First True Road Test Awaits Buckeyes in Piscataway
3/18/2021 11:50:32 AM | Baseball
Ohio State vs. Rutgers
Game 1
Date: March 20, 2021 | Time: 1:00 p.m. | Watch: BTN Plus+ | Live Scoring
Probable Starters:
Ohio State – Garrett Burhenn (Jr. | RHP | 0-1 | 6.55 ERA | 11.0 IP | 8 K | 6 B)
Rutgers – Harry Rutkowski (R-Jr. | LHP | 1-1 | 5.73 ERA | 11.0 IP | 14 K | 6 BB)
Game 2
Date: March 21, 2021 | Time: 1:00 p.m. | Watch: BTN Plus+ | Live Scoring
Probable Starters:
Ohio State – Seth Lonsway (R-Jr. LHP | 0-1 | 7.27 ERA | 8.2 IP | 15 K | 7 BB)
Rutgers – Ben Wereski (Grad. | LHP | 2-0 | 3.38 ERA | 10.2 IP | 12 K | 2 BB)
Game 3
Date: March 22, 2021 | Time: 1:00 p.m. | Watch: BTN Plus+ | Live Scoring
Probable Starters:
Ohio State – Jack Neely (Jr. | RHP | 1-0 | 5.40 ERA | 8.1 IP | 8 K | 6 BB)
Rutgers – Brent Teller (Grad. | RHP | 0-1 | 7.36 ERA | 7.1 IP | 5 K | 5 BB)
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio State will be playing in its first true Big Ten weekend series as it heads to Piscataway to take on Rutgers. That being said, weather has pushed the start of the series back a day and the three-game series will run Saturday through Monday. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. each day.
The Opponents
- Rutgers has opened the season 4-4 and is coming off a 2-2 weekend at Maryland.
- Third basemen Chris Brito was named to the Collegiate Baseball National Players of the Week as he had four homers with two doubles in a 9-for-18 series against the Terps.
- Following a seven-hit weekend at Maryland, Josh Rodriguez was tabbed Big Ten Freshman of the Week.
- The Scarlet Knights lead the Big Ten in runs scored (7.2 per game) and home runs (17).
Weekend in a Football Stadium
- Playing in a unique setup at US Bank Stadium, home of the Minnesota Vikings, the Buckeyes split the four-game series with Iowa and Nebraska.
- Mitchell Okuley led the team with a .357 average and slugging a pair of home runs.
- Leadoff hitter Sam Wilson also hit a pair of homers in the series.
- Conner Pohl’s home run Saturday hit the seat in the upper deck or it would still be flying.
- Freshman Kade Kern continued to pound the ball, hitting a home run and pair of doubles.
- Colton Bauer hit his first home run as a Buckeye on Sunday and it could not have come in a bigger spot. With the game tied and two-outs in the eighth, he smoked a drive to straight-away center, putting the Buckeyes in front 6-4.
- On the mound, Will Pfennig turned in the performance of the weekend, as he retired 15 batters in a row after a shaky first inning on Sunday. In total, he went 6.2, allowing three runs on five hits and striking out seven while not walking a batter.
- TJ Brock pitched two scoreless innings and picked up his first two saves of the season.
- Captain Griffan Smith missed the first weekend but made his season debut on Sunday in a scoreless eighth, striking out a pair.
Ohio State Quick Hitters
- The Buckeyes are batting .244 as a team and has scored 41 runs.
- OSU is third in the conference in home runs as a team with nine.
- Sam Wilson and Colton Bauer each have reached base streaks of 16 games dating back to last season.
- The OSU bullpen has only allowed three of 16 inherited runners to score this season.
- Ohio State pitchers have stranded 71 runners on base through the first eight games
#GoBuckeyes
