Mason Eckelman (above) and the Buckeye batting order accounted for 17 runs and 24 hits against St. Louis pitching on opening weekend (Press Pros Feature Photos)
Proving to be everything they weren’t a year ago, the 2026 baseball Buckeyes impressively swept St. Louis on opening weekend in Pensacola.
One could make the case that they saw it coming all along.
That they believed.
VPP proudly sponsors Ohio State baseball on Press Pros Magazine.com.
You know, the old baseball movie with Ray Miland…It Happens Every Spring!
That omens really do exist!
And somewhere in all that you must believe that Justin Haire believed. What goes around, comes around, perhaps. Or…good things just happen when you throw strikes, field and throw the baseball accurately, and hit with runners in scoring position.
All of which the suddenly – and I mean, suddenly – undefeated Ohio State Buckeyes did in Pensacola Saturday, sweeping their doubleheader with the St. Louis Billikens to improve to 3-0 on the opening weekend of the 2026 baseball season.
Following Friday’s opening win behind sturdy pitching from Gavin Kuzniewski and Zak Sigman, the Buckeyes reprised that performance on Saturday with a combined 18 innings of 5-run, 11-hit baseball in which nine Bucukeye pitchers limited St. Louis to just 5 runs on 11 hits over the 18 innings.
More impressive, the starting efforts of junior Pierce Herrenbruck in the first game, and freshman Jude Fisher in the nightcap, accounted for nine innings of efficiency on the mound, the two combining for just 2 walks and 8 strikeouts in their respective Buckeye debuts. Major, major improvements over the stat line of 2026 when Ohio State pitching surrendered a total of 352 walks in 418 innings.
More, the bullpen was tested, a total of seven different relievers – Owen Graf, Chris Domke, Luke Carrell, Chris Marcum, Nik Copenhaver, Andrew Edrington, and Doug Bauer – and those seven combined to produce nine innings of 4-hit baseball, while allowing 6 walks and punching out 7.
The bullpen was tested (Luke Carrell, above). Seven different relievers performed in Saturday’s doubleheader sweep of St. Louis. (Press Pros Feature Photos)
You can’t win if you don’t score, and the Buckeyes pestered St. Louis pitching to the tune of 3 runs on 7 hits in the first game…followed by 7 runs on 9 hits in the second.
In the first game transfer Miles Vandenheuvel went 2 for 3 with a pair of RBIs, driving in runs in the second and seventh innings.
And in the second game, Vandenheuvel again went 2 for 3 while catcher Mason Eckelman responded with a 2 for 5 performance. First baseman CJ Reid went 1 for 4 (double) and drove in a pair of runs.
What to take from 3-0?
That Justin Haire believed that there was more, and something better than 13-37 in a returning roster core and a selection of pitching arms that at least on opening weekend supported his faith.
No, it didn’t come against Oregon State and Stanford, whom Michigan swept over the same two-day period. But it is a start in a sport where confidence and an understanding that adherence to fundamentals wins baseball games.
Weekend #2 sees them travel Memphis next week to play Louisiana Tech and Memphis, a step up in competition and another opportunity to build upon an opening weekend foundation.
Can Gavin Kuzniewski, Pierce Herrenbruck and Jude Fisher take the next step as weekend starters?
Can the lineup that hit enough to produce 17 runs and 24 hits do that again, and against better pitching?
We’ll see soon enough…if omens really happens, and better baseball comes with universal results.
3-0 is 3-0!
Wilson Health/Orthopedics proudly sponsors the best in area sports and the Ohio State Buckeyes on Press Pros.