Ohio State Vs. West Virginia/Marshall Baseball Recap

      Ohio State played 2 home games this week at Nick Swisher Field at Bill Davis Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. The Buckeyes played a game versus each team and took a way a victory in each game, improving to 21-10 on the season.

      Tuesday night the Buckeyes took down the Mountaineers 9-0. The Buckeyes turned in an all-around team effort. Defensively, CF Joe Ciamacco had a tremendous diving catch and the Buckeyes also turned 2 double plays. Starting pitcher Brett McKinney threw 5 scoreless innings to earn the win and improve his record to 3-3. McKinney struck out 6 Mountaineers in the outing. Jaron Long, David Fathalikhani, Greg Greve, and Trace Dempsey each pitched a scoreless inning in relief. Offensively, the Buckeyes pushed across 9 runs behind a 2-hit effort from Ciamacco and a 2-RBI effort from Brad Hallberg. The Buckeyes received a great deal of help from West Virginia as the Mountaineers combined for 5 errors as a team. In fact, West Virginia pitchers were charged with only one earned run.

      The Buckeyes won 5-0 against the Marshall Thundering Herd. The Buckeyes jumped ahead early by gaining a 4-0 lead in the early innings before a lengthy weather delay due to lightning. Starter Jake Post went 5 scoreless innings to pick up the victory. Post retired his last 10 batters faced (4 strikeouts) and now has 11 scoreless innings pitched at home. Once again the Buckeyes bullpen came through with 4 scoreless innings, 1.1 from Ryan Riga, 0.2 from David Fathalikhani, and an inning a piece from Tyler Giannonatti and Trace Dempsey. Ciamacco collected 2 hits for the Buckeyes once again and stole his 13th bag of the season. Freshman Jacob Bosiokovic had a clutch 2 RBI double to give the Buckeyes a comfortable lead in the first inning. For Marshall, Isaac Ballou reached base in his 23rd consecutive game by collecting 3 hits for the Thundering Herd.

      The Buckeyes will travel to Lincoln, Nebraska this weekend for a 3-game series with the Cornhuskers.

Ohio State Home Opening Series vs Michigan State Recap

Ohio State baseball had a rough weekend against the Michigan State Spartans this past weekend (March 29-31). The Spartans (2-1 in conference) took 2 of 3 from the Buckeyes (4-2 in conference) at Nick Swisher Field at Bill Davis Stadium. Friday, the Buckeyes led for most of the game due to a strong outing from starting pitcher Jaron Long. However, a 2-RBI double from Spartan DH Cam Gibson tied the game at 6-6 in the 8th innning. Trace Dempsey was brought in to face the next batter and threw 2 wild pitches in the sequence, allowing 2 runs to score to complete a 4-run 8th for the Spartans, who went on to win 8-7.

The Buckeyes put on a strong performance on saturday afternoon, continuing an impressive offensive series. The Buckeyes won 8-3, improving their record to 13-2 when leading after 6 innings. However, the Spartans provided the offense in the rubber game on sunday, winning 7-2. Spartans Right Fielder Jimmy Pickens homered for the second time in the series. The Buckeyes are 1-5 when scoring less than 3 runs. Shortstop Kirby Pellant and DH/Catcher Greg Solomon were two bright spots in the series. Pellant went 6-12 with a double, 2 RBI, and 2 R while Solomon went 5-10 with a triple, 1 RBI, and 1 R.

Looking ahead to two intrastate games in the middle of the week, many players are performing at high levels. Pellant has reached in 14 consecutive games, 1B Brad Hallberg in 13 straight, and LF Tim Wetzel in 10. CF Joe Ciamacco has gone 11 for 11 on his steal attempts to this point of the season, improving his career total to 27 for 27. Kirby Pellant improved his average to above .400. RF Pat Porter collected a double and 2 hits in each of the 3 games vs Michigan State, leading the team with 10 multi-hit games on the season. In all, the Buckeyes hit .325 over the weekend.

Ohio State pitching has also been a bright spot, currently sitting 2nd in the Big Ten in team ERA. Ohio State's rotation of Jaron Long, Brad Goldberg, and Brian King have averaged over 6 innings per start and have a combined 2.42 ERA. Goldberg has allowed 2 earned runs of less in each of his last 8 starts. Closer Trace Dempsey leads the Big Ten with 7 saves and has posted a 0.68 era while striking out 14 batters this season. He has not allowed an earned run over his last 10 innings pitched, but his wild pitches did cost the Buckeyes on friday night. David Fathalikahni has not allowed a run over his last 8 appearances as well. The Buckeyes pitching staff has been strong when it matters most, as opponents are hitting just .198 with runners on base.

