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The Ohio State Baseball (Official Thread)

Latest RPI rankings:

20 Indiana 20-5-0 6-2-0 5-1-0 9-2-0 0-0-0
38 Iowa 16-9-0 5-5-0 4-2-0 5-2-0 2-0-0
48 Illinois 17-7-0 7-2-0 6-3-0 3-2-0 1-0-0
51 Minnesota 18-10-0 6-5-0 4-0-0 8-5-0 0-0-0
57 Ohio St. 19-8-0 3-1-0 8-5-0 8-2-0 0-0-0
68 Nebraska 14-14-0 3-6-0 5-3-0 6-5-0 0-0-0
76 ttun 16-11-0 3-7-0 2-3-0 11-0-0 0-1-0
89 Purdue 14-10-0 4-8-0 8-1-0 2-1-0 0-0-0

https://www.ncaa.com/rankings/baseball/d1/rpi
 
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Buckeye bound: Stark County baseball players choosing Ohio State
By Josh Weir
CantonRep.com sports writer
Posted Apr 3, 2018 at 4:58 PMUpdated Apr 3, 2018 at 6:09 PM

Alliance’s Gavin Bruni and Jackson’s Trent Jones just the latest local products to pick the Buckeyes

Stark County is becoming quite the pipeline for Ohio State baseball.

Alliance freshman Gavin Bruni and Jackson sophomore Trent Jones verbally committed to the Buckeyes last week. They join Jackson junior pitcher Yianni Skeriotis and Marlington senior infielder Zach Dezenzo as Buckeye recruits. Skeriotis verbally committed in September, while Dezenzo signed with head coach Greg Beals’ program in November.

Ohio State already has Stark products Dillon Dingler (Jackson), Jake Vance (Central Catholic) and Nate Romans (Walsh Jesuit) on its roster.

Jackson head coach Bill Gamble explains it this way: “What they’ve caught up to is they’re seeing a lot of good baseball in Stark County.”

Gamble used “they” because he doesn’t mean just Beals.

The county currently boasts 12 Division I baseball commits or signees. That includes an SEC recruit in Massillon junior Jonathan Machamer (South Carolina), whose older brother Chris is a sophomore pitcher for Kentucky.

“There’s just a lot of top-end talent in Stark County right now,” said Gamble, whose program has won two of the last four Division I state championships. “It’s great to see Power Five conferences tapping into that. These guys look the part. They fit the mold. And the cool thing is they’re doing it right in the classroom, too.”


Stark County Division I college baseball recruits

Player, school, class (college)

*Ryan Bergert, GlenOak, sr. (West Virginia)

Gavin Bruni, Alliance, fr. (Ohio State)

Kasey Centeno, Perry, jr. (Cincinnati)

*Zach Dezenzo, Marlington, sr. (Ohio State)

Trent Jones, Jackson, soph. (Ohio State)

Aidan Longwell, Massillon, soph. (Kent State)

Jonathan Machamer, Massillon, jr. (South Carolina)

Carson Nicodemo, Lake, soph. (Nebraska)

Yianni Skeriotis, Jackson, jr. (Ohio State)

*Ryan Thompson, Perry, sr. (Toledo)

Brody Ware, Hoover, jr. (Liberty)

Bryce Warwick, Perry, jr. (Youngstown State)

* - indicates player has signed with college



In terms of looking the part, Jones and Bruni both are 6-foot-3.

The rangy Jones, who bats left and throws right, has a lot of natural athleticism. “A two-way prospect” according to Gamble, Jones is batting in the top half of the Polar Bears’ order, plays the outfield and pitches.

“You can see that he’s going to be able to carry some good weight on that slender frame of his without losing his athleticism,” Gamble said.

That’s what so much of recruiting is: projecting what a player is going to be down the line.

Jones didn’t play varsity last year for the state champion Polar Bears. Bruni committed to Ohio State before ever playing in a high school game.

But these kids have been on college radars for a while through showcases and other avenues.


Bruni, who is about 190 pounds, doesn’t look or play like a ninth-grader.

A left-handed hitter and thrower, Bruni has a fastball that can touch the 90s. He’s Alliance’s No. 1 starting pitcher, bats in the 2-hole and also plays centerfield and first base.

