Buckeyes Headed to St. Pete/Clearwater Invitational
2/14/2019 10:11:51 AM | Softball
RELATED INFO
- Follow the Buckeyes on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram | 2019 Schedule (PDF) | Tournament Central | Parking | Game Notes
COLUMBUS, Ohio – No. RV/23 Ohio State is back on the road for the inaugural St. Pete/Clearwater Invitational. The Buckeyes will take on a pair of Top 10 opponents in No. 1/2 Florida State and No. 8/7 LSU while also facing Utah and Notre Dame.
WEEKLY BASICS
| St. Pete/Clearwater Invitational | Clearwater, Fla. |
|---|
| Ohio State vs. No. 1/2 FSU | Friday, Feb. 15 | 9:30 a.m. ET | Field #9 | Live Stats | ESPN3 |
| Ohio State vs. No. 8/7 LSU | Saturday, Feb. 16 | 10 a.m. ET | Field #3 | Live Stats |
| Ohio State vs. Utah | Saturday, Feb. 16 | 1 p.m. ET | Field #3 | Live Stats |
| Ohio State vs. Notre Dame | Sunday, Feb. 17 | 9:30 a.m. ET | Field #8 | Live Stats | ESPNU |
HOW TO WATCH
Two of Ohio State’s four games will be broadcast on ESPN networks. Friday’s opener against FSU is being streamed on ESPN3 while Sunday’s closer against Notre Dame is airing nationally on ESPNU.
SCOUTING REPORT
Defending national champion Florida State opened its season with a 5-0 performance at the JoAnne Graf Classic after outscoring its opponents by a 31-2 margin. Meghan King was named ACC Co-Pitcher of the Week with a pair of complete-game shutouts.
LSU kicked off its season last week with 73 runs and a 6-0 mark at the Tiger Classic. The Tigers recorded every victory via run rule and posted four shutouts. Rookie Shelby Wickersham is the reigning SEC Freshman of the Week after throwing a no-hitter.
Utah brings a 4-1 record into the weekend after competing at the Kajikawa Classic. Pitcher Hailey Hilburn currently leads the Pac-12 with three wins.
Notre Dame went 2-2 at the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge to start the season. The Fighting Irish pulled off a 3-2 eight-inning upset of No. 3/2 Washington.
SERIES RECORDS
Florida State: Seminoles lead 2-10
LSU: Tigers lead 5-2
Utah: Utes lead 9-4
Notre Dame: Fighting Irish lead 6-3
PRESS REWIND
The Buckeyes started their 2019 campaign with a 3-1 record at the Friends of Jaclyn Tournament. Senior Emily Clark led the charge with a .385 batting average, seven RBI, five hits, three runs and a .923 slugging percentage. She went the distance twice on a two-run shot against George Mason and game-winning grand slam versus Ole Miss.
ACC/BIG TEN CHALLENGE
This weekend’s contests against the Seminoles and Fighting Irish will count towards the ACC/Big Ten Challenge standings. Ohio State, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Penn State and Wisconsin are representing the Big Ten this year. The Buckeyes’ 3-1 mark led the conference last season. Ohio State had two wins over Louisville and split with N.C. State.
IN THE CIRCLE
Ohio State’s four-person pitching staff worked together to register a 0.78 ERA and three wins last week. The unit stifled the opposition as they hit just .120 through 11.2 innings with just a pair of hits for extra bases. Kat Duvall, Lauren Rice and Skylar Hayward each had a 0.00 ERA while Morgan Ray posted a 1.80 ERA.
WELCOME TO THE BIG LEAGUES
Ohio State has six newcomers on the 2019 spring roster, including summer transfer Lauren Rice and walk-on Summer Constable. The Buckeyes also have four freshmen – Meg Otte, Ashley Prange, Kaitlyn Coffman and Jessica Ross.
UP NEXT
The Buckeyes continue their cross country adventure at the Mary Nutter Classic Feb. 22-24 in Palm Springs, Calif. Ohio State will challenge Army, Utah, Duke and New Mexico State.
