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BaseBucks Take One from Illinois to End Season.

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Bucks2K18's picture
by Bucks2K18
5/19/25 at 12:28a in the OSU Athletics Forum
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Well, the end certainly comes quickly. While this certainly was not a season to remember, even the end to a bad season can be bittersweet. Thankfully, the BaseBucks were able to close the season at home. The game against Butler was cancelled, so the Buckeyes turned the focus to the last series against Illinois

 

Thursday's game 1 was an anomaly compared to the rest of the series as it was a defensive game. Trey Lipsey started the game with a home run on the 3rd pitch of the B1 to give Ohio State a quick 1-0 lead. Illinois tied the game in the T3, but an RBI single by Tyler Pettorini to plate Lipsey in the B3 gave Ohio State the lead right back. The score would remain 2-1 until Illinois tied it again in the T6 and then took a 4-2 lead late with 1 run in each of the T8 and T9. A sac-bunt by Lipsey to plate Sal Mineo cut into the lead, but it would be too little too late as Illinois would hold on for the 4-3 win. Relief pitcher Hunter Shaw recorded the loss, dropping him to 3-5 to close the season.

5/15/25 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Illinois 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 4 8 0
Ohio State 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 8 2

 

Game 2 on Friday was much higher scoring, but a whole lot less competitive. Illinois got off to a quick 4-0 lead in the T1, but a homer by Nick Giamarusti and an RBI single by Pettorini, plating Lipsey cut the lead in half. A bases loaded walk in the T5 gave Illinois another run, but a 3-RBI single by Mason Eckleman to plate Lipsey and Matthew Graveline cut the Illini lead to 1 after 5 innings. Two 2-run homers extended Illinois' lead to 9-4 heading into the 7th inning stretch. Lipsey again crossed home, this time as Ryan Miller reached on a fielder's choice in the B7. But then, disaster struck. Two 3-run home runs and another 2-run homer allowed Illinois to stretch the lead to 17-5 in the T8, threatening to run-rule the game. There would be no run-rule, however, as Lipsey hit a 3-run home run, bringing home Mineo and Will Carpenter, and as Graveline came home on a wild pitch cut the lead to 17-9 after 8. Illinois would add one more in the T9, but that would ultimately not matter for the outcome as the Illini would shut down any last attempts at a comeback, and take the series with a decisive 18-9 win. Starter Jake Michalak recorded the loss dropping him to 1-7 to finish the season, but it was reliever Noah Lafine who did the most damage, allowing 10 runs, including the two 3-run homers in the T8.

5/16/25 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Illinois 4 0 0 0 1 2 2 8 1 18 13 0
Ohio State 0 0 2 0 2 0 1 4 0 9 12 2

 

Game 3 on Saturday was Senior Day, as Jaylen Jones, Will Carpenter, Ryan Miller, Spencer Hill, Trey Lipsey, Nick Giamarusti, and Tyler Pettorini would all play their last game at Bill Davis Stadium. And they went out with a bang. Solo homers by Miller and Giamarusti in the B2 gave the Buckeyes a 2-0 lead, however that lead was short lived as Illinois would score 6 in the T3. A bases loaded double by Maddix Simpson plated Miller, Eckelman, and Pettorini cut the lead to 6-5. Through the 4th and 5th, the two teams would trade runs, but an RBI single by Graveline to plate Lipsey, and a 2-RBI home run by Graveline to plate Miller kept the margin at 1. That would remain the score until the B9 when Ohio State tied the game at 9 and forced extra innings as Pettorini came home on a sac-fly by Simpson. Illinois retook the lead in the T10, but that would not hold as Tyler Pettorini played Senior Day hero, plating Trey Lipsey and Nick Giamarusti on a walk-off 2-RBI double to win the game 11-10. Despite only facing one Illini batter - recording the final out - closing pitcher Douglas Bauer was credited with the win, bringing him to 3-1 to close the season. 

5/17/25 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 R H E
Illinois 0 0 6 1 2 0 0 0 0 1 10 12 2
Ohio State 0 2 3 1 2 0 0 0 1 2 11 12 1

After the final series loss, Ohio State finished the season 13-34 (5-25), while Illinois improved to 29-23 (14-16) squeezed into the Big Ten Tournament as the 11th seed. 

 

Now Ohio State enters a crucial offseason. Some tough questions need to be answered and the team overall needs a major adjustment on a number of issues. I do not like to call for a head coach's job, especially after the first season, so I am not going to. However, the situation needs to be called for what it is. The overall lack of a defense and even halfway decent pitching was a major downfall in the vast majority of the losses, but the offense going to sleep in critical situations or just general slumps led to some more losses and all around by far the worst baseball season in a long time.

Recruiting needs to play a larger role to attract incoming players and not as much reliance on the transfer portal, though those players can play critical roles. And no, weather cannot be to blamed for the lack of recruiting or lack of positive results. According to Perfect Game, Ohio State finished 80th in recruiting in 2025 out of over 300 D1 baseball teams, and several other Ohio teams finished with far better records. Bowling Green finished 33-20, Kent State finished 37-16, Miami (OH) finished 32-21, Akron finished 20-34, Cincinnati finished 31-23, Dayton finished 26-29, Toledo finished 28-27, Wright State finished 34-18, and Xavier finished 31-25. Only Ohio and Youngstown State finished with similar records as Ohio State, with the Bobcats finishing 14-37 and the Penguins finishing 14-40. 

Now, yes, we should not be limited to only in-state comparisons, and we definitely should be able to be way more competitive on a national level, but the aforementioned teams all largely play under the same weather conditions. So to finish with the fewest wins of all in-state D1 teams and dead last in the conference standings is wholly unacceptable for a baseball team representing Ohio State. 

This was a disastrous season, there's no two ways about that. However, to not end the season on a such a downer, I do believe Ohio State Baseball can be more competitive, both within the conference and nationally. This season is not overall representative of the program, and things can be better, but excuses cannot be made, and the issues need to be addressed. There can be a brighter future ahead if the right steps are taken to correct reoccurring issues. 

This is a forum post from a site member. It does not represent the views of Eleven Warriors unless otherwise noted.

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