How to watch Ohio State, Louisville in the 2016 NCAA Baseball Tournament live streaming online
Ben Martens via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The Buckeyes are back in the NCAA tourney for the first time in seven years. Advancing out of regional play is going to be a tall order.

Ohio State baseball is back in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2009 after an improbable run through the loser's bracket of the Big Ten tournament in Omaha that culminated in an 8-7 win over Iowa in the championship game last Sunday. The Buckeyes hit their stride at the right time, posting a 16-4 record in May, and head to the Louisville regional as a No. 2 seed and back in the national polls for the first time in over a year.

The team's tourney run highlighted what has made Ohio State so successful in the past month, as solid pitching and defense, aggressive baserunning, and timely hitting all came together to propel the scarlet and gray into the postseason.

Buckeye pitching, which led the Big Ten in ERA during league play, broke the tournament record for strikeouts, punching out 44 in 55 innings of work. Tanner Tully and John Havird combined to toss 15 innings of three-run ball, Ryan Feltner impressed by allowing one earned run in 6.1 innings, and Kyle Michalik provided six scoreless relief innings. With the exception of the two games against the Hawkeyes, Ohio State's staff was firmly in control throughout the tourney.

Offensively, the Buckeyes were led by Ronnie Dawson, the newly-minted third-team Louisville Slugger All-American who took home Most Outstanding Player honors after hitting .578 and setting tournament records with 15 hits and six doubles. Aside from Dawson, each game saw different players step up at the plate, with Nick Sergakis, Craig Nennig, Troy Kuhn, Troy Montgomery, Jacob Bosiokovic, Jalen Washington, and Tre Gantt all coming through in clutch situations throughout the team's five wins in four days.

It is precisely that kind of baseball that Ohio State will need to continue to play if it holds out any hope of pulling off a major upset and advancing to super regional play. The Louisville regional will be tough, but the Buckeyes scrappy, never-say-die brand of ball is exactly what it takes to do the unexpected this time of year.

Wright State Raiders (44-15, Horizon League)


Wright State is making its second straight regional appearance after beating Valparaiso to claim the Horizon League's tournament championship and automatic bid. Head coach Greg Lovelady, who was named the conference's Coach of the Year for the second time in his three seasons at the helm, is building a solid program that looks as though it could be a regional contender on an annual basis.

The Raiders are a load offensively, hitting .283 as a team and averaging better than seven runs per game. First-team All-Horizon League outfielder Ryan Fucci anchors the lineup, slashing .326/.414/.529 with 11 home runs, 59 runs batted in, and 25 stolen bases in 28 attempts. Second-team shortstop Mitch Roman leads the team with a .339 batting average, 79 hits, and five triples, while also driving in 40 runs.

Another first-team All-Horizon selection will be on the bump when Wright State meet the Buckeyes in senior Jesse Schlotens. The 6'4, 230-pound right-hander went 10-1 with a 2.72 ERA in 102.2 innings for the Raiders in 2016, limiting the opposition to a .217 batting average, posting a WHIP of 0.97, and striking out better than five hitters per walk issued.

Western Michigan Broncos (22-32, Mid-American Conference)


Western Michigan, much like Ohio State, are a hot team coming into regional play. Despite a sub-.500 record for the season, the Broncos won four games in the MAC tournament, including a 12-7 victory over a heavily-favored Kent State team in the final, to claim the conference's automatic bid.

This isn't an offensive powerhouse of a team, as Western Michigan averaged less than five runs per game in 2016, and hit a mere 11 home runs as a team. Shortstop Connor Smith, the MAC Freshman of the Year and second-team all-conference selection, paced the team with a .335 average. The Broncos' leaders in homers (three) and RBIs (36) would barely be a blip for the Buckeyes.

On the mound, Western Michigan also struggled, as would be expected of a team ten games under .500. The Broncos give up more than six runs per game and get hit around at a robust .298 clip. The lone standout, first-team All-MAC lefty Keegan Akin, is likely to pitch in the team's regional opener against Louisville, and its possible Ohio State will not face Western at all over the weekend.

Louisville Cardinals (47-12, Atlantic Coast Conference)


Head coach Dan McDonnell is fresh off being named ACC Coach of the Year for the second straight season and his Louisville squad is the No. 2 national seed in this year's NCAA tournament. Despite falling to Virginia in the ACC tournament final, the Cardinals are among the elite teams in the country.

Louisville can straight up mash the baseball. Hitting .321 as a team, the Cardinals averaged 7.5 runs per game, mashed 57 homers, and had collective on-base and slugging percentages of .402 and .487. Junior outfielder Corey Ray, a likely top-10 pick in the Major League Baseball draft next week, is the cream of a very talented crop offensively, slashing .320/.376/.525 with 16 doubles, 15 longballs, 58 RBIs, and 39 stolen bases.

As talented as Louisville is in the everyday lineup, its pitching may be even better. The Cardinals' staff had a collective 2.85 ERA and .217 batting average against this season. Junior Drew Harrington was the ACC Pitcher of the Year, sophomore Brendan McCay was named the nation's best two-way player as a freshman and made first-team All-ACC as both a pitcher and a position player this season, senior Kyle Funkhouser is slated to be drafted in the first round, and junior reliever Zack Burdi is another likely first round pick in the draft. Whoever the Buckeyes face if they meet with Louisville is likely to be among the best arms the team has seen all season.

