Buckeyes Open Season at Arizona State
2/12/2025 5:08:00 PM | Baseball
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State baseball team opens the 2025 season this weekend, heading to Phoenix, Ariz. for a three-game series at Arizona State Feb. 14-16.
Game 1
Friday, February 14 | 6:30 p.m. MST/8:30 p.m. EST
Live Stats | Watch
Probable Starters:
Ohio State – RHP Blaine Wynk
Arizona State – LHP Ben Jacobs
Game 2
Saturday, February 15 | 1:00 p.m. MST/3:00 p.m. EST
Live Stats | Watch
Probable Starters:
Ohio State – RHP Chase Herrell
Arizona State – RHP Jack Martinez
Game 3
Sunday, February 16 | 1:00 p.m. MST/3:00 p.m. EST
Live Stats | Watch
Probable Starters:
Ohio State – RHP Jake Michalak
Arizona State – TBD
Ohio State Quick Hitters
Game 1
Friday, February 14 | 6:30 p.m. MST/8:30 p.m. EST
Live Stats | Watch
Probable Starters:
Ohio State – RHP Blaine Wynk
Arizona State – LHP Ben Jacobs
Game 2
Saturday, February 15 | 1:00 p.m. MST/3:00 p.m. EST
Live Stats | Watch
Probable Starters:
Ohio State – RHP Chase Herrell
Arizona State – RHP Jack Martinez
Game 3
Sunday, February 16 | 1:00 p.m. MST/3:00 p.m. EST
Live Stats | Watch
Probable Starters:
Ohio State – RHP Jake Michalak
Arizona State – TBD
Ohio State Quick Hitters
- Justin Haire begins his first season as the head coach of the Ohio State Buckeyes. Haire, who was previously the skipper at Campbell for 10 seasons, was named the 13th head coach in Buckeye baseball history on June 21, 2024.
- The Buckeyes return 16 players from last year's squad and welcome 23 newcomers, including 10 true freshmen.
- Infielder Tyler Pettorini is the top returning hitter for Ohio State. He batted .309 last season with 68 hits, nine doubles, three triples and a team-high nine home runs. He also led the team in RBIs with 49.
- Matthew Graveline returns behind the dish. Graveline batted .281 last season with 56 hits, 44 runs scored, 14 doubles, five home runs and 25 RBIs, He went 13-for-16 in stolen bases.
- After a stellar season as a reliever in 2024 in which he earned Third Team All-Big Ten honors, righty Blaine Wynk will move into the starting rotation. Last season, Wynk made 21 appearances out of the bullpen and fanned 38, while allowing just nine walks, in 40.0 innings pitched. He notched two saves and finished the season with a 3.38 ERA.
- Other key returners are outfielders Trey Lipsey and Nick Giamarusti, infielder Ryan Miller and pitchers Chase Herrell and Hunter Shaw.
- The Buckeyes brought in a strong group of transfers and freshmen who are expected to have an immediate impact.
- Outfielder Reggie Bussey batted .336 with 74 hits, 31 RBIs and 31 stolen bases at Oakland University in 2024. He was named to the Horizon League's All-Freshman Team in 2023.
- Freshman infielder Ty Fox batted .419 with a 24 RBIs and a .515 on-base percentage at Brother Rice High School, where his team won a Catholic League championship in 2024.
- Infielder Marc Stephens, who comes to Ohio State from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, batted .435 in 2024 and recorded 70 hits, 48 runs scored and 36 RBIs. He was an All-MACCC Second Team honoree.
- Other fresh faces to keep an eye on are infielder Lee Ellis, a transfer from South Carolina, left-handed pitcher Luke Carrell, a transfer from Oklahoma, freshman pitcher Tannis Lange and freshman infielder Alex Koelling.
- Blaine Wynk was selected as a Third Team Preseason All-American by Perfect Game after his strong 2024 season.
- Wynk, Matthew Graveline and Chase Herrell were selected as the Buckeyes' Big Ten Players to Watch.
- Tyler Pettorini came in at No. 19 on Perfect Game's list of the top 75 college seniors and he landed at No, 45 on D1Baseball's top 50 third basemen list.
- Trey Lipsey also made it onto Perfect Game's top 75 college seniors list, coming in at No. 65.
- Graveline was No. 46 on the Perfect Game top 100 college juniors list.
- Lee Ellis was on Perfect Game's top 100 college sophomores list at No. 91.
- In the fall, freshmen Tannis Lange, Ty Fox and Noah LaFine landed on Perfect Game's list of the top 500 fresh arrivals on campus.
- Matthew Graveline and Blaine Wynk have both been named top 2025 MLB Draft prospects by D1Baseball and Perfect Game.
- Graveline landed at No. 5 and Wynk came in at No. 10 on D1Baseball's list of the top prospects from the Big Ten.
- On Perfect Game's list of the top 300 prospects, Graveline was No. 81 and Wynk was No. 202.
- Looking ahead to 2026, Lee Ellis and Mason Eckelman have been selected as top MLB Draft prospects out of the Big Ten by D1Baseball. Ellis came in at No. 28 on the list, and Eckelman was right behind him at No. 29.
- The Sun Devils went 32-26 overall in 2024 and had a 21-12 record at home at Phoenix Municipal Stadium.
- Top hitter from 2024, outfielder Kien Vu, returns for the Sun Devils. He batted .413 with 62 hits, 11 doubles, 14 home runs, 56 RBIs and 53 runs scored.
- Outfielder Brandon Compton also returns. He hit .354 last season with 67 hits, 16 doubles, 14 home runs. 51 RBIs and 45 runs scored.
- Southpaw Ben Jacobs returns to the mound for Arizona State. He compiled a 7-3 record last season and fanned 102 batters in 66.1 innings pitched. He finished the season with an ERA of 4.75.
- The Buckeyes played a four-game series at Arizona State last season, with the teams splitting.
- Ohio State took game one, 11-4, and game three, 13-4. The Sun Devils won game two, 14-4, and game four, 10-8.
- The Buckeyes hit 11 home runs over the four-game series.
- The Buckeyes will play in the Jax Baseball Classic in Jacksonville, Fla. Feb. 21-23. Ohio State will take on NC State on Friday, Coastal Carolina on Saturday and Alabama on Sunday.
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