Ohio State senior catcher Brent Todys (12) warms up junior right-handed pitcher Garrett Burhenn (7) during the Ohio State-Iowa game on March 26. Ohio State won 8-2. Credit: Mackenzie Shanklin | Photo Editor
As the Buckeyes were taking batting practice and warming up to play Indiana April 2-4, redshirt senior catcher Brent Todys began toying around with his swing.
His batting average at a then-.209, Todys was in need of a spark. He said he didn’t look at much video — he knew what the feeling used to be when he hit .256 in 2019 — but decided he wanted to return to his hitting approach from two seasons ago.
And it’s made a world of difference.
“I remembered back to 2019 and there was just a little tweak in my swing that I was comfortable with that had to do with my feet,” Todys said Sunday. “I kind of turn my back foot in, and I just feel like I’m screwed into the ground more. I felt like I was really dug into the box, and I felt like I was on time — much better with all the pitches I was getting.”
Since snapping an 0-for-10 streak with a 2-for-4 performance at Michigan April 9, Todys has had a hit in every ballgame thereafter — a career-high streak of 15 games.
Todys is now second among Buckeyes with a .296 batting average, and his eight doubles are tied for second-most as well. He came through with the game-winning single against Michigan State Sunday to score sophomore right fielder Mitchell Okuley.
The Westerville, Ohio, native credited much of the month-long surge in his abilities to confidence and trust.
“You’re not going to get anywhere in the world, whether it be baseball, with jobs, school, whatever it may be, you’re not going to get anywhere without confidence,” Todys said. “I think it’s just having the trust factor and believing in yourself and just going out there and loving what you do. Just having pride in that.”
Todys has relied on both qualities since arriving at Ohio State more than two years ago as a junior-college transfer from Andrew College. Head coach Greg Beals said he went to watch Todys play for the Tigers — knowing of the ballplayer from his high school days — with a critical eye for a catcher who could “be really solid behind the plate.”
Beals said he saw more than he anticipated from Todys, and continues to do so even into this year.
“I saw a guy that prepared himself very well. Obviously does a great job behind the plate, and that was the most important thing to me,” Beals said. “He’s not the tallest guy, still, but he put on some weight to create some physicality. The arm is playable. He’s actually hit better than I thought.”
As Beals alluded, Todys isn’t the largest or even most-flashy player on the diamond. Standing 5-foot-10 and 180 pounds, he’s had to work to earn his share of playing time over the years.
Todys said his “feisty” drive started fostering from his parents Bob and Wendy — both who he said are big competitors — when he was young.
“They didn’t play beyond high school in sports, but both of my parents are feisty,” Todys said. “They’re super blue-collared, and I just get it from them. Just the teams I’ve been on growing up, summer ball, we just went out there and played the game. You have fun with it, you chirp a little bit, you just play the game, have fun and that’s the best way to play.”
Prior to joining his hometown Buckeyes, Todys was a Second Team All-Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association honoree, hitting .346 with 46 RBIs across Andrew College’s 55-game season in 2018.
Then, Todys slugged .462 percent — third-best on the team— with 51 hits in 55 games started in his first season at Ohio State. In games where he doesn’t suit up behind the plate, Todys has earned the start as the Buckeyes’ designated hitter, having done so three times in the last three series.
“Brent Todys can hit, and he’s proven that he can hit in years past,” Beals said. “He got off to a slow start [this season], and that sometimes happens. And then what happened is just a little press, pressing a little bit, extended the slow start. But now he’s got himself going and he’s hitting the way Brent Todys is capable of hitting. There was not much doubt, for me, that Toad was going to get going — it just was a matter of time.”
Even when he’s not due up to bat, Todys said he tries to instill confidence in his teammates to keep the positivity, especially since “this game is a game of failure.”
But when he is at the dish, Todys’ bat has been the hottest among Buckeyes, whether it’s due to his feisty drive, tweaked swing or simply returning to old form.
“I think it’s just getting back to myself at the plate,” Todys said. “I think I’m my best when I’m just in compete mode, just ready to hit, instead of trying to hit a home run or trying to get a 5-run home run every at-bat. Just, not focusing on the result but just taking it pitch-by-pitch. Just worrying about doing what I can control.”