How to watch


Ohio State opens regional play against Wright State at 2 p.m. ET on Friday. Should they defeat the Raiders, the Buckeyes would face the winner of Louisville-Western Michigan at 4 p.m. ET on Saturday. A loss on Friday would mean a 12 p.m. ET start on Saturday. Beyond that, double elimination rules come into play on Sunday and, if necessary, Monday. All games this weekend will be available for streaming on ESPN3.

The winner of the Louisville regional moves on to super regional action against the winner of the Nashville region, which is comprised of Vanderbilt, UC Santa Barbara, Washington, and Xavier. Super regionals are a best two out of three format, with the eight winners nationally advancing to the College World Series in Omaha.



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Ohio State sends offer to 4-star New Jersey standout
Caleb Houser via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Now in the month of June, Ohio State's staff is in full recruiting mode in search of the nation's best for the 2017 season (and beyond)

Summer is officially here. Ohio State's focus has shifted fully to recruiting for 2017 and beyond. In these few months before the 2016 season begins, the Buckeyes staff will be holding and attending endless camps with the intent to sell their pitch to a countless number of recruits. The summer always exhibits the opportunity for commitments due to visits and Urban Meyer hopes to see nothing but the same. The top ranked recruiting class for 2016 may just get even better in the near future.

OSU rings the Bell


New Jersey is a state that has been good to Ohio State over the years. The Garden State is known for producing great football talent and the Buckeyes love to be contenders for many of their top kids. Yesterday, the pursuit of New Jersey athletes by Ohio State continued as an offer was sent out to Markquese Bell (Bridgeton, NJ / Bridgeton).

Bell stands at 6'3, 195 pounds and checks in as the nation's 16th best athlete according to 247sports. With 17 current offers, Bell's recruitment may begin heating up even more as a top program in the country such as Ohio State has taken notice of his skills.

Even though Urban Meyer and staff have secured commitments from top athletes in the 2017 class, the late offer to Bell shows that something has sparked interest inside the Buckeye control center (aka the Woody Hayes Athletic Center).

Look for the Buckeyes to try and get Bell to campus this summer for an unofficial visit.



Eskridge sets OSU visit date


Tampa, Florida native and Jefferson High School 2018 prospect Jermaine Eskridge (Tampa, FL / Jefferson) took to Twitter yesterday to announce his summer visit plans. Making the list, Ohio State will host Eskridge on July 1.

With impressive size, standing at 6'3, 180 pounds the current 4-star already boasts an incredible list of 42 offers including Ohio State. The 4-star prospect according to 247sports has no rush in making a decision, but the Florida Gators and Kentucky Wildcats are the two schools who own predictions on the 247sports crystal ball.

Combined with his summer's camp list for and another two full seasons to be played in his prep career, Eskridge's recruitment is sure to have its share of changes over time. The Buckeyes certainly want to be a factor for Jermaine and July's visit could be a great step in that direction.




Hines has big visit next week


The nation's top ranked inside linebacker according to 247sports, Anthony Hines (Plano, TX / Plano East), woke up thinking about the Buckeyes and then announced yesterday via his Twitter account that he has plans to head to Columbus next week for an Ohio State unofficial visit.

Any visit is key, but for this top ranked linebacker to head to Ohio from Texas on his own dime shows great interest and is certainly worth looking at. At 6'3', 220 pounds, Hines has the intangibles to be a force in the middle of the defense at the next level. With how well Ohio State's defensive coordinator, Luke Fickell has developed linebackers, Hines certainly has taken notice and looks to what to learn more about what the Buckeyes have to offer.

As things currently stand, Oklahoma leads the way in predictions on the 247sports crystal ball, but Ohio State may have an idea on how to become a serious contender starting with next week's visit.









Myers heading to Oregon


It's no secret how much talent is on the current 2017 Ohio State recruiting class list. Ranked as the top class by every major recruiting service, the Buckeyes are flexing their muscles showing their success in the recruiting world. Yesterday, the headlines were once again on the 2017 class as Nike's premier football camp, The Opening, extended an invitation to Josh Myers (Miamisburg, OH / Miamisburg), the top ranked player in Ohio and current Buckeye commit. With the invitation to Myers, Ohio State now will be sending eight of their 13 commits to Eugene, OR for this elite camp opportunity.





Wade and Meyer talks


Lamont Wade (Clairton, PA / Clairton) is the seventh best cornerback in the country according to 247sports and his affinity for Ohio State over time has been no secret. The Buckeyes have a long-standing relationship with Wade and throughout his recruitment, Ohio State continues to be at the top.

There were reports in the past that Wade and Ohio State hit a buffer in the idea that he would not be able to enroll early at Ohio State if he committed due to a lack of space. However, as things currently stand, Wade is a player that would be a must take for Urban Meyer. Last night, Wade took to twitter to give a little insight in how he truly feels about Urban Meyer and the Buckeyes. Ohio State will be there until the end for Wade without question.






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Harbaugh holds camp in the land of the Buckeyes - WDTN
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Harbaugh holds camp in the land of the Buckeyes
WDTN
Harbaugh holds camp in the land of the Buckeyes. By Hutch Konerman Published: June 1, 2016, 11:56 pm. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window) · Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window) · Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) ...


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2016-2017 Ohio State hockey schedule released
Matt Torino via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Ohio State hockey's Big Ten schedule was released today to complete the team's entire slate for the 2016-17 season.

Ohio State hockey announced its Big Ten schedule for the 2016-17 season, in addition to the non-conference slate announced on May 25. The Buckeyes will play 16 non-conference games as well as the required 20 Big Ten conference games, with a total of 16 played at Value City Arena. Their tenth conference home game will be played at Madison Square Garden in New York City on January 28 versus Wisconsin for "Super Saturday - College Hoops & Hockey."

