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boys are def hitting so far. need to shore up the pitching and defense if we want to make any noise in conf play + tourney time
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Baseball: Jonathan Jahn given chance to reset with Ohio State
By Colin Gay: [email protected] March 7, 2018 0
Jonathan Jahn had to start over.
Ohio State redshirt freshman relief pitcher Jonathan Jahn poses for his team photo. Credit: Courtesy of Ohio State Athletics
As a transfer from South Carolina, the redshirt freshman left-handed pitcher did not know whether he would be eligible to play for the 2018 season. But that did not stop him from wanting to play for Ohio State, the school he felt he was meant to attend.
Ohio State was always in the conversation. His father was from Columbus, so Jahn grew up a Buckeye fan.
However, when it came to picking colleges, Ohio State fell below South Carolina in two distinct areas. For Jahn, the weather in Columbia, South Carolina, was better suited for baseball than Columbus and his family was only about an hour away, giving them the ability to see him pitch.
As he began his college career as a Gamecock, those things did not seem to matter as much.
“After the first year, you kind of realize those things aren’t as important as you think they were,” Jahn said. “It’s really more about the atmosphere and the team and the family value that a team brings. At Ohio State, it was bigger than it was at South Carolina.”
In June, South Carolina head coach Chad Holbrook resigned his position after finishing with a 35-25 record in his final season, with the team losing its final eight conference series of the season. The Gamecocks brought in Mark Kingston, the former head coach at South Florida.
The culture Kingston created didn’t serve Jahn well.
“He wanted to have guys that were going to play immediately that had some experience,” Jahn said. “So, they picked some guys from junior colleges, you know, to come over and play some of the freshman that were there. He just had a different way he wanted to go about the team.”
The Kingston hire prompted Jahn to transfer to Ohio State. However, in the NCAA, if a player transfers from one Division I school to another, he is subject to sit out one season before he is eligible to compete.
Jahn said Ohio State was worth sitting out a year.
“I could have gone to like a Division II or a junior college school, but I just feel like Ohio State University was the place for me no matter where they were,” Jahn said. “If I had to sit out a year, I had to sit out a year.”
Even with the eligibility problems heading into his first season in Columbus, Jahn had to find a way to fit in with his new teammates. As another transfer student on the Ohio State roster, redshirt senior pitcher Austin Woodby related to what his new teammate was going through.
“It’s really difficult because it basically makes you a freshman again. Starting over at a new organization or new team is never easy,” Woodby said. “That transition is really crucial in the first couple of weeks because, obviously, he is on the team and it’s kind of up to him to prove himself, in a way that he belongs here.”
Through the first few weeks of the season, Woodby and Jahn bonded, talking about their struggles as transfer students coming from major college programs. As time went on, Woodby said the southpaw became progressively more comfortable, describing him as friendly and someone his teammates took to relatively quickly.
Jahn worked to integrate himself into the team culture in the fall, but the NCAA ruled that him ineligible to pitch in the 2018 season. As a left-handed pitcher with high velocity and movement on his fastball, he was not the only one to be disappointed in the decision.
“We were disappointed because we knew he was talented,” Woodby said. “We saw it affected him. “
As his teammates boarded a plane for the season opener in Port Charlotte, Florida, Jahn waited to hear back after Ohio State appealed the initial decision.
It was not until the day before the Buckeyes took on UW-Milwaukee to start the season Jahn heard the NCAA had reversed its decision. A few days later, he was pitching in his first collegiate game in an Ohio State uniform, striking out one batter in an inning of relief.
For Jahn, that span of time was exhilarating.
“Three days before I was thinking I wouldn’t be able to pitch at all this year,” Jahn said. “Three days later I’m in a game in an Ohio State uniform pitching for the Buckeyes. It was an unreal feeling.”
Now with the eligibility issues behind him, Jahn is in Ohio State’s bullpen as one of seven left-handed pitchers. However, Ohio State head coach Greg Beals said this is the time for him to find where he can fit in.
“He’s got potential to be really, really good,” Beals said. “Hopefully now that the waters have calmed a little bit with the NCAA situation, his eligibility situation, he’s going to be able to settle in and really start to grow for us.”
Despite dealing with what Beals described as a rocky offseason, Jahn said he does not regret any of his decisions. They eventually brought him where he needed to be.
