Buckeyes Square Off Against No. 16 FAU This Week in Columbus – Ohio State Buckeyes
5/9/2016 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 9, 2016
RELATED INFO
Follow the Buckeyes on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram | 2016 Schedule | Season Stats | Buy Tickets | Promotional Calendar | PDF: Game Notes
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State baseball team is ready for its biggest home test of the season this week in Columbus. The Buckeyes (31-16-1, 10-8 B1G) host No. 16 Florida Atlantic (33-13, 17-7 C-USA) Tuesday and Wednesday at Nick Swisher Field at Bill Davis Stadium in the first meeting between the two programs in the Buckeye state. Both first pitches are set for 6:35 p.m. ET live on BTN Plus ($). Following its final midweek series against the Owls, Ohio State takes on conference-rival and No. 19 Michigan Friday-Sunday with two weeks remaining in the regular season.
The Scarlet and Gray are returning to the diamond after taking two of three games vs. Iowa to move to a tie for sixth in the Big Ten, while the Owls (33-13, 17-7 C-USA), currently third in the C-USA, swept a home series vs. UTSA in Boca Raton, Fla.
| Date | Time | Live Stats | Live Video ($) |
| Tuesday, May 10 | 6:35 p.m. ET | GameTracker | BTN Plus ($) |
| Wednesday, May 11 | 6:35 p.m. ET | GameTracker | BTN Plus ($) |
PROMOTIONAL CALENDAR
Tuesday, May 10 – Triple Play Package Available
Wednesday, May 11 – Dollar Dog Night, Buy One Get One Free GA Tickets (Online Only)
ON THE HILL
Tuesday: LHP Daulton Mosbarger (1-0, 2.66 ERA) vs. TBA
Wednesday: TBA vs. RHP David McKay (2-4, 3.35 ERA)
BUCKEYES IN A NUTSHELL
- Ohio State sits in a tie for sixth place in the Big Ten standings with Penn State and Maryland with 10-8 league records. The Buckeyes will host Michigan Friday-Sunday in Columbus. Senior Day on Sunday will be on BTN.
- The Buckeyes lead the Big Ten with 18 home victories in 2016. Ohio State is 12-1 vs. non-conference schools in Columbus.
- Ohio State leads the Big Ten with 44 home runs and 105 doubles. It’s the most home runs by a Buckeye team in six years.
- The OSU pitching staff has a 3.10 team ERA, good for second-best in the Big Ten and ranked 19th in the country.
- The Buckeyes are in the Top 5 in several other Big Ten batting categories, including second in stolen bases (71) and walks (215), third in slugging (.424), runs scored (277), and RBI (254) and fifth in hits (428).
- The Buckeyes are first in batters struck out looking (127) and second in strikeouts (357), saves (14) and wins (31) and third in fewest walks allowed (127).
- Nick Sergakis is in the Top 10 in 10 different B1G batting categories. He is first in hit by pitches (14), second in doubles (17), third in slugging (.591), fourth in on-base percentage (.479), fifth in total bases (101), sixth in RBI (37), eighth in batting average (.357), ninth in walks (29) and tenth in hits (61) and home runs (7).
- Ronnie Dawson became the first Buckeye in program history with at least 40 doubles, 20 home runs and 40 stolen bases in his OSU career last weekend. He leads the league in total bases (106).
- Jacob Bosiokovic is tied for third in the Big Ten with 10 home runs and eighth in slugging (.546).
- Troy Montgomery is fifth all-time in OSU career steals with 55 swipes. He is second in B1G in walks with 41.
- 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 – 9 members.
A LOOK AT FAU
The Owls climbed to No. 16 in the latest USA Today Coaches’ Poll on Monday after sweeping a home series against UTSA last weekend in Boca Raton. The Owls are hitting .293 as a team with 89 doubles, 11 triples, 28 home runs and 35-for-42 in stolen bases. CJ Chatham leads the team with a .369 average on 15 doubles, four triples, six home runs, 42 RBI and .576 slugging. The pitching staff’s ERA is a solid 2.90 with 315 strikeouts in 418.2 innings of work. Opposing teams are hitting just .238 vs. the Owls. Right-hander David McKay is 2-4 with a 3.35 ERA. He’s fanned 52 batters in 51.0 innings.
Former Ohio State Executive Associate Athletics Director for External Relations Pat Chun returns to Columbus as the Vice President and Director of Athletics at FAU. He was the Ohio State baseball SID in the late 1990’s and worked in multiple offices during his 15 years with the Ohio State Department of Athletics at his alma mater.
THE MATCHUP
This two-game midweek series is the first meeting between the two schools in Columbus. Florida Atlantic leads the all-time series vs. the Buckeyes, 3-4. Last year, the Owls won two of three games vs. the Scarlet and Gray Feb. 20-22 in Boca Raton, Fla., in the first meeting between Ohio State and FAU since the 2004 campaign. Ohio State won the opener, 8-2, before falling, 7-0, in game two and, 2-1, in game three.
Ronnie Dawson batted .333 (4-for-12) with a pair of doubles, RBI, walk and stolen base in the series last year, while Nick Sergakis also homered vs. the Owls.
