Ohio State Hosts Xavier in Midweek Game Tuesday – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/21/2016 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 21, 2016
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Weekly Release – March 21
COLUMBUS, Ohio – After opening the 2016 home schedule with a series sweep, the Ohio State baseball team is set to host Xavier at 5:05 p.m. ET Tuesday at Nick Swisher Field at Bill Davis Stadium. Both the Buckeyes (11-6-1, 0-0 B1G) and Musketeers (7-12, 0-0 Big East) come into the in-state contest with a four-game win streak.
FOLLOW THE BUCKEYES
The contest vs. the Musketeers is the first of 19 home games featured on BTN Plus ($). GameTracker also be available Tuesday night. For inning-by-inning updates, follow the Buckeyes on twitter via @OhioState_BASE.
ON THE HILL
RHP Ryan Feltner (0-1, 5.17 ERA) vs. LHP Brad Kirschner (2-1, 5.84 ERA)
BUCKEYES IN A NUTSHELL
- Last weekend marked the 133rd season of baseball on campus at Ohio State.
- The team is led by sixth-year head coach Greg Beals, who has taken the Buckeyes to five-consecutive B1G tournament appearances.
- Ohio State returns 20 letterwinners, including six starting position players and three starting pitchers.
- The Buckeyes are led by one of their largest senior classes in recent history – 10 members.
- Senior infielder Nick Sergakis and junior catcher Jalen Washington were both named captains last fall.
- Junior outfielder Troy Montgomery was named a NCBWA Third Team Preseason All-American. He was joined by junior outfielder Ronnie Dawson and junior pitcher Tanner Tully on the B1G Preseason Players to Watch List.
- Ohio State is in the Top 5 in multiple B1G offensive statistics, including first in home runs (19) and RBI (107) second in runs scored (117), third in doubles (38) fourth in slugging percentage (.435) and fifth in steals (19).
- The OSU pitching staff has collected the second-most strikeouts in the conference (156) and allowed the second-fewest walks (44).
- Sergakis leads the team with a .419 average (fourth-best in B1G) and has reached base safely in all 18 games.
- In the last five games, Dawson is slugging 1.278 with one double, two triples, there home runs and 13 RBI.
- Eight of the next nine games will be played at Nick Swisher Field at Bill Davis Stadium.
- The Scarlet and Gray are two wins shy of 2,500 victories all-time in program history.
OHIO STATE AS OF LATE
The Buckeyes swept Hofstra in Columbus over the weekend, taking the opener, 12-1, Friday before two comeback wins on Saturday, 4-2, and Sunday, 2-1, respectively.
Dawson batted .600 (6-for-10) with two triples, home run, seven RBI and two walks for a 1.333 slugging percentage to pace the Buckeyes offensively. Sergakis continued to swing a hot bat as well, notching a .545 average (6-for-11) vs. the Pride. The OSU defense and pitching led the way to the first series sweep of the year. Each starter – Tully, Niemeyer and Havird – had a quality start, combing for a 0.90 ERA in 20.0 innings pitched. Yianni Pavlopoulos led the bullpen with two saves. Overall, the OSU pitching staff struck out a combined 12 batters with no walks.
SCOUTING XAVIER
2016 Record: 7-12
Just like the Buckeyes, Xavier heads into the midweek game in Columbus with a four-game win streak. The Musketeers defeated Miami (Ohio), 12-4, before sweeping Central Michigan last weekend to open their home schedule at Hayden Field. Xavier opened the season on the road in a four-game set at Arizona State and also played a road series at Vanderbilt two weeks ago. At the plate, Will LaRue leads the team with a .313 average and 19 stolen bases, while Joe Gellenbeck has notched a team-best five home runs with 11 RBI. Xavier is ranked in the Top 15 nationally with 49 stolen bases. The Musketeer pitching staff has struck out 120 batters to 82 walks with a team ERA of 5.85.
OHIO STATE VS. HOFSTRA SERIES NOTES
- Dawson’s 10 total bases in game one tied Bosoikovic for a single-game high in 2016. He became the first Buckeye to collect two triples and a home run in the same game (since 2004).
- Sergakis tied his career high with four hits in the opener.
- Ridge Winand posted his first career hit, RBI and double in the opener.
- Jacob Barnwell made his first career start behind the dish in game two.
- Both Niemeyer in game two and Havird in game three tossed a career-high in innings pitched (7.0).
- The second contest marked the first time the Buckeyes did not register an extra-base in 18 games.
- Ohio State tallied a season-high five stolen bases in game three.
- Sergakis notched his 11th multi-hit game (team-best) in the series finale.
- Montgomery picked up his third and fourth stolen bases of the season and 42nd and 43rd of his OSU career. He ties Kirby Pellant (2012-13) and Morgan Assmann for ninth in the OSU career stolen base record book.
OTHER NOTES
- Ohio State is 7-1 when leading after the seventh inning and 9-1 when leading after the eighth stanza.
- The Buckeyes are 4-0 when holding opponents to two runs or less and 5-0-1 when scoring in the first inning.
- Sergakis is hitting .409 (18-44) with runners on base.
- Pavlopoulos has thrown 10.2 consecutive scoreless innings in 2016.
20TH SEASON AT BILL DAVIS STADIUM
Ohio State is 317-161 all-time at Bill Davis Stadium for a fine .661 winning percentage. Ohio State is 168-99 vs. the Big Ten Conference at home.
NEW PADDING AT BILL DAVIS STADIUM
Bill Davis Stadium has a new look for its 20th season. New gray padding from foul pole to foul pole and behind home plate was mounted this past week before the Buckeyes’ home opener vs. the Pride. The foul poles were also painted neon green last fall. Bill Davis Stadium used to have wooden outfield walls with scarlet paint and white foul poles.
BUCKEYES ON BTN
The Buckeyes will be aired on national television there times during the 2016 spring season. The team will first be on the conference network at home in the final game of the opening conference series against Northwestern at Noon ET Sunday. Ohio State’s next conference game – on the road at Maryland – will be aired nationally at 5:30 p.m. ET April 8 before the final televised game on Senior Day at 3 p.m. ET May 15 against Michigan in Columbus. Nineteen home games will be streamed on BTN Plus.
COACH BEALS
Sixth-year head coach Greg Beals is the 11th head coach in Ohio State history and only the fourth in the last 60 years. He has a 413-333-1 career record and is in his 14th season as a collegiate head coach.
UP NEXT
Ohio State opens Big Ten play against Northwestern Friday-Sunday in Columbus. First pitch Friday is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. ET. The series finale set for Noon ET Sunday will be broadcast live on BTN.