“I wouldn’t regret it because, you know, it was a good experience,” Jahn said. “Whether it was bad or negative, however you want to say it, it was still a good experience because you have learned from it. The thing that I learned was that Ohio State was the place I wanted to be.”
https://www.thelantern.com/2018/03/baseball-jonathan-jahn-given-chance-to-reset-with-ohio-state/
By Colin Gay: [email protected] March 7, 2018 0
Jonathan Jahn had to start over.
Ohio State redshirt freshman relief pitcher Jonathan Jahn poses for his team photo. Credit: Courtesy of Ohio State Athletics
As a transfer from South Carolina, the redshirt freshman left-handed pitcher did not know whether he would be eligible to play for the 2018 season. But that did not stop him from wanting to play for Ohio State, the school he felt he was meant to attend.
Ohio State was always in the conversation. His father was from Columbus, so Jahn grew up a Buckeye fan.
However, when it came to picking colleges, Ohio State fell below South Carolina in two distinct areas. For Jahn, the weather in Columbia, South Carolina, was better suited for baseball than Columbus and his family was only about an hour away, giving them the ability to see him pitch.
As he began his college career as a Gamecock, those things did not seem to matter as much.
“After the first year, you kind of realize those things aren’t as important as you think they were,” Jahn said. “It’s really more about the atmosphere and the team and the family value that a team brings. At Ohio State, it was bigger than it was at South Carolina.”
In June, South Carolina head coach Chad Holbrook resigned his position after finishing with a 35-25 record in his final season, with the team losing its final eight conference series of the season. The Gamecocks brought in Mark Kingston, the former head coach at South Florida.
The culture Kingston created didn’t serve Jahn well.
“He wanted to have guys that were going to play immediately that had some experience,” Jahn said. “So, they picked some guys from junior colleges, you know, to come over and play some of the freshman that were there. He just had a different way he wanted to go about the team.”
The Kingston hire prompted Jahn to transfer to Ohio State. However, in the NCAA, if a player transfers from one Division I school to another, he is subject to sit out one season before he is eligible to compete.
Jahn said Ohio State was worth sitting out a year.
“I could have gone to like a Division II or a junior college school, but I just feel like Ohio State University was the place for me no matter where they were,” Jahn said. “If I had to sit out a year, I had to sit out a year.”
Even with the eligibility problems heading into his first season in Columbus, Jahn had to find a way to fit in with his new teammates. As another transfer student on the Ohio State roster, redshirt senior pitcher Austin Woodby related to what his new teammate was going through.
“It’s really difficult because it basically makes you a freshman again. Starting over at a new organization or new team is never easy,” Woodby said. “That transition is really crucial in the first couple of weeks because, obviously, he is on the team and it’s kind of up to him to prove himself, in a way that he belongs here.”
Through the first few weeks of the season, Woodby and Jahn bonded, talking about their struggles as transfer students coming from major college programs. As time went on, Woodby said the southpaw became progressively more comfortable, describing him as friendly and someone his teammates took to relatively quickly.
Jahn worked to integrate himself into the team culture in the fall, but the NCAA ruled that him ineligible to pitch in the 2018 season. As a left-handed pitcher with high velocity and movement on his fastball, he was not the only one to be disappointed in the decision.
“We were disappointed because we knew he was talented,” Woodby said. “We saw it affected him. “
As his teammates boarded a plane for the season opener in Port Charlotte, Florida, Jahn waited to hear back after Ohio State appealed the initial decision.
It was not until the day before the Buckeyes took on UW-Milwaukee to start the season Jahn heard the NCAA had reversed its decision. A few days later, he was pitching in his first collegiate game in an Ohio State uniform, striking out one batter in an inning of relief.
For Jahn, that span of time was exhilarating.
“Three days before I was thinking I wouldn’t be able to pitch at all this year,” Jahn said. “Three days later I’m in a game in an Ohio State uniform pitching for the Buckeyes. It was an unreal feeling.”
Now with the eligibility issues behind him, Jahn is in Ohio State’s bullpen as one of seven left-handed pitchers. However, Ohio State head coach Greg Beals said this is the time for him to find where he can fit in.
“He’s got potential to be really, really good,” Beals said. “Hopefully now that the waters have calmed a little bit with the NCAA situation, his eligibility situation, he’s going to be able to settle in and really start to grow for us.”
Despite dealing with what Beals described as a rocky offseason, Jahn said he does not regret any of his decisions. They eventually brought him where he needed to be.
