The Lanter: Hurley takes the lead

Alex Kopilow
Issue date: 4/15/09

Junior leftfielder Zach Hurley has been the leadoff hitter for the Ohio State baseball team since the beginning of the year, but he's taken the word "lead" to a whole new level.

Hurley needed surgery on a torn left labrum (shoulder) late last summer, which kept him out of fall practices. Since the season started in late February he has shown no signs that the surgery has hurt his performance.

Hurley is the team leader in runs, hits and stolen bases, which are all typical statistics of a great leadoff hitter. Hurley also leads in categories typical of a cleanup hitter. He leads the team with a .590 slugging percentage, a .436 on-base percentage, and he even leads the team in runs batted in with 39. Hurley also has 15 extra base hits (5 doubles, 5 triples, 5 home runs), which is tied for second on team with outfielder Michael Stephens.

"I think it's more of a tribute to the entire team an how well we're playing," Hurley said. "It really says a lot about our lineup and how loaded we are throughout the entire lineup.

"You can put anyone in the order anywhere you want and they'll come through."

Hurley became an everyday player in 2008, playing in 49 games and making 35 starts in the outfield. He hit over .302, with five stolen bases and had a .410 slugging percentage.

Hurley has spent the last three summers as an outfielder for the Cincinnati Steam in the Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League.

Last summer, Hurley led the GLSCL in batting with a .433 average and was named the league's Player of the Year and its No. 1 pro prospect.

"I thought him playing last summer was a big help for him," coach Bob Todd said. "He slowly keeps working hard and slowly keeps getting better."

Hurley was 5-for-10 with four runs, four runs batted in, four walks and a home run against Michigan State last weekend.

Zach Hurley and the No. 26 Buckeyes finish their five-game home stand today against No. 24 Kent State Golden Flashes at 6:35 p.m. at Bill Davis Stadium.

The Buckeyes are 4-1 at home this season and lead the all-time series against Kent State 34-13. In their last meeting, the Buckeyes defeated the Golden Flashes with a 5-3 win in 2004 at Myrtle Beach, S.C.

Dean Wolosiansky will get the start for OSU. Wolosiansky (7-1, 5.59 ERA) earned the win in his last start against Michigan State on Saturday. He pitched six and one-thirds innings and allowed nine hits, three earned runs, no walks and had one strikeout.

No. 26 Ohio State hosts No. 24 Kent State

As big a mid-week game as we’ll have at Bill Davis Stadium this year takes place at 6:35 p.m. Wednesday as the 26-7 Ohio State Buckeyes host 24-7 Kent State University, a team predicted to win the MAC and make the NCAA tournament.

Game 34: vs. No. 24 Kent State (24-7; 9-2 Mid American Conference)
Wednesday, April 15 - 6:35 p.m.
Bill Davis Stadium

BOTH TEAMS NATIONALLY RANKED
Ohio State comes into the game ranked 26th by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and 28th by PING! Baseball and Kent State is ranked 24th by Collegiate Baseball. The two teams have numerous other similarities:

• Ohio State has won 14 Big Ten Conference regular season championships, eight Big Ten tournament championships and has participated in the NCAA tournament 18 times, including 12 times under the direction of coach Bob Todd.
• Kent State has won nine Mid American Conference championships, six MAC tournament titles and participated in an NCAA tournament eight times, including once under fifth-year coach Scott Stricklin.

TODD AND CYPRET KENT STATE TIESTwenty-seven years ago Bob Todd accepted his first head coaching assignment on a college level after 11 seasons as an assistant coach at Missouri. That first job was at Kent State. In four years with the program, Todd, who also served as an assistant athletics director, never had a losing season while winning 124 games against 82 losses. His teams set MAC records for wins twice, and his last two teams combined for 73 wins.

Assistant coach Greg Cypret, who played at Missouri while Todd was on the Tigers’ staff, spent three years as an assistant at Kent State before coming to Ohio State with Todd in the fall of 1988.

THE SERIES HISTORY
Ohio State and Kent State are playing for the 48th time in a series that started in 1958. Ohio State leads the all-time series, 34-13. In their last meeting, the Buckeyes came out on top with a 5-3 win in 2004 at Myrtle Beach, S.C.

Full OSU Athletics Release

Kent State Game Notes

From OSU Athletics: Bob Todd, Zach Hurley Audio

Ohio State junior outfielder Zach Hurley and head coach Bob Todd talked about the upcoming week and more in the audio double play this week.

Todd is in his 22nd year with Ohio State and his 26th year overall as a head coach. In his time with the Buckeyes, Todd has won 14 Big Ten titles and has an up-to-date record of 857-442-2 for his Ohio State career. Todd won his 850th game in the 8-3 victory over Penn State March 27th.

Hurley, from Springboro, Ohio, is having an excellent season for the Buckeyes. He has started all 33 games this season and leads the team with 39 RBI. The leftfielder is second on the squad in batting, averaging .382 and has a team-high nine stolen bases

Zach Hurley speaks bout this week's games

Coach Bob Todd on his teams play, Kent State, and Purdue