“He’s been that kid forever,” Alliance head coach Jeff Graffice said. “He’s always been bigger, faster and stronger than everybody.”

Graffice actually coached Bruni’s mom, Kim, in softball at Alliance. She was a two-time All-Federal League performer.

Bruni had interest from LSU, Vanderbilt and Duke, among others, Graffice said.

“He wants to be a two-way college player,” Graffice said. “He’ll probably get a shot at it at Ohio State, whereas in the ACC or SEC he probably would be a pitcher only.

“But the kid can play high school baseball right now, anywhere he wants.”

http://www.cantonrep.com/sports/201...k-county-baseball-players-choosing-ohio-state
 
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Bruni definitely has a D1 bat, imo. Trent Jones is currently the 17th ranked player in Ohio’s 2021 class. Already 6’3”, likely projects as a pitcher. The other guy mentioned Yianni Skeriotis is similar in build to Jones. Top 10 in Ohio class 2019 and projects as a pitcher as well.
 
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OSU: Long-Expected Change Is Made But Vance Takes Center Stage
by Greg Hoard | Features

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Sophomore Jake Vance pitched for 5.1 innings, allowing just three hits, giving the Buckeyes a solid foundation for 4-0 win over the Bobcats. (Press Pros Feature Photos By Julie McMaken Wright)

CONTACT
Buckeyes debut an all new infield and a new man in center, and amidst all this Jake Vance adds to his growing reputation. OSU tunes up before heading to Penn State.

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COLUMBUS –
Ohio State unveiled a new defensive alignment Tuesday night at Bill Davis Stadium, an alignment designed for long term benefits, but the dominant figure on the field and in the game was starting pitcher Jake Vance.

The sophomore right-hander collared Ohio University for 5.1 innings, allowing just three hits, giving the Buckeyes a solid foundation for 4-0 win over the Bobcats, now 15-15.

It was Ohio State’s first shutout of the season, and after a dreary weekend at Iowa where the Bucks dropped two-of-three, it was a nice and necessary win.

Now 21-10 and headed to Penn State this weekend, the Buckeyes lineup contained five changes: at first, second, third, short and center field—all changes precipitated by Ohio State’s defensive shortcomings.

But for all that and as much dust as the Bucks’ defensive play has stirred up, on this night Vance simply stole the show.

Primarily, he used a fastball/change-up mix with a sprinkling of breaking balls to basically disarm the Bobcats.

“His fastball has some life on it that you don’t usually get with an 88-, 89 mile an hour fastball,” said Coach Greg Beals. “It’s got a little explosion on it. The other thing is his change-up is probably his most effective pitch and that just makes the fastball look that much better. You have to respect the change-up when you are facing Jake Vance.”

Vance’s work has, to a degree, been somewhat overlooked. He’s 3-1 with a 1.71 ERA. His ERA is second only to closer Seth Kinker who sits at 1.65.

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Kobie Foppe had one hit, scored one run, and got on base with a walk.

Tuesday night’s start was his third of the season and his eighth overall appearance. Clearly, he’s a building block for the future and he very well could crack the weekend rotation if there’s an injury or a breakdown.

“I was just trying to mix my pitches—the fastball, change and curve,” Vance said, “and everything was pretty much working for me…I think most of my strikeouts (six) came on the fastball. Mostly, I was just trying to locate my pitches.

“It was nice to get some zeroes on the board…and the defense was rock solid. We played really clean baseball.”

It was a clean game, which leads us to those line-up changes.

Ohio State did not commit an error, though the Bobcats weren’t exactly knocking the ball all over the park and testing this new alignment.


The McKinley Funeral Home of Lucasville, Ohio, proudly supports Ohio State Buckeye baseball on Press Pros.

The wind and the 44-degree weather served to kill a few fly balls and restrict base hits. There were a total of 12 hits in the game, and Ohio State made the most of its opportunities.

In the fifth, Jacob Barnwell started things with a one-out single up the middle, after the wind killed a fly ball by Noah West, Dom Canzone singled to left. Kobie Foppe drew a walk to load the bases for Noah McGowan.

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Connor Pohl adjusted well in a new position for the Buckeyes at first base .

McGowan, batting .410, finished a seven-pitch at-bat with a single to left scoring two runs and putting runners at first and third.

