Ohio State Baseball Season Preview: The Infielders
2/18/2022 1:16:18 PM | Baseball
A major strength for the Buckeyes heading into the 2022 season is the infield and the experience it returns. Ohio State welcomes back a total of 280 career infield starts between all returning players from 2021. There will be heated competitions for playing time on the right side of the infield, but the Buckeyes have major flexibility as all of the returning infielders have seen time at multiple positions, giving the team a significant edge when filling out the lineup card. The departure of Connor Pohl, an All-Big Ten first basemen for multiple seasons and their rock in the heart of the order, is the key loss in the infield.
“We lose a guy in Connor Pohl who was a great first baseman and oftentimes was the glue of our infield,” Beals said. “He was a big target picking up balls in the dirt. Marcus Ernst is the leading candidate to play first base and Marcus has really done well over there. He’s got very good hands and handles the ball down. He’s settled in well at first base so far, but he’s so valuable because he can also play second base and third base. Marcus is a utility guy that gives us a lot of flexibility in the infield.”
Ernst, a senior, has appeared in 66 career games at a variety of positions and will head into the season pegged as the starting first baseman. Also competing for time at first base will be redshirt sophomore Caden Kaiser, Blayne Robinson, a JUCO transfer, and Hank Thomas, a sophomore who saw time at Georgia Tech a season ago who can play corner outfield as well. While Ernst is the clear leader of the unit defensively, hitting will be a big key to the first base position in 2022.
Graduate senior Colton Bauer has made 37 career starts at second base for the Buckeyes over the past two seasons and has the inside track on the spot for 2022, despite battling injuries in the preseason. Bauer has a .254 average and a .348 on base percentage in his Ohio State career and is a capable defender. He will compete with senior Drew Reckart, a 5-11, 200 pound Ohio native who has spent time in the Dayton and Dyersburg State Community College programs previously. Reckart played in 121 games for Dyersburg and hit .382 with 18 home runs and 105 runs batted in, slugging .622.
“Those two guys are competing for that spot, and it’s not been fully won yet,” Beals said. “Bauer’s maybe a little ahead, but both of those guys are very capable defenders and right handed hitters so they’re very similar.”
The key returnee in the infield is shortstop Zach Dezenzo, an MLB draft hopeful that has started exactly 100 games at short in his career and who was voted as a captain by his teammates for 2022. Dezenzo stood out in the middle of the order in 2021, slashing .302/.382/.550 with 9 home runs. The 6-4, 220 pound senior has accounted for 18 career longballs and 75 RBI in his time at Ohio State, making him the Buckeyes most productive returner as well as one of their most feared offensive threats for 2022. Coach Beals is looking forward to seeing what new heights Dezenzo can reach in his already impressive career in Columbus.
“We’re so fortunate to have Zach Dezenzo back here for his senior year,” Beals said. “I’m just really impressed with how he’s attacked this year. It didn’t take him long to get over the disappointment of not being in last year’s professional draft. He has really gone to work and is a significantly better baseball player this year than he was last year. He continues to grow offensively, defensively, and in his leadership skills. I’m really excited about Zach and I feel like he’s in a position to have a Player of the Year type of season.”
Rounding out the infield is another incredibly experienced player in senior third baseman Nick Irwin. With 81 career starts at third, Irwin brings a hard-nosed veteran presence to the Buckeye lineup, wherever he ends up in the order. However, his biggest strength is on the defensive side, where he and Dezenzo will team up to shut down opposing offenses with high-level glovework from the left side of the diamond.
“Nick Irwin is a great defender over at third base and gives you tough quality at–bats at the plate,” Beals said. “He’s a Gold Glove type defender and just kind of a dirt ball player who complements the rest of our team and really complements Dezenzo on the left side of the infield.
Despite having an experienced infield, Ohio State has a bevy of freshman hitters to choose from on the bench. Shortstop Josh McAlister will push for playing time in 2022 while waiting in the wings.
“Backing up in the infield is a true freshman Josh McAlister, who is a great defender shortstop and someone we see as the future here in our in our program,” Beals said. “He is an elite athlete with elite baseball skills. He’s going be fun to watch grow up. He gets to sit there at shortstop and work out behind Dezenzo every day which is a great growing opportunity for him. Josh is going to be ready for his turn whenever it happens.”
Freshman second baseman Tyler Pettorini had a stand-out fall scrimmage season on the offensive and will look to make an impact with his bat in 2022
“He’s a left-handed hitting infielder who’s primarily a second baseman,” Beals said. “He’s a dynamic offensive left–handed bat that can hit and he runs very well.”
The Buckeyes are set to open the season on Friday, Feb. 18, against Marshall at the Snowbird Classic in Port Charlotte, Fla.
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