Shortstop Henry Kaczmar leads the Buckeyes in hitting and makes them a strong defensive unit up the middle. (Press Pros Feature Photos)
The mid-terms are over and it’s time for the final exam. How we got to the Big Ten Tournament is a study guide for baseball.
Omaha, NE – There was.a time four weeks ago during those series losses to Michigan, Michigan State and Illinois when the route to the conference tournament looked like one filled with road blocks.
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When the only semblance of a glass being half full amounted to conference series wins against Purdue Iowa, two of the other eight Big Ten teams going to the starting gate tomorrow here in Omaha.
Publisher/editor Sonny Fulks writes the Big Ten and Buckeyes baseball for Press Pros Magazine.com.
So how did we get here? Well, it occurred to me on the drive to Omaha Monday that it was a bit like the interstate highways in Indiana, where the roads are always busted up and construction is not unlike faith in everlasting life. The scriptures say we have a good hope…but you might not see it ’til you get there.
In Illinois the only thing worse than the miles of orange barrels is believing that that the economy is as good as they say it is.
But with the Buckeyes’ baseball final exam at hand, it’s belief in classic baseball that’s put them on the threshold of a something-more-than-a-passing grade for 2024.
In particular order….
They say that good baseball teams are strong up the middle. No more so than the reality of Matt Graveline behind home plate, Henry Kaczmar at shortstop, Joe Mershon at second, and Josh Stevenson in centerfield. On a day-to-day basis those four have been damned good – as good as any four we’ve seen in from Purdue, Nebraska, Michigan, Iowa, Michigan State, Illinois, Northwestern and Rutgers…for the sake of dependable outs when you need one.
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And let’s add to that the dependable development of third baseman Tyler Pettorini. Everyone knew that Pettorini would hit, coming off his team-leading average of a year ago; and this year he’s batting ten points higher. But the most stunning improvement has been his defensive play at the hot corner, testament to his hard work to become an everyday position player, and Bill Mosiello’s faith in him that he would.
The offense has not been league-leading, but it’s often been their port in the storm. Lipsey, Kaczmar, Pettorini, Okuley, Mershon, Graveline, Ike Cadena and whoever has played first base have all taken their turn with highlights during the course of 28 wins. And that’s a good thing because the pitching has been an exercise in developmental patience.
Tyler Pettorini has not only become a better hitter for average, but a dependable defender as an everyday player at third base.
Only sophomore starter Landon Beidelschies has proven to be as good as planned back in February. And if you’re looking for an MVP candidate it might be pitching coach Sean Allen for his confidence in not only the process of Beidelschies’ morphing from a reliever to starter…but the day-to-day development of talented freshman arms – Chase Herrell, Zach Brown, Gavin DeVooght, and Jake Michalak.
As far as they’ve come, their best is yet to come if they decide to stay a Buckeye. Because no place in Division I baseball is there more future opportunity to learn and develop.
The same can be said for junior Gavin Bruni, who’s struggled mightily to find his groove. The talent is immense if he can harness it around the strike zone.
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More often than not the bullpen has answered in the affirmative in the persons of sophomore Blaine Wynk and senior Colin Purcell in long relief, who’s also filled in as sport starter when needed. But we’ve yet to enjoy what you would call dependable depth.
So, is this team better at 28-24 than the one that finished 31-25 a year ago? IMHO I say yes for the fact that they’ve leaned on those freshman arms under pitching stress unlike they’ve ever seen prior to Ohio State. It’s important to remember…that nearly every high school player has never worried about making his high school team. And every pitcher who gets recruited has always been able to throw the fastball by the best high school player. At this level you can’t do it anymore. This is about learning how to pitch.
And, there’s a youthful faith in each other about this group that’s discernible, something that you just can’t coach.
So why the 24 losses? Pitching, in large part, because as Bill Moviello says, “Experience is not something that you can go to Walgreens and get a pill to take.” With inexperience comes inconsistency, and more than any other adjective that describes 2024 – too many walks, too many mistakes in the strike zone, and lack of timely hitting.
And finally, for the sake of the final exam…can 28 wins hope to compete with top seeds like Nebraska tomorrow and Illinois, if that opportunity comes?
Sophomore reliever Blaine Wynk has a 2-0 record and an earned average under 3.00 in 36 innings of work. (Press Pros Feature Photos)
On a given day…yes. We’ve already seen it – impressive wins in the series at Lincoln, at Ann Arbor, and at Champaign. They just couldn’t do it two out of three games.
I’ve seen it in Omaha already – how a team can get hot and it becomes contagious.
And ‘clean’ baseball is important because this is a natural turf field, but it’s natural for everyone.
A good start is important because the loser’s bracket is a bitch – a lot of games in a short amount of time to get back to the top.
But once you get here it’s baseball at a higher level, and it’s fun – something you remember for years after you start hanging the curveball in your dreams.
And getting here has been half the fun.
Unless you’re driving in Indiana!
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