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Scouting the Ohio State Buckeyes
The Ohio State Buckeyes enter the weekend with a 21-10 overall record and a 5-4 record during Big Ten play. The Buckeyes sit fifth in the Big Ten standing, but are only a 0.5 game behind both Minnesota and Michigan, who are tied for third.
The Buckeyes have played most of their game at neutral sites this year, 11, while playing 10 home games and 10 away games, including a 6-4 record in true road games.
OSU started conference play on a high note with a sweep at Purdue, but then dropped back-to-back series when it dropped 2-of-3 against Michigan State at home before losing 2-of-3 at Minnesota last weekend. In both series losses, the Buckeyes lone win came on Saturday.
Like the Huskers, the Buckeyes have had a pair of games get canceled this year. OSU canceled its games with Toledo on March 26 and then was unable to play at Ohio the following day.
Offensively the Buckeyes are a lefty heavy team that hits .270, with three regulars hitting over .300.
Kirby Pellant leads the team with a .338 average and also leads the squad with three triples.
Pat Porter is third on the team with a .315 average, while leading the team in runs (26) and has eight of OSU's 45 doubles. Porter hit just four doubles last season.
Jacob Bosiokovic had three of OSU's eight homers, while Porter is the only other Buckeye with more than one homer, with two.
OSU steals bases at a 71% clip, as they'll taken 48 bases in 68 attempts, with Joe Ciamacco perfect on the year at 13-for-13.
The Buckeyes will send junior Jaron Long to the mound on Friday night. A first-team All-Big Ten selection last season, Long is 4-2 on the year with a 2.65 ERA. He is one of two Buckeyes to throw more than 50.0 innings on the year (54.1) and has OSU's lone complete game of the season, coming in an 11-0 win over Harvard in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Long has given up 17 runs (16 earned) on 55 hits. He has walked just six batters, while striking out 30.
After sitting out the past two season, Brad Goldberg has been outstanding for the Buckeyes with a 5-0 record. The 6-4 senior is yet to allow more than two earned runs in a start this season, giving up 12 runs (nine earned) over 43.2 innings of work. Goldberg brings a 1.85 ERA into Saturday and leads the team with 39 strikeouts, but has also issued a team-high 23 walks.
Brian King is set to take the mound on Sunday and sits 4-4 on the year with a 2.63 ERA. Last weekend at Minnesota, King allowed one earned run on three hits over 7.0 innings, but took the loss in a 1-0 game. The senior lefty leads the team in inning pitched at 54.2 and pounds the zone with 34 strikeouts to seven walks. He has given up a team-high four homers.
Reliever Trace Dempsey leads the Big Ten with 10 saves and is tied leads the Big Ten with 17 appearance.