The Buckeyes will open their season in Denver with the Ice Breaker Tournament on October 7-8. They'll open with one of Denver, Air Force and Boston College. Denver and BC were both in the Frozen Four last season, so this will be a tough test for the maturing Bucks.

Some other non-conference highlights include a home and home series with Bowling Green on October 21 and 22, a game on New Year's Eve in Columbus versus Miami and the non-conference closer at the Schott versus NCAA hockey newbie Arizona State on January 13 and 14.

The conference slate will begin in the midst of that non-conference schedule on December 2 at defending Big Ten regular season champion Minnesota. The Buckeyes won't play Michigan until February 3 and 4 in Ann Arbor, while the Wolverines won't be paying a visit to Columbus until February 24 and 25. The conference season will end with a series at Wisconsin on March 10 and 11, with the Big Ten conference tournament then taking place in Detroit at Joe Louis Arena from March 16-18.

Here's the 2016-2017 Ohio State hockey non-conference schedule:

Ice Breaker Tournament (Denver, Colo.)
Oct. 7-8, with Denver, Air Force and Boston College
Oct. 15, at Miami
Oct. 21, at Bowling Green
Oct. 22, Bowling Green
Oct. 28-29, at Niagara
Nov. 4, Robert Morris
Nov. 5, at Robert Morris
Nov. 11-12, UConn
Nov. 18-19, at Rensselaer
Dec. 31, Miami
Jan. 13-14, Arizona State

And the 2016-2017 Ohio State Big Ten conference slate:

Dec. 2, at Minnesota
Dec. 3, at Minnesota
Jan. 6, Penn State
Jan. 7, Penn State
Jan. 20, at Penn State
Jan. 21, at Penn State
Jan. 26, Wisconsin
Jan. 28, vs. Wisconsin (Madison Square Garden, New York, N.Y.)
Feb. 3, at Michigan
Feb. 4, at Michigan
Feb. 10, Minnesota
Feb. 11, Minnesota
Feb. 17, at Michigan State
Feb. 18, at Michigan State
Feb. 24, Michigan
Feb. 25, Michigan
March 3, Michigan State
March 4, Michigan State
March 10, at Wisconsin
March 11, at Wisconsin
March 16-18, Big Ten Tournament (Joe Louis Arena, Detroit)

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Buckeyes go to New Jersey to offer 4-star athlete - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Buckeyes go to New Jersey to offer 4-star athlete
247Sports
What's next for the Buckeyes? Make sure you're in the loop -- take five seconds to sign up for our FREE Buckeyes newsletter now! In addition to Ohio State the 6-foot-3 and 194-pound Bell has a list of offers that includes Michigan, Rutgers, Clemson ...


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Ohio State baseball | Ronnie Dawson's surge fuels Buckeyes - Columbus Dispatch
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State baseball | Ronnie Dawson's surge fuels Buckeyes
Columbus Dispatch
There are many reasons the Buckeyes (43-18) have made it this far, but at the top was Dawson hitting .577 to become most valuable player as Ohio State won the Big Ten tournament. He drove in six runs, scored eight and set tournament records for hits ...


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Buckeyes competing in 5 events at state track meet - Athens Messenger (registration)
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Buckeyes competing in 5 events at state track meet
Athens Messenger (registration)
The Buckeyes are trying to continue the incredible run they've been on over the last few weeks. They've broken the school record in both the 4x200 and 4x100 the last five times they've competed, with the last four coming in district and regional ...


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Will the 52 Year Drought For Cleveland Finally End?
Michael Smith via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Hello everyone and welcome as I tell you very sad tale. Its a tale most of you know. Its the story of the sports history in the city of Cleveland.

I am from Northeast Ohio. I’ve been a Cleveland sports fan all my life. I’m as passionate as a Cleveland sports fan as I am an Ohio State fan. I’m old enough to have lived through many of the heartbreaks of Cleveland sports.

As I write this article — Game 1 of the NBA Finals between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors is hours away. As you can recall last year, the Warriors beat the Cavaliers in 6 games to win the NBA Championship. If you listen to the experts and sports media across the nation the Warriors will have even an easier time beating the Cavs this year.

If that happens it will continue a 52 year drought in which no Cleveland sports franchise has won a championship. It’s the longest streak in the nation. In fact — only one city with at least three major sports franchises has failed to win a championship the last 50 years, and its Cleveland. Recently ESPN even did a 30 for 30 special called “Believeland” about it all.


Not only has Cleveland gone so long without a championship, they have been so close so many times only to have some historic blunder or shot cost the city the championship we so desperately want. In this article I’ll give you a history of each Cleveland sports team and how time and time again they’ve managed to snap defeat out of the jaws of victory. I’ll then give you my prediction for the NBA Finals. Will the drought finally end?

Even though Cleveland is “All in” with the Cavs, this city is a Browns town. It always has been. So I’m going to start there.

The Cleveland Browns


The Browns were formed in 1946 and were named after the man who created them and was their first coach. The legendary Paul Brown famously coached high school football and went on to coach the Ohio State Buckeyes to their first ever National Championship in 1942.

The Browns didn’t join the NFL right away. The Browns were part of another professional football league called the All-America Football Conference. The Browns dominated the AAFC, winning all 4 championships the league was active for. In 1948 the Browns went undefeated, the last professional football team to do so until the Dolphins in 1972. The AAFC only lasted four years before closing down. It was then that the Cleveland Browns joined the NFL. The NFL hated the AAFC and has held on to that disrespect up to the present day. The NFL refuses to acknowledge any records or stats from the AAFC. The NFL does for other leagues though.

