First-year coach Justin Haires shares some early optimism during fall workouts at Bill Davis Stadium. (Press Pros Feature Photos)
Fall workouts are underway at Bill Davis Stadium and the byword is a fresh new look for 2024…a lot of new faces. And if you question how much they lost, Justin Haire and his staff confidently say…let not your heart be troubled.
Columbus, OH – For those who would might wonder – and for those who question if addition by subtraction is even possible for Ohio State baseball in 2025 – first-year coach Justin Haire and his staff were allaying fears during September workouts this week.
Nearly two-thirds of the fall roster is made up of new faces from east, west, north and south looking for a new start, a better opportunity, and in the case of this year’s incoming freshman class…their first look at college baseball at its highest level.
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And of course, from the outside the question to those most knowledgeable centers on…the portal taketh away, but did it give enough in return?
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“It’s different, that and learning new ways,” said assistant coach Jordan Stampler on Wednesday, speaking of both freshmen and transfers, as well. “But we’re here to develop the players. There’s talent here, and we just have to find a way to fit it all together.”
Gone is All-Big Ten shortstop Henry Kaczmar…to South Carolina.
Gone is #1 starting pitcher Landon Beidelschies…to Arkansas.
They lost sophomore starting pitcher Gavin DeVoogth…to Michigan.
They lost sophomore starting pitcher Zach Brown…to Georgia.
They lost top sophomore prospect Isaac Cadena…to TCU.
And they lost starting centerfielder Josh Stevenson…to South Alabama.
They added….
Lee Ellis…sophomore transfer from South Carolina.
Reggie Bussey…junior transfer from Oakland University (Michigan).
Marc Stevens…junior transfer from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College.
Nik Copenhaver…sophomore transfer pitcher from Vanderbilt (from Hamilton Badin HS).
Alex Koelling…incoming freshman infielder from OHSAA Division I state champion Mason High School.
Maddix Simpson…incoming freshman from Bishop Verot High School in Fort Myers, Florida.
Anticipation is high for the contributions of sophomore infielder Lee Ellis, who transferred from South Carolina.
In total, about two dozen more – 27 of the Buckeyes’ 45 (give or take) taking part in fall workouts are new faces with unfamiliar value, just the age-old motivation come spring of becoming the baseball player they’d always dreamed they could be.
Quantity? Yes.
Quality? They have four months to tell.
“We expect some of the new guys to contribute,” smiled Haire, without being too committal. He’s working tirelessly to teach his philosophies of hitting, fielding, and technique during the early days of fall workouts.
“We’re working hard and we’re pleased with the attitudes. We’re optimistic,” he says, ever-confident.
But can the new faces do it based on their past, considering their reasons for coming to Ohio State in the first place? And is there actually time to develop the talent they speak of by opening day, come February 14?
“That’s why we’re here,” says Jordan Stampler, who doubles at the Buckeyes Director of Player Development.
“We have to develop talent, we have no choice. They don’t have to in the SEC because they recruit top talent. But you have to in the Big Ten.
“And,” he adds, “we have all we need here (facilities-wise) to do it.”
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That’ll make OSU Athletic Director Ross Bjork smile, because he doesn’t want to address spending the extra millions necessary to keep up with a facility comparison to LSU, Texas, and Florida. It’s why he hired Justin Haire so quickly, a man with a proven track record of doing more with less at Campbell University.
And, he believes there’s enough returning on which to reboot, rather than a full rebuild.
Catcher Matt Graveline is a junior, one of the three best in the Big Ten, an athlete capable of playing multiple positions.
Tyler Pettorini is a senior third baseball (.309, and led team with 9 HRs and 49 RBIs) and was shunned last season for all-conference honors. But he belonged.
Senior Trey Lipsey returns in the outfield, bigger, stronger, and more determined to maximize on his final year.
Reliever Blaine Wynk throws as hard as any reliever in the league, and represents a dual opportunity to either start or relieve in 2025.
Senior Zach Freeman has always had the tools to play any of the three outfield positions…when he’s healthy.
And sophomore Chase Herrell showed last year that he has all the tangibles to take the next step as a weekend starter in 2025.
Junior infielder Marc Stevens hit .435 at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College in 2023.
“From what I’ve seen so far I really like three or four of the new guys,” said Matt Graveline. “They can play.”
And perhaps the most noteable is Lee Ellis, who is literally swapping spots with Henry Kaczmar to help fill the shortstop vacancy in 2024. A Maryland native, he was that state’s top high school prospect in 2023 (Perfect Game), and eschewed the temptation to stay at home (Univ. of Maryland) to play in the SEC last year at the University of South Carolina. Seeing limited playing time, Ellis hit .273 in 17 plate appearances, with a pair of doubles. At season’s end, he entered the transfer portal.
“There was a coaching change at South Carolina last year, and Joey Holcomb came over to Ohio State and gave me a call,” says Ellis, who visibly reminds you a lot of former Cardinals and Padres shortstop Gary Templeton. “He said they were trying to build something nice here, I was able to communicate with Coach Haire during the portal process, and he just gave me joy for the game again. I liked what I heard about his philosophies of hitting and fielding and I bought in.
“Just the hitters [at Campbell] that he’s produced over the last seven years that he coached there…they all made huge strides. So just seeing that from the outside, I want to become one of those hitters. I want to be that 170-pound kid who gains fifteen pounds and hits 20 jacks and steals 40 bases.”
It could work out that he and Henry Kaczmar literally swap positions, drawing the inevitable comparisons. And Ellis knows…Kaczmar was a very good player.
“He is a pretty good player,” he says, flashing a smile. “But they haven’t seen me play yet. It gives me a lot to think about this season.”
Is there enough talent? Will there be freshmen emerge to contribute in the manner of Ike Cadena and Zach Brown a year ago? Time will tell between now and the first of February…short in the minds of those anxious for something better than 29-26, and the long-suffering hoping for the sustainable baseball dominance that Bill Mosiello promised.
“Four months is plenty of time,” Jordan Stampler assures, a former Campbell assistant who’s very knowledgeable of what Justin Haire has done before with short windows. “We’ve got October and November scrimmages, and development time over the winter.”
And of course, the season actually starts in the middle of winter. But we’ll all know in, oh, say, 154 days – opening day.
What’s next at Bill Davis?
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