Buckeyes Pound Out 19 Hits in 16-7 Win

No. 25 Ohio State pounded 19 hits, including two more home runs, and defeated Central Michigan, 16-7, Sunday at Chain of Lakes Field. The win improved Ohio State’s record to 9-2 while Central Michigan drops to 3-7.


Cory Kovanda led the Ohio State offense with a career-high tying four hits while red-hot Dan Burkhart – 11-game hitting streak and 19 RBI on the season – and Michael Arp had three hits apiece. Arp also scored three times. All nine Ohio State offensive starters had hits and all nine scored runs.

Pitcher Drew Rucinski pitched 3.1 innings in relief to improve his record to 4-1 on the season. He leads the Big Ten Conference in wins. Jake Hale finished his Big Ten-leading fifth game of the season. Dan Taylor (1-2) took the loss for CMU.

Ohio State built an early 3-0 lead against Taylor with a five-hit second inning. Cory Rupert got things started with a one-out double and freshman Brad Hallberg drove him home with a single to left followed by aggressive base running and coaching from third-base mentor Pete Jenkins. Hallberg advanced to second on the throw to the plate and he scored on Arp’s double to right center. Zach Hurley’s single to right center scored Arp. Kovanda followed with a perfect bunt single up the third base line, but Taylor got out of the inning with the help of a called third strike.

Back-to-back Central Michigan errors in the third inning put the Chippewas in bind and the Buckeyes capitalized by scoring five runs off three hits. Matt Streng’s three-run home run – his team-leading third of the season – over the 380-foot mark in left center field was a crushing blow that extended Ohio State’s lead to 8-0.

Central Michigan rallied a bit with three runs in each of the fifth and eighth innings plus one in the seventh, but the Buckeyes, in no way willing to let this lead slip away as they did in two earlier losses this weekend, put up four more runs in each of the seventh and ninth innings to put the game away.

Michael Stephens joined Streng when he hit his third home run of the season in the seventh, a three-run shot, and the team’s ninth inning included five singles and a CMU error, it’s seventh of the game.

Alex Wimmers started and pitched 4.1 innings before leaving in the fifth with the bases loaded and one out. Rucinski replaced Wimmers and gave up two run-scoring hits before retiring the side with the Buckeyes’ lead now at 8-3. Wimmers was credited with the three runs, all of them earned. He scattered five hits, struck out four and walked five.

Rucinski, throwing strikes with Ohio State maintaining a significant lead, allowed seven hits, four runs (three of them earned) and he struck out four and walked only one. Hale pitched the final four outs of the game, including throwing to sophomore catcher D.J. Hanlin in the ninth inning. Hanlin, giving Burkhart a much deserved inning off, was seeing his first collegiate action.

Central Michigan threatened in the first. Two, two-out walks after a leadoff single loaded the bases with Chippewas, but Wimmers battled through an eight-pitch, full-count at-bat to strike out Sam Russell looking to end the inning. Wimmers was in control form that point until the fifth.

Recap and Game Notes

Box Score

Winter Haven up next on Buckeyes' Spring Swing

Nationally ranked and unbeaten Ohio State, 7-0 on the season and riding a wave of confidence and karma, travels to Winter Haven, Fla., this week for four single games against Rhode Island, Northeastern, Maine and Central Michigan.

The games are part of the RussMatt Baseball Central Florida Invitational and all four will be played at Chain of Lakes Field, the former spring training home of the Cleveland Indians, who have relocated their spring training to Phoenix this year.

For more information on the games, visit the RussMatt Baseball web site at www.russmattbaseball.com

THE SCHEDULE
Ohio State will play Rhode Island and Northeastern for the first time in baseball, at 3 p.m. Friday and 12:30 p.m. Saturday, respectively before renewing series’ with Maine at 4 p.m. Saturday and Central Michigan at 12:30 p.m. Sunday.

The team will depart Thursday afternoon via commercial airline and return home Sunday evening.

