Jami Jurich
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Ohio State spring sport storylines other than football you should be following
Jami Jurich via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
Buckeye news updates on the No. 1 men’s tennis team and more.
If you’re feeling a hole in your life now that both the men’s and women’s basketball teams have been knocked out of their respective tournaments, not to worry: Spring football is just around the corner, of course, but spring sports are also in full swing. Whether you’re looking to get on the tennis train, cheer on the gymnasts, or root, root, root for the Buckeyes’ baseball and softball teams, here at LGHL, we’re keeping you up-to-date on what’s happening with all your Buckeye sports teams.
Ohio State’s season has already been a bit of a rollercoaster. After putting up 26 runs against West Virginia on March 17, the Buckeyes (10-11) came home to Columbus to face Georgetown in their home-opening series. The Buckeyes’ usually powerful offense seemed to get blown away in one of the 20 mph wind gusts tearing through the stadium, as Ohio State put up only eight runs in three games and was swept by the Hoyas.
They struggled to capitalize on offensive opportunities throughout the series, leaving 33 men on base in the three-game stint. The third game in the series saw OSU leave two men on base in the bottom of the ninth to force the game into extra innings.
Still, all hope is not lost for the Buckeyes. This is a team that has offensive firepower in their arsenal, and I don’t expect this series to define the boys’ season. Keep an eye on left-handed pitchers Landon Beidelschies and Gavin Bruni, along with shortstop Henry Kaczmar, all named Players to Watch by the conference back in February.
The Buckeyes were meant to face Kent State on March 26, but the game was postponed. They will take on Purdue at home Friday through Sunday.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25357439/1254622565.jpg "COLLEGE BASEBALL: MAY 13 UNCG at Ohio State")
Photo by Jason Mowry/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
After starting the season 16-8, the Buckeyes kicked off Big Ten play last weekend on the road at Rutgers, falling 1-2 in the series to bring their record to 17-10.
This is a Buckeye team that has self-proclaimed “fight,” which makes them a delight to watch even when the outcome isn’t the one they hoped for. They headed to New Jersey last week fresh off a hard-fought 3-2 record at the John Cropp Classic, where their victories included their 9-0 shutout of Columbia University and an absolute battle against the University of Kentucky.
In the Kentucky matchup, junior shortstop Kami Kortokrax put up three runs and five RBIs, including back-to-back homers, the latter of which was a grand slam in the sixth inning. The Buckeyes entered the sixth down, 6-5, and Kortokrax’s grand slam was followed by a two-run homer from sophomore first baseman Hannah Church to seal the score at 12-6.
The Buckeyes make their home debut Wednesday when they host Dayton in Columbus.
The men’s golf team opened the spring season with a win at the Southwestern Invitational back in January, one of the team’s three Top-4 finishes so far this season. They are currently ranked No. 26 in the latest Scoreboard rankings.
Their most recent outing came at the Valspar Collegiate Invitational at the Floridian Golf Club in Palm City, Florida, where the men finished 15th out of 16. Adam Wallin had the best individual performance for Ohio State, finishing tied for 25th at one-over par.
Their next outing will come in mid-April when they host the Robert Kepler Intercollegiate tournament in Columbus.
The women’s golf team, for their part, finished 6th out of 16 teams at the Clemson Invitational this past weekend, where they led the field on par 3s. They have posted two top-5 finishes so far this season.
Kailie Vongsaga, competing as an individual, had the top showing for the Buckeyes, finishing the tournament tied for 10th at -2.
Their regular season comes to a close in Columbus on April 13-14, when they host the Therese Hession Buckeye Invitational at the OSU Scarlet Course.
Neither the men’s nor women’s lacrosse teams have posted a conference win yet this season—but all is not lost.
The women (6-4, 0-3) will take on Penn State Thursday at home in an important conference matchup. Brynn Ammerman, a junior attacker, leads the Buckeye offense with 30 assists in 10 games. While Penn State has offensive power, OSU has won its last three home matchups against Penn State.
This is a crucial win for the Buckeyes to capture, as they need to record a conference win quickly, and the momentum of this win over a rival could give them a boost.
The men, for their part, are now 5-5 overall and 0-1 in conference play after their own battle against Penn State. The Nittany Lions closed a 6-1 deficit to win 12-9 in Columbus on Sunday.