“I wouldn’t regret it because, you know, it was a good experience,” Jahn said. “Whether it was bad or negative, however you want to say it, it was still a good experience because you have learned from it. The thing that I learned was that Ohio State was the place I wanted to be.”
https://www.thelantern.com/2018/03/baseball-jonathan-jahn-given-chance-to-reset-with-ohio-state/
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http://www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com/sports/m-basebl/spec-rel/030718aaa.html
Boys were having some fun in the dugout behind Coach Beals in game interview....love it
Boys were having some fun in the dugout behind Coach Beals in game interview....love it
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BARNWELL NAMED TO 2018 JOHNNY BENCH AWARD WATCH LIST
Junior catcher becomes sixth Buckeye to be named to prestigious catcher's watch list
March 6, 2018
RELATED INFO: 2018 Schedule | 2018 Roster | Baseball Homepage | Big Ten Baseball | Buy Tickets | Follow the Buckeyes on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
COLUMBUS, Ohio - Ohio State's Jacob Barnwell was named to the 2018 Johnny Bench Award Watch List presented by BaseballSavings.com, announced Tuesday by the Greater Wichita Area Sports Commission.
Because the award is given annually to the top division one collegiate catcher, the list will be updated to include other candidates until April 30, 2018. Ninety-seven catchers were nominated for the award by their coaches.
Barnwell has appeared in 77 games with 66 starts, including 64 starts from behind the dish. He is hitting .287 (10-for-41) with eight run scored, four doubles, six RBI and six walks in 10 games in 2018. A year ago he had 43 hits in 169 at-bats, collecting 10 extra-base with seven doubles and 14 RBI. He also went 7-for-10 in stolen bases. He threw out 11 base runners too.
The native of Catlettsburg, Ky., Barnwell becomes the sixth Buckeye to be named to the watch list: Derek Kinnear (2003), Eric Fryer (2007), Dan Burkhart (2009 and 2010), Aaron Gretz (2015) and Jalen Washington (2016).
The watch list will be narrowed down to the semifinalists, whom will be announced May 16, 2018. Ballots will be sent to the national voting panel at the end of May for a vote to determine the three finalists. The finalists will be announced June 4, 2018. A final vote among the national committee will occur during the College World Series. All finalists will be brought to Wichita and the winner will be announced at the 21st Annual Greater Wichita Sports Banquet on June 28, 2018.
http://www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com/sports/m-basebl/spec-rel/030618aae.html
Junior catcher becomes sixth Buckeye to be named to prestigious catcher's watch list
March 6, 2018
RELATED INFO: 2018 Schedule | 2018 Roster | Baseball Homepage | Big Ten Baseball | Buy Tickets | Follow the Buckeyes on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
COLUMBUS, Ohio - Ohio State's Jacob Barnwell was named to the 2018 Johnny Bench Award Watch List presented by BaseballSavings.com, announced Tuesday by the Greater Wichita Area Sports Commission.
Because the award is given annually to the top division one collegiate catcher, the list will be updated to include other candidates until April 30, 2018. Ninety-seven catchers were nominated for the award by their coaches.
Barnwell has appeared in 77 games with 66 starts, including 64 starts from behind the dish. He is hitting .287 (10-for-41) with eight run scored, four doubles, six RBI and six walks in 10 games in 2018. A year ago he had 43 hits in 169 at-bats, collecting 10 extra-base with seven doubles and 14 RBI. He also went 7-for-10 in stolen bases. He threw out 11 base runners too.
The native of Catlettsburg, Ky., Barnwell becomes the sixth Buckeye to be named to the watch list: Derek Kinnear (2003), Eric Fryer (2007), Dan Burkhart (2009 and 2010), Aaron Gretz (2015) and Jalen Washington (2016).
The watch list will be narrowed down to the semifinalists, whom will be announced May 16, 2018. Ballots will be sent to the national voting panel at the end of May for a vote to determine the three finalists. The finalists will be announced June 4, 2018. A final vote among the national committee will occur during the College World Series. All finalists will be brought to Wichita and the winner will be announced at the 21st Annual Greater Wichita Sports Banquet on June 28, 2018.
http://www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com/sports/m-basebl/spec-rel/030618aae.html
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COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State baseball game against Eastern Michigan was cancelled Wednesday due to predicted weather in the Columbus area. No makeup date has been announced. The Buckeyes (14-6), who have won six straight games, will host Georgetown Friday-Sunday in a three-game series at Nick Swisher Field at Bill Davis Stadium.
SCHEDULE ADDITION
Due to the cancelation, Ohio State has added a midweek game against Youngstown State. The Buckeyes and Penguins will square off at 6:35 p.m. ET April 18 at Bill Davis Stadium.