Ohio State probable weekend rotation:
Fri. vs. Rhode Island - LHP Andrew Armstrong (1-0; 3.27)
Sat. vs. Northeastern - RHP Ross Oltorik (0-0; 9.00)
Sat. vs. Maine - RHP Dean Wolosiansky (1-0; 9.90)
Sun. vs. Central Michigan - RHP Alex Wimmers (2-0; 0.77)

NEWS ON THE OPPONENTS
Rhode Island will be one “ram tough” opponent. The team is coming off the biggest win in program history: a 3-0 win at No. 8 Miami Tuesday night as Jr. Eric Smith threw eight shutout innings. The 5-2 Rams also have a win at NC State this year. Team BA is .339 and the ERA is 4.21. Four regulars are hitting over .400: Zoey Angulo is hitting .571 and is followed by Milan Adams (.500), Dan Rhault (.464) and Jeff Cammans (.429). The team has some power, too, with 10 home runs. RHP Tim Boyce (1-0 with a 6.30 ERA and 10 IP with two starts) is expected to go against the Buckeyes.

Northeastern, which lost to Ohio State, 8-3, in 1991 in the only meeting between the two schools, is off to a 4-1 start, including 6-4 and 4-3 wins over Northwestern earlier this week in Winter Haven, Fla. Huskies RF Matt Miller is CAA Rookie of the Week after going 7-14 over the week with a .650 on-base percentage. LHP Ryan Quiqley (0-0; 2.08 ERA; 4.1 IP) is the scheduled starter. Matt Miller (.526) and Mike Tamson (.450) have combined for 19 of the team's 47 hits. Northeastern is hitting .272 as a team with a team ERA of 2.80. The staff has 49 strikeouts and only 17 walks in 45.0 IP.

Maine and Ohio State have also met just once: an 8-7 Black Bear win last year in West Palm Beach. Maine is 3-4 heading into two games against Fairfield before the Ohio State game. The Black Bears have not indicated a starter against Ohio State, but the staff has a 5.82 ERA. Myckie Lugbauer (.448 with 10 RBI) and Danny Menendez (.409 and 5-6 in SBs) lead the team's offense.

Central Michigan, which owns a 3-2 series edge over Ohio State, is 3-4 this season and owns a win over nationally-ranked Wichita State already. Matt Faiman, Scott PHillion and Casey Ingle are all hitting better than .400 to lead the Chippewas. CMU has also not declared a starter for the Ohio State game.

CLIMBING IN THE RANKINGS
On the strength of its 7-0 start, Ohio State is ranked in two of the four major polls with the highest ranking No. 25 by Collegiate Baseball. Ohio State is also ranked No. 27 this week by PingBaseball.

FOLLOW THE ACTION via LIVE STATS
Track the action through Live Stats, available on OhioStateBuckeyes.com. Click on the Live Stats link on the main home page in the upper right hand corner or through the baseball schedule page to access.


Full weekend release courtesy Ohiostatebuckeyes.com

Two Buckeye Seniors on BTN Monday Night

Ohio State seniors Dan DeLucia and Tony Kennedy will appear on the Big Ten Network's "Big Ten Tonight" nightly sportscast Monday, April 21. The two Buckeyes will be featured on the BTN's "Talk Back" segment. Big Ten Tonight is a 60-minute program that airs Monday through Thursday, and Saturday and Sunday at 10 p.m. ET. Bringing the viewer Big Ten highlights, analysis, features, historical segments, interviews and breaking news, Big Ten Tonight has a mini-studio at each campus, providing Big Ten Tonight with interviews with coaches and players on a nightly basis.

Big Ten Network Adds Buckeye Telecasts
The Big Ten Network has added two more Ohio State road games to its upcoming baseball programming schedule. The additional dates give Ohio State a total of nine regular season appearances on the Big Ten Network, the most by any school. Upcoming Ohio State baseball games that will be televised on the Big Ten Network include:

Sat., April 26 – Ohio State at Northwestern (DH), 1 p.m., ET
Fri., May 2 – Ohio State at Michigan , 6:35 p.m., ET
Sat., May 17 – Ohio State at Iowa , 2 p.m., ET

The start time for the Ohio State at Northwestern doubleheader April 26 has been changed to 1 p.m. from its initial 2 p.m. start. Both games of the doubleheader will be televised.

Chippewas Stage Another Upset

Last Wednesday it was Michigan. Tonight it was Ohio State. With a 4-2 victory over the Buckeyes Wednesday at Bill Davis Stadium, Central Michigan has downed the two Big Ten powers in consecutive midweek games (box score). Yet, the Chippewas own a losing record overall, improving to 13-16 with the upset.