When the Browns joined the NFL in 1950, the NFL wanted to show everyone how bad the AAFC was, and how the Browns were just a bush league team. The Browns NFL debut was against the defending NFL champion Philadelphia Eagles on their home turf. What followed was a 35-14 rout in favor of the Browns.

The Cleveland Browns went on to win the NFL World Championship in 1950, 54, 55 and in 1964. Little did anyone know that the ’64 Championship would be the last Cleveland has seen. With all-time great running back Jim Brown — the Browns defeated the favored Baltimore Colts 27-0 in 1964 to win the title. The Browns made it back to the World Championship game in 1965 but lost to the Green Bay Packers 24-12. Another crushing blow was after the ’65 season, Jim Brown retired after only 9 years in the NFL and at age 29. In 1966, the NFL World Championship game was replaced with the Super Bowl.

It took the Browns years to recover from the early retirement of Jim Brown. Bad trades and drafts left them down until the late 1970s. In 1979, the Browns started a 2 year run of miracle comebacks and wins. They won so often in dramatic fashion they were nicknamed the Cardiac Kids. In 1980 the Browns went 11-5 and were set to play the Oakland Raiders in the NFL divisional playoff game. It was one of the coldest NFL games in history. The temp at game time was -15 with wind chills near -40. Late in the 4th quarter, down 14-12, the Browns started to drive down the field. Like they had done so many times they were ready to win the game late. Inside the Oakland 20 with less than a minute to go the play call was Red Right 88. As QB Brian Sipe threw a pass into the end zone intended for TE Ozzie Newsome, Oakland Safety Mike Davis stepped in front of it for the INT. The Browns lost 14-12 and the Raiders would go on to beat the Eagles and win the Super Bowl.

After a few years and a major turnover in players the Browns again were great in 1986. They went 12-4 and were the best team in the AFC. The Browns hosted the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship game in Cleveland. Trailing 13-10 at the start of the 4th qtr the Browns scored 10 straight points to take a 20-13 lead. Then as the Browns kicked off with just over 5 minutes remaining in the game the Broncos fumbled the ball, but managed to recover at their own 2 yard line. Victory seemed so assured the NFL took the AFC Championship trophy into the Browns locker room and NBC sent their reporters as well to cover the “winning team” What followed has been known as “The Drive” John Elway took the Broncos 98 yards and with less than a minute to go threw the game tying touchdown. Denver then kicked a FG in overtime to win 23-20.


The following year the same 2 teams again met for the AFC Championship game. This time the Browns had to travel to Denver to play the Broncos. The rematch at first seemed anti climatic as the Browns kept making mistake after mistake leading to a huge Broncos lead at halftime. However, the 2nd half the Browns made a dramatic comeback and with 1:12 to go in the game, the Browns had the ball inside the Denver 10 yard line trailing by a touchdown. Browns quarterback Bernie Kosar saw a hole in the Denver defense and quickly called an audible to a run play for Browns running back Ernest Byner. Byner had an amazing game for the Browns and was the main reason for the comeback. As Byner got the ball he ran to the goal line and it seemed he would easily scored the tying touchdown. However, Denver defensive back Jeremiah Castille made the only play he could — he stripped the ball from Byner at the 2 yard line. The Broncos recoverd the fumble, took a safety to end the game. The Browns had lost in dramatic fashion again 38-33. Castille started the season on the Oakland Raiders and was cut after week 8. The Broncos signed him just before the start of the playoffs due to injuries.


The Cleveland Browns again played the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship game in 1989 but this time it was just a beat down as Denver won easy 37-21. The Browns made a couple more playoffs in the early 90s but never came as close as they did in 1986 and 87.

Then in 1995 the unthinkable happened. Angry that the Cleveland Cavaliers and Cleveland Indians were built new stadiums Art Modell the owner of the Browns moved the team to Baltimore. The city of Cleveland made a deal with the NFL that the team would be changed and that the Browns would remain in Cleveland become an expansion team in 1999.

The Baltimore Ravens were born and in 2000 won the Super Bowl. Cleveland fans had to watch Art Modell win the Super Bowl and get handed the Vince Lombardi trophy.

Since the Browns came back in 1999 as an expansion team, they have been the joke of the NFL. Bad owners, terrible front office hires, and extremely poor drafting has led to only two winning seasons in 16 years.

Only four NFL teams have failed to make it to the Super Bowl. Jacksonville, Houston (Texans), Detroit, and Cleveland.

THE CLEVELAND INDIANS

The Cleveland professional baseball franchise went thru many names in the early years. My personal favorite is the Spiders. However, to honor a real native american on the team, they changed their name for the last time to the Indians in 1915. The Indians have won 2 World Series titles — their first in 1920 versus the Brooklyn Dodgers — which was the first every World Series to ever be broadcasted on the radio. The second came in 1948 vs the Boston Braves, which is the last one they won.

In 1954 the Cleveland Indians set a major league record with 111 wins,. They went on to play the New York Giants in the World Series. In game 1, it was tied at two in the 8th inning when Cleveland’s Vic Wertz sent a drive to deep center field of the Polo Grounds — Brooklyn’s home field that was known for it’s strangest dimensions. It was 483 feet to dead center, but just 258 feet down the lines. Giants CF Willie Mays ran down Wertz’s blast and caught it just before the wall in center. The estimated distance of Wertz’s blast ranged from 460-470 feet, yet it was an out. The game went into extra innings when Monte Irvin, a utility player for the Giants, hit a walk off HR that barely went over the right field wall. The Indians couldn’t recover from the short long ball that went an estimated distance of 259 feet. The Giants swept the Indians to kill another run with championship hopes.

