Maryland baseball vs. Ohio State preview

With one other Huge Ten sequence win within the rearview mirror, Maryland baseball was decided to bounce again from Sunday’s loss towards Minnesota.

The Terps discovered themselves of their third one-run recreation in a row as fifth-year middle fielder Chris Alleyne smashed a go-ahead house run within the high of the ninth. The solo homer did simply sufficient as Maryland took down James Madison, 8-7.

Maryland will now face off towards one other Huge Ten foe as Ohio State involves city for a three-game sequence. The Terps’ ordinary aces can be again on the mound this weekend with junior righty Nick Dean getting the Friday evening begin, junior lefty Ryan Ramsey beginning on Saturday and sophomore righty Jason Savacool ending out the sequence on Sunday.

All three video games can be performed at Bob “Turtle” Smith Stadium and streamed on BTN Plus with Friday’s beginning at 6:30 p.m., Saturday’s at 2:00 p.m. and Sunday’s at 1:00 p.m.

Ohio State (11-18, 2-5)

2021 report: 22-20, 22-20

Head coach Greg Beals is in his twelfth yr as head coach of this system. He has led the Buckeyes to a 325-258-1 report over the previous 11 years together with three NCAA regional appearances within the final six years. Beals is at present third amongst lively Huge Ten coaches in Division 1 profession wins and has a watch for expertise; he has produced 27 MLB draft picks within the final 10 years.

Hitters to know

Senior infielder Marcus Ernst has performed a complete of 4 completely different positions for the Buckeyes during the last 4 years however has taken his hitting to the subsequent stage this yr. Ohio State’s leadoff hitter has began all 28 video games, main the crew in batting common (.394), on-base proportion (.500) and runs scored (24). Whether or not he’s enjoying shortstop, third base or is the designated hitter, Ernst is a risk to get on base each time.

Senior infielder Zach Dezenzo completely rakes and is for sure the Buckeyes’ finest energy hitter. Since being named a Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-American, Dezenzo has began in each recreation for Ohio State. Whereas his batting common has taken a little bit of a dip from .302 final yr to .268 this yr, Dezenzo nonetheless leads the crew in RBIs (26), house runs (8), extra-base hits (15) and slugging proportion (.554). Batting proper behind Ernst, Dezenzo makes the Buckeyes’ high of the order harmful.

Pitchers to know

Sophomore left-handed pitcher Isaiah Coupet has been Ohio State’s finest starter this yr after solely beginning one recreation final season. In seven begins, Coupet leads the crew in innings pitched (35.1), strikeouts (59) and wins (2) whereas accumulating a 4.58 ERA. The Terps ought to see Coupet early, as he has been the Buckeyes’ Friday evening starter all season.

Junior right-handed pitcher Ethan Hammerberg has been Ohio State’s finest and most frequent aid pitcher this season. After an uneventful sophomore season, Hammerberg has greater than confirmed himself this yr. In 14 appearances, he has pitched 22 innings, recording 32 strikeouts and a team-leading .188 opponent batting common.

Power

Hitting. Just like Maryland, Ohio State has a high-powered offense that options three gamers hitting above .300. The Buckeyes at present sit fourth within the Huge Ten in batting common (.277) and sixth in house runs (30), slugging proportion (.436) and on-base proportion (.377). This sequence must be action-packed, as each groups can rating runs in a rush.

Weak point

Fielding. Ohio State is an especially poor fielding crew and it’s no secret. The Buckeyes rank first within the Huge Ten in errors (55) and final in fielding proportion (.947) by a large margin. If Maryland can put the bat on the ball, Ohio State is sure to beat itself.

Three issues to look at

1. Can Maryland sustain with Ohio State’s offense? Although the Terps’ offense has been higher all yr, Ohio State had a dominant offensive efficiency final weekend, whereas Maryland’s was lackluster. The Buckeyes averaged 9.67 runs and 14 hits per recreation in comparison with the Terps’ 6.33 runs and 10.67 hits per recreation. If Maryland desires to outscore Ohio State, they have to be higher.

2. Will Ryan Ramsey proceed to dominate? Ramsey has now stringed collectively 5 imposing performances in a row and has been the Terps’ most dependable pitcher all yr lengthy. As head coach Rob Vaughn beforehand mentioned, “The longer Ryan Ramsey is within the recreation, the extra the opposite dugout doesn’t prefer it.” In his final look, the junior pitched 5 innings, permitting simply two hits and 5 runs whereas placing out 5 batters. A win from Ramsey is sort of assured at this level as he has a 7-0 report up to now, leaving it as much as Dean and Savacool to do their job.

3. Can Maryland win its third Huge Ten Collection? The Terps have gotten off to a terrific begin in Huge Ten play, taking down Penn State and Minnesota in 2-1 sequence wins. With Ohio State getting off to its worst begin beneath Beals, Maryland is able to win one other Huge Ten sequence and doubtlessly its first sweep.