SCHEDULE ADDITION
Due to the cancelation, Ohio State has added a midweek game against Youngstown State. The Buckeyes and Penguins will square off at 6:35 p.m. ET April 18 at Bill Davis Stadium.
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Its not much but it is progress. Bucks are now listed in the Others receiving Votes section of the USA Today's Coaches Poll
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Baseball: Ohio State’s hot start propelled by offensive firepower with pitching and defense lagging behind
By Edward Sutelan: [email protected] March 20, 2018 0
Ohio State Utility player Noah McGowan (4) hits the ball foul during the sixth inning of Ohio State’s 2-1 win against Cal State Northridge in extra innings on Friday, March 16, 2018 at Nick Swisher field in Bill Davis Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. Credit: Ebo Amissah-Aggrey | Lantern Reporter
The Ohio State baseball team endured the worst season in program history in 2017.
It finished the campaign 22-34, placing 11th in the Big Ten standings and missing the conference tournament completely.
The season had begun with some promise, however. In just the sixth game of the year, the Buckeyes handed Oregon State one of just its four regular-season losses. But six losses and just two wins shortly after that game made the big victory an anomaly.
The team has had a much different start to this season, however. Ohio State lost both games this time to the top-ranked Beavers, but unlike last season, Ohio State has a 14-6 record with wins against No. 16 Southern Mississippi and Coastal Carolina, which has been ranked this season. The Buckeyes have done it by simply out-hitting all their opponents, consistently for extra bases.
The pitching has remained suspect, but the lineup has a different feel to it from a season ago. A lineup that seemed to have promise last season, but ultimately disappointed, looks like it is finally meeting expectations.
Last year, junior-college transfers Noah McGowan and Tyler Cowles were counted on to become impact players in the lineup — except both struggled. McGowan hit just .214 with five home runs while Cowles hit only .190 with three home runs despite both starting in more than 30 games.
The lineup overall struggled to find much consistency beyond center fielder Tre’ Gantt, who has since been drafted by the Cleveland Indians, and Jalen Washington, who graduated. It lacked that consistency until then-freshmen outfielder Dominic Canzone and infielder Conner Pohl began to hit, finishing first and second respectively with .343 and .325 batting averages.
Canzone and Pohl have continued to crush pitchers in 2018, both hitting more than .280 with impressive slash line numbers. The difference has really come from McGowan and Cowles. They have been the team’s offensive leaders, batting .392 and .368, respectively. McGowan in particular has impressed, slashing .392/.474/.696 with five home runs and a team-leading 27 RBIs, tied for 15th in the nation.
The lineup also has been bolstered by its depth so far this season. In 2017, only six people hit above .260 and five were below .250. This season, eight players are above .260 and four are below .250 — one of which has just 16 at-bats.
As a team, Ohio State is hitting 34 points higher than last season and is on pace to exceed last year’s home run total by 10.
Offensively, this team is batting as well as it could to begin the year. The pitching staff — though improved from last season — still leaves a lot to be desired. The team ERA a season ago was 5.32, nearly two runs higher than the 4.04 mark in 2018.
Two of the top starters in the team’s rotation have struggled. Junior Ryan Feltner — hailed by many as one of the top MLB draft prospects in the Big Ten — has a 6.26 ERA over 27.1 innings with 30 strikeouts, 11 walks and 34 hits allowed. Being the team’s ace, Feltner has been tasked with facing some of the tougher lineups, including allowing four runs to Oregon State. Redshirt senior Adam Niemeyer has a team-high 6.45 ERA with 22 strikeouts, 10 walks and 32 hits over 22.1 innings.
Though those two have struggled, most of the other pitchers have excelled during the season. The bullpen in particular, led by Seth Kinker and Kyle Michalik, have done a strong job holding leads or preventing the score from getting out of hand.
Part of the limited struggles the pitching staff has had comes from the result of team defense. It has a .954 fielding percentage overall — last in the Big Ten — with 26 of the 35 errors coming from the infield. The defense might continue to improve as the season moves on and the team has a better sense of the best defensive position for every player. For now, it remains an area that needs significant turnaround.