Following that run, the Indians became the laughing stock of the American league for years following the 1950s. The Indians were famously picked by Sports Illustrated to win the World Series in 1989, only to lose 105 games that year.

It wasn’t until 1994, and the building of a new stadium, did the Indians finally become good again. With great trades, free agent signings, and home grown talent, the Indians were only one game out of first place when the baseball strike of 1994 hit. The following year in 1995, the Indians went 100-44 (the season was shortened by the strike). They went to the World Series (first time since 1954) where they played the Atlanta Braves — losing the series in 6 games. It was the only World Series the Braves won during their run of being in the World Series.

The Indians then had a magical run in 1997. Down 2 games to 1 in a best of a 5 series to the hated New York Yankees, the Indians trailed 2-1 with 2 outs in the bottom of the 8th inning. Manager Joe Torre went to his closer Mariano Rivera. Rivera had never blown a save in his career in the playoffs up to that point. Indians catcher Sandy Alomar Jr hit a game tying HR off Rivera and the Indians went on to win the game. The Indians also won game 5 and beat Baltimore to get back to the World Series

The 1997 World Series had the Cleveland Indians vs the Florida Marlins. The Marlins were a paid for team. They had signed a bunch of star players to huge contracts. Sorry, just my bias showing there. The Indians and Marlins had an epic world series, going back and forth. Finally it all came down to Game 7, winner take all. The Indians had a 2-1 lead going to the bottom of the 9th. Jose Mesa, the Indians closer, blew the save. The Marlins tied the game at 2. Then in the 11th inning, helped by an error by the Indians 2nd baseman Tony Fernandez, the Marlins scored and won the World Series.


The Indians have made the playoffs a few times since. Their best chance at going back to the World Series came in 2007. In the ALCS, the Indians were up 3 games to 1 vs the Boston Red Sox. Boston would come back and win 3 games in a row winning the series. The Red Sox would then sweep the Colorado Rockies to win the World Series.

The only MLB team that currently has gone longer without winning a World Series than the Cleveland Indians are the Chicago Cubs.

THE CLEVELAND CAVALIERS

The Cleveland Cavaliers were an NBA expansion team in 1970. For the first 20 years of the franchise they didn’t do much. Their lone bright spot from 1970-1988 was the “Miracle at Richmond” In 1975-76 the Cavaliers made the playoffs and beat the Washington Bullets 4 games to 3 in dramatic fashion. However, they lost the Eastern Conference Finals to the Boston Celtics.

Because of poor ownership and bad trades, the Cavs were mostly a joke in the NBA for many years. The NBA rule that you can’t trade draft picks in back to back years was created because of the Cavs. It wasn’t until the late 80s that the Cavs were starting to get really good. They finally drafted well and had a good coach in Lenny Wilkins. The 90’s seemed like the Cavs were destined for greatness, so much so that Magic Johnson actually said the Cavs would be the team of the 90s. However, there was this one player, maybe you’ve heard of him, Michael Jordan, who would change all that.

The Cavs made the playoffs in 1989 and faced the Bulls in the 1st round in a best of 5 series. The series was tied at 2 games each with game 5 in Cleveland. With just 3 seconds to go Cavs SG Craig Ehlo made a layup to give the Cavs a one point lead. What followed has been forever called “The Shot.”


The Bulls and Jordan would beat the Cavs in the playoffs 4 times from 1989-1995. Michael Jordan averaged more points per game vs the Cleveland Cavaliers than he did vs any other team in his career.

The Cavaliers took years to recover. It wasn’t until a lucky bounce of a ping pong ball did they came back as a winning team in the NBA.

Of course I’m talking about winning the draft lottery in order to draft LeBron James. As you all know, Jame is from Akron and he seemed to be the player and person Cleveland needed to end the long drought.

James became the best player in the NBA and led the Cleveland Cavaliers to their 1st NBA Finals in team history in 2007, However, they were swept by the San Antonio Spurs. In the following years the Cavs would be beat in the Eastern Conference playoffs by Orlando and Boston. Then as Lebron became a free agent in 2010, the entire area just knew he wouldn’t leave. He promised us a championship, he promised he would never leave.

Well you all know what happened, he did leave. LeBron went on national TV on ESPN and announced he would leave to play in Miami. James would win two NBA Championships while in Miami. Meanwhile, the Cavs became the laughing stock of the sports world. In 2011 the season after James left the Cavs tied a sports franchise record by losing 26 games in a row.


However, we also know what happened four years later. Again, James was free agent and he choose to come back to Cleveland. He came back to win the championship he promised to the city of Cleveland.

Last season the Cavs made it to the NBA Finals vs the Golden State Warriors. However, the curse that is Cleveland sports the Cavs were destroyed by injuries to two of their key players, Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving. The Cavs lost the series in 6 games.

Which leads us all back to now. In a few hours (as I’m writing this) the Cavs will play the Warriors in game 1 of the NBA Finals. Will this finally be the year the city of Cleveland gets its championship?? I’ve already told my wife and friends if they do win it, I’ll cry like a baby. I want to pick the Cavs, I want to have hope and faith. I’ve been snake bitten one to many times.

Warriors in 5.



The post Will the 52 Year Drought For Cleveland Finally End? appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.

