Buckeye Great Steve Arlin Named to College World Series Legend Team

Shocking, but there was a time when Ohio State was a true national power.

In the late 1960s Ohio State made three trips to Omaha, returning home to Columbus once with a championships as winners of the 1966 College World Series. The driving force behind the Buckeye dominance was the arm of Steve Arlin.

While current Buckeye ace Alex Wimmers puts up gaudy numbers and is recognized as one of the country's best, the career Arlin had is unfathomable.

In two seasons at Ohio State, Arlin went 24-3 with 294 strikeouts. His 165 strikeouts in 1965 is a program record, dwarfing the 132 strikeouts Wimmers had a year ago.

The most notable of his accomplishments is the 20-strikeout, 15-inning performance he had in the 1965 CWS against Washington State, a 1-0 Buckeye victory.

For his efforts Arlin has been named as one of top 25 players in College World Series' history.

What could be better than baseball, fireworks and Archie Griffin?

That was the headline on an email I was forwarded from a friend and fellow Ohio State alum, Beth Watkins, last week. The email is promoting the OSU Alumni Association's annual member appreciation day at an Ohio State baseball game. I guess I should rejoin the alumni association so I can get emails like this in the future.

The game they picked is Friday, April 4 against Minnesota. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. and Archie Griffin, the only two-time winner of the Heisman Memorial Trophy and current president and CEO of the Ohio State Alumni Association, will throw out the first pitch.

Ohio State Alumni Association members can purchase tickets online for just $2.50 each (price includes processing fee) through I was asked not to include that information since the email was sent to current members of the alumni association.

They say anyone who buys a ticket can enjoy these highlights:
Come early and meet Archie Griffin before the game.
The first 200 fans will receive commemorative T-shirts celebrating 125 years of Ohio State baseball.
Game-day entertainment includes '80s Flashback Friday music and fireworks after the game.

Archie offered a write-up on Steve Arlin's selection into the College Baseball Hall of Fame in this month's Archie's Insights.

Arlin Officially Named to College Baseball Hall of Fame

The College Baseball Foundation officially announced today that Steve Arlin, the great Ohio State pitcher who led the team to its only national title in 1966, has been selected to the National College Baseball Hall of Fame in Lubbock, Texas. Arlin is a member of just the third class to gain admittance into the Hall.

“I feel privileged and honored to be a part of college baseball's elite,” Arlin said in a statement released by Ohio State. "And representing Ohio State and the Big Ten makes this all the more special for me since those days were some of the best in my life, spent with some of my closest friends. We shared that wonderful moment in time and came away with the best of memories."

When I made this post earlier today I wanted to write more but didn't have time. I made the nomination of Arlin two years ago when I worked in the Ohio State Athletics Communications office and thought he was a lock into the Hall's first class. When he was overlooked again last year, I thought it was an obvious snub of northern baseball. Arlin was and still is a class act and is more than deserving of this honor. I'm sad to see it have taken three years, but thankfully his college career has been recognized. It would be great to visit Lubbock when he is enshrined July 4.

Arlin Expected to Earn Entry into College Baseball Hall of Fame

According to sources close to the Ohio State Athletic Department, former Buckeye great Steve Arlin will be announced as part of the 2008 class that will be inducted into the College Baseball Hall of Fame in July. An announcement should be made Wednesday by the College Baseball Foundation.

Arlin not only is considered the top pitcher in Ohio State baseball history, but he also is regarded as one of the greatest pitchers in the history of the College World Series. In the 1965, facing elimination against Washington State, Arlin struck out a CWS-record 20 batters in a 15-inning 1-0 victory by Ohio State. The next year, the Buckeyes won the National Championship with Arlin on the mound in five of the team’s six games, twice beating top-seeded Southern California.

Arlin had a two-year record of 24-3 with the Buckeyes and held OSU marks for victories and strikeouts (294) until 1999 and his .889 win percentage is the best in school history. He led the nation in strikeouts as a sophomore with 165 and went 13-2 that year in leading the Buckeyes to a second-place finish at the 1965 College World Series. The next year he went 11-1 and helped Ohio State claim the championship.

Arlin, who went on to pitch six seasons with the San Diego Padres, was a two-time First Team All-American and All-Big Ten selection and still holds two College World Series records. He was honored by being the Most Valuable Player at the College World Series in 1966 and is a member of the All-Time College World Series Team.

Arlin, who now lives in San Diego, Calif., had his No. 22 jersey retired in 2005.