Conner Pohl followed. He got a pitch away and punched it to left field for a single and it was 3-0 Ohio State.

“That was a situation where I was just trying to get a pitch to hit,” Pohl said. “First at bat I got four pitches, all change-ups…I knew I was going to get off-speed. Finally, I got one fastball a little up and I was able to get a bat on it.”

Brady Cherry, the designated hitter, singled to open the sixth. Dillon Dingler, who started in center, followed with a hit-and-run single, putting runners at first and third. Barnwell grounded into a force at second, good enough to score Cherry, and that was the extent of the scoring.

While Vance’s performance and the shutout, completed by Thomas Waning (2.1 innings), Andrew Magno (one-third of an inning) and Yianni Pavlopolous (two-thirds of an inning) was noteworthy, the changes in the defense came as a long-awaited attempt to shore-up the most significant weakness in the Buckeyes’ game.

Their 51 errors is worst in the Big Ten and among the very worst in the country. Entering play Tuesday their .954 fielding percentage ranked 269th in Division I play.

“You knew this was coming,” Beals said. “We’ve been talking about it for weeks.”

For weeks, Beals has considered changes and, in the end, he did not make these changes without exhaustive consideration.

“You don’t want to over-coach, over-manage, do too much,” Beals said. “We’re winning because our offense has been strong and our pitching has been strong. Our defense has been very, very average—to be very kind to ourselves.”

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Noah McGowen, new in his position at third, flips the ball to Bo Coolen for an out at first base.

Finally, he said, he arrived at an alignment that “freshened things up, for sure, at the corners,” shifting Pohl from third to first and McGowan from first to third.

“I told Noah McGowan, ‘Just go be a baseball player.’ And I trust that he will do that,” Beals said. “Conner Pohl (who had 14 errors) needed to be refreshed.”

Furthermore, Beals said, he believed moving Foppe to second and installing West at short, put both players at positions where they performed best.

“Noah West is our best defensive infielder,” Beals said, “best defensive infielder on the team…I got to get him out there.”

This, of course, put Cherry in a role as designated hitter. Cherry had committed 11 errors at second base and his average had dipped to .239.

The shocker, for some at least, was Dingler, the back-up catcher, starting in center field, where he handled himself capably and certainly looked the part.

“He’s not a burner,” Beals said. “He’s not a speed guy, but he will make the right reads and he is going to get there on time…I think he is going to be a great baseball player. I got a guy like that, I have to find a way to get him more reps, more (playing time).”

OSU_OU_inset1-041018.jpg

Noah West makes the tag on a Bobcat steal attempt.

Beals characterized all the moves as decisions he made to put the team in a championship position. Will they stand? Will some stick and others not work out? Only time will tell, but it was certain Ohio State could not continue to give opponents extra outs and so many free bases.

Already, it has cost them a handful of games and this season grows shorter by the day.

“It’s hard to tell where this will go after just one game,” Pohl said. “But, I really think it’s going to help. I think it’s all going to work out.”

“Sometimes in a situation like this,” McGowan said, “it’s almost instinctual. It’s like just go out and play the position, like you are in the backyard. You’re just out there playing.”

https://pressprosmagazine.com/osu-long-expected-change-is-made-but-vance-takes-center-stage-2/
 
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Baseball: Dominic Canzone and Conner Pohl carving out key roles in sophomore seasons
By Miranda Lipton: [email protected] April 16, 2018 0



Ohio State sophomore infielder Conner Pohl (39) takes a swing at a pitch in the fourth inning of the game against Ohio University in April 10. Ohio State won 4-0. Credit: Jack Westerheide | Photo Editor

Ohio State infielder Conner Pohl and outfielder Dominic Canzone began last season as little more than benchwarmers.

But both caught fire during the middle of the campaign and established themselves as key contributors on the team.

Now, in Ohio State’s resurgent season that has the Buckeyes as a contender in the Big Ten, Canzone and Pohl find themselves in the thick of everything that has gone right for their team.

Going from unproductive benchwarmer to middle-of-the-order run producers took time for both players, but both made the transition through a similar process.

Pohl and Canzone, now sophomores, both view their increased confidence as the fundamental difference between the two seasons.

