Buckeyes Host No. 21/18 Wolverines for B1G Series
4/11/2019 5:44:15 PM | Softball
RELATED INFO
- Follow the Buckeyes on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram | 2019 Schedule/Results | Game Notes
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio State kicks off its four-game homestand at Buckeye Field this weekend when it hosts No. 21/18 Michigan. First pitch on Friday is set for 6:02 p.m. live on ESPNU. Action continues at 2 p.m. Saturday before the series finale Sunday at 1 p.m. Both games will be streamed on BTN Plus/BTN2Go.
WEEKLY BASICS
| Ohio State vs. No. 21/18 Michigan | April 12 | 6 p.m. | ESPNU | Live Stats | Live Stream |
| Ohio State vs. No. 21/18 Michigan | April 13 | 2 p.m. | Live Stats | Live Stream |
| Ohio State vs. No. 21/18 Michigan | April 13 | 4 p.m. | Live Stats | Live Stream |
PROMOTIONS
Friday – Free popcorn for the first 100 youth
Saturday – Postgame Meet & Greet, parking advisory for spring game
Sunday – Scarlet Out, first 1,000 fans receive a scarlet rally towel, Kids Run the Bases
BUCKEYE BREAKDOWN
- Ohio State split a doubleheader at Penn State Tuesday. The Buckeyes dropped the opener, 6-4, before bouncing back in the nightcap with a 12-1 five-inning win.
- Ohio State connected on a season-high 18 hits and batted .529 in the second game.
- The Buckeyes were 8-for-14 (.571) with two outs and 7-for-16 (.438) with runners in scoring position in the finale. Ohio State’s leadoff hitters were a perfect 5-for-5.
- Niki Carver batted .625 with five hits, three RBI, two runs and 1.125 slugging percentage in the doubleheader.
- Lilli Piper posted a .778 batting average on her way to seven hits, two RBI and one run during the series.
- Ohio State checked in at No. 39 in this week’s NCAA RPI. Overall, the Big Ten came in with the fourth-best conference RPI.
- The Buckeyes are receiving votes in the USA Today/NFCA Coaches Poll and ESPN.com/USA Softball Poll.
- Ohio State’s pitching staff has a combined 1.89 ERA, which ranks 16th
- Morgan Ray is second in the Big Ten in opposing batting average with a .159 clip. She also ranks eighth behind a 1.90 ERA and 105 strikeouts.
- Emily Clark ranks in the top 15 of multiple categories in the conference, including slugging percentage (.661), total bases (74), RBI (33), runs scored (28), doubles (12) and home runs (7).
- Claire Nicholson is making her mark as Ohio State’s starting catcher and has caught 13 stealing, the best mark in the Big Ten.
- Lilli Piper paces the conference with 106 assists and stands second in fielding double plays (12).
- Defensively, the Buckeyes have caught 14 stealing and fielded 20 double plays, the top marks in the league.
- In Big Ten games only, Lilli Piper has 20 hits (1st) and is batting .556 (3rd) with a .644 on-base percentage (3rd). Lauren Rice is tied for second with six wins and fourth thanks to a 1.40 ERA.
- For the first time since 2007, Ohio State has thrown two no-hitters in a season. The first came against Army (Feb. 22) as Skylar Hayward and Morgan Ray combined for a complete-game shutout with 10 strikeouts.
- Ray had the first solo no-hitter of her career in game two against Portland State (Mar. 12) after pitching seven innings of six-strikeout ball.
- The Buckeyes had a season-high eight hits for extra bases in game one at Portland State. The team tallied four home runs, three doubles and a triple.
- Ohio State is 10-3 when scoring in the first inning and 17-0 when holding opponents to two runs or less.
- The Buckeyes have outscored their opponents 183-92.
SCOUTING REPORT
Michigan is 27-10 on the season and is tied for first place in the Big Ten at 9-0 after sweeping Indiana last weekend. The team is hitting .301 with 31 home runs. Lexie Blair is batting .392 with 47 hits, 32 RBI and 26 runs to pace the Wolverines. Meghan Beaubien is 16-3 in the circle, having pitched 128.2 innings for a 1.69 ERA and 139 strikeouts. Michigan’s pitching staff ranks 19th nationally with a 1.97 ERA.
SERIES HISTORY
The Wolverines have a 95-22 lead all-time vs. the Buckeyes. Ohio State won the series finale in five innings a season ago with a 10-1 decision in Ann Arbor. It was the first time Michigan had been run-ruled at home since 2000.
STREAKIN’
Lilli Piper has successfully gotten on base in the last 15 games and leads the Buckeyes with 13 multi-hit outings. Ashley Prange is riding an eight-game hitting streak while Kallie Boren has safely reached in nine straight contests. Emily Clark and Prange each have seven games with multiple RBI.
HOME COOKING
After hosting Rutgers, Ohio State improved to 71-28 at Buckeye Field over the last seven seasons. The Buckeyes have won a minimum of 10 games at home in each of the past six years.
EYEING THE RECORD BOOK
| Ohio State Career Records Standings | ||
|---|---|---|
| Totals | Rank | |
| Lilli Piper | .420 batting avg. | 2nd |
| 47 home runs | 3rd | |
| 151 runs | 6th | |
| 143 RBI | 7th | |
| 40 stolen bases | 10th | |
| Emily Clark | 169 RBI | 3rd |
| 40 home runs | 5th | |
| 42 doubles | 5th | |
| 81 walks | 8th | |
| Morgan Ray | 44 wins | 5th |
| 414 strikeouts | 6th | |
| 455.1 IP | 10th |
LILLI PIPER – BIG TEN MEDAL OF HONOR FINALIST
Senior shortstop Lilli Piper was one of five female Ohio State student-athletes named Big Ten Medal of Honor finalists on Wednesday night. The Big Ten Medal of Honor is awarded to one male and one female student from the graduating class of each member institution who has demonstrated excellence on and off the field throughout their college career. It is the highest honor a student competing in conference athletics can achieve in the Big Ten.
SMARTY BUCKS
Nineteen Ohio State softball student-athletes earned OSU Scholar-Athlete honors this spring for having a 3.0 or better grade point averages for the 2018-19 academic year. For the complete list, click here.
ROAD TRIPPIN’
Ohio State spent the first six weeks of the season on the road. The Buckeyes played 24 games away from Columbus, posting a 13-5 neutral site record and 2-4 away mark. During the stretch, the Buckeyes faced six opponents that played in last year’s NCAA Tournament, including defending national champion Florida State and runner-up Washington. Ohio State still has four games against two teams that made the postseason a year ago.
WOMAN IN CHARGE
Head coach Kelly Kovach Schoenly picked up her 200th win at the helm for Ohio State when the Buckeyes delivered a 7-0 shutout versus George Mason to open the 2019 season. Schoenly hit another milestone on March 12 when OSU swept its doubleheader at Portland State for win No. 400 of her 13-year career as a head coach.
UP NEXT
The Buckeyes close their homestand next Tuesday, Apr. 16 against Ohio University at 6 p.m.