Central Michigan took a 2-1 run lead in the fourth, but a sacrifice fly by Ohio State's Justin Miller in the bottom of the fifth scored J.B. Shuck to tie the game at two. An RBI double by Noah Lankford in the seventh gave Central Michigan the lead for good and it tacked on an insurance run in the eighth on an RBI single by Sean Hoorelbeke.

Ohio State, which slipped to 16-10 on the year, never threatened again after scoring the equalizer and were retired in order in the sixth, seventh and eighth before Ryan Dew drew a walk to begin the home half of the ninth. Ben Toussant pinch hit for Brian DeLucia but struck out looking. Dan Burkhart grounded into a fielder's choice and Tyler Engle grounded out to third. Ballgame over.

Josh Edgin got the start for the Buckeyes and lasted only 4.0 innings. He allowed two runs on one hit but struck out five and walked one. Drew Rucinski pitched 3.0 innings and Alex Wimmers pitched the eighth and ninth. There were just nine hits in the game, including five by Ohio State. Zach Hurley accounted for two of them while Miller drove in both runs. The Buckeyes committed two errors. Central Michigan had one.

CMU starter Jesse Hernandez allowed the two Buckeyes runs on five hits in 8.0 innings. Chris Kupillas took care of Ohio State in the ninth to pick up his second save.

Only 733 fans bothered to show up. Maybe they're holding out for the wildly successful Buck-a-Burger Nights (April 23 vs. Akron and May 7 vs. Marshall).

Ohio State takes on Michigan State this weekend at Oldsmobile Park in Lansing, Mich.

A Midweek Threat?

One thing is certain for Wednesday at 6:35 p.m. when Central Michigan visits Bill Davis Stadium: the Buckeyes will not have a cake walk for the second straight week. Ohio State beat Toledo 13-0 last Wednesday, the same day, Central Michigan surprised Michigan 7-3 in Mount Pleasant.

Scouting Central Michigan
Central Michigan improved to 12-16 after getting by Illinois-Chicago Tuesday. Sean Hoorelbeke's two-out, two-run shot tied the game at seven and Brendan Emmett's RBI single in the 10th helped CMU knock off UIC, 8-7. Central Michigan is coming off a series win over Bowling Green last weekend. CMU took the opener, 6-2, and the final game, 10-6. CMU lost eight of nine games in the early going but has gone 11-8 since. The Chippewas are 3-5 in the MAC.

Buckeyes vs. Chippewas
Ohio State and Central Michigan have met only four times previously and each team has two wins in the series. Ohio State’s wins came in 2000 (11-4) and in 2006 (8-5) while CMU has wins in 1990 (24-22) and in 2000 (3-2). The two games in 2000 were played at Texas A&M. The 1990 game was at Trautman Field and the 2006 game was at Bill Davis Stadium.

Ohio State is 16-9 overall and 5-3 in the Big Ten. The Central Michigan game is the last of an 11-game homestand in which the Buckeyes are 7-3.

Buckeye Bullets...
• Ohio State is 13-1 this season when leading after six innings…1-5 when trailing.
• The Buckeyes are also 13-0 when leading after seen innings and 15-0 when leading after eight innings.
• Illness caused Ryan Meade to miss the entire Minnesota series. The true freshman is on a current 17-game hitting streak.
• Michael Arp made three appearances in the Minnesota series and made the most of his time by going 3-for-4 at the plate with an RBI.
• Cory Rupert, who injured his leg late in the fourth Minnesota game, continues to lead the team in RBI with 23.
• Ryan Meade and Tony Kennedy are second with 18 RBI apiece. Justin Miller has 17.
• Miller and Cory Kovanda each hit safely in all four Minnesota games. Zach Hurley had at least one hit in each of the three games he played.
• Pitching wins are nicely balanced with J.B. Shuck the leader with four and Jake Hale, Dean Wolosiansky and Andrew Armstrong with three apiece.
• In four starts, Armstrong has a 1.70 ERA with just four earned runs allowed in 21.1 innings pitched. He has lasted at least 5.0 innings in each of his starts.
• After a pinch hit, RBI single in the second game of the double header win over Minnesota, Ben Toussant earned a start at DH in Game 4 of
the series.
• Rupert has scored 10 runs in the last 10 games and now only trails leader Shuck by three.
• Kovanda and Kennedy have each recorded hits in 21 games this season.
Buckeye Bullets taken from the Ohio State game notes