“At the beginning of freshman year, I wasn’t sure of my abilities,” Canzone said. “I wasn’t producing and constantly felt like I was letting my brothers down. I think that the key part of my turnaround was being more confident and understanding that the guys behind me will pick me up if I don’t succeed.”

Canzone began his freshman year just 3-for-29 over his first 11 games, but slashed .394/.435/.533 with three home runs and 12 stolen bases the remainder of the season. Now he is one of the team leaders with a .358/.426/.514 slash line with four home runs and a team-leading nine stolen bases.

Pohl got off to a similarly slow start, but it was about it more than just not hitting. It also came more from lacking a clear defensive position and not receiving enough playing time. Now splitting time at first and third base, Pohl has played enough to put his bat to good use, slashing .333/.419/.459 with five home runs.

“I’ve seen a great deal of growth and maturity within them, relating to how they go about competing and their comfort and confidence within the game,” head coach Greg Beals said.

Although Canzone did not know any of his teammates prior to joining the team just one year ago, his reference to them as his “brothers” captures how quickly these strangers became paramount in his life. He said the constant bonding the teammates do off the field directly translates to how they interact on the field and how well they perform.

Pohl emphasized the importance of everyone’s role on the team — not just the starters. As a new starter, Pohl’s role has changed since he was a freshman trying to find his place on the team.

Beals said the challenges of a young player trying to carve out a role on the team was made all the more challenging during the worst season in program history in 2017.

“Learning how to play at a Division I level for the first time is a challenge for any player,” said Beals. “It was a challenging year for us as a program [last year] and probably for them too. But they’re sophomores now. They’ve been around the block a full time and got a ton of experience.”

That experience gives Beals confidence both his two young players can become leaders for the next core group of players to come through the program.

“They both bring a lot to our team offensively and have the potential to be leadership-type guys,” Beals said. “Canzone really shows that already. Pohl is a little more quiet but they both have leadership characteristics that I’m excited about.”

Canzone also understands the responsibility that comes with being a starter and batting leadoff.

“It’s a big role — leading off the game and trying to get it started on the right note,” Canzone said. “The biggest thing in baseball is being calm and not tense, relaxing, and focusing on the next play. I finally started to do this when I became comfortable in knowing that whoever’s hitting behind me is going to have my back.”

Canzone saw the biggest improvements in his game when he kept himself taller in his stance and started sticking to a specific routine.

Pohl’s game changed most when he started focusing on overall performance rather than on hits.

“I wasn’t trying to do a whole lot outside of trying to get base hits,” Pohl said. “I was swinging at pitches that I shouldn’t have and trying to do too much with the ball, rather than focusing on the bigger picture.”

These two starters will be looking at that bigger picture while they continue their baseball careers this season. Both have gone from benchwarmers to being ranked as top Big Ten prospects in the 2019 draft class.

The trajectory for the pair only seems to be aiming upward.

https://www.thelantern.com/2018/04/...l-carving-out-key-roles-in-sophomore-seasons/
 
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OSU’S Seth Kinker: Pure Proof Of Confidence At Work
by Greg Hoard | Features, OSU, OSU Feature

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"He doesn't have typical closer stuff - he doesn't throw 97," says Greg Beals. "He just competes so damned well. He gives you everything he has everytime he gets the ball." (Press Pros File Photos)

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Greg Hoard
Born in Indiana and educated in Georgia, Greg Hoard came to Cincinnati in the winter of 1979 as a columnist for the Cincinnati Post sports department, and joined the Cincinnati Enquirer in 1984 as the beat writer for the Cincinnati Reds. He has received numerous awards for his work. In 1990, he left journalism for television. Hoard worked for WLWT-TV from 1990 through 1993 as sports director and spent 12 years as sports director at WXIX-TV. His written work has appeared in Sports Illustrated, The Sporting News, Baseball America, Baseball Digest and NFL Game Day. He has appeared on ESPN and NBC’s The Today Show. Greg is the author of three books: Joe, Rounding Home and Heading for Home; Gary Burbank, Voices in My Head; and, most recently, Hannan’s Way, An Unlikely Trek Through Life. He is currently working on a baseball memoir, parts of which he will share here.

CONTACT
The people who know Buckeye reliever Seth Kinker the best are those whom he’s won over with his attitude for efficiency and effectiveness. They depend on him…and they can’t seem to say enough.

