Ohio State Wins Big Ten Tournament, 4-2 Over Minnesota, Gains Automatic Bid Into NCAA Tournament – Ohio State Buckeyes
5/27/2007 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 27, 2007
| CSTV Highlights
Box Score .PDF
ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Michael Arp hit a two-run, pinch-hit double in the bottom of the eighth inning to snap a 2-all tie and lift Ohio State past Minnesota, 4-2, in the final of the Big Ten Tournament. The tournament title gives the Buckeyes an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament.
Ohio State improved to 37-22 overall, going 4-0 in the tournament and becoming the first six seed to capture the Big Ten Tournament title. The Buckeyes knocked off the top three seeds in the tournament, beating No. 3 seed Penn State, 10-3, Wednesday, No. 1 seed Michigan, 4-2, Thursday and No. 2 seed Minnesota twice, 10-9 in 11 innings Friday and again in the final.
The 2007 NCAA Division I Baseball Championship 64-team field, with first-round regional pairings and site assignments, will be revealed in a live, half-hour telecast on ESPN at 12:30 p.m. ET, Monday.
The Buckeyes led 2-0 before Minnesota rallied to tie the game with two runs in the top of the eighth. In the bottom of the eighth, Eric Fryer (Jr., Reynoldsburg, Ohio/Reynoldsburg) led off the inning with a walk and moved to second on a J.B. Shuck (So., Galion, Ohio/Galion) sacrifice bunt. Justin Miller (So., Dayton, Va./Turner Ashby) flied out to right for the second out of the inning, bringing the left-handed hitting Ryan Dew (Fr., Croton, Ohio/Worthington Kilbourne) to the plate. Ohio State head coach Bob Todd then opted to pinch-hit for Dew so the right-handed hitting Arp (So., Reynoldsburg, Ohio/Reynoldsburg) could face the left-handed throwing Kyle Carr. The move paid off as Arp came through with the game-winning hit.
Ohio State ace Cory Luebke (Jr., Maria Stein, Ohio/Marion Local) started the game on three days rest after winning the first game of the tournament for OSU Wednesday. The Big Ten Pitcher of the Year allowed just two earned runs on seven hits in 7.2 innings. The big lefty walked one and struck out five and was named the tournament¡¯s Most Outstanding Player.
Sophomore Jake Hale (Albany, Ohio/Alexander) relieved Luebke in the eighth and pitched the final 1.1 innings for the win, his second of the tournament. Hale gave up just one hit and was also named to the all-tournament team as he improved to 4-3 on the year.
The Buckeyes got on the board right away, scoring two runs in the bottom of first. Jacob Howell (Sr., Ashland, Ohio/Ashland) was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and came around to score on three wild pitches. Shuck was on first after reaching on a fielder¡¯s choice and moved to second on a Miller single. Jason Zoeller (Sr., Verona, Pa./Shady Side Academy) followed with a single to right center and OSU led 2-0 after one.
Gary Perinar started for Minnesota and had a good outing, giving up just three earned runs in seven innings. He walked three and struck out eight before being relieved by Carr in the eighth.
The Buckeyes had seven hits in the game, Minnesota eight. Howell and Miller each had two hits and Zoeller had an RBI. Howell, Hale and Tony Kennedy (Jr., Bloomington, Ind./Bloomington South) were also named to the all-tournament team in addition to Luebke.
OHIO STATE NOTES:
Eighth Big Ten Tournament title, all under coach Todd
48-29 all-time in Big Ten Tournament, best winning percentage of any Big Ten team
18th NCAA Tournament appearance (last appearance was in 2005)
Coach Todd’s 12th NCAA Tournament appearance
Coach Todd’s 800th win at Ohio State
