Penn State, Rutgers Up Next for No. 24 Ohio State – Ohio State Buckeyes
4/5/2016 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 5, 2016
RELATED INFO: Game Notes | 2016 Statistics | 2016 Schedule | 2016 Roster | Big Ten Softball | Follow the Buckeyes on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Winners of nine of their last 11 games, Ohio State begins one of the busiest stretches of its schedule this week when it welcomes Penn State to Buckeye Field for a doubleheader on Wednesday and then heads to Piscataway, N.J. to take on Rutgers in a three-game weekend series April 8-10.
FOLLOWING ALONG
Live stats will be available for both games of Wednesday’s doubleheader from the schedule page at OhioStateBuckeyes.com. The April 8 contest at Rutgers will be on BTN Plus and fans can follow all three games of the series via GameTracker and Twitter (@OhioState_SB).
THE BASICS
Wednesday, April 6
Penn State at Ohio State | 10 a.m. | Live Stats
Penn State at Ohio State | 12:30 p.m. | Live Stats
Friday, April 8
Ohio State at Rutgers | 3 p.m. | BTN Plus | Live Stats
Saturday, April 9
Ohio State at Rutgers | 1 p.m. | Live Stats
Sunday, April 10
Ohio State at Rutgers | Noon | Live Stats
BUCKEYES IN A NUTSHELL
• With a 9-1-1 mark in the last 11 games, Ohio State stands at 19-8-1 overall and 4-1-1 in the Big Ten following a weekend series at Wisconsin that saw them drop the first game, win the second and tie the third.
• The Buckeyes are ranked No. 24 in this week’s ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 poll, one of three Big Ten schools in the poll.
• A potent Ohio State offense, which averages 6.4 runs/game, has six players who have started at least 13 games batting .300 or better. That group is led by the tandem of senior Cammi Prantl (.380, 25 RBI, 24 runs scored, eight doubles, five home runs) and junior Alex Bayne (.355, 32 RBI, 33 runs scored, 12 home runs).
• Not to be outdone, sophomore Taylor White (.316, 16 RBI, 17 runs scored), senior Maddy McIntyre (.316, 14 RBI), freshman Emily Clark (.316, six doubles) and Becca Gavin (.300, 12 runs scored) all contribute in a lineup that has a team average of .308 and on-base percentage of .412.
• The three regular starters who are not batting over .300 all have an on-base percentage of .338 or better.
• In the circle, the Buckeyes’ team ERA remain under 3.00, as five different pitchers have seen action this year. Shelby Hursh leads the group in nearly every category, including innings (76.1), wins (10), strikeouts (88) and ERA (1.93). Next in line is freshman Morgan Ray, who has logged 42.0 innings with a 3.50 ERA and 34 strikeouts. Lena Springer, who has made 12 appearances with 34.1 total innings, checks in with a 2.45 ERA.
• In the Big Ten, Ohio State ranks sixth in batting, third in slugging percentage and second in on-base percentage. In the circle, it is third in team ERA, fifth in opponent batting average and sixth in strikeouts.
SCOUTING PENN STATE
Off to a 6-0 start in Big Ten play, the Nittany Lions are 17-14 overall following last weekend’s sweep on Michigan State. On offense, Penn State has a team batting average of .327 and is averaging 5.6 runs/game. Seven players are hitting .300 or better, led by Macy Jones (.414, 28 RBI, 30 runs scored), and Shelby Miller (.394, 27 RBI, five home runs). Penn State predominantly uses a three-person pitching staff with Marlaina Laubach handing the majority of the innings this year (86.0 IP, 2.20 ERA, 56 Ks).
SCOUTING RUTGERS
The Scarlet Knights are coming off a weekend that saw them take two of three from Illinois in Champaign, capped off by a 3-1 win on Sunday afternoon. Prior to hosting the Buckeyes, Rutgers faces Seton Hall on Wednesday at 4 p.m. Stephanie Huang leads the charge offensively for Rutgers as she’s hitting .385 with nine doubles, 23 runs scored and 19 RBI. In the circle, Shayla Sweeney and Dresden Maddox have thrown 72.1 and 71.2 innings respectively with ERA’s just over 4.00.
WEEKEND STARS – WISCONSIN SERIES
Taylor White | .700, one home run, one triple, .750 on-base percentage
Went 4-for-4 in a 10-8 come-from-behind victory over the Badgers in the first game of a doubleheader on Sunday, hitting the game-tying home run in the top of the seventh … added an RBI triple earlier in the contest … collected two more hits in the second game of the doubleheader.
