Ohio State redshirt senior first baseman Conner Pohl (39) follows through on a home run swing during the Ohio State-Maryland game on March 29. Ohio State lost 3-9. Credit: Gretchen Rudolph | For The Lantern
This summer will mark the 23rd anniversary since former MLB All-Star sluggers Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa gave the country a baseball season to remember, going back-and-forth in the 1998 National League home run race.
Sophomore outfielder Mitchell Okuley and redshirt senior first baseman Conner Pohl are putting on a similar performance for the Buckeyes in 2021, pacing each other for the team lead in the home run column. Head coach Greg Beals does not want it to be lost in translation: these two are pure hitters.
“I don’t think either of those guys are just home-run hitters,” Beals said Sunday. “Conner Pohl is a better hitter than just a home-run hitter. Mitchell Okuley’s a better hitter than that.”
Pohl and Okuley can jump the yard whenever, tied atop Ohio State’s roster with five home runs a piece.
They each hit their first of the season March 6 against Illinois, and, as of late, the duo has rekindled the similar timing of when they mash the long ball.
Okuley hit his fourth of the year March 26 against Iowa, then Pohl ran into his fourth dinger three days later against Maryland.
They each hit their fifth round-tripper of the year Saturday, with Okuley going yard in Game 1 and Pohl in Game 2 of the doubleheader.
“He (Pohl) just made a little joke about who’s going to get the next one,” Okuley said Saturday. “I think it’s great for both of us to succeed, and I’m hoping everybody could get as many bombs as they could.”
Junior shortstop Zach Dezenzo acknowledged the fun of it all, but echoed Beals’ sentiment about their hitting abilities.
“It’s great to see those left-handed guys, Conner, Mitchell, going back-and-forth. They might have some good home run numbers written up, but they’re also pure hitters,” Dezenzo said Sunday. “They can also flat-out hit the ball.”
Taking Okuley and Pohl’s batting average at face value — .246 and .197, respectively — does not take into account their skills in the batter’s box.
In today’s analytics revolution in baseball, getting on base and hitting for extra bases holds a much higher weight in evaluation of a player’s talents, leaving the days of comparing someone’s average, home runs and RBIs in the past.
Okuley’s offensive threat comes more in the run-production categories of the offense, scoring 12 runs and driving in 11 — both top three on the team.
The Powell, Ohio, native’s .247 run-production average — Beals’ self-calculated statistic that measures runs plus RBIs, minus home runs, divided by plate appearances — ranks third on the Buckeyes.
The outfielder’s slugging percentage is .523, good for second best on the team, while his .842 on-base plus slugging percentage is third.
“I would say on the field, he’s got some fire to him,” Dezenzo said. “He is also considered a pretty quiet kid, I would say, pretty conserved, so when he gets fired up, it’s awesome to see that.”
A lot of Pohl’s offensive value comes with his keen eye at the plate.
He leads the team with 12 walks — four more than the three-way tie for second — which contributes to the 141-point increase from his batting average to his .338 on-base percentage.
The Arcanum, Ohio, native walked five times in the four-game set against Indiana. Two of them came at very important times.
The first was in the first inning in Game 2 of Saturday’s doubleheader, drawing a two-out walk to move the line. He later came around to score the game’s second run on Okuley’s RBI single, setting the tone early.
One day later, Pohl drew a five-pitch walk in the sixth inning. The next batter, freshman outfielder Kade Kern, hit a sacrifice fly foul out to first base, with Okuley scoring on a heads-up tag from third base. Had he grounded into a double play, Kern’s out would have been the third of the inning changing the landscape of the game.
As fun as the homers may be, Beals wants the duo to maintain their approach as natural hitters.
“I want them to continue to be hitters that have the ability to hit the ball out of the ballpark at times and not try to be home-run hitters,” Beals said.
