The 2025 baseball is upon us! With the new season comes some new challenges. After only two seasons, head coach Bill Mosiello stepped down, finishing his stint with a 60-51 (21-27) record, but improving upon each year, including the last of Greg Beals' tenure in 2022. In is Ohioan Justin Haire, hired away from the Campbell University Camels. With the Camels, Haire won 317 games in 10 years, including 30+ wins in 7 of the 9 non-Covid seasons, with a high mark of 46 wins in 2023.
The 53-game schedule opens with a visit to Arizona State this weekend, and includes two round-robin weekend series against NC State, Coastal Carolina, and Alabama in the Jacksonville Baseball Classic next week and Auburn, Baylor, and Oregon State in the 2025 College Baseball Classic in Arlington, TX the following week. As for the conference slate, the Buckeyes have an even split of 5 home and 5 away series including welcoming in Big Ten newcomer Oregon and visiting USC.
2025 #GoBucks
— Ohio State Baseball (@OhioStateBASE) January 15, 2025
As for the players, first off, congratulations to Gavin Bruni for being drafted to the Washington Nationals. Returning from last year, are sophomores Chase Herrell (RHP #34), Andrew Edrington (RHP #14), Mason Eckelman (C #16), Zak Sigman (RHP #47), and Jake Michalak (RHP #21); juniors Matthew Graveline (C #9), Hunter Shaw (LHP #26), Alonzo Paul Jr (C #44), and Blaine Wynk (RHP #10); seniors Zach Freeman (OF #0), Nick Giamarusti (OF #7), Ryan Miller (INF #12), Trey Lipsey (OF #2), Jaylen Jones (LHP #40), and Tyler Pettorini (INF #42); and graduate Will Carpenter (INF #19). Incoming are freshmen Maddix Simpson (INF #6), Ty Fox (INF #8), Anthony Scheppler (INF #17), Sal Mineo (OF #31), Noah LaFine (RHP #32), Zev Salsberg (RHP #36), Tannis Lange (LHP #41), Hayden Blosser (RHP #46), Gavin Kuzniewski (RHP #48), Alex Koelling (INF #55), and Nik Copenhaver (RHP #30); and transfers Lee Ellis (So. INF #1), Drew Erdmann (So. RHP #20), Chris Domke (So. RHP #33), Simon Bargo (So. RHP #35), Sahil Patel (R-So. LHP #15), Reggie Bussey (Jr. OF #4), Marc Stephens (Jr. INF #11), Charlie Giese (Jr. RHP #24), Douglas Bauer (Jr. RHP #45), Ryan Butler (Sr. RHP #29), Luke Carell (Gr. LHP #25), and Spencer Hill (Gr. LHP #53). Nearly an even mix of returning and transfer players, with 16 returning and 12 inward transfers, on top of the 11 incoming freshmen.
After a 29-26 season in 2024, including earning a birth and winning a game in the Big Ten tournament, it would be a slight disappointment to do anything less than get back to the conference tournament and make a run for the national tournament, but there could be some early bumps in the road with the new head coach. However the journey goes, I look forward to providing updates each weekend, and here's to a great season.
