2015 Ohio State Baseball Season Outlook – Ohio State Buckeyes
2/6/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Feb. 6, 2015
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Fifth-year Ohio State head coach Greg Beals has a positive outlook for the 2015 season. Of course, so does every coach around the country as his team heads toward its season opener but Beals thinks his optimism has merit.
“We are very excited about this team and the upcoming season,” Beals said. “Last year, we had a young team and dealt with a lot of adversity, growing pains, injury and health that slowed down the upward progress of the program. We have learned and grown from those experiences and are confident we are a much tougher team this season.”
The team returns a total of 21 letterwinners from the 2014 campaign, including seven position players and four starting pitchers. Big Ten Freshman of the Year Tanner Tully will look to continue his success on the mound from his rookie season, while senior Ryan Riga, sophomore Travis Lakins round out the starting weekend rotation. Last season, the OSU pitching staff finished sixth in the Big Ten in pitching with a 3.61 ERA.
Tully was the Buckeyes’ first Big Ten Freshman of the Year winner since 2011, finishing fifth in ERA (2.22), eighth in innings pitched (93.1) and first in walks allowed (7) in the conference. Tully’s strength is his command, finishing third in the nation in walks allowed per nine innings (0.68) and eighth nationally in strikeout-to-walk ratio (7.57).
The Buckeyes have several position players returning, as well. Senior co-captain catchers Aaron Gretz and Connor Sabanosh will share the catching and designated hitter roles, junior second baseman Nick Sergakis, junior shortstop Craig Nennig, junior third baseman Troy Kuhn, sophomore left fielder Ronnie Dawson, sophomore centerfielder Troy Montgomery and senior right fielder Pat Porter. Dawson garnered second team All-Big Ten laurels, while Kuhn picked up his first All-Big Ten selection on the third team.
“We have a very talented nucleus returning this year with prototype tools in every position,” Beals said. “This team can go man-to-man against anybody in the country. It will be critical to solidify game plans and approach early in order to make a Big Ten run.”
Last season, the Buckeyes were in the Top 5 in multiple batting statistics in the Big Ten, including fourth in runs scored (278), hits (516), RBI (243), total bases (701) and fifth in on-base percentage (.349) and slugging percentage (.363).
Beals thinks the Buckeyes have the tools they need to battle for a Big Ten title and a regional berth, especially with their balance and depth. If they can stay healthy and mesh as a team, the Buckeyes could be looking at a race for their first Big Ten championship and first NCAA appearance since the 2009 campaign.
Sophomore pitcher Tanner Tully
THE INFIELD Third and shortstop appear to be set with Kuhn and Nennig returning. Kuhn started in 58 games, including the final 17 games at third base, while Nennig started the final 25 games at shortstop. Kuhn led the team with 40 runs socred, 14 doubles, six home runs and 35 RBI in 2014. Sergakis split time at shortstop with Nennig but made the final 17 starts at second base. Sergakis was second on the team in batting average (.318) and runs scored (29) and will get the starting nod at second base.
At first base, the Buckeyes have to replace All-Big Ten selection Josh Dezse. Junior Zach Ratcliff will start for Beals at first base, making 13 starts last season, while juniors Ryan Leffel and junior Jacob Bosiokovic will provide depth at the position. Bosiokovic looks to get significant playing time competing at first base and designated hitter as well as supply depth to the outfield.
Backing up the infield will be sophomore Jalen Washington, sophomore transfer L Grant Davis and freshman Nate Romans.
Junior third baseman Troy Kuhn
THE OUTFIELD The Buckeye outfield could be one of the best since Beals’ arrival. Dawson, a 2014 Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American returns in left field as do Porter in right and Montgomery in center.
Dawson, who was named Prospect Summer League Player of the Year, led the offensive charge for the Scarlet and Gray with a .337 average, 28 runs scored, 10 doubles and four home runs. He also stole 10 bases. Porter started in 56 games and led the outfield with eight assists, committing just one error with 121 putouts. He batted .229 with 21 RBI, 29 runs scored and four triples. Montgomery made 32 starts in the outfield in his first season, batting .235 with 22 RBI and a .353 slugging percentage.
The Buckeyes have tons of depth this year in the outfield with junior Jake Brobst and Bosiokovic returning in 2015. Freshmen Tre’ Gantt and Ridge Winand will provide talent as well off the bench in the outfield.
BEHIND THE PLATE Without a doubt, the team’s leadership will come from behind home plate in 2015 as the Buckeyes named two senior catchers as co-captains last fall – Aaron Gretz and Connor Sabanosh.
“I am excited about the leadership on this baseball team,” Beals said. “The announcement of our 2015 captains Aaron Gretz and Connor Sabanosh comes on the heels of spending six weeks last fall on the field together where it became evident that Aaron and Connor had the pulse of this team.”
Gretz, from Apple Valley, Minn., has appeared in 122 games, starting in 105 contests the past three seasons for the Scarlet and Gray. The OSU catcher has a .263 career batting average to go along with 43 runs scored, 17 doubles, one triple, 44 RBI and 60 walks. Gretz posted a career-best .284 average last year as a junior, collecting 12 runs scored, seven doubles, a triple and 12 RBI in 109 plate appearances.
Sabanosh, from Cave Creek, Ariz., is in his second campaign as a catcher for the Scarlet and Gray. Sabanosh had a successful first year in 2014, batting .291 with 12 runs scored, two doubles, one triple and nine RBI with 12 walks.
Providing depth behind the two captains will be Washington and freshman Jordan McDonough.
Left to Right: Senior Connor Sabanosh, junior Craig Nennig and junior Jacob Bosiokovic
THE PITCHING The Buckeyes will have plenty of talented support behind the starting rotation of Tully, Lakins and Riga in 2015. Juniors Jake Post and John Havird and freshman Jacob Niggemeyer will look to get significant innings in support of the roation or in the bullpen. Post made 15 appearances with six starts in 2014, collecting and ERA of 3.35, while Havird is a left-handed junior transfer from Mesa, Ariz. Niggemeyer had a solid fall ball, allowing no runs in 13 innings with five strikeouts.
“We have built this team around the fundamental philosophy of pitching and defense wins championships,” Beals said. “Team defense starts on the mound and this group embodies that philosophy.”
Right-handed pitcher Adam Niemeyer and lefty Michael Horejsei are the staples of the bullpen. Providing depth will be right-handers Shea Murray, Kyle Michalik, Seth Kinker, Curtiss Irving and left-handers Joe Stoll and Matt Panek. After that, Beals will turn to senior closer Trace Dempsey, who is three saves shy of tying the OSU all-time career saves mark of 29.
THE NEWCOMERS Ohio State welcomes eight new faces in the spring and all but two are freshmen. Left-handed pitcher John Havird, a junior from Mesa, Ariz., transferred from Mesa Community College. He joinsfreshmen pitchers Jacob Niggemeyer (Powell, Ohio; Olentangy Liberty) and Seth Kinker (Huntington, W. Va.; Cabel-Midland). Sophomore infielder L Grant Davis joins the Scarlet and Gray from Arizona State (Newport Beach, Calif.) as well as freshman infielder Nate Romans (Canton, Ohio; Walsh Jesuit). The group has one freshman catcher – Jordan McDonough (Cincinnati, Ohio, St. Xavier). Rounding out the incoming group is a pair of freshmen outfielders – Tre’ Gantt (Fishers, Ind.; Hamilton Southeastern) and Ridge Winand (Mansfield, Ohio; Clearfork).