NL Central Preview

The NL Central will certainly miss the Houston Astros. Here's how the teams stack up entering 2013:

Class of the Central: Cincinnati Reds
The Reds have won two of the last three division titles and seem poised to win another as the season begins. The Reds acquired Shin-Soo Choo from the Indians to bolster their lineup. He will make the move from RF to CF for the first time in his career. The rest of the lineup is the same young core- Jay Bruce, Todd Frazier, Zack Cozart- with MVP candidate Joey Votto and all-star Brandon Phillips. The Reds made the decision to keep the "Cuban Missile" Aroldis Chapman in the bullpen as their closer. As a result, they enter 2013 with the same rotation as last season- Johnny Cueto, Mat Latos, Bronson Arroyo, Homer Bailey, and Mike Leake. The Reds performed impressively without Votto last season, which means this team certainly has the potential for 100 wins if they can stay healthy.

Model of Consistency: St. Louis Cardinals
The Cardinals continue to play baseball at a high level no matter what lineup they throw out on the field. The Cardinals will be without Chris Carpenter (injury) and Kyle Lohse (free agency) in their rotation. However, St. Louis is continuing to reload rather than rebuild, with young studs Jon Jay, Allen Craig, Matt Carpenter, Pete Kozma, and NLDS hero Daniel Descalso. Highly touted prospect Oscar Tavares will likely join the roster after the all-star break as well. The Cardinals will have to deal with inconsistent pitching (especially from their bullpen) and will rely heavily on Adam Wainwright, Lance Lynn, and Jaime Garcia to carry them on a playoff run. This team could challenge the Reds for the title if its pieces together, but this seems more like a wild card team than a division winner.

Outside looking in: Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee was able to muster 83 wins in their first season without Prince Fielder. The Brewers will start this season without Zack Greinke and Shaun Marcum in their rotation. However, they signed Kyle Lohse to replace Greinke and have a young repertoire of young pitching with Marco Estrada, Chris Narveson, and Mike Fiers anchoring their underrated rotation. Milwaukee's bullpen was miserable last season and blew many games in the late innings. Francisco Rodriguez (3 for 10 in save oppurtunities) was allowed to walk but John Axford (35 for 44) will return as the closer after a disappointing season (5-8, 4.67 ERA). A big storyline that could impact the success of the Brewers this season is the status of their star LF and 2011 MVP Ryan Braun. If Braun is suspended, this team is not deep enough to overcome his loss. The Brewers will start the season without Corey Hart and will have SS Alex Gonzalez playing 1B in his absence. This is a solid under the radar team that may find itself in the playoff hunt come September, but it seems like a lot has to go their way for that to happen.

Is this the year?- Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh almost ended their streak of losing seasons, but a late season collapse had them sitting at 79-83. This year, Pittsburgh will try to get on the winning side behind superstar CF Andrew McCutchen. The Pirates brought in veteran C Russell Martin to work with their new rotation. The Pirates have an interesting rotation of A.J. Burnett, Wandy Rodriguez, James McDonald, Jeff Locke, and Jonathan Sanchez. If each pitcher performs at a top level, this team is good enough to win 82 games this year. Contributions from Neil Walker, Garrett Jones, and Pedro Alvarez in help of McCutchen are also critical. However, it seems like too much needs to go right for Pittsburgh and they may be headed toward a 21st consecutive season without an above .500 win percentage.

Is this THE year?- Chicago Cubs
The lovable losers from the north side of Chicago have not won a world series since 1908. 105 years later, is this team ready to compete for a title? Quick answer- no. The Cubs have a lot of work to do in all facets of their game. The good news for the Cubs is they did not lose any significant players from last season. However, this team had 61 wins last season. Anthony Rizzo needs a huge season for the Cubs to move in the right direction. Barring a trade, Rizzo will be protected by Alfonso Soriano, who seemed to had made some good adjustments to his swing last season, tallying over 100 RBI from the cleanup spot. The Cubs brought in 4 starting pitchers to add depth to their rotation, the biggest name being Edwin Jackson. I doubt this team does much damage in this division, but the Cubs appear to be heading in the right direction with the way that their prospects played in spring training. This team is still a few years away.

NL East Preview

With the MLB beginning its new season within the next week, we dive into a preview of the upcoming year. We start with the NL East.

Favorite: Washington Nationals
The Nationals had the best record in the majors last season with 98 wins. They enter 2013 as the favorite to win the NL East. It is hard to bet against the Nationals when they did not lose any of their key starters. Kurt Suzuki was brought in to be the man behind the plate. They also added Denard Span to their outfield, which is a strong unit with a healthy Jayson Werth and Rookie of the Year Bryce Harper. The Nationals almost lost their first basemen but were able to retain Adam LaRoche. The Nationals also added Dan Haren to their rotation, joining Stephen Strasburg, Jordan Zimmermann, and Gio Gonzalez. A big storyline for this season will be whether or not Strasburg is on an innings limit. Last season, Strasburg was shut down before the post season and the Nationals lost in the NLDS to St. Louis. Strasburg's arm is still a concern due to his enormous potential. Strasburg threw 100 more innings in 2012 than in 2011. This year's goal is 200 innings (plus 30 more in playoffs) meaning that he could throw anywhere from 40-50 more innings in 2013 than 2012. Given his age, it would not be a surprise to see the Nationals limit Strasburg again. Expect the Nationals to be near the top of the National League with their strong bullpen (and new closer Rafael Soriano) and to be a threat in the postseason. Shutting down Strasburg, though, could cost them a shot at a title (again).

