Members of the Ohio State baseball team run off the field after huddling up before the Ohio State-Indiana game on April 3. Ohio State won 6-0. Credit: Mackenzie Shanklin | Photo Editor
Ohio State swept then-Big Ten standings leader Indiana in its four-game series April 2-4 in Columbus.
The Buckeyes had a shot to move atop the conference standings heading into their three-game series against Michigan April 9-11. They won Game 1 of the series, but dropped the second game 7-0, and it has been all downhill from there.
Ohio State (13-12) returns home on the heels of a five-game losing streak, as it hosts Penn State (8-16) looking to get back in the win column in a three-game weekend series at Bill Davis Stadium.
The Buckeyes have shot themselves in the foot on the mound these past five games, allowing 36 walks, 10 hit-by-pitches, 12 wild pitches and two passed balls.
The offense has remained consistent throughout the losing streak, raising its team average a few points to its current season clip of .229. Against Maryland, the Buckeyes matched or out-hit the Terrapins and scored 14 runs in the three games, proving the weight for the unsuccessful weekend falls on the pitchers.
The three offensive highlights across the five-game stretch have been freshman outfielder Kade Kern, redshirt senior first baseman Conner Pohl and redshirt senior catcher Brent Todys. The last time at least one of these three did not get a hit in a game was April 3 against Indiana.
Kern finished the Maryland series 5-for-13 with an RBI and two runs scored. He currently leads the Buckeyes with a .340 batting average, 32 hits, 19 RBI and a .396 on-base percentage.
Pohl is on an eight-game hitting streak in which he raised his average from .203 to its current .237 mark. He has also hit three home runs in that time, claiming the team lead in that department with seven four-baggers on the year.
Todys received an extra day’s rest April 4 against Indiana when senior catcher Archer Brookman caught for junior right-handed pitcher Will Pfennig — someone who the two Ohio State backstops have split time with this season.
After Todys’ April 4 day off, the Westerville, Ohio, native is on a five-game hitting streak, hitting .350 on 7-for-20 with two runs scored and four RBIs.
Penn State is coming off a series against Nebraska in which it was swept, extending its losing streak to four games, while getting outscored 32-12 in those contests.
The Nittany Lions also had a five-game losing streak March 13-20.
Penn State’s formula for success is scoring enough runs to compensate for their pitching staff, whose ERA is 5.45 — eighth in the conference.
However, Penn State has scored only 103 runs — the second lowest total in the Big Ten — in 24 games, which is only 4.3 runs per game.
One slugger who has done his part is senior infielder Gavin Homer.
Homer hasn’t lived up to his surname, clubbing only one round-tripper in 71 at-bats. However, he is pacing the Nittany Lions in batting average at a .338 clip and is six points from the highest on-base percentage at .413.
Freshman catcher Matt Wood looks to be Penn State’s most well-rounded hitter, ranking top-five on the team in every offensive category. Prior to his 0-for-4 appearance at the plate against Nebraska Sunday, Wood was riding a nine-game hitting streak while raising his batting average 80 points.
Junior righty Conor Larkin heads the Nittany Lions’ starting rotation, sporting a 3.98 ERA in 31.2 innings, while his .248 opponent batting average is the lowest of the trio.
Larkin will oppose Ohio State redshirt junior southpaw Seth Lonsway Saturday in a game that will feature a lot of strikeouts, as Larkin’s 10.7 strikeouts per nine innings is the best on Penn State. Meanwhile, Lonsway’s 15.26 punch-outs per nine is fourth in Division I.
Ohio State and Penn State are both looking to snap losing streaks when play begins Friday at 6:05 p.m. The two square off Saturday at 3:05 p.m. with the series finale Sunday at 1:05 p.m. All games will be streamed live on BTN+.
