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Ninety days from the opening pitch of the 2024 season, the Buckeyes pose plenty of questions for first-year coach Justin Haire…beginning on the bump.
Columbus, OH – Two months of fall workouts and inter-squad scrimmages are now in the books for the Ohio State baseball team.
And while first-year coach Justin Haire has a lot to yet sort out, generally his tone about what he’s seen is glass-half-full, considering that better than half of 2024 roster are players who weren’t here last year.
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That said, some unbiased words from the front row concerning what we’ve seen, and what the baseball faithful want to know about between now and February 14, opening day of the 2024 season.
Publisher/editor Sonny Fulks writes the Big Ten and Buckeyes baseball for Press Pros Magazine.com.
The scouts who’ve shown up to observe have kept pretty mum, looking for the kind of talent that’s desirable come July and the MLB draft. That’s good for the select few, of course, but even the best college baseball teams…only have a select few.
It’s the other 95% that you need to worry about, and Haire and coaches Ty Robinson, Jordan Stampler, Joey Holcomb, and Elliott McCumnings will now be hard at work while everyone else is consumed with the holidays – with a wish list of their own.
There’s talent with this group, both in transfers like Lee Ellis (South Carolina) and Marc Stephens (Mississippi Gulf Coast CC), and incoming freshmen like Maddix Simpson (Fort Myers, Florida) and Alex Koelling (Mason High School).
And there’s some good arms, stuff-wise, among a plethora of unfamiliar faces hoping to make the club and contribute in the spring.
There’s a veteran core, like leading hitter, Tyler Pettorini, outfielder Trey Lipsey, and catcher Matt Graveline. But with the departure of arms like Landon Beidelschies and shortstop Henry Kaczmar it could be a bumpy ride in ’24 if underclassman talent doesn’t grow up in a hurry.
Senior Tyler Pettorini returns to anchor a batting order that hit .260 in 2023. Pettorini led the team with a .309 mark and 9 home runs.
There’s more than enough basis for anxiety, but while fall practice was revealing, no one’s seen enough. Baseball’s a game you have to play in order to prove, and improve, and unfortunately there’s no one to play between now and February 14. So, where to begin?
“I congratulated the Gray team for the series sweep and reminded them all that we have some important work going forward,” said Haire, following Monday’s fall finale. “We’ve got to get down to forty players on our roster now and it’s going to be tough to balance what’s best for the club and what’s best for each individual kid moving forward. It’s the not-very-fun part of being in this job, for sure. But Ohio State’s a special place and I know that every guy in that locker room wants to be a part of it.”
But another not-very-fun part of the job looms.
Let’s be honest. Pitching is going to be an issue. It always is. Obviously there’s critical departures with Beidelschies, Zach Brown and Gavin DeVooght, and yet-to-be proven replacements from the transfers and this year’s freshmen.
“We’re 95 days out and there’s more of the process to sort through,” Haire adds. “We have to figure out what each guy does well and what they need to eliminate…the experiments you try in the fall. Guys who try to add a third pitch and discover they’re two-pitch pitchers. You try to put as much polish as possible on the two or three things that each guy can do at their highest level – try to put those guys in the best position to be successful.”
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The Gray team swept Wednesday, 15-3, with a couple of mammoth home runs and by making the most 18 walks by the combined pitching staffs. 18…that is!
Of course, you have those days in baseball, but concern over things seen on the final day of fall practice precedes Justin Haire…back to the final days of 2023, and 261 walks allowed in 475 innings. It didn’t work then, and it won’t work again, come February.
“No one in the history of the game ever said we didn’t win because we had too many good pitchers,” Haire with an easy smile. “And if we can’t maximize on the mound…then we’re going to have to get creative. Hopefully the last game in November is not indicative of how we’ll end up in February, March, April and May.
“But regardless of today’s results we’re a lot better than when we started on October 1st,” he added. “It’s a matter of goals, and the next goal is to be in a better spot when we get going on February 14th. And then the goal is to be in position to play baseball in the month of June (the tournament). And that’s going to take a process of figuring out what role each guy is going to be best .”
A change in roles…last year’s closer, Blaine Wynk (2-1, 38 strikeouts in 40 innings), hopes to anchor this year’s starting rotation.
Indeed, no one knows for sure. But for those who’ve asked repeatedly…some observations.
Haire and his staff have impressed by being patient – realistic. They’ve seen it before. He has not been seen pulling his hair, and ironically he watched the final three-game series out of uniform – dressed in a hoodie and jeans – as the average spectator would observe.
On the field you notice the new guys surveying the situation – each other. How do I stack up, instead of what a rookie named Pete Rose did in 1963 when he walked up to the Reds’ incumbent second baseman at the time and said, “Pack your bags. I’m taking your job.” But that takes time, and yes, there’s still ninety days. It comes sooner for some than others, and some never get beyond the feeling out period.
Another observation. A few weeks ago I stopped in East Lansing to visit with Michigan State coach Jake Boss. I observed and heard many of the same issues that face Justin Haire, and Boss is now the dean of Big Ten coaches – 16 years at Michigan State. He talked about how to maximize on the mound. How to polish the two or three things that each guy can do at their highest level. Try to put people in the best position to be successful. Sound familiar?
They’re going to be athletic and they’re going to score some runs.
You hope they’re better defensively than last year, and last year they were better than the year before.
There’s better team speed and you wonder if they won’t play more aggressively?
The freshman class, from my view, is what you expect at Ohio State. You hope they develop. Some will come along faster than others.
Just like East Lansing, Bloomington, West Lafayette, Ann Arbor and Iowa City, everyone had fall practice. And they all wish they had more time.
More than 90 days.
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