Baseball is back. To baseball fans, there are no words sweeter than “play ball.” Ohio State baseball is back beginning this weekend at the Minute Maid College Classic at Minute Maid Park in Houston.
“People look at this as a little bit of a challenge for us,” coach Bob Todd said. “We’re excited about the opportunity to play in Minute Maid Park and play the level of competition that we’re going to play.”
Along with OSU, No. 5 Texas, Kansas State, Texas Tech, Houston and defending champion No. 1 Rice will compete in the tournament. OSU will play Texas in its season opener Friday. The Buckeyes will follow with games against Kansas State Saturday and Texas Tech Sunday. Todd said he will start senior pitcher Josh Newman Friday, and junior Mike Madsen Saturday. The OSU starter for Sunday is still undecided.
OSU players said they are excited to get back on the field and aren’t shying away from the tough competition.
“It’s nice to get out and play other competition, especially a nationally ranked team like Texas,” shortstop Brett Garrard said.
While many people may think a team from the north has a tough time in the early season competing with southern teams, who have the advantage of nice weather, OSU players won’t use that excuse.
“It’s still 60-feet-6-inches from the pitcher’s mound to the plate,” Newman said. “I don’t get caught up in the excuses that we can throw out, such as being a northern school.”
Second baseman Drew Anderson agreed with Newman.
“I see us competing for the top spot in any tournament,” Anderson said. “I have total faith in our pitchers, players and coaches. Just because we are from the north doesn’t mean we can’t compete, and I feel comfortable playing against any team in the country right now.”
The optimism doesn’t stop there for OSU. The Buckeyes return seven of eight position starters from last year’s team that came within two wins of a trip to Omaha and the College World Series.
“We are going to be real strong defensively,” Garrard said. “I think we are going to score a lot of runs this year, and we have a lot of pitchers back who we have a lot of confidence in.”
Competing for the Big Ten title and a trip to Omaha – something OSU hasn’t done since 1967 – is the main focus for Anderson.
“I don’t think we expect anything less than competing for the top spot of the Big Ten,” Anderson said. “We made the Super Regional last year and all of us know what that feeling is, so we’re going to go out and try to do that plus more. Our main goal is to get to Omaha.”
Todd knows it’s early, but also shares the optimism his players do.
“It’s still early, we haven’t played a game, but we’ve got the nucleus of quality returning people and if we play to our potential, I don’t think there’s any reason why we shouldn’t compete again for a Big Ten championship,” Todd said.
After the Minute Maid College Classic OSU will get a week off before it returns to the diamond in Myrtle Beach, S. C., at the Baseball at the Beach tournament Feb. 27-29.