COLUMBUS—By today’s standards—as myopic as they may be—Seth Kinker doesn’t measure up. He has no business doing what he’s doing. He doesn’t light up the gun. All he does is get the job done.

“He doesn’t have typical closer stuff,” says Ohio State coach Greg Beals. “He doesn’t throw 97. But, he competes. He just competes so damn well, and he knows who he is…Seth gives you everything he has every time he gets the ball.”

Kinker’s everything has been good enough to establish himself as the Buckeyes’ shutdown guy and just possibly the most dependable pitcher on OSU’s staff. He’s the Bucks’ closer but he has the capability to surpass the accepted expectations and limitations associated with the roll.

Need an out or two; Kinker is the man. If an inning is required to protect a lead, he gets the call, and if it’s more than that—two innings, three, even four—Beals and pitching coach Mike Stafford, have no reservations about giving Kinker the nod. He’s earned his coaches’ trust, and just as important—if not more so—the trust of his teammates.

“Whatever it takes, Seth is ready,” says bullpen mate Yianni Pavlopoulos. “He’s proven he can handle it…Seth’s done everything on this pitching staff you can do: start, middle innings, set-up guy, closer, he’s done it and he’s done it well.”

“Tell ya what,” says Tyler Cowles, the Bucks senior left fielder, “I’ll put Kinker up against any closer in the country. I’ll go to war with the guy. He’s on the mound; we’re gonna get outs. It’s shutdown time. He’s got that swag; know what I mean?”

From the time Kinker arrived on the Ohio State campus, a freshman out of Cabell Midland High in Huntington, West Virginia, he seemed to possess a confidence that became the trademark of his game. In short order, he earned his place on the ballclub.

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“There’s nothing fake about this guy,” says former teammate Nick Sergakis. “He just goes out there and goes after it.”

Kinker made 17 appearances his freshman season, working 22 1/3 innings out of the bullpen. He allowed 14 hits, three walks and struck out 19. His ERA was 2.82 and he held opposing hitters to a .179 batting average.

Against Indiana in the elimination game of the Big Ten Tournament at Target Field, Beals went to Kinker to secure the final out in the Hoosiers’ three-run eighth inning.

Kinker struck out the only hitter he faced and Ohio State scored a run in the top of the ninth. It wasn’t enough. Indiana topped Ohio State, 5-3, ending the Buckeyes season.

“There is nothing fake about this guy (Kinker),” Nick Sergakis, a mainstay in the Buckeyes infield, said. “He just goes out there and goes after it…He’ll make his mark here. No doubt.”

Each season Kinker was asked to do more. Each season he did more. In 2016—Ohio State’s Big Ten Championship season—he distinguished himself with his performance and his stamina.

Working primarily as the right-handed set-up man along with lefty Michael Horejsei, Kinker led the Big Ten with 38 appearances. He posted a 1.65 ERA and a 6-1 record. In 54.2 innings, he gave up 50 hits and 10 walks.

It was after a 3-0 win over Iowa on Sunday May 8th, that Kinker made a bold prediction. He had worked an inning and two-thirds of scoreless ball to pick up the win, his fifth of the season. Ohio State had taken the series from Iowa, but observers were divided on OSU’s chances in the conference tournament. Most didn’t give the Buckeyes much of a chance.

“Believe me,” Kinker said, “this team is going to be better down the stretch than anybody thinks. We’re going to surprise a lot of people.”

From that point until the end of the regular season, Ohio State was 7-1 overall, 5-1 in the Big Ten. They swept 19th ranked Michigan. They entered the Big Ten Conference Tournament at Omaha with a four seed, lost their opener and then ran the table through the losers’ bracket and a harrowing schedule.

In a span of some 30 hours, they played four games en route to the conference championship.

Kinker set a tournament record with five appearances. His scoreless innings streak of 21.1 was broken in the opening loss to Iowa, but he worked eight innings, struck out seven and didn’t walk a batter in the next four games.

“That’s where we all really learned about Kinker,” said Pavlopoulos, who led the conference with 14 saves. “He showed everyone what he was made of in those elimination games…Pretty impressive.”

