Weekend Hype: Ohio State at Michigan

Ohio State Buckeyes
(23-18, 10-9 Big Ten)
at
Michigan Wolverines
(31-17; 17-3 Big Ten)

Weekend Schedule
Friday: 6:35 p.m., ET
Saturday (DH): 4:05 p.m., ET
Sunday: 1:05 p.m., ET

Following the Team
As usual, the audio broadcast for all four games will be available for a fee at ohiostatebuckeyes.com. AM 920 WMNI will have games one, two and four. The Big Ten Network has the opening game of the series on Friday, the dedication game of Michigan’s renovated Fisher Stadium. Ohiostatebuckeyes.com will also offer live stats (free of charge).

Probable Starters from ohiostatebuckeyes.com
G1: RHP Jake Hale (5-1, 4.62 ERA) vs. RHP Zach Putnam (5-0; 3.02 ERA)
G2: LHP Dan DeLucia (1-3, 5.77) vs. RHP Chris Fetter (7-1, 2.73 ERA)
G3: RHP Dean Wolosiansky (6-2, 2.84) vs. RHP Travis Smith (4-1, 3.82 ERA)
G4: LHP J.B. Shuck (4-2, 2.86) vs. LHP Mike Wilson (2-4, 8.80 ERA)

Ohio State vs. Michigan
Michigan leads the all-time series, by Ohio State’s count, 154-89-2. The series began in 1895, thus making Michigan Ohio State’s oldest Big Ten baseball rival. The two teams have met in series play every year since 1981, the first season the Big Ten went to the four-game series format. If you haven’t seen my post from Tuesday about the recent trend in the rivalry, you’ll want to check it out.

Buckeye Bullets
• Dean Wolosiansky and J.B. Shuck are fourth and fifth, respectively, in the Big Ten in ERA, while Wolosiansky and Jake Hale are second and third in wins.
• J.B. Shuck, 4-2 on the mound with a 2.86 ERA and 54 strikeouts in 50.1 innings, missed his first start this season in game four vs. Northwestern to rest a sore leg.
• The team’s longest winning streak this season is three games (on four occasions) and the longest stretch of losses is four.
• The pitching staff has a 4.09 ERA in conference games; 4.50 overall. Those figures each rank second in the Big Ten.
• Ohio State is sixth in the Big Ten in league games with a .307 batting average and third overall at .325.
• In Big Ten games, Ohio State’s staff is first with 69 earned runs allowed, second in opposing batting average (.262) and hits allowed (168).
• Ohio State is 8-2 in Big Ten games when it out-hits its opponent; 0-6 when out-hit.
• Also in Big Ten action: Ohio Sate is 9-1 when leading after six innings; 1-7 when trailing.
• Ohio State pinch hitters are 13-for-34 (.382), led by Ryan Dew and Michael Arp (each are 4-for-7; .571). Opponent pinch hitters have had virtually no success against Ohio State pitching (5-for-33; .152).
• OSU is 18-2 when leading after six innings; 3-11 when trailing.

Big Ten Standings
Michigan 17-3
Purdue 16-4
Illinois 11-9
Ohio State 10-9
Northwestern 10-10
Penn State 10-10
Michigan St. 7-12
Indiana 6-14
Iowa 6-14
Minnesota 6-14

Games Around the Big Ten this Weekend
Ohio State at Michigan; Northwestern at Illinois, Minnesota at Iowa, Michigan State at Penn State, and Purdue at Indiana. Sounds like the last football weekend in November and could be as exciting. Um, did you see the Gophers and Hawkeyes are battling to stay out of last place?

Go Bucks! Beat Michigan!