What ifs…What might Hunter Shaw be like in 2025? The pitcher who gave up two hits an inning last year, or the one who was dominant and competitive in fall practice? (Press Pros Feature Photos)
As opening day looms, Buckeye baseball coach Justin Haire tries to prioritize according to what he knows…and what he’s discovering one day at a time.
We’ll talk again with first-year baseball coach Justin Haire on a weekly basis between now and opening day in Tempe, Arizona. The Buckeyes will launch their 2025 schedule on February 14 against the Arizona State Sun Devils.
And it’s sure that between now and then there’ll be no shortage of topics…priorities…and firsts!
Firsts? He appeared this week on MLB with Harold Reynolds and Robert Flores, talking Buckeye baseball. That’s a first!
And just ahead….
He has to settle on three reliable and competitive weekend starters between now and the start of the Big Ten season in late March.
Behind that, he has to find reliable bullpen service…upgrades from the past two seasons.
Of course, he has to settle on some key positions on the field…catcher, shortstop, second base, and center field. You have go be strong up the middle, defensively.
He has to find some pop and run production at first and third base.
To the bane of every college coach’s existence, he has to chart a path to player development and hoped-for contribution from talented freshmen and a list of young pitching prospects.
And of course, he has to trust that the known quantities – Tyler Pettorini, Matt Graveline, Trey Lipsey, Nick Giamarusti, and Ryan Miller – produce like veteran leaders.
Repeating, there is no shortage of priorities, and what ifs.
“First and foremost, we have to be healthy,” says Justin Haire. “The biggest ability is ‘availability’, right?”
But when we talked with him last week there was a sense of blueprint, of first things first, and one thing at a time. Not to be cliche’, but you can only do what you can do, as Haire responded to the question of at least some of his chief concerns.
“Well at this point the biggest emphasis would be on health,” he began. “If we’re not healthy how do we get healthy and stay healthy? We’re coming off a six-week break period from Thanksgiving until now where we don’t have any control over those guys. How much have they sprinted? How much have they thrown? Most of the hitters will have hit because hitting’s fun. I’m not concerned about at bats. So the biggest emphasis is to be sure that arms and legs are healthy. You don’t want to blow out a hamstring a week out from opening day…or too much arm soreness. The things that we’re going to use at a high rate have to be built up to where we can go out and play a game. That’s first and foremost. The biggest ability is ‘availability’, right?”
Simple logic, of course, but you can’t take it for granted. Early injuries have haunted in two of the last three seasons – a Trey Lipsey leg pull that limited him his entire sophomore season…a hamstring that forced starting pitcher Ike Coupet to miss two-thirds of the 2023 Big Ten campaign.
Orthopedic Associates of Southwest Ohio sponsor your favorite Ohio State sports on Press Pros Magazine.com.
“From there I think we have to focus on the things that are going to help us win games,” he adds. “In the fall you can try different things, and experiment defensively, but now is the time where he have to hone in what we know…right now! We’re not going to abandon anything, but we have to put our focus on the things that are going to help us win this year.”
To his point, teams hit better when players know, and are comfortable, with where they’re going to play in the field. And defenses work better through repetition. In fact, every sport functions more successfully with stability in the lineup.
“A guy like Mason Eckelman (above, right)…that guy has a chance to be a really, really good baseball player. And if he takes a big step forward that’s going to be big for us.”
“And then having identified those things we have to put as much much polish on them as we possibly can. We need to be as game-ready as possible. These three things are really, really important…get healthy and stay healthy, eliminate the things that aren’t going to help us right away, and then put as much polish on our tools and skill set as we possibly can.”
That said, you build around a foundation, players that have a proven track record. And in the early days of Justin Haire he’ll rely a bit on what he calls…track record.
“I think there’s about six guys that we know have the experience, some collegiate at bats, and track record,” he maintains. “We have guys who put together a really good fall and these are the guys who get the first shot – Pettorini, Graveline, Ryan Miller, Trey Lipsey, Nick Giamarusti, Eckleman (Mason). They’ve got some experience and they’ve worked their butts off and put themselves in a good position. That’s the strength of our team…those six or so guys who have some experience in the lineup, some older guys. Hopefully, they take it and run with it.”
And while it’s early, there’s still instinct and carryover from what he observed from the new faces in fall practice. And are there one or two who might emerge as the next fresh impact in the tradition of Dom Canzone, Matt Graveline, or a Marcus Ernst?
Chances are, the best lawn on your block is an Ever-Green lawn. Call us at 937-335-6418!
“I hate to say names this early,” he began. “Because I don’t anyone to think that I don’t have faith in someone. I have faith in all these guys.
“But you wonder. From an arm-side you think about what a Hunter Shaw might be like in 2025…the guy who gave up two hits an inning last year, or the guy that we saw last fall? He was really dominant, competitive.
The anticipated impact of veteran Trey Lipsey is contingent upon his being healthy. and in the lineup.
“Tanis Lange…same thing. There’s a freshman that’s worked his tail off. And Sahil Patel. There’s three lefthanded arms that jump out at you. They all have a chance to do something special.
“A guy like Mason Eckleman, who only had seventeen at bats last year. That guy has a chance to be a really, really good baseball player. And if he takes a big step forward that’s going to be big for us.
“Guys like Sal Mineo, Maddix Simpson, and Alex Koelling (all freshmen)…those guys have all worked hard, and in the first few days of individual work have looked great.
“So I’m really pleased, as a whole, with our guys and their work ethic so far.”
It’s notable that he doesn’t get too far out over his skis on these, the first days.
There’s a lot to be determined, and one cannot over-emphasize those first days in Tempe, Jacksonville, and Arlington (Texas).
Publisher/Editor Sonny Fulks writes the OHSAA and Buckeye baseball for Press Pros Magazine.
The first twenty games of the season constitute roughly a third of the schedule, and a significant portion of a team’s reservoir of confidence. Good starts mean everything in college baseball. 56 games come and go fast…no mulligans or ‘do-overs’.
No Wisconsin-Milwaukee this year…but Arizona State, Coastal Carolina, NC State, Alabama, Auburn, Oregon State, and Baylor. And that’s before the Buckeyes open conference play on the road with Indiana and Iowa.
So the first days of Justin Haire are going to be memorable.
How he remembers them…remains to be seen.
Dave Arbogast Ford, in Troy, Ohio, is the official transportation source for Press Pros Magazine.com.