The numbers don’t tell the full picture, however. All five of the Buckeyes’ losses have come against top 10 teams, three of whom finished 2023 in the Final Four.
They are looking to record their first conference win this year when they take on Rutgers this Sunday in New Jersey.
The Ohio State track & field team kicked off their outdoor season on March 15 with three top-five program times at the USF Alumni Invitational in South Florida, sweeping the 800m with Aniya Mosley’s win for the women and Alex Kenish’s win on the men’s side.
All four men finished in the top 10 in the 800m (Kenish in first, Jaxson Eckert in seventh, Cooper Citro in eighth, and Ivan Slyepkan in ninth), with Carina Napoleon also boasting a top-10 finish for the women, coming in ninth.
The Buckeyes also finished with three athletes in the top 10 (out of 74 runners for the women and 51 for the men) in the 200m, and Chanler Robinson was the runner-up in the women’s 400m hurdles.
OSU shone in both the track and field events, with three of the top-four finishers in the pole vault for the women and two qualifiers for the finals in both the men’s shot put and the men’s hammer throw.
Amaya Ugarte set a program record to win the women’s high jump, clearing 1.85m / 6’0.75”. Lacey Stringer finished fifth in the shot put and second in the hammer throw to lead the OSU women in both events.
The Buckeyes will have athletes competing at both the Raleigh Relays at NC State and at the Texas Relays at the University of Texas starting Thursday.
The No. 11 Ohio State’s women’s rowing team opened its season strong this past weekend, unfazed by the heavy rain that awaited them in Camden, New Jersey in the Big Ten/Ivy League Duals.
The Buckeyes recorded a win and four second-place finishes against No. 5 Yale, as well as winning three afternoon races against No. 12 Syracuse and No. 14 Rutgers.
They return home to Columbus to host for two consecutive weekends—for the Big Ten/ACC Duals on March 30 and the OSU Regatta on April 6.
The No. 9 men’s volleyball team (16-7, 9-4) will make its final road trip in MIVA play this week as their dominant season starts to reach the home stretch.
The Buckeyes are currently second in the Midwest Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (their conference play), behind only No. 12 Ball State, who they swept, 3-0, last week.
A highlight of the matchup was Junior Kyle Teune’s performance—he hit .714 with 11 kills on 14 swings
Now, they hit the road to take on McKendree on Thursday and Lindenwood on Saturday with a number of accolades under their Scarlet & Gray belt. Teune was named the MIVA Co-Offensive Player of the Week. OSU leads the MIVA in aces with 154. And the Buckeyes are the top-ranked MIVA team nationally, despite sitting one game behind Ball State in conference records.
The Buckeyes have all-time winning records over both McKendree (16-6, OSU, all-time) and Lindenwood (18-5, OSU, all-time), though they only have a 5-5 record on the road at McKendree, faring much better on home court.
They will return home to face McKendree again on April 4, followed by a home matchup against Maryville University the next day, ahead of the MIVA Quarterfinals which start on April 13.
Keep an eye on both Teune and Jacob Pasteur (who leads the MIVA in aces and is a two-time MIVA Offensive Player of the Week this season) to lead the team through the rest of the season.
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Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
The Ohio State women’s tennis team is currently No. 13 in the country, with a 10-6 overall record (3-1 in Big Ten play). They boast three straight conference wins, most recently a 4-0 win over Purdue on the road last weekend.
Audrey Spencer posted both a straight-set singles victory and a doubles win, with her doubles partner Luciana Perry.
The Buckeyes are back in Columbus this weekend, where they will take on Maryland on Friday and Rutgers on Sunday.
But perhaps, of all the spring sports teams to watch, we saved the best for last—as the Ohio State men’s tennis team is currently ranked No. 1 in the country, with a 20-1 record this year and a 2-0 record after their first weekend of conference play, the highlight of which was a 4-1 win over No. 15 Illinois.
Keep an eye on senior Cannon Kingsley, who is only one singles win shy of 100 career wins.
They hit the road this weekend to play Purdue on Friday, followed by a trip to Bloomington to face Indiana on Saturday.
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Jami Jurich via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
Buckeye news updates on the No. 1 men’s tennis team and more.
