Sophomore Gavin Kuzniewski pitched four scoreless innings in Friday’s opening win over St. Louis. (Press Pros Feature Photos)
They got everything they needed for a win…better pitching, some clutch debuts, and hits with men in scoring position. The Buckeyes open 2026 with a win over the Billikens.
Pensacola, FL – A win’s a win…is a win. And there are no questionable wins on opening day if you’re wondering.
That said, the Ohio State Buckeyes opened 2026 Friday with a 7-1 win over the St. Louis Billikens and played the game in a fashion that makes one curious to see more.
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Beginning with…starting pitcher, sophomore Gavin Kuzniewski went four innings without allowing a run on three hits, walked three and struck out 4.
Two, Kuzniewski’s replacement, Zak Sigman (Grove City), pitched the final five innings for his best appearance ever as a Buckeye – 1 run on 7 hits, a walk and 3 strikeouts, while throwing just 78 pitches.
Three, the Buckeyes scored single runs in the first, second, three runs in the third, one in the sixth and one in the eight…on eight hits spread through the batting order. Third baseman Maddix Simpson was the only multi-hit man in the batting order, going 2 for 3 with a run scored and an RBI.
And four, some of the new faces made successful debuts.
First baseman CJ Reid (Hutchinson Community College) came to the plate with no outs in the third inning and the bases loaded and delivered a two-run single that pushed the Buckeyes’ lead to 4-0.
Left fielder Alex Bemis (Gannon University) went 1 for 4 with a pair of runs scored.
Right fielder Nick Furcht went 1 for 3.
Grove City’s Zak Sigman pitched the final five innings in Friday’s opener to gain the 7-1 decision over St. Louis.
But the most welcome sight on opening day was the work of Kuzniewski and Sigman, who combined for 1 run allowed on 10 hits, walked 4 and struck out 7. And they did it fresh out of a foot of snow at Bill Davis Stadium, on opening day.
And for Sigman it marked his longest outing in his three years as a Buckeye, having persevered through injuries in his previous two years.
Their three-game series resumes on Saturday with a double-header – 18 innings of baseball – as a result of impending bad weather predicted for Sunday. And 18 innings on the second day of the season is a sure test for a pitching staff that’s yet to pitch. However…..
“We have more guys (pitchers) that are going to contribute, that we can count on to give us a chance to win,” Justin Haire said a week ago in a Press Pros preview of the season.
And so far, so good.
Friday, Gavin Kuzniewski and Zak Sigman gave him just that.
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