Graduate right-hander Jonah Jenkins (30) pitches against Minnesota Saturday at Bill Davis Stadium in Columbus. Credit: Breanna Jacobs | Ohio State Athletics
After sophomore left-hander Gavin Bruni struck out a career-high 11 batters Saturday versus Minnesota, graduate right-hander Jonah Jenkins closed the door on the Gophers in the final three innings.
Jenkins has stood out in a pitching staff that is eighth in the Big Ten in earned run average. Ohio State’s pitching staff holds a 5.37 ERA and has seen inconsistency in the bullpen, but Jenkins showed Saturday why he may see more opportunities down the stretch of the season.
“The boys have been kind of struggling,” Jenkins said. “It was just nice to go out there and just show myself and the others that if we stick with the process, stick to our mental cues, all the stuff that we’ve worked on for the past eight months, and if we go out there and just execute that we have our best chance for success.”
Jenkins did not allow a run and struck out a season-high six batters to help Ohio State win 6-2 Saturday, making the game its first Big Ten win of the season and snapping a five-game losing streak.
The versatile transfer from Dartmouth College and the University of San Francisco is 3-2 with a 2.55 ERA, 26 strikeouts and nine walks over 10 appearances, emerging as a valuable arm for head coach Bill Mosiello’s pitching staff.
“He’s our swiss army knife, he’s by far our MVP,” Mosiello said. “We get to pick the game that we think’s the game we can win that we need him to get in there the most.”
Jenkins entered Saturday’s game with the Buckeyes leading 4-2 in the top of the seventh inning. The Parker, Colorado, native struck out all three batters to quickly close the frame.
“It was also nice to start with a clean inning,” Jenkins said. “I was able to kind of get into my rhythm off the rip and then kind of hit cruise control from there.”
Jenkins allowed just two hits to Minnesota in the eighth and ninth innings. Three of his last four outs recorded were strikeouts, putting him at six in the game — his most since he struck out eight versus BYU April 28, 2022, at USF.
Jenkins pitched in a career-high 48 innings and 20 games, going 2-4 with a 5.63 ERA and 53 strikeouts in 2022. Jenkins came to USF after two seasons at Dartmouth College, making 17 appearances for the Big Green.
Now in his third stop over the last five years, Jenkins said “consistency is key.”
“There’s a reason why people say that,” Jenkins said. “It’s not just consistent physically, but it has to be consistent mentally too.”
Jenkins said he’s worked hard to excel in his consistency this year in the pitching staff.
“It’s been proven to show that it’s going to help me,” Jenkins said. “Even when I may have ups and downs when we’re in the game, but at the end of the day, it’s going to fall down the middle and at that point I can do whatever I need to do.”
Bruni, who earned the win in Saturday’s four-run victory, said it is “definitely a nice feeling” when Jenkins comes out of the bullpen to pitch.
“He’s going to have that curveball on, so he’s definitely one of our consistent guys for sure,” Bruni said.
Mosiello said his team is lucky to have a pitcher like Jenkins.
“He’s a super intelligent guy, and he’s got really good confidence, and he’s got a great way about him,” Mosiello said. “A little goofy at times, which makes him exciting because nothing flusters him.”