If you’re feeling a hole in your life now that both the men’s and women’s basketball teams have been knocked out of their respective tournaments, not to worry: Spring football is just around the corner, of course, but spring sports are also in full swing. Whether you’re looking to get on the tennis train, cheer on the gymnasts, or root, root, root for the Buckeyes’ baseball and softball teams, here at LGHL, we’re keeping you up-to-date on what’s happening with all your Buckeye sports teams.
Baseball
Ohio State’s season has already been a bit of a rollercoaster. After putting up 26 runs against West Virginia on March 17, the Buckeyes (10-11) came home to Columbus to face Georgetown in their home-opening series. The Buckeyes’ usually powerful offense seemed to get blown away in one of the 20 mph wind gusts tearing through the stadium, as Ohio State put up only eight runs in three games and was swept by the Hoyas.
They struggled to capitalize on offensive opportunities throughout the series, leaving 33 men on base in the three-game stint. The third game in the series saw OSU leave two men on base in the bottom of the ninth to force the game into extra innings.
Still, all hope is not lost for the Buckeyes. This is a team that has offensive firepower in their arsenal, and I don’t expect this series to define the boys’ season. Keep an eye on left-handed pitchers Landon Beidelschies and Gavin Bruni, along with shortstop Henry Kaczmar, all named Players to Watch by the conference back in February.
The Buckeyes were meant to face Kent State on March 26, but the game was postponed. They will take on Purdue at home Friday through Sunday.
Softball
After starting the season 16-8, the Buckeyes kicked off Big Ten play last weekend on the road at Rutgers, falling 1-2 in the series to bring their record to 17-10.
This is a Buckeye team that has self-proclaimed “fight,” which makes them a delight to watch even when the outcome isn’t the one they hoped for. They headed to New Jersey last week fresh off a hard-fought 3-2 record at the John Cropp Classic, where their victories included their 9-0 shutout of Columbia University and an absolute battle against the University of Kentucky.
In the Kentucky matchup, junior shortstop Kami Kortokrax put up three runs and five RBIs, including back-to-back homers, the latter of which was a grand slam in the sixth inning. The Buckeyes entered the sixth down, 6-5, and Kortokrax’s grand slam was followed by a two-run homer from sophomore first baseman Hannah Church to seal the score at 12-6.
The Buckeyes make their home debut Wednesday when they host Dayton in Columbus.
Golf
The men’s golf team opened the spring season with a win at the Southwestern Invitational back in January, one of the team’s three Top-4 finishes so far this season. They are currently ranked No. 26 in the latest Scoreboard rankings.
Their most recent outing came at the Valspar Collegiate Invitational at the Floridian Golf Club in Palm City, Florida, where the men finished 15th out of 16. Adam Wallin had the best individual performance for Ohio State, finishing tied for 25th at one-over par.
Their next outing will come in mid-April when they host the Robert Kepler Intercollegiate tournament in Columbus.
The women’s golf team, for their part, finished 6th out of 16 teams at the Clemson Invitational this past weekend, where they led the field on par 3s. They have posted two top-5 finishes so far this season.
Kailie Vongsaga, competing as an individual, had the top showing for the Buckeyes, finishing the tournament tied for 10th at -2.
Their regular season comes to a close in Columbus on April 13-14, when they host the Therese Hession Buckeye Invitational at the OSU Scarlet Course.
Lacrosse
Neither the men’s nor women’s lacrosse teams have posted a conference win yet this season—but all is not lost.
The women (6-4, 0-3) will take on Penn State Thursday at home in an important conference matchup. Brynn Ammerman, a junior attacker, leads the Buckeye offense with 30 assists in 10 games. While Penn State has offensive power, OSU has won its last three home matchups against Penn State.
This is a crucial win for the Buckeyes to capture, as they need to record a conference win quickly, and the momentum of this win over a rival could give them a boost.
The men, for their part, are now 5-5 overall and 0-1 in conference play after their own battle against Penn State. The Nittany Lions closed a 6-1 deficit to win 12-9 in Columbus on Sunday.
The numbers don’t tell the full picture, however. All five of the Buckeyes’ losses have come against top 10 teams, three of whom finished 2023 in the Final Four.
They are looking to record their first conference win this year when they take on Rutgers this Sunday in New Jersey.