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The Hurry Up: Will Mond Delay, Buckeyes Working Hard at National Powerhouse High Schools and More - Eleven Warriors (registration)
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


The Hurry Up: Will Mond Delay, Buckeyes Working Hard at National Powerhouse High Schools and More
Eleven Warriors (registration)
There are dozens of moving parts that go into every recruitment, but the scuttlebutt surrounding Tate Martell and the Buckeyes – namely the discussion that Ohio State would prefer Mond delay a decision – likely plays into it a little bit. Last week ...


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Sizing up Ohio State's 2017 recruiting class - Sports Illustrated
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Sizing up Ohio State's 2017 recruiting class
Sports Illustrated
Among the Buckeyes who heard their names called early were defensive end Joey Bosa (No. 3 overall), running back Ezekiel Elliott (No. 4 overall), three other first-rounders, and quarterback-turned-wide receiver Braxton Miller (No. 85 overall). Ohio ...
Must-win game: Ohio State BuckeyesESPN (blog)
Commitment Watch: Buckeyes Could be on the Verge of a Flurry of Summertime PledgesEleven Warriors (registration)
Jordan Williams, four-star 2017 DL, has Buckeyes in top five: Ohio State football recruitingcleveland.com
BT Powerhouse (blog) -Bleacher Report -Scarlet and Game
all 68 news articles »

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Three Big Ten baseball teams begin NCAA regional play on Friday
Sean Merriman, BTN.com web editor via Big Ten Network

Three Big Ten teams will take the field on Friday in the 2016 NCAA Baseball Regional. Nebraska will get things started with a matchup against Oklahoma State in the Clemson regional. First pitch is scheduled for noon ET at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. Ohio State will follow that with a game against Wright State at 2 p.m. ET in the Louisville region. That game will be played at Jim Patterson Stadium. Minnesota will close out Friday’s action with a regional matchup against Wake Forest in the College Station region. That game is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. ET at Blue

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Long before he was the head coach at Ohio State, Urban Meyer tried to recruit LeBron James
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Meyer was a wide receivers coach at Notre Dame when he first saw the skills of King James.

"I walked into the school, the coach, Jim Meyer, great guy, probably in 1998 or '99, and he said, 'Hey, come here a minute. I want to show you this. What do you think of this kid?' I started watching the video, and I was like, 'Oh, my God.' He was six-foot-whatever, obviously real big back then, too. He asked me what I thought and I said, 'I want to offer him right now. Who is he?'"

- Urban Meyer on LeBron James via Austin Ward, ESPN.com


With the NBA Finals starting in just a few hours, it's not too hard to figure out who Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer will be rooting for to take home the title. As James has supported Meyer and the Buckeyes over the years, Meyer will be on James' side as Cleveland takes on the Golden State Warriors. James will be hoping that he can lead a team from Ohio to a championship, something Meyer did with the Buckeyes in the first College Football Playoff. For many years Meyer has been an admirer of what James has done on and off the court. A lot of why Meyer holds James in high regard is because the NBA superstar is a lot of what he wants his players to be. Fierce competitors, good leaders, and dedicated to family.

Years ago when Meyer first met James he didn't have any idea who he was, even though the national media was hyping him as the "next Michael Jordan". When Meyer was a wide receivers coach at Notre Dame, he was at St. Vincent-St. Mary's when a coach pulled him aside to show him tape on James. During his time on the football field in high school, James pulled down 99 receptions, 27 of which were touchdowns. After seeing the tape, Meyer was ready to offer James a scholarship. The two met briefly that day, and while Meyer stated how he'd love to have James playing for the Fighting Irish, most everybody else knew that James was likely headed to the NBA. Had James not taken the path he did, Meyer is confident he would have been able to get a commitment from James.

"We do feel the pressure, but we also have confidence in our unit that we can make plays. One through 12 in that room can make plays. We have to be the unit that the offense can depend on to make that play."

- Ohio State wide receiver Terry McLaurin via Steve Helwagen, 247Sports


With players like Michael Thomas, Braxton Miller and Jalin Marshall all having moved on, there will be plenty of new blood at wide receiver for Ohio State this year. One of the players hoping to make a name for himself and earn a big chunk of playing time is Terry McLaurin. During the Spring Game, McLaurin stated his case, grabbing four passes for 111 yards and a touchdown in the 28-17 win by the Gray team. Most of the work McLaurin did in April's game came on two passes, when he caught a 52-yard pass in the second quarter, and followed that up with a 47-yard catch in the third quarter. After Devin Smith graduated following the 2014 season, Ohio State wasn't able to find much of a deep threat in the passing game last season. McLaurin is hoping that he can be the guy to fill that role this year.

If McLaurin wants to get significant time at wide receiver this year, he'll have quite a fight on his hands, as Ohio State will have as many as 15 scholarship players vying for time at receiver. Even though he spent most of the time on special teams last season and didn't record a reception, McLaurin has taken more of a leadership role so far this offseason. Even though he'll be competing for time with them heading into the year, the junior did his best to help the younger players during the spring. McLaurin's hard work hasn't gone unnoticed, as wide receivers coach Zach Smith said McLaurin took a step forward this spring. Hopefully the growth continues, with Ohio State being able to find their next consistent deep threat.

"Ohio State's 2017 recruiting class currently checks in at No.1 in the country on every major recruiting service (it finished No. 2 in 2016). The group counts 13 commitments; an average star rating of 4.00, according to Scout.com, second only to Alabama's 4.11; and is led by four players ranked in the top-50 nationally by Scout.com: offensive tackles Josh Meyers and Jake Moretti, defensive tackle Haskell Garrett, and cornerback Shaun Wade."

