Buckeyes Hosts Series with Michigan State This Weekend
5/13/2021 4:37:18 PM | Baseball
Ohio State vs. Michigan State
Game 1
Date: May 14, 2021 | Time: 6:05 p.m. | Watch: BTN Plus+ | Scoring/Listen
Probable Starters:
Ohio State – Seth Lonsway (R-Jr. | LHP | 3-4 | 3.21 ERA | 53.1 IP | 80 K | 29 BB)
Michigan State – Mason Erla (Jr. | RHP | 3-5 | 3.71 ERA | 60.2 IP | 62 K | 22 BB)
Game 2
Date: May 15, 2021 | Time: 3:05 p.m. | Watch: BTN Plus+ | Scoring/Listen
Probable Starters:
Ohio State – Seth Lonsway (Sr. | LHP | 1-0 | 7.04 ERA | 15.1 IP | 14 K | 3 BB)
Michigan State – TBA
Game 3
Date: May 16, 2021 | Time: 1:05 p.m. | Watch: BTN Plus+ | Scoring/Listen
Probable Starters:
Ohio State – Garrett Burhenn (Jr. | RHP | 5-2 | 4.40 ERA | 59.1 IP | 61 K | 26 BB)
Michigan State – Sam Benschoter (R-Jr. | RHP | 2-4 | 6.79 ERA | 51.2 IP | 62 K | 26 B)
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio State won each of its last two series at home and following a road win on Tuesday, the Buckeyes are right back at Bill Davis Stadium to host Michigan State this weekend. Familiar start times of 6:05 p.m. for game one on Friday, 3:05 on Saturday and 1:05 on Sunday.
The teams met nine consecutive times in Columbus from 2013 to 2015 but this weekend will be the first meetings in Bill Davis Stadium since that stretch. Ohio State and Michigan State have split the last 18 meetings back through 2013.
TICKETS
A limited number of general admission tickets are available for all remaining home games this season. For instructions on how to purchase, please visit the Ohio State Ticket Office online by CLICKING HERE.
As a reminder, all guests must still wear a mask inside of Ohio State facilities.
The Opponent
- Michigan State is 13-22 on the season and is coming off a 1-2 weekend vs. rival Michigan in East Lansing. The Spartans did win the finale last Sunday 10-2.
- MSU is hitting .250 as a team and is fourth in the league in doubles and fifth in the league in triples. But the Spartans are last in the conference in home runs, hitting just nine on the season.
- Defensively, the Spartans are second in the league in double plays turned and are fifth in fielding percentage.
- On the mound, Sunday starter Sam Benschoter is eighth in the conference in strikeouts per nine innings at 10.80.
Ohio State Quick Hitters
- Ohio State enters the weekend at 18-14 overall and is coming off a pair of series wins at home and a 5-1 victory on the road over Purdue last Tuesday night in West Lafayette.
- The Buckeye pitching staff leads the Big Ten in strikeouts per nine innings at 11.0 which is also ninth nationally.
- The OSU staff is third in the Big Ten in hits allowed by batter per nine innings (8.12) as well as third in opponent batting average (.240).
- Seth Lonsway leads the conference in strikeouts with 80 and has allowed the fewest hits per nine innings at 4.56. That second number is also fifth in the country.
- Garrett Burhenn has won each of his last four starts and is 5-2 on the season.
- TJ Brock has seven saves on the year which is second in the Big Ten. He also leads the team with a 2.08 ERA in a team-high 14 appearances.
- Freshman left-hander Isaiah Coupet has made seven appearances out of the pen and has a 2.92 ERA with 21 strikeouts and just four walks.
- Freshman Kade Kern had a great first collegiate season and he currently leads the tea with a .367 batting average. That is also third in the Big Ten.
- Kern has 13 multi-hit games and is currently reached base in a season-high nine consecutive games.
- Brent Todys is currently riding a career-high 12-game hitting streak. He is hitting .362 with two home runs, four doubles and 13 runs batted in over those 12 games.
- Conner Pohl has hit safely in 14 consecutive games which is a career-high.
- Pohl has had a hit in 24 of the 32 games this season. He has reached base in all but two of the games this year and is riding a streak of 22 consecutive games of reaching base, which is also a career high.
- Pohl leads the team with 10 home runs, marking his first season with double-digit bombs.
- Zach Dezenzo is one of two Buckeyes hitting .300 on the season. He is batting .342 with four doubles, three home runs and 13 runs batted in over the last eight games.
Rare Midweek Road Win
- With the cancellation of the weekend series in Minneapolis, Ohio State and Purdue connected for a midweek conference game in West Lafayette last Tuesday evening.
- Nick Erwin had a three-run triple in the second inning and Garrett Burhenn turned in six strong innings to lead the Buckeyes to a 5-1 victory.
- Burhenn allowed one run on five hits while striking out six.
- Jack Neely made his first appearance out of the pen and struck out four over two innings. TJ Brock struck out the side in the ninth.
- Brent Todys (12), Conner Pohl (14) and Nick Erwin (4) all had hits to extend their hitting streaks.
#GoBuckeyes
