Ohio State Travels to Athens, Hosts Toledo in Midweek Contests – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/29/2016 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 29, 2016
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COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State baseball team begins its bye week from Big Ten action with two midweek games against in-state opponents. The Buckeyes (14-7-1, 2-1 B1G) travel to face Ohio at 6 p.m. ET Tuesday in Athens before hosting Toledo at 6:35 p.m. ET Wednesday at Nick Swisher Field at Bill Davis Stadium. Last weekend, the Buckeyes took two of three games vs. Northwestern in Columbus to begin conference play.
| Date | Time | Live Stats | Live Audio | Live Video |
| March 29, 2016 | 6 p.m. ET | GameTracker | ohiobobcats.com |
N/A |
| March 30, 2016 | 6:35 p.m. ET | GameTracker | N/A |
FOLLOW THE BUCKEYES
The contest vs. the Bobcats will have GameTracker and live audio on ohiobobcats.com. The home game vs. the Rockets will be streamed on BTN Plus ($). For up to the minute action, follow the Buckeyes on twitter via @OhioState_BASE.
ON THE HILL
Ohio: RHP Ryan Feltner (0-1, 6.30 ERA) vs. RHP Logan Jacik (2-0, 3.60 ERA)
Toledo: RHP Austin Woodby (3-1, 4.60 ERA) vs. RHP Jordan Kesson (0-0, 6.75 ERA)
BUCKEYES IN A NUTSHELL
- Ohio State claimed its seventh comeback win last time out in a 5-4 win over Northwestern last Sunday to claim a 2-1 series victory over the Wildcats.
- Jacob Bosiokovic hit his second walk-off home run and team-best sixth long ball of the year. Down to two outs in the bottom of the ninth, the OSU right fielder drilled a two-run shot over the left center wall to claim the Buckeyes 14th win of the season.
- The Scarlet and Gray claimed their 2,500th all-time win in school history in a 5-2 victory in game two vs. the Wildcats.
- The Buckeyes are in the Top 5 in several offensive Big Ten statistical categories, including first in walks (107), second in home runs (25) and stolen bases (33), third in run scored (143), third in RBI (131) and doubles (48) and fourth in slugging (.44).
- The Ohio State pitching staff has a team ERA of 3.52 – good for fifth-best in the league. The Buckeyes are second in strikeouts (193) and second in fewest walks allowed (54).
- Nick Sergakis is the conference leader in hits (37), second in batting average (.420) and doubles (80 and sixth in slugging (.636) and on-base percentage (.500).
- Ronnie Dawson and Sergakis are third in the league in total bases (56). Dawson is fourth in RBI (22) and tied for fifth with Troy Montgomery in runs scored (22).
- Montgomery leads the Big Ten in walks (24) and fifth in on-base percentage (.505).
- The team is led by sixth-year head coach Greg Beals, who has taken the Buckeyes to five-consecutive B1G tournaments.
- 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.
BUCKEYES AS OF LATE
Ohio State claimed its second straight series win of the season last time out in conference play vs. Northwestern. After dropping game one, the Buckeyes rebounded with back-to-back wins over the Wildcats to improve to 2-1 in league play. In the last five games, Ohio State is batting .268 with 17 extra-base hits, while going 19-for-20 in stolen bases. The OSU staff has combined for a 3.20 ERA with 41 strikeouts to 10 walks in 45.0 innings pitched. Sergakis is hitting .444 (8-for-18), while Montgomery is hitting .308 (4-for-13).
NORTHWESTERN SERIES NOTES
- Ohio State improved to 99-49 all-time vs. the ‘Cats.
- Sergakis batted .500 (5-for-10) with two home runs, five RBI, three walks and three stolen bases in the series. The OSU pitching staff struck out 30 batters to just seven walks during the series.
- Troy Kuhn batted .357 (5-for-14) with a run scored, two doubles and seven RBI.
- Adam Niemeyer picked up the win in game two, tying his career high with eight strikeouts in seven innings of work.
THE LONG BALL
Just looking at the numbers, the Buckeyes’ home run total is up in 2016. The team is second in the Big Ten with 25 home runs through 22 games.
TOTAL TALLY BY YEAR
2016 – 25 (22 games)
2015 – 35 (55 games)
2014 – 23 (58 games)
2013 – 19 (58 games)
2012 – 21 (60 games)
2011 – 20 (53 games)
2010 – 38 (51 games)
A LOOK AT OHIO
The Bobcats are 10-13 overall this season and 1-2 in MAC action. The team is hitting .292 at the plate with 69 extra-base hits, including 54 doubles. Cody Gaertner is batting .340 with five doubles, a home run and 10 RBI, while Tyler Finkler is htting .333 with seven doubles, a triple and six stolen bases. In all, the Bobcats have seven hitters at or around the .300 mark. John Adryan has seven home runs and seven doubles with 21 RBI. The OU pitching staff has a 4.34 ERA with 170 strikeouts to 126 walks in 209.1 innings pitched.
The Buckeyes lead the all-time series vs. the Bobcats, 82-40, and have won the last eight contests. Last year, L Grant Davis hit his first career home run in the bottom of the 10th on a three-run shot to claim the Buckeyes’ 7-4 win in Columbus.
BREAKING DOWN THE ROCKETS
Toledo sits at 4-20-1 overall and 1-2 in the MAC. Dan Zuchowski is hitting .264 with a home run, while the team has collected 15 stolen bases and a.965 fielding percentage. The UT pitching staff has a team ERA of 5.79 with 126 strikeouts to 117 walks.
Ohio State leads the all-time series, 29-7-1, and unbeaten in 23 straight contests vs. Toledo. Sergakis is hitting .444 (4-for-9) vs. the Rockets this year, while Bosiokovic is batting .429 (3-for-7) with a home run, two walks and two RBI.
MONTGOMERY CLIMBING STEALS LIST
Troy Montgomery continues to rise in the Ohio State career stolen base list. The Big Ten leader in steals in 2015 with 35 swipes, Montgomery has collected six so far this season and has 46 steals in his OSU career, which is eighth-most all-time
- Bo Rein (1965-67) – 49
- Jacob Howell (2004-07) – 47
- Troy Montgomery (2014-preset) – 46
UP NEXT
Ohio State continues its bye week from Big Ten play, hosting a three-game series vs. Bethune-Cookman Friday-Sunday at Nick Swisher Field at Bill Davis Stadium.