Ohio State began the season expected to finish near the bottom of the Big Ten just as it did last season. Now it has emerged as one of the top teams in the conference. The Buckeyes will be tested when Big Ten season begins on March 30, but the improvements shown through the early part of the campaign suggest this team is significantly better than it was last year.
https://www.thelantern.com/2018/03/...wer-with-pitching-and-defense-lagging-behind/
By Edward Sutelan: [email protected] March 20, 2018 0
Ohio State Utility player Noah McGowan (4) hits the ball foul during the sixth inning of Ohio State’s 2-1 win against Cal State Northridge in extra innings on Friday, March 16, 2018 at Nick Swisher field in Bill Davis Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. Credit: Ebo Amissah-Aggrey | Lantern Reporter
The Ohio State baseball team endured the worst season in program history in 2017.
It finished the campaign 22-34, placing 11th in the Big Ten standings and missing the conference tournament completely.
The season had begun with some promise, however. In just the sixth game of the year, the Buckeyes handed Oregon State one of just its four regular-season losses. But six losses and just two wins shortly after that game made the big victory an anomaly.
The team has had a much different start to this season, however. Ohio State lost both games this time to the top-ranked Beavers, but unlike last season, Ohio State has a 14-6 record with wins against No. 16 Southern Mississippi and Coastal Carolina, which has been ranked this season. The Buckeyes have done it by simply out-hitting all their opponents, consistently for extra bases.
The pitching has remained suspect, but the lineup has a different feel to it from a season ago. A lineup that seemed to have promise last season, but ultimately disappointed, looks like it is finally meeting expectations.
Last year, junior-college transfers Noah McGowan and Tyler Cowles were counted on to become impact players in the lineup — except both struggled. McGowan hit just .214 with five home runs while Cowles hit only .190 with three home runs despite both starting in more than 30 games.
The lineup overall struggled to find much consistency beyond center fielder Tre’ Gantt, who has since been drafted by the Cleveland Indians, and Jalen Washington, who graduated. It lacked that consistency until then-freshmen outfielder Dominic Canzone and infielder Conner Pohl began to hit, finishing first and second respectively with .343 and .325 batting averages.
Canzone and Pohl have continued to crush pitchers in 2018, both hitting more than .280 with impressive slash line numbers. The difference has really come from McGowan and Cowles. They have been the team’s offensive leaders, batting .392 and .368, respectively. McGowan in particular has impressed, slashing .392/.474/.696 with five home runs and a team-leading 27 RBIs, tied for 15th in the nation.
The lineup also has been bolstered by its depth so far this season. In 2017, only six people hit above .260 and five were below .250. This season, eight players are above .260 and four are below .250 — one of which has just 16 at-bats.
As a team, Ohio State is hitting 34 points higher than last season and is on pace to exceed last year’s home run total by 10.
Offensively, this team is batting as well as it could to begin the year. The pitching staff — though improved from last season — still leaves a lot to be desired. The team ERA a season ago was 5.32, nearly two runs higher than the 4.04 mark in 2018.
Two of the top starters in the team’s rotation have struggled. Junior Ryan Feltner — hailed by many as one of the top MLB draft prospects in the Big Ten — has a 6.26 ERA over 27.1 innings with 30 strikeouts, 11 walks and 34 hits allowed. Being the team’s ace, Feltner has been tasked with facing some of the tougher lineups, including allowing four runs to Oregon State. Redshirt senior Adam Niemeyer has a team-high 6.45 ERA with 22 strikeouts, 10 walks and 32 hits over 22.1 innings.
Though those two have struggled, most of the other pitchers have excelled during the season. The bullpen in particular, led by Seth Kinker and Kyle Michalik, have done a strong job holding leads or preventing the score from getting out of hand.
Part of the limited struggles the pitching staff has had comes from the result of team defense. It has a .954 fielding percentage overall — last in the Big Ten — with 26 of the 35 errors coming from the infield. The defense might continue to improve as the season moves on and the team has a better sense of the best defensive position for every player. For now, it remains an area that needs significant turnaround.
Ohio State began the season expected to finish near the bottom of the Big Ten just as it did last season. Now it has emerged as one of the top teams in the conference. The Buckeyes will be tested when Big Ten season begins on March 30, but the improvements shown through the early part of the campaign suggest this team is significantly better than it was last year.
https://www.thelantern.com/2018/03/...wer-with-pitching-and-defense-lagging-behind/
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rhgbosu
I aim to misbehave
Lol @ my enthusiasm in this thread. Ohio State Baseball is back, folks!
