Ohio State’s club baseball team opens its spring 2022 campaign this weekend. Credit: Andres Ibarra | Arts & Life LTV Producer
Ohio State’s club baseball team opens its spring 2022 campaign this weekend, looking to carry the momentum from its previous club success.
The Division I team starts its season with a doubleheader in Nashville, Tennessee, where the Buckeyes will play Vanderbilt Saturday. The Division II team also has a doubleheader and will play in Richmond, Kentucky, against Eastern Kentucky.
Both teams open play with high expectations and rankings. The Division I and II teams open the year ranked No. 10 and No. 5, respectively, in the National Club Baseball Association Rawlings preseason polls.
Head coach Chad Lowe enters his 10th season with the club and said he has high expectations for the top-tier teams.
The Division I team is unique since they have not played many games together, Lowe said.
“We have added the most dudes to the team that we ever have,” Lowe said. “It is a cool dynamic because you are starting from scratch in a sense with team chemistry. There is not a set definition of groups.”
The Buckeyes have waited to return to a full season of play. Both the 2020 and 2021 seasons were cut short due to the pandemic.
Jacob Kotzin, a fourth-year in psychology and team president, is entering his fourth year with the team. The first baseman and pitcher for the Division I team spoke about the talent on this year’s roster.
“We have a lot of new guys but have a really good group, and we expect to win the conference again,” Kotzin said. “I think we have gelled very nicely, definitely really high expectations given our talent level.”
Ethan Meyers, a graduate student in applied economics and outfielder for the Division I team, is entering his third season with the team and said he’s excited to play in his first full season with the Buckeyes.
“Just based on the history of the program, our obvious goal is that we should win our conference. I think we are the best team in our conference,” Meyers said. “We are all very talented. I think every guy on this team could have played varsity ball at some level of competition in college.”
Meyers played undergraduate varsity baseball at the College of Wooster. He said he feels close to the team ahead of this season.
“Everybody is together; it’s a really tight-knit group of guys,” Meyers said. “You can feel the energy on the field when we are playing. Everyone is rooting for each other, and we are all pushing in the same direction.”
Each team will play 28 games this upcoming season, and both are trying to defend conference titles.
The Division I Ohio State club baseball team begins the season against Vanderbilt Saturday at 1 p.m., and the Division II squad plays Saturday at Eastern Kentucky at 3:15 p.m.