- Chris Johnson, SI.com


National Signing Day is still months away, but Urban Meyer and his staff have already begun to assemble quite a 2017 recruiting class. This is on the heels of a second-ranked recruiting class in 2016, which should help to start fill some of the holes left by the 10 Ohio State players selected in the first three rounds of April's 2016 NFL Draft. So far, the Buckeyes have verbal commitments from 13 players, with four them currently being ranked in the top-50 nationally. Even though for many coaches that would be a great class, Urban Meyer is hoping to grab the commitments of even more top-rated talent.

Meyer may already have a commitment from 2017 quarterback Danny Clark, but that isn't stopping the head coach from exploring some of the other options out there. Quarterback Tate Martell decommitted from Texas A&M, and Ohio State is still in the mix. Also, recently, four-star quarterback Kellen Mond decommitted from Baylor, and Ohio State is high on Mond's list. Meyer is trying to get whoever the future Buckeye quarterback is some offensive weapons. Ohio State is hoping to get the commitment of wide receiver Trevon Grimes, who attends St. Thomas Aquinas, the same high school the Bosa brothers attended. Meyer is also working to try and shore up his secondary for the future, by gaining the commitments of safety Jeffrey Okudah and cornerback Lamont Wade. There are assuredly plenty of other talent targets that Meyer has on his radar as he hopes to put together another stellar recruiting class.


"I'll always be football ready, physically for sure and definitely mentally. I feel really good about where I'm at right now. It's something where I'm definitely looking for the right situation to come up. It could be a little while for that so in the mean time I'm trying to jump forward into different broadcasting and media type things."

- Former Ohio State linebacker A.J. Hawk via Jim Owczarski, Cincinnati.com


Just over a month ago the Cincinnati Bengals released linebacker A.J. Hawk, and although since then the former Buckeye hasn't latched on with another team, he is still keeping himself busy. Last year was Hawk's 10th season in the NFL, and while he is still keeping himself in shape in case he gets a call from another team, the Centerville native is beginning to ready himself for life after football. Hawk knows he could be waiting a while if he were to get a call from other NFL teams, since training camps don't open until late July. It could be even later than that, since veteran salaries aren't guaranteed after the first week of the regular season.

In the meantime, Hawk has been focused on his podcast, "The Hawk Cast". The linebacker started the podcast in 2014, since he thought it would help his goals of getting into broadcasting once his playing career was over. Hawk had a pretty impressive guest list in May, with former teammate Aaron Rodgers, author Jeff Pearlman, and Richard Deitsch all joining the podcast as guests. One guest who Hawk hasn't been able to book yet, but would love to, is former baseball player Pete Rose. At least if Hawk isn't signed by another NFL team, he has already laid some of the groundwork for a career after his playing days are over.

STICK TO SPORTS

• A few hidden gems of the Columbus pizza scene.
• In 2018 a rapid bus line will connect Westerville with downtown Columbus.
• AC/DC has rescheduled their Columbus concert, with Axl Rose as lead singer.
• If a road team wins a game in the NBA Finals, America gets a FREE TACO!

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Must-win game: Ohio State Buckeyes - ESPN (blog)
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Must-win game: Ohio State Buckeyes
ESPN (blog)
You could certainly argue that Michigan is the must-win contest for the Buckeyes, seeing as The Game is always the most important one on the schedule, and that the Wolverines look like real Big Ten title contenders for the first time in about a decade.
Commitment Watch: Buckeyes Could be on the Verge of a Flurry of Summertime PledgesEleven Warriors (registration)
Ohio State basketball: See heights, weights and numbers for Buckeyes incoming recruiting classcleveland.com
Sizing up Ohio State's 2017 recruiting classSports Illustrated
BT Powerhouse (blog) -Bleacher Report -Scarlet and Game
all 67 news articles »

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Report details revenue numbers for 14 Big Ten football programs
Tom Dienhart, BTN.com Senior Writer via Big Ten Network

David Jones at Pennlive.com has a look at the list of Big Ten teams based on gross football revenue from 2014-15. Not too many surprises in there to me, but it is interesting stuff. The Big Ten Conference is flush with cash. Except for newer members Nebraska, Rutgers and Maryland, each Big Ten institution receives about $32.4 million annually from external sources under the league’s payout arrangement, according to this story. Those external sources would be TV rights and bowl money. Coming in first on this list? Michigan at $88.3 million in gross football revenue. And some fretted about the cost of Jim

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Photo: Ohio State has most AP appearances in last 20 years
Sean Merriman, BTN.com web editor via Big Ten Network

Techsideline.com recently released a graphic that shows the number of appearances in the AP Poll during the last 20 years.

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Best of Week 6: This 2016 weekend features Floyd of Rosedale game
Tom Dienhart, BTN.com Senior Writer via Big Ten Network

In his latest week-by-week look at the 2016 football schedule, BTN.com's Tom Dienhart zeroes in on Week 6, which includes the Floyd of Rosedale game as well as an intriguing non-conference match-up.

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2006-2007 Ohio State nearly won a national title, but the 2010-2011 team was actually better
Grant Freking via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The 2010-11 Buckeyes fell in the Sweet 16, but statistics show they were a superior team to the Greg Oden and Mike Conley-led 2006-07 squad.

The 2006-07 and 2010-11 Ohio State men's basketball teams are generally regarded as the two best teams of the Thad Matta era. (The 2011-12 squad, which gets lost in the shuffle because it lost eight games, gets discounted a bit. But that's an article for another time.) Both the 2006-07 and 2010-11 squads claimed the Big Ten's regular season and tournament trophies.