Track & Field
The Ohio State track & field team kicked off their outdoor season on March 15 with three top-five program times at the USF Alumni Invitational in South Florida, sweeping the 800m with Aniya Mosley’s win for the women and Alex Kenish’s win on the men’s side.
All four men finished in the top 10 in the 800m (Kenish in first, Jaxson Eckert in seventh, Cooper Citro in eighth, and Ivan Slyepkan in ninth), with Carina Napoleon also boasting a top-10 finish for the women, coming in ninth.
The Buckeyes also finished with three athletes in the top 10 (out of 74 runners for the women and 51 for the men) in the 200m, and Chanler Robinson was the runner-up in the women’s 400m hurdles.
OSU shone in both the track and field events, with three of the top-four finishers in the pole vault for the women and two qualifiers for the finals in both the men’s shot put and the men’s hammer throw.
Amaya Ugarte set a program record to win the women’s high jump, clearing 1.85m / 6’0.75”. Lacey Stringer finished fifth in the shot put and second in the hammer throw to lead the OSU women in both events.
Buckeye Spotlight Mar. 19
McKenzie Bump
Jocelyn Amos
Madeline Atway
Zoe Coleman
Jack Oldman
Parker Thackston
️ Hank Thomas
Amaya Ugarte
Shane Wetzel
https://t.co/ethcVbbXob pic.twitter.com/B1wrgRRaDf
— Ohio State Buckeyes (@OhioStAthletics) March 20, 2024
The Buckeyes will have athletes competing at both the Raleigh Relays at NC State and at the Texas Relays at the University of Texas starting Thursday.
Rowing
The No. 11 Ohio State’s women’s rowing team opened its season strong this past weekend, unfazed by the heavy rain that awaited them in Camden, New Jersey in the Big Ten/Ivy League Duals.
The Buckeyes recorded a win and four second-place finishes against No. 5 Yale, as well as winning three afternoon races against No. 12 Syracuse and No. 14 Rutgers.
They return home to Columbus to host for two consecutive weekends—for the Big Ten/ACC Duals on March 30 and the OSU Regatta on April 6.
Men’s Volleyball
The No. 9 men’s volleyball team (16-7, 9-4) will make its final road trip in MIVA play this week as their dominant season starts to reach the home stretch.
The Buckeyes are currently second in the Midwest Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (their conference play), behind only No. 12 Ball State, who they swept, 3-0, last week.
A highlight of the matchup was Junior Kyle Teune’s performance—he hit .714 with 11 kills on 14 swings
Now, they hit the road to take on McKendree on Thursday and Lindenwood on Saturday with a number of accolades under their Scarlet & Gray belt. Teune was named the MIVA Co-Offensive Player of the Week. OSU leads the MIVA in aces with 154. And the Buckeyes are the top-ranked MIVA team nationally, despite sitting one game behind Ball State in conference records.
The Buckeyes have all-time winning records over both McKendree (16-6, OSU, all-time) and Lindenwood (18-5, OSU, all-time), though they only have a 5-5 record on the road at McKendree, faring much better on home court.
They will return home to face McKendree again on April 4, followed by a home matchup against Maryville University the next day, ahead of the MIVA Quarterfinals which start on April 13.
Keep an eye on both Teune and Jacob Pasteur (who leads the MIVA in aces and is a two-time MIVA Offensive Player of the Week this season) to lead the team through the rest of the season.
Tennis
The Ohio State women’s tennis team is currently No. 13 in the country, with a 10-6 overall record (3-1 in Big Ten play). They boast three straight conference wins, most recently a 4-0 win over Purdue on the road last weekend.
Audrey Spencer posted both a straight-set singles victory and a doubles win, with her doubles partner Luciana Perry.
The Buckeyes are back in Columbus this weekend, where they will take on Maryland on Friday and Rutgers on Sunday.
But perhaps, of all the spring sports teams to watch, we saved the best for last—as the Ohio State men’s tennis team is currently ranked No. 1 in the country, with a 20-1 record this year and a 2-0 record after their first weekend of conference play, the highlight of which was a 4-1 win over No. 15 Illinois.
Keep an eye on senior Cannon Kingsley, who is only one singles win shy of 100 career wins.
They hit the road this weekend to play Purdue on Friday, followed by a trip to Bloomington to face Indiana on Saturday.
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