Ohio State Opens B1G Season vs. Northwestern this Weekend – Ohio State Buckeyes

March 24, 2016

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State baseball team is set to open its conference schedule this weekend against Northwestern at Nick Swisher Field at Bill Davis Stadium. The series opens at 6:35 p.m. ET Friday. Game two is set for 3:05 p.m. ET Saturday. The finale starts at Noon ET Sunday live on BTN. The Buckeyes (12-6-1, 0-0 B1G) head into the series vs. the Wildcats (5-16, 0-0 B1G) with a five-game win streak and hold a perfect 4-0 record at home in 2016.

Date	Time	Live Stats	Live Audio	Live Video
March 25, 2016	6:35 p.m. ET	GameTracker	AM 1460 ESPN	Buckeye Vision ($)
March 26, 2016	3:05 p.m. ET	GameTracker	AM 1460 ESPN	Buckeye Vision ($)
March 27, 2016	Noon ET	GameTracker	AM 1460 ESPN	BTN/BTN2Go

FOLLOW THE BUCKEYES
Games one and two will be streamed on Buckeye Vision ($). The series finale will be broadcasted live on BTN. Fans can also listen on OhioStateBuckeyes.com or on the radio at AM 1460 ESPN with play-by-play Paul Keels and analysis Bob Spears and Brian Mannino on the call.

ON THE HILL
Game 1: LHP Tanner Tully (3-1, 2.73 ERA) vs. LHP Reed Mason (2-1, 3.28 ERA)
Game 2: RHP Adam Niemeyer (1-1, 3.60 ERA) vs. LHP Matt Hopfner (0-1, 1.50 ERA)
Game 3: LHP John Havird (1-1, 4.08 ERA) vs. RHP Dan Kubiuk (0-1, 3.00 ERA)

BUCKEYES IN A NUTSHELL

Ohio State claimed its third-consecutive comeback win last time out in an 11-6 victory over Xavier on Tuesday night in Columbus.
The five-game win streak is a season-high for the Scarlet and Gray.
The Scarlet and Gray are one win shy of 2,500 all-time in program history.
The Buckeyes are in the Top 5 in several offensive Big Ten statistical categories, including first in home runs (21), triples (6), runs scored (128), RBI (117), third in doubles (41) and fourth in slugging (.444).
The Ohio State pitching staff has a team ERA of 3.60 – good for fifth-best in the league. The Buckeyes are second in strikeouts (163) and fewest walks allowed (47).
Ronnie Dawson leads the Big Ten in runs scored (21), RBI (22) and total bases (53) and in home runs (5) and slugging (.663) and tied for sixth in doubles (7).
Nick Sergakis is the conference leader in hits (32), third in total bases (45) and fifth in batting average (.410).
Brady Cherry is second in the league in slugging (.686) and sixth in RBI (17), while Troy Montgomery leads the conference in walks (20) and tied for second in runs scored (20).
Yianni Pavlopoulos is first in the Big Ten in saves (5).
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.
Sergakis and Jalen Washington were both named captains last fall.

A LOOK AT NORTHWESTERN
Northwestern comes into Columbus with a 5-16 record and in the midst of a five-game losing streak. The Wildcats are 3-10 on the road this season after being swept last weekend at Cincinnati and losing, 7-1, at Northern Kentucky on Tuesday and a 5-4 setback at Miami Wednesday in Oxford. Matt Hopfner leads the Wildcats with a .390 average, with eight doubles. The Wildcats hit .279 as a team, while the pitching staff has posted a 6.27 team ERA. Mason Reed leads the rotation with a 2-1 mark and 3.28 ERA in five starts.

CHERRY, NENNIG LIFT BUCKEYES OVER XAVIER
A grand slam in the bottom of the seventh by Brady Cherry and three-run home run by Craig Nennig highlighted an 11-6 comeback win over Xavier Tuesday night. The Buckeye bats were kept off the scoreboard through the first four innings vs. Xavier left-hander starter Brad Kirschner until the squad unleashed a two-run fifth, four-run sixth, three-run seventh and two-run eighth. Cherry, a native of Pendleton, Ind., went 2-for-5 with a grand slam and five RBI, while Nennig, a native of Wrightstown, Wis., was 2-for-4 with two runs scored, home run and three RBI. Junior center fielder Troy Montgomery was 3-for-3 with two runs scored and two walks too. On the mound, the OSU bullpen limited the Xavier hitters to one run on four hits in the final 4.2 innings. Redshirt sophomore right-hander Austin Woodby received the win to improve to 3-1.

ONE WIN SHY OF 2,500
With a victory over the Wildcats, the Buckeyes would become the fourth school in the Big Ten to reach 2,500 wins all-time. Ohio State ranks 22nd nationally in the NCAA record book for all-time program victories.

Michigan (2,813)
Illinois (2,530)
Minnesota (2,524)
Ohio State (2,499)

*as of March 22

A LOOK BACK AT HOFSTRA SERIES
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.

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 .413 (19-46) with runners on base.
Pavlopoulos has thrown 10.2 consecutive scoreless innings in 2016.

20TH SEASON AT BILL DAVIS STADIUM
Ohio State is 318-161 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 the Wildcats 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 414-333-1 career record and is in his 14th season as a collegiate head coach.

UP NEXT
Ohio State travels for a day trip down to Athens, Ohio, to face Ohio at 6 p.m. ET Tuesday from Bob Wren Stadium.

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