The 2006-07 team's foundation was the 'Thad Five' -- one of the more prominent recruiting classes in recent college basketball lore -- that consisted of four freshmen (Greg Oden, Mike Conley Jr., Daequan Cook, David Lighty) who immediately impacted the team in varying ways. (JUCO forward Othello Hunter was the fifth member of the class.) The newcomers were supplemented by veterans Jamar Butler, Ron Lewis, and Ivan Harris. What separates the 2006-07 squad from the 2010-11 team is the former fulfilled its immense promise in the postseason by reaching the national title game, falling to a historically great Florida team.

Four years later, Matta had himself another dominant squad that again relied on a mix of freshmen (Jared Sullinger, Aaron Craft, Deshaun Thomas) and talented upperclassmen, the latter of which included three seniors (Lighty, Jon Diebler, Dallas Lauderdale) and junior William Buford. Ohio State won its first 24 games, with 17 of those victories by double digits. Unfortunately, this team fell short of Final Four glory, suffering a heart-breaking loss to Kentucky in the Sweet 16.

So, regardless of their respective showings in the NCAA Tournament, which team was better? In order to find an answer, I used a wide range of statistics that depicted the two teams' overall season showings as well as their performance on offense and defense.

Overall



Record


Pythagorean Rating


Simple Rating


Strength of Schedule


Scoring Margin


2006-07


35-4


.9553 / 2nd


21.54 / 4th


9.03 / 13th


12.5 / 11th


2010-11


34-3


.9663 / 1st


25.84 / 1st


8.38 / 23rd


17.5 / 2nd


Stat notes: Team statistic listed first, national ranking listed second; Pythagorean Rating=Ken Pomeroy’s all-encompassing rankings measure; Simple Rating=Sports-Reference.com's rating that factors in average point differential and strength of schedule; SOS=Sports-Reference's strength of schedule measure.

Takeaways: With the exception of strength of schedule, the 2010-11 Buckeyes were the superior group across the board. The 2010-11 team's Pythagorean rating of .9663 trails only 2004-05 Illinois (which lost in the national title game to North Carolina) as the highest for any Big Ten team since the advent of Pomeroy's rankings in 2002.

Also, the 2010-11 team's Simple Rating score of 25.84 is the second-highest of any team since the 2007-08 season. The 2014-15 Kentucky Wildcats, who won 38 straight games to begin their season before falling to Wisconsin in the Final Four, posted an SRS of 28.72.

Offense



Adjusted Offense


Field Goal %


3-point %


Effective Field Goal %


Assists Per Game


2006-07


119.6 / 3rd


47.2 / 41st


36.2 / 114th


53.8 / 39th


14.9 / 67th


2010-11


123.3 / 1st


49.4 / 2nd


42.3 / 1st


56.3 / 3rd


15.9 / 19th


Stat notes: Adjusted Offense=opponent-adjusted points scored per 100 possessions; Effective Field Goal %=shooting measure that accounts for a 3-point shot having more value than a 2-point shot.

Takeaways: The key distinction between the two teams offensively was that the 2010-11 squad was a sublime shooting outfit that featured a trio of elite 3-point snipers in Diebler (50 percent), Buford (44 percent), and Lighty (43 percent). Factor in Sullinger's paint dominance (55 percent on 2-pointers) and you have the recipe for an offensive juggernaut; the Buckeyes scored at least 90 points on seven occasions and racked up at least 80 points in 16 different contests.

The 2010-11 team also owned a Division I-best offensive rating (an estimate of points produced per 100 possessions) of 120. For comparison's sake -- and this is best digested with a grain or two of salt -- but the 73-win Golden State Warriors posted an NBA-best unadjusted offensive rating of 115.2 during the regular season, the highest offensive rating for an NBA squad since the 2009-10 Phoenix Suns notched an offensive rating of 116.1.


Defense



Adjusted Defense


Opponents' Field Goal %


Opponents' 3-pt %


Opponents' Effective Field Goal %


Rebounding Margin


2006-07


91.6 / 11th


40.4 / 28th


33.6 / N/A


40.4 / 30th


2.9 / 77th


2010-11


92.1 / 16th


42.4 / 132nd


34.0 / 162nd


48.3 / 144th


4.9 / 26th


Stat note: Adjusted Defense=Opponent-adjusted points surrendered per 100 possessions.

Takeaways: The 2006-07 Buckeyes did not dominate defensively in the same transcendent manner in which the 2010-11 team scored the basketball, but they were a damn good defensive outfit. Anchored by the mammoth Oden (a legit 7-footer with just over a 7'4 wingspan), the 2006-07 team held opponents to 60 points or fewer on 21 occasions. And while the 2010-11 team bested its counterpart in rebounding margin, the 2006-07 Buckeyes won the other four categories.

Conclusion


By counting categories, the 2010-11 Buckeyes win in a rout 10-5. An experienced, unselfish squad like the 2010-11 team showcased just how far an absurdly-efficient, sweet-shooting offense can carry a team. Unfortunately, the team also serves as an example as to how one bad shooting night can undo even a great team in the NCAA Tournament, which is what happened to Ohio State when it shot 33 percent from the field in a 62-60 defeat to Kentucky in the 2011 Sweet 16.

Such cruel fate is commonplace in the NCAA Tournament; remember, the 2006-07 team received a last-second 3-pointer by Lewis to force overtime in its second round game vs. Xavier and not only trailed Tennessee by 17 at halftime of its Sweet 16 matchup with the Volunteers, but needed Oden's rejection at the buