Ohio State head coach Greg Beals stands in the dugout during the Ohio State-Northwestern game on May 30. Ohio State lost 2-8. Credit: Mackenzie Shanklin | Photo Editor
As the NCAA Tournament reaches its Super Regional round in various host sites, the Buckeyes find themselves back home in Columbus with an eye on the future.
Ohio State went 22-20 in the all-Big Ten schedule and finished the season 5-6 over its last 11 games, hosting the final on-campus sporting event over the course of a year impacted by the pandemic. The Buckeyes finished sixth in the Big Ten Conference, tied for its second-best finish in the standings since the 2013 campaign.
For the third time in the last four years, the Buckeyes finished with a .500 record or better, marking the eighth time head coach Greg Beals has led his team to a winning season. However, Ohio State didn’t qualify for the NCAA Tournament for just the second time in the last five years in which it has been held.
“Obviously the season didn’t go the way that we had designed it,” Beals said. “With all that being said, I was proud of them. I was proud of them for just all the things that they went through this year and their perseverance through it all. While everything around them was changing, the brotherhood of our program didn’t change.”
Beals also thanked the five seniors who will depart the program — and that number could grow as the MLB draft approaches in mid-July — and reminded the returning Buckeyes that a lot of work remains.
“I’m really honest with the guys. I stated facts, told them these are the things that we’re being asked to do and that we need to do in order to do what we love to do,” Beals said. “We all love the game of baseball and love this program and this brotherhood more so than we dislike anything anybody asked us to do. So, you suck it up and you do what you need to do so that we get to come out here on the field and do our thing.”
Despite missing the postseason, Ohio State showed promise for seasons to come.
Freshman outfielder Kade Kern was among the most consistent Buckeyes all season and was named a Freshman All-American Wednesday. He burst onto the scene in his first collegiate game with a 5-for-6 performance at Illinois, then carried a batting average north of .300 the rest of the way, sparking a hitting streak of eight games while leading the team with nine stolen bases and .391 on-base percentage.
Redshirt seniors first baseman Conner Pohl and catcher Brent Todys held simultaneous hitting streaks beginning in April. Pohl’s streak went from April 4 to May 16 over a span of 16 games, while Todys’ lasted 15 games from April 9 to May 22. Todys has said he’ll return to the team next season, citing he would “never want to regret not playing another year of college baseball,” giving the Buckeyes catching depth next year.
While Kern and Pohl earned Second Team All-Big Ten honors, junior shortstop Zach Dezenzo collected Big Ten Player of the Week recognition this season — twice.
Dezenzo mashed two 3-run home runs May 28 and went 6-for-12 in the season’s final series against Northwestern to earn the distinction once again, adding to his prior award April 7. The 6-foot-4 infielder will be eligible for the MLB draft for the first time, and said there are a lot of things on the table for him going forward.
“It’s been a goal of mine growing up and it’s hopefully becoming a reality here within the next coming months,” Dezenzo said. “For me, it’s just been focusing on taking it day-by-day, game-by-game and attacking my process, attacking my work. A lot of different opportunities I have, and draft being one of them. I do hope that becomes true this summer, but if not, I still got two more years of eligibility, so it’s a good problem to have.”
Ohio State’s pitching staff ranked among the Big Ten’s best in several categories. Spearheaded by a trio of Third Team All-Big Ten arms — junior right handers TJ Brock and Garrett Burhenn alongside redshirt junior southpaw Seth Lonsway — the Buckeyes allowed the second-fewest hits while punching out the second-most hitters.
Burhenn and Lonsway both finished in the conference’s top 10 strikeout totals, and each tossed performances on which to hang their hats. Burhenn went at least five innings in all 13 starts, and finished the season with back-to-back 11-strikeout games. Lonsway spun a 7-inning complete game April 3, striking out an eye-popping 17 hitters as he owned the Big Ten’s second-lowest opponent batting average with .167.
Texas transfer right-hander Jack Neely intrigued with a fastball that reportedly sat in the upper-90s on the radar gun, and, after making nine starts, allowed only three runs across 5 1/3 frames out of the bullpen. Other newcomers included freshmen lefty Isaiah Coupet and right-handers Nate Haberthier and Trent Jones, who each made at least four appearances and could likely see an increase in reliance as their careers continue.
Beals said player development was a priority as the season wound down and the offseason emerged on the horizon. While he said his team “lost the fine line” between winning and losing from a records standpoint, the skipper said the process of getting ready for 2022 is well underway.
“You’re always looking forward,” Beals said. “The process has already begun with our coaching staff. I know the things that we missed this year and things that are critical that we get re-instilled in the program, we missed them, with reasons. But, we have a pretty good idea.”