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“When he’s on the mound…we’re gonna’ get outs.” – Buckeye outfielder, Tyler Cowles.

The 2017 season was ugly for everyone. Ohio State was 22-34 overall, 8-16 in Big Ten play. Kinker was 3-1 with a 2.95 ERA and seven saves.

Primarily, Kinker—along with a few others—spent a considerable amount of time keeping the lid on a clubhouse that was a tinderbox at times. No one on the team had endured such a losing season. At times, the atmosphere was ugly and angry. The best thing about the ’17 season was that it fueled everyone involved with a determination to play better baseball, “Ohio State baseball,” as senior third baseman Noah McGowan said.

Headed into a pivotal series with Indiana this weekend, the Buckeyes are playing with grit and purpose. They are 24-10, 6-3 in the Big Ten, but Indiana poses the stiffest test of conference play thus far this season. With mid-week games coming up against Notre Dame and Ball State, the Hoosiers are 26-6, 6-1 in the Big Ten and ranked eighth in the country.

It’s a situation right up Kinker’s alley.

“I don’t know,” he said. “The more competitive the situation, the more I like it…I just want to win. It’s been that way since I was a kid, doesn’t matter if it’s ping pong or rock, paper scissors….”

A scratch golfer and winner of several junior tournaments in West Virginia, when it was time for college, Kinker set aside his clubs to concentrate on baseball.

“I love golf,” he said. “I enjoy it and I’m pretty damn good at it. I love watching it. It will always be there for me, but I gave it up because I love baseball so damn much.”

Besides that, Kinker recognizes something, as he says, “deep inside” that he can not tap on a golf course, something that, in fact, would spell doom on any track.

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“I get on a mound and I turn into a different human,” says Kinker. “If someone beats me, then he’s earned it.”

It’s a drive, a competitive push to the edge of one’s emotions and abilities. One cannot drive every green or cut every dogleg on a golf course.

Unlike golf, a pitcher canstare down hitters. He can go all out on every pitch. In baseball guts often trumps judgment.

“There’s just something about baseball,” Kinker said. “I get on a mound and I turn into a different human. I think that’s what makes me the pitcher I am. That’s what has helped me here.

“When I’m on the mound I’m going to do whatever I can to get the guy out. I don’t care how I do it—whatever the situation is—my mentality will always be the same. I’m telling myself, ‘I’m better than the guy at the plate.’ If he beats me, then he’s earned it.”

He doesn’t have shocking skills, but he believes in what he has: an 88, 89-mile an hour fastball he can run in on both right- and left-handed hitters, and a slider.

“Basically,” Beals says, “he’s got two pitches, but his command is so good it’s like they used to say about (Hall of Famer) Greg Maddux, ‘He’s throwing more fastballs than anybody else.’ Well, it’s because Maddux had so many different types of fastballs: a cutter, two-seamer, four-seamer…

“The critical part with Seth is the confidence he has to execute…Most guys at this level like to compete, but can you control yourself and can you execute at an elite level? Seth has that ability.”

“When I’m on the mound, it’s: ‘Here’s my stuff.’” Kinker said. “‘This is what I got. It’s not pretty. It’s not 97, but it’s coming right at you.’ That’s something I believe in…If you believe in yourself—really believe in yourself—that’s more than half the battle.”

https://pressprosmagazine.com/osus-seth-kinker-pure-proof-of-confidence-at-work/
 
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VOTE SETH KINKER! SENIOR CLASS AWARD FINALIST

Fans can vote for Seth Kinker on the award's official website at www.seniorclassaward.com

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COLUMBUS, Ohio
Seth Kinker, a senior right-handed reliever on the Ohio State baseball team, is one of 10 finalists for the 2018 Senior CLASS Award, the organization announced Tuesday. Kinker, who has made 97 career appearances and leads the Big Ten in ERA at 1.16, is majoring in sport industry. He is from Huntington, W. Va., and Cabell-Midland High School.

“Truly blessed to be able to represent The Ohio State University for the Senior CLASS Award as a finalist,” Kinker said. “Baseball has brought me meaningful opportunities in my life, but with the resources Ohio State has offered on and off the field, it’s an honor to be able to be a finalist for this award.”

