earned run the sophomore gave up was on a solo home run in the fourth inning.
A FEW MORE NOTES
Ryan Cypret went 6-for-17 on the weekend with a team-high three doubles, four walks and four runs scored … Mike Carroll went 4-for-11 with a double, two RBI and two stolen bases … as a team, the Buckeyes were perfect in 12 stolen base attempts at the Snowbird Classic … John Kuchno earned his first win of the season and second of his career, when he tossed three scoreless innings of one-hit relief while striking out three in the extra-inning win over Villanova.
DEZSE TIES RECORD
Josh Dezse tied an Ohio State single-game record with three home runs Feb. 24. The feat was last accomplished by Chad Ehrnsberger on May 3, 1998 against Indiana. Dezse gave the Buckeyes the early lead in the top of the second, added a mammoth shot to left in the sixth and tied the record with one to right field in the seventh.
The sophomore is second in the Big Ten in home runs (4) and slugging percentage (.718) and sits seventh with a .410 batting average.
DEZSE BIG TEN PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Josh Dezse, a 1B/RHP on the Ohio State baseball team, was named Big Ten Player of the Week, the conference office announced Feb. 20.
Dezse went 7-for-14 on the weekend with a home run, five RBI and four runs scored as the Buckeyes went 2-1 in the Big Ten/Big East Challenge. The Powell, Ohio, native had multi-hit games in all three contests Feb. 17-19, highlighted by a three-hit performance Friday against USF and a 2-for-4 effort with a home run and four RBI Feb. 19 against Connecticut.
DEZSE PICKS UP PRESEASON HONORS
Ohio State sophomore 1B/RHP Josh Dezse has been named an NCBWA third team preseason All-American and a third team preseason All-American by CollegeSportsMadness.com. Dezse also was named to the watch list for the Golden Spikes Award, given to the top amateur baseball player in the country.
The Powell, Ohio, native led the Buckeyes with a .332 batting average and 42 runs batted in. He tied for the team lead with four home runs while going 4-2 with a team-high six saves and 32 strikeouts in 27.2 innings pitched. Dezse led the Buckeyes with 12 multiple RBI games and tied for third on the team with 17 multi-hit games.
Dezse became the 10th Buckeye to garner Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors after earning Big Ten Freshman of the Week laurels four times during the season and Player of the Week honors twice. In addition, he was named a Freshman All-American by the NCBWA and Louisville Slugger.
A NEW LOOK
The Ohio State baseball program honored Nick Swisher with a field dedication ceremony Nov. 3 at the newly-renovated Nick Swisher Field at Bill Davis Stadium. Current Buckeyes, fans and media were on hand to recognize Swisher for his generosity in giving the program $500,000 to help install a new turf field.
Selected by the Oakland Athletics with the 16th overall pick of the 2002 Major League Baseball draft, Swisher also spent time with the White Sox before heading to his current home with the New York Yankees where he was a part of the 2009 World Champion team and named an American League All-Star the following season. In his professional career, the Columbus native has seen action in 1,061 games and has amassed 185 home runs.
The current Buckeyes open the 2012 home campaign March 16 against Austin Peay in the first game at Nick Swisher Field at Bill Davis Stadium.
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 275-233 career record and is in his 10th season as a collegiate head coach.
16th 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 at home.
UP NEXT
The Buckeyes play at home for the first time in 2012, opening Nick Swisher Field at Bill Davis Stadium March 16-18 against Austin Peay.
