Ohio State BUckeyes
Big TEn Conference |
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The Ohio State baseball team was quietly
putting together a impressive season in ’07, challenging
for the Big 10 regular season title and flirting with a top
30 ranking, when the Buckeyes hit a disastrous skid that almost
kept them out of the postseason. As the season approached
its apex, OSU was 28-12 overall and 12-7 in the Big Ten when
a six game losing streak nearly knocked the Buckeyes off track.
 The
team rebounded to split a series with Minnesota and then took
two from North Florida in a late season out of conference
match up, but then lost three of four from Penn State to close
the season. Had they not defeated the Nittany Lions in a tight
3-2 victory in the regular season finale, the Buckeyes would
have finished a half game behind Michigan State for the final
conference tournament berth. Yet the Buckeyes prevailed and
caught spark, and tenaciously won the Big 10 Tournament with
the same moxie and determination as a young Daniel LaRusso
when he dispatched the Cobra Kai one by one as he won the
All-Valley Tournament. With the conference championship came
the automatic bid to the NCAA’s where Ohio State lost
a close game to nationally ranked Louisiana-Lafayette and
eliminated MAAC champ LeMoyne before having their season ended
at the hands of regional host Texas A&M. The Buckeyes,
who have won more games than any other Big Ten school since
2000, had big expectations heading into the 125th season of
Ohio State baseball and currently at 18-12 (7-4), OSU isn’t
far off track.
The strength of the Head Coach Bob Todd's
21st Buckeye team is their solid, deep and dependable pitching
staff which has a delicious mix of both experienced and freshman
talent. Missing from campus in ’08 is last year’s
ace lefty Cory Luebke who was a one man wrecking crew both
on the mound and the Ohio State pitching record book in 2007.
Luebke went 9-1 with a 2.07 ERA, was named the Big Ten Pitcher
of the Year, the Big Ten tournament’s Most Outstanding
Player and All-American. He was selected 63rd overall in the
Major League Baseball draft by the San Diego Padres.
Despite Luebke’s absence, the bulk
of the roster returns, along with a revitalized Dan DeLucia
who started last season 2-0 with a 3.18 ERA and 17 strikeouts
in 17 innings pitched before being shut down due to injury.
DeLucia had Tommy John surgery last April 10, but was able
returned to the mound and was the opening day starter for
Ohio State for the third time in his career. An ultra competitive
warrior who is the first three-time captain in Buckeye baseball
history, DeLucia seemingly hasn’t missed a beat and
is currently 1-1 with a 3.75 ERA and 25 strikeouts in 24 innings,
while only allowing six walks.
 Freshman
Andrew Armstrong was been nothing short of spectacular his
first year in Columbus. The lefty from Bridgewater, Virginia,
has posted a respectable ERA at the midway point of the season
at 3.25 with a 3-2 record in seven appearances. Another freshman,
but of the red-shirt variety, is big right-hander Dean Wolosiansky.
The 6’5”, 225 pound, Wolosiansky had never pitched
until his sophomore year of high school, but has made considerable
strides since first taking to the mound. This season he’s
made six starts which include a recent complete game win over
Minnesota on April 5th. In 38.0 innings he’s allowed
44 hits while striking out 26 and hasn’t allowed a homerun
in 141 at bats. His 3.08 ERA is second on the team and his
record sits at 4-2. J.B. Shuck may be the most indispensable
Buckeye on the roster. A junior utility player, Shuck started
13 games last year, the second most on the team, and has been
dominant on the mound when he’s not playing the outfield.
He’s leading the team in wins at 4-2, as well as innings
(43.1) and starts (7). He’s only allowed 30 hits while
striking out 47 for a .200 opposing team batting average.
Junior starter Jake Hale starred in last year’s Big
Ten tournament. He threw a complete-game in a 4-2 win over
Michigan, and also picked up the win in the Big 10 Championship
game. He’s 4-0 with a 4.46 ERA and pitched a 10-inning,
seven-strikout, no walk gem vs. Michigan State April 11. Six
different players have earned saves this season, led by sophomore
Eric Best (2.79, 1-1, 19.1 IP, 18 K) and freshman Alex Wimmers
(3.60, 0-0, 20.0 IP, 30 K) who have four and two saves, respectively.
Another freshman, righty Drew Rucinski, has been invaluable
his debut season, making 11 appearances and compiling 22 innings
in relief for Ohio State.
While the Ohio State offense doesn’t
often send outfielders backing to the fence (the team only
had eight total homeruns for the season), the lineup is filled
with excellent contact hitters who put the ball into play
and rarely strikeout. The team’s top hitter coming into
the season after batting .346 last year is co-captain Justin
Miller. Miller, who has played catcher, first base and third
this season, is once again batting .378 and leading the team
in extra base hits with nine doubles and a homerun. He’s
also only struck out seven times in over 100 plate appearances.
 The
before mentioned Shuck is one of the best two way players
in the Big 10 if not the country, roaming the Buckeye centerfield
when he’s not on the mound. So far this season he is
batting .382 and also leading the team with a dozen stolen
bases. Not since the 80’s and the days of Haim and Feldman
have a pair of Corey’s created such a buzz as sophomore
infielders Cory Kovanda and Cory Rupert. Kovanda, a second
baseman, awed his freshman campaign after batting .289 and
only committing nine errors in the field. He’s raised
his game this year, batting .371, scoring 21 runs, and has
only committed four errors at the midway point of the season.
Rupert, a shortstop and third baseman, only hit .257 in 31
starts last year, but is hitting .343 this season with 23
RBI and only a handful of errors as well. Senior outfielder
Tony Kennedy is batting .315 from the leadoff spot, leading
the team with three homeruns and has added nine stolen bases
as well to spark the OSU offense. Other big contributors to
the Ohio State offense are outfielder/DH Zach Hurley (.292),
and three true freshmen starters: designated hitter/first
baseman Ryan Meade (.315), shortstop Tyler Engle (.351 in
Big Ten games) and Dan Burkhart (.272) behind the plate.
The Buckeyes are entering the heart of their
Big Ten schedule with series against Purdue and Northwestern
before taking on conference leader Michigan in Ann Arbor on
May 2nd. Confernce series with Illinois ard Iowa are also
on tap along with single game non confrence contests with
Marshall, Eastern Michigan and Buffalo and a pair with intrastate
foe Akron.
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