Kinker becomes the third member from the Ohio State baseball program to be named a finalist for the prestigious national team award (Cory Kovando, 2010 and Jacob Howell, 2007). Kinker is one of two members from the Big Ten listed with Scott Schreiber of Nebraska also named. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as a Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence – community, classroom, character and competition.

An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School®, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.

Finalists were chosen by national media from the list of 30 candidates announced in March. Nationwide fan voting begins immediately to help select the winner. Fans are encouraged to vote on the Senior CLASS Award website through May 28. Fan votes will be combined with media and Division I head coaches’ votes to determine the winner. This year’s Senior CLASS Award winner will be announced during the 2018 College World Series® in June.

“Also, I would like to congratulate the other finalists who are up for the award across the nation,” Kinker said. “I know how hard they work, and I respect the amount of time they give to the community as well.”

Kinker has been a key member for the Buckeye pitching staff the last four years. The right-hander has made 97 career appearances, which is second in school history. In his career, he is 14-4 with a 2.12 ERA and 158 strikeouts in 173.2 innings pitched. His 18 career saves is fourth all-time in OSU history.

In 2018, Kinker has been strong on the mound in his final season in the Scarlet and Gray, guiding the team to 16 games over .500 at 27-11 and 8-4 mark in Big Ten play. He is currently the Big Ten leader in ERA (1.16). In 18 appearances, Kinker is 5-1 with nine saves and 40 strikeouts to three walks. His strikeout-to-walk ratio ranks fifth in the country (13.33). Last weekend, Kinker claimed a save and a win to help the boys to a weekend series win over No. 8 Indiana. He claimed a two-inning save on Saturday before throwing 5.1 scoreless innings of relief for his fifth win of the year.

Other Kinker notes:

  • Guided team to the Big Ten Tournament title and NCAA Regional appearance during sophomore year in 2016, going 6-1 with a 1.65 ERA in 38 appearances out of the bullpen as a sophomore
  • Leads all active Buckeyes with 14 career wins
  • 2017 NCBWA Stopper of the Year Watch List
  • Two-time Big Ten Players to Watch List (2017-18)
  • Fourth in the nation in ERA at 1.16 in 2018
“Seth Kinker is our go-to-guy in the bullpen,” head coach Greg Beals said. “Whether it is as a closer, or in shut-down situations, Seth has proven us that he is our go-to reliever. You can certainly expect him to be getting the ball in critical situations.”

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Kinker is a young man of very high character. Associate head coach and pitching coach Mike Stafford had the following to say about the OSU right-hander,

“Kinker is from a small town in West Virginia and came in as a two-way player. We made him into a pitcher, and he is a highly-competitive person and wants the ball all the time in big situations. He’s already ready to perform even if he threw 40 pitches the day before. He’s also very versatile and was used as a starter when the team’s rotation was dealing with injuries in 2017. Kinker makes everyone better by leading by example and has had the most consistent numbers each season since joining the team in 2015. He pushes his teammates to the best of their ability. He’s a laid-back guy in the clubhouse but brings out that “bulldog” personality when he’s locked in on the mound.”

A two-time Academic All-Big Ten selection and OSU Scholar-Athlete, Kinker has taken part in numerous community service events including Kick it for Cancer (2015-17), reading to elementary children in the Columbus area the last four years with 2nd and Seven Foundation, and participating in the Bucks Go Pro community service event in summer of 2017. He also provided service for Meals on Wheels in Columbus by preparing the meals at the association’s kitchen and helped make blankets during his freshman and sophomore years at the Medical Center for the city mission of Columbus. This last month, Kinker and others on the program helped out at the Pensacola Ronald McDonald House during the Cox Diamond Invitational.
 
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Should point out that the Bucks landed the #1 player in Ohio in 2017 (Lonsway). They also have commitments from the #1 in 2019 and 2020. Joey Velazquez OF (DeSales) and McKenzie Wainwright OF (St Ed’s) respectively. Can’t recall a run like that on #1 guys in Ohio for us. I’m tellin ya that B1G tourney run really seemed to jump start recruiting




Velazquez is only 16 but already looks like a college upperclassmen

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I think Wainwright is only 15 in this pic

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headed to watch my son and his Watkins Memorial teammates as they battle Desales tonight so Im hoping to get a scouting report on Mr. Velazquez
 
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