Top Contender: Atlanta Braves
The Braves spent the offseason dealing. They boosted their outfield with the additions of both Justin and BJ Upton to join Jason Heyward (and an underrated pick up of Reed Johnson as well). This outfield meshes together nicely with a ton of young talent on the team, like Andrelton Simmons and Freddie Freeman. Pitching-wise, their bullpen is weaker than Washington's. However, they have a more complete rotation with Tim Hudson, Mike Minor, Paul Maholm, Mike Minor, and Julio Teheran. Like their lineup, it is a great mix of veterans and young talent. Plus, Craig Kimbrel is arguably the best closer in the game sitting in their bullpen. The Braves could challenge the Nationals for the division crown, but both teams should be in wild card hunt should they miss out on the division title.

Muddled Middle: Philadelphia Phillies
The Phillies had a dissapointing season in 2012, but they were able to play solid baseball in the second half of the year. Philadelphia brought in Michael Young to play 3B and bring veteran leadership to the club. This team will need a big season from their young outfield, especially Domonic Brown, who is having an incredible spring in his return from injury. Cole Hamels, Roy Halladay, and Cliff Lee remain at the top of a solid rotation. Jonathan Papelbon returns as the closer. The Phillies are a quality club and good bounce back seasons from Ryan Howard and Chase Utley could lead the Phillies to exceed expectations. However, this team is on the outside looking in as the season begins.

Headed in the Wrong Direction: New York Mets
It looks like Mets fans will be in for a long season. The lone bright spot on the roster is David Wright, who can only take this team so far. Ike Davis, Lucas Duda, and the rest of the supporting cast will probably not be enough for the Mets to be a contender. This team is clearly in rebuilding mode, especially after trading away Cy Young Winner R.A. Dickey to Toronto. This team could be competitive, but no one expects this team to make a playoff push. The Mets appear to be a couple of years away from being on level with Atlanta and Washington.

Simply, Just a Mess: Miami Marlins
Last offseason the Marlins went on a huge spending spree to fill their new stadium in Miami. The fans were excited and they became a trendy team around the country. The Marlins have Giancarlo Stanton, one of the best young players in the game, to anchor their lineup. Veterans Juan Pierre and Placido Polanco signed with Miami this offeason. However, this team went on a complete fire-sale, dumping salary to the Blue Jays by trading Josh Johnson, Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle, John Buck (later a part of the Dickey trade) and Emilio Bonifacio. This team is easily the worst team in the National League as the season begins and have a long way to go to compete in this division.

East Region

We are about an hour away from the tip-off of the tournament! One more region to breakdown: the East. The East favorite is Indiana. Indiana was the preseason number 1 in the rankings and really have not done much to disappoint. Their lineup features breakout player Victor Oladipo, national player of the year candidate and Big Ten defensive player of the year, to complement their star post player Cody Zeller. Zeller is one of the most athletic big men currently at the college level. Indiana is actually my selection to win the entire tournament because I feel that are the most complete team in the country. However, they have lost 3 of their last 6 games. The Big Ten is the best conference and I think despite these losses, Indiana will matchup better with the teams in this region. Statistically, Indiana has the best offense in the nation.

Hurricane Miami:
One team that stands in the way for a trip to Atlanta is Miami. Despite their inexperience, Miami's coach Jim Larranaga has been here before. Larranaga took a far less talented George Mason team to the final 4. Shane Larkin leads a lethal attack for Miami. Miami's key to the tournament is to stay humble. This season they had some dominant performances, including key victories over Duke and North Carolina. However, they have slipped up a couple of times this season, losing to weak Wake Forest and Georgia Tech teams. Since those losses, Miami has not lost and won the ACC tournament. If they can stay humble and embrace the underdog role, Miami is a legitimate title contender.

The Rest:
I don't really see much competition besides the top 2 in this region. Marquette and Syracuse are out of the Big East and they do have some potential. Both teams are rather inconsistent, though, and I don't see either sustaining a run. Brad Stevens took Butler to back-to-back championship games in recent memory and has a solid leader in Rotnei Clarke (Clarke will be playing in his first NCAA tournament game though). I expect a lot of mediocrity in this bracket with very little upsets.

Verdict:
Indiana wins a battle with Miami. Both cruise relatively easily to the elite 8.