Couldn’t embed this so here’s a link to Our 2018 class. Top 40 nationally per Perfect Game and Baseball America.
https://www.perfectgame.org/rankings/Recruiting/CollegeCommits.aspx?ID=1692&g=2018
Couldn’t embed this so here’s a link to Our 2018 class. Top 40 nationally per Perfect Game and Baseball America.
https://www.perfectgame.org/rankings/Recruiting/CollegeCommits.aspx?ID=1692&g=2018
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SETH KINKER NAMED SENIOR CLASS AWARD CANDIDATE
Senior reliever becomes fourth Buckeye to be named Senior CLASS Award Candidate
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Seth Kinker, a senior pitcher on the Ohio State baseball team, is a candidate for the 2018 Senior CLASS Award, the organization announced Wednesday. 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. The 30 candidates will be narrowed to 10 finalists midway through the regular season, and those 10 names will be placed on the official ballot.
“I am truly honored to be named a candidate for the Senior CLASS Award and join a list of student-athletes across the nation who have excelled on and off the field,” Kinker said. “I am blessed with the opportunity to call myself an Ohio State Buckeye for four years now and I have been gifted with the amount of resources Ohio State has provided on and off the diamond.”
An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the award program is designed exclusively for college seniors who are utilizing their complete athletic eligibility, remaining committed to their university and pursuing the many rewards a senior season can bring.
Kinker, from Huntington, W. Va., has been a key member for the Buckeye pitching staff the last four years. Kinker has made 88 career appearances, which ranks seventh in school history. In his career, he is 12-4 with a 2.25 ERA and 137 strikeouts in 152.0 innings pitched. In 2018, Kinker has been strong again on the mound, registering a 1.06 ERA with a 3-1 record in nine appearances. His four saves this year is second in the conference.
Other Kinker notes:
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.
Kinker is one of three Big Ten student-athletes named to the prestigious list. Micah Coffey (Minnesota) and Scott Schreiber (Nebraska) were also named. He is the fourth OSU baseball player to be named a Senior CLASS Award candidate (Jacob Bowell, 2007; Cory Kovanda, 2010; Jalen Washington, 2017).
From the list of 30 candidates, a national media committee will select 10 finalists for the 2018 Senior CLASS Award in late April. Those 10 names will then be placed on the official ballot for a nationwide vote. Fan balloting will be coupled with votes from coaches and media to determine the recipient of the award.
http://www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com/sports/m-basebl/spec-rel/032118aaa.html
Senior reliever becomes fourth Buckeye to be named Senior CLASS Award Candidate
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Seth Kinker, a senior pitcher on the Ohio State baseball team, is a candidate for the 2018 Senior CLASS Award, the organization announced Wednesday. 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. The 30 candidates will be narrowed to 10 finalists midway through the regular season, and those 10 names will be placed on the official ballot.
“I am truly honored to be named a candidate for the Senior CLASS Award and join a list of student-athletes across the nation who have excelled on and off the field,” Kinker said. “I am blessed with the opportunity to call myself an Ohio State Buckeye for four years now and I have been gifted with the amount of resources Ohio State has provided on and off the diamond.”
An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the award program is designed exclusively for college seniors who are utilizing their complete athletic eligibility, remaining committed to their university and pursuing the many rewards a senior season can bring.
Kinker, from Huntington, W. Va., has been a key member for the Buckeye pitching staff the last four years. Kinker has made 88 career appearances, which ranks seventh in school history. In his career, he is 12-4 with a 2.25 ERA and 137 strikeouts in 152.0 innings pitched. In 2018, Kinker has been strong again on the mound, registering a 1.06 ERA with a 3-1 record in nine appearances. His four saves this year is second in the conference.
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
- Leads all active Buckeyes with 12 career wins
- His 13 career saves is tied for eighth in the OSU record book
- Struck out a career-high seven hitters in 4.2 scoreless innings of relief in his last appearance March 16
- 2017 NCBWA Stopper of the Year Watch List
- Two-time Big Ten Players to Watch List (2017-18)
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.
Kinker is one of three Big Ten student-athletes named to the prestigious list. Micah Coffey (Minnesota) and Scott Schreiber (Nebraska) were also named. He is the fourth OSU baseball player to be named a Senior CLASS Award candidate (Jacob Bowell, 2007; Cory Kovanda, 2010; Jalen Washington, 2017).
From the list of 30 candidates, a national media committee will select 10 finalists for the 2018 Senior CLASS Award in late April. Those 10 names will then be placed on the official ballot for a nationwide vote. Fan balloting will be coupled with votes from coaches and media to determine the recipient of the award.
http://www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com/sports/m-basebl/spec-rel/032118aaa.html
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rhgbosu
I aim to misbehave
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
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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