Ohio State Hosts Northern Kentucky Tuesday Night
3/18/2019 3:34:08 PM | Baseball
| Ohio State Baseball Gameday | 2019 NCAA Tournament - Nashville Regional - Opening Round - vs. No. 2 Vanderbilt |
|---|---|
| Site | Hawkins Field - Nashville, Tenn. |
| Date/Time | Friday, May 31, 2019 - 7 p.m. ET |
| Broadcast Info | Live Stats | ESPN2 | Ohio State Radio AM 1460 ESPN |
| Tournament Info | Nashville Regional Tournament Central Page | Tickets |
| Game Notes | Ohio State Game Notes |
| FOLLOW The Buckeyes | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram |
| Team Links | Roster | Schedule | 2019 Media Guide |
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State baseball team continues its nine-game homestand with a midweek contest at 5 p.m. Tuesday against Northern Kentucky at Nick Swisher Field at Bill Davis Stadium. The Buckeyes (9-10) return to the diamond after winning a home series over Lipscomb last weekend, while the Norse (4-12) travel to Columbus after sweeping Youngstown State at home last weekend.
FOLLOW THE ACTION
A link to live stats will be available on the Ohio State baseball schedule page on OhioStateBuckeyes.com. All Buckeye Baseball home games are streamed on BTN Plus ($). There will be no radio broadcast.
ON THE MOUND
Tuesday: RHP Jake Vance (1-1, 3.72) vs. RHP Proctor Mercer (0-1, 6.94)
QUICK HITS
- Ohio State is 9-10 overall in 2019. The team began the year 4-0, including a sweep of Seton Hall at the Snowbird Classic in Port Charlotte, Fla. The Buckeyes also have wins against FGCU, Oral Roberts, Bethune-Cookman and Lipscomb. Ohio State played its first 16 games on the road.
- The 2019 Buckeyes return 15 letterwinners from the 2019 NCAA Tournament team that finished with a 36-24 overall record. Key players returning include 2018 second team All-Big ten honoree Dominic Canzone, third team selection Conner Pohl and 2018 All-Big Ten Freshman standout Dillon Dingler.
- The team welcomed 15 newcomers to the spring roster. Eleven Buckeyes have made their debuts, including nine freshmen.
- Ohio State is led by ninth-year head coach Greg Beals. He is 270-213-1 overall at Ohio State and holds a 513-415-1 career coaching record. Beals has guided the team to NCAA Regional appearances in two of the last three years.
- The Buckeyes won their home opener last Friday, 14-3, over the Bisons. The team recorded a season-high 18 hits. Ohio State is 8-1 in home openers under coach Beals.
- Ohio State is hitting .269 with 30 doubles and 17 homers. The team is slugging .404 at the dish.
- The Buckeyes lead the Big Ten in hits (173) and second in home runs (17) and RBI (101) and third in runs scored (109).
- Brady Cherry is leading the bats with a .365 average, which is tied for fourth in the league. He has a Big Ten-best 27 hits this spring.
- The OSU pitching staff has combined for a 4.34 ERA with 152 strikeouts in 163.2 innings of work.
- Jake Vance is making his fifth start of the year tonight. He has 13 strikeouts in 19.1 innings pitched.
- Canzone, Pohl and Dingler were each named to the Big Ten Preseason Watch List. Ohio State was picked to finish fifth in the Big Ten.
BIG TEN FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
Third baseman Zach Dezenzo was named Big Ten Freshman of the week, the conference office announced Monday afternoon. Dezenzo claimed his first career weekly award after hitting .467 (7-for-15) with four runs scored, one double, three homers and five RBI in four starts last week. He hit three home runs in the series win over Lipscomb, including two in his first game at Bill Davis Stadium last Friday. Dezenzo became the second Buckeye to earn the league’s top rookie honor. Freshman right-handed pitcher Garrett Burhenn was recognized Feb. 18.
Zach Dezenzo of @OhioStateBASE is the #B1GBaseball Freshman of the Week after recording 5 RBI on 7 hits and 4 runs, including two homers in his first game as a Buckeye at Bill Davis Stadium in Friday’s win. pic.twitter.com/Y7QZsnEev4
— Big Ten Baseball (@B1Gbaseball) March 18, 2019
OHIO STATE AS OF LATE
The Buckeyes are hitting .337 as a team in their last five games, powering 10 doubles, two triples and five homers for a .492 slugging percentage. Conner Pohl has been red hot at the plate batting .647 (11-for-17) with eight RBI. Brady Cherry continues to swing a hot bat with a .522 clip and four doubles, one homer and seven RBI in his last five. Two other Buckeyes are hitting over .400 in the last five, including Zach Dezenzo (.467) and Dominic Canzone (.400). Canzone is currently on a career-high 15-game reached base streak.
SCOUTING NORTHERN KENTUCKY
The Norse are 4-12 overall and 3-0 in the Horizon League. Northern Kentucky is batting .227 as a team with 28 doubles and six home runs. Andrew Bacon is hitting .315 with four doubles and seven RBI. The pitching staff has combined for an 8.31 ERA with 135 strikeouts in 134.1 innings. Proctor Mercer will be making his fourth start of the year.
LIPSCOMB SERIES NOTES
- The Buckeyes hit .343 in the series and was 5-for-5 in stolen bases vs. the Bisons.
- Conner Pohl hit .600, while Noah West and Brady Cherry each batted .462.
- Zach Dezenzo hit a home run in his first at-bat at Bill Davis Stadium last Friday in a multi-homer game.
- The team had a season-high 18 hits in the win Friday with seven Buckeyes recording multi-hit games.
- Garrett Burhenn got the win on Friday, limiting the Bison bats to two runs, one earned, on two hits in six innings to improve to 3-1 on the year.
- Pohl led the Buckeyes at the plate in the series finale Sunday, going 3-for-4 with a homer and two RBI. Noah West, Dezenzo and Cherry also had multi-hit contests.
- Seth Lonsway recorded the win on Sunday, scattering three hits on one run in six innings on the mound.
- Joe Gahm recorded his first career save, leaving the bases loaded in the ninth inning with a strikeout looking.
- Brady Cherry made two relief appearances on the mound over the weekend. It marked his first innings on the mound for the Scarlet and Gray.
Defend The ? #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/zOxge6uneL
— Ohio State Baseball (@OhioStateBASE) March 18, 2019
23RD SEASON AT BILL DAVIS STADIUM
Ohio State is 364-190 all-time at Bill Davis for a fine .657 winning percentage. Ohio State is 187-116 vs. the Big Ten Conference at home.
UP NEXT
Ohio State continues its nine-game homestand with a four-game series against Hawaii Thursday-Sunday at Nick Swisher Field at Bill Davis Stadium.
