Well that was a wild weekend. What started out in triumph and jubilation turned into heartbreak and disappointment as the Buckeyes played round-robin down in Jacksonville, FL.
Game 1 on Friday pitted the Buckeyes against #12 NC State. After a scoreless first inning, Ohio State jumped out in front 3-0 as Lee Ellis and Trey Lipsey both scored on a wild pitch, with Mason Eckelman following suit on a bunt by Will Carpenter. NC State tied it with a 3-run home run in the B3, but it was all Buckeyes from there. After an NC State error, Ellis launched a 2-run homer, scoring Lipsey to retake the lead in the T5. In the T6, Reggie Bussey hit an RBI-single to score Carpenter, and then was brought home on an RBI-single by Matthew Graveline. Then Lipsey capped off the day with a solo homer in the T9 to give the Buckeyes an 8-3 win, their first on the year. Relief pitcher Hunter Shaw earned the win, bringing him to 1-1 on the year.
| 2/21/25 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| Ohio State | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 10 | 1 |
| #12 NC State | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 3 |
T5 | Lee Ellis with a 2-run BOMB to put the Bucks up 2! @ohiostatebase - 5@ncstatebaseball - 3#BestOutsideOfOmaha | @d1baseball pic.twitter.com/CqDqefpaPg
— Jax College Baseball Classic (@JaxCBC) February 21, 2025
First win, ranked win
Congratulations to our skipper, @JHaire03, on his first victory at Ohio State!#GoBucks pic.twitter.com/gzUwkQ6Zco
— Ohio State Baseball (@OhioStateBASE) February 21, 2025
Saturday's game 2 was a wild one against Coastal Carolina. As the designated home team, Ohio State started on defense first, and as on Friday, the teams fought through a scoreless first inning. This time, Ohio State built a 5-0 lead in the B2 as Lipsey scored on a RBI-triple by Eckelman. Nick Giamarusti then hit a bunt which got Eckelman out at home, but Giamarusti worked himself around the bases, scoring on a wild pitch. A few batters late, Graveline hit a 3-run homer, scoring Bussey and Carpenter. Then disaster struck. Although starting pitcher Chase Herrell had a career day going 6.0 innings, striking out 9 Chanticleers, and only allowing 2 runs, the tide turned when reliever Sahil Patel came in. He only lasted 0.2 innings as Coastal Carolina scored 5 runs in the T7 to take a 7-5 lead. By the B9, Coastal had added one more run, and Ohio State was down to their last gasps. However, in the B9, Tyler Pettorini hit a bases-clearing double to tie the game at 8. In extra innings, though, Ohio State could not manage anything as Coastal Carolina scored twice in the T11 to take the 10-8 comeback win. Closing pitcher Hayden Blosser was credited with the loss, however the unofficial loss (in my book) goes to Patel for allowing the disastrous T7.
| 2/22/25 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | R | H | E |
| Coastal Carolina | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 14 | 1 |
| Ohio State | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 6 | 1 |
B2 | Matthew Graveline opens things up for the Bucks This 3-run BOMB extends the Ohio State lead to 5!@coastalbaseball - 0@ohiostatebase - 5
Watch Live: https://t.co/Dv8W567YRJ#BestOutsideOfOmaha | @d1baseball pic.twitter.com/01aAdnUEsu
— Jax College Baseball Classic (@JaxCBC) February 22, 2025
Let's give it up for @ChaseHerrell, who was absolutely dealing today
Chase's final line: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 9 K#GoBucks pic.twitter.com/hfrgA3xNJY
— Ohio State Baseball (@OhioStateBASE) February 22, 2025
With a chance to take home a share of the tournament crown, Ohio State played Alabama in Sunday's game 3. Like the previous two games, the teams worked through a scoreless first inning. It took until the T3, but Ohio State got the scoring going again as Ellis hit a 3-run home run, scoring Lipsey and Bussey. Then in the T4, Ohio State extended their lead, with a 2-RBI single by Bussey to score Giamarusti and Marc Stephens, an RBI-single by Ellis to score Bussey, and then a 3-run homer by Pettorini to bring home Ellis and Lipsey to take a commanding 10-0 lead. However, like against Coastal, the bullpen doomed the Buckeyes. Slowly, but surely the Crimson Tide crawled their way back in the game with 3 in the B4, 4 in the B7, and 2 in the B8 to come within 1 heading into the final inning. In the B9, Alabama hit another 3-run home run to claim the comeback walk-off 12-10 win. Closing pitcher Nik Copenhaver was credited with the loss as he gave up the game winner, but before him, Luke Carrell was responsible for 7 of the Tide's runs, so I'll also give him the unofficial loss.
| 2/23/25 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| Ohio State | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 7 | 0 |
| Alabama | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 12 | 12 | 1 |
TOP 3 | THAT BALL IS GONE @yungluth89 with a three-run home run, his second homer of the weekend, to give the Buckeyes the lead, 3-0!#GoBucks pic.twitter.com/g2fFe6ZhhL
— Ohio State Baseball (@OhioStateBASE) February 23, 2025
TOP 4 | BYE BALL @TPettorini sends one out of the park to plate three runs and give the Buckeyes a 10-0 lead over the Crimson Tide!#GoBucks pic.twitter.com/ANwXFGAzRE
— Ohio State Baseball (@OhioStateBASE) February 23, 2025
After the 1-2 weekend, Ohio State improved(?) to 1-5 on the young season. NC State dropped to 3-4, Coastal Carolina improved to 6-2, and Alabama improved to 8-0.
Up Next, Ohio State goes to Arlington, TX to play 7-1 Auburn, 6-1 Baylor, and 5-2 #7 Oregon State in the College Baseball Classic. Folks, this won't be pretty.