Emily Clark | .600, one double, .600 on-base percentage
Collected four hits in a 10-8 win over Wisconsin on Sunday, including a run-scoring double … has two four-hit games this season.
Anna Kirk | two home runs, five RBI on Sunday
Hit her first two home runs of the season last Sunday, including a three-run shot in the fourth inning of the second game of a doubleheader that gave the Buckeyes a 9-5 lead.
Becca Gavin | .375, three runs scored, .500 on-base percentage
Reached base in five of 10 plate appearances, including three hits and two walks … drove in a run against Wisconsin on Sunday.
THE LAST TEN
Ohio State is 7-2-1 over the last 10 games with three wins over Maryland and one each against San Jose State, Fresno State, Cal Poly and Wisconsin. In that stretch, two everyday starters – White and Clark – are batting .400 or better. Other noteworthy performances include:
• Bayne has hit six home runs and driven in 18 runs. She currently leads the team with 12 home runs and in the first member of this year’s 30-30 club (30+ runs/RBI)
• Machovina has collected seven hits in 15 at-bats (.467) with a double and five RBI.
• Clark’s .531 on-base percentage is the best amongst Ohio State’s starters.
• Every pitcher on the staff has made at least two appearances with Hursh leading the way at 4-0 with a 3.15 ERA in 26.2 innings.
DOWN WITH OPS
After having a OPS of .988 last year, the Buckeyes check in at .934 this year with four starters over the 1.000 mark – Alex Bayne (1.242), Cammi Prantl (1.114), Maddy McIntyre (1.023). Last year, the 16 teams that made the NCAA Super Regionals had an average OPS of .943.
IT’S ALL SITUATIONAL
With a runner on third and less than two outs, Buckeye batters are cashing in nearly 52 percent of the time (34-for-66) and leadoff batters get on base at a .449 clip (84-for-187). In seven games, leadoff runners have reached base four or more times.
IN THE RPI
The third RPI of the 2016 season was released on Monday and Ohio State checks in at No. 40, the fourth highest Big Ten squad. The Buckeyes have two wins against teams that are ranked higher than them – Arizona State (No. 25) and Fresno State (No. 22) – and are 4-4 against RPI Top 50 opponents.
BIG TEN STATS
• Ohio State checks in at No. 6 in team batting average (.308), third in team ERA (2.93) and second in fielding percentage (.968) and on-base percentage (.414).
• Individually, Prantl is No. 15 in batting average (.380), Alex Bayne is fourth in slugging percentage (.806) and second in home runs (12) while Maddy McIntyre is 11th in on-base percentage.
POWER CLUB
One reason why Ohio State has 86 extra base hits through 28 games (3.1/game): its commitment to getting stronger in the weight room. Four members of this year’s team were recently announced as being part of the “Buckeye Power Club”: McIntyre, Bayne, Gavin and Hursh. The four were chosen based on leadership ability, work ethic, winning attitude, attendance, and above average ability to follow instructions. Each athlete chosen will be eligible for the National Strength and Conditioning All American Award the following year.
UNFORM WATCH
Ohio State’s record when it wears…
White jersey/white pants: 7-3
White jersey/red pants: 1-0-1
Gray jersey/gray pants: 5-3
Red jersey/red pants: 6-2
EXTRA BASES
• Cammi Prantl’s 52 career doubles is just six shy of the career leader, Krinon Clark (58, 1991-94).
• The Buckeyes’ tie in the second game of last Sunday’s doubleheader is the first in program history since 1988.
• In a 12-2 win over Maryland two weeks ago, Alex Bayne drove in seven runs – the second highest total in single-game history. Teammate Erika Leonard holds the record with 10 RBI in the quarterfinals of last year’s Big Ten Tournament.
• In 42 opportunities this year, Buckeye hitters have 16 hits with the bases loaded. McIntyre is a perfect three-for-three while Jayla Saibene is two-for-two.
• Fifteen of Prantl’s 25 RBI have come with two outs, tops on the team.
• In six Big Ten games this year, the Buckeyes are averaging 8.8 runs/game and are hitting .360. Bayne leads the way with 14 RBI and is on pace to challenge Leonard’s conference record of 37 RBI in 23 conference games.
• Ohio State has scored first in 18 of 28 games and is 14-3-1 in those contests.
