Ohio State freshman outfielder Trey Lipsey (28) stands ready to hit during the Buckeyes’ game against Toledo at Bill Davis Stadium March 30, 2022. Ohio State lost 7-6. Credit: Casey Smith | Assistant Lantern TV Sports Producer
Outfielder Trey Lipsey wasted no time introducing himself to college baseball as a freshman a season ago.
In his third college at-bat in the 2022 season opener against Marshall, Lipsey made a grand entrance. The freshman jolted a towering blast off Thundering Herd then-sophomore pitcher Chad Heiner over the right field wall for a grand slam.
“It was an indescribable feeling,” Lipsey said. “I think I kind of hit the wall and blacked out. I didn’t know what was going on. It was a really good feeling.”
The home run helped the Buckeyes to a 15-4 win and was a good omen of things to come for Lipsey. He was named to the All-Big Ten Freshman Team batting .293 with seven home runs and 26 RBIs.
Lipsey said he hopes to build off his freshman season and come into sophomore year finding different ways to help the Buckeyes win games.
“I’m looking to just get on base, get hits, draw walks, score runs and do what I got to do to help my team win,” Lipsey said. “The swing is feeling good, and I’m looking forward to it.”
Over the summer, Lipsey starred with the Kalamazoo Growlers of the Northwoods League, a summer wooden-bat league, batting .340 with 18 RBIs and 16 stolen bases.
The Southfield, Michigan, native said he learned a lot playing collegiate summer ball — including being aggressive on the base paths.
“That was a goal for me to be able to steal more bags,” Lipsey said. “I was able to do that and just be able to learn how to get better jumps and better reads on balls in the outfield, so it was good for that to happen.”
With his second opening day at Ohio State approaching quickly, Lipsey said stealing more bases is a major goal for him.
“I want to steal 30 bases, and I want to win,” Lipsey said. “I want our team to make a run, so winning and being able to get on base, steal bags and score runs are my main goals.”
In nine years as the associate head coach and hitting coach at TCU, Bill Mosiello’s teams stole over 800 bases, the second-most among Power Five teams over that span. Lipsey said he’s learned a lot already from Ohio State’s new head coach on how he and the Buckeyes can find similar success on the basepaths.
“We’re going to be aggressive on the base paths and try and steal as many bags as we can,” Lipsey said. “It’s going to be a fun brand of baseball to watch, and it’s super exciting.”
Lipsey emerged as a stellar defender in the outfield. As the team’s everyday left fielder last year, Lipsey strung together a series of web gems, including a home run robbery against UNC Wilmington in March 2022.
“Defense is extremely important because if you don’t play good defense, you know you’re not going to be out on that field,” Lipsey said. “It’s really important to get good reads on balls, make the plays I can, hit the cutoff man and get the balls in as quick as I can.”
Mosiello has already seen the impact Lipsey can make and what he brings to his ballclub.
“He’s got a chance to play this game for a long time and help us win a lot of games,” Mosiello said. “He’s a better kid than he is a player, so it’s pretty awesome to have those kinds of guys.”
Graduate infielder Marcus Ernst said Lipsey has continued to develop as a player this offseason.
“We knew he was going to be a big part of our team last year and then he came into this season continuing to grow, continuing to build,” Ernst said. “He loves to play the game, and he’s really built himself up this year in the offseason.”
After an eventful offseason of preparation, Lipsey is excited to begin his sophomore season.
“I think we’re all getting pretty antsy to get back out there on the field,” Lipsey said. “We all know the season’s coming up, and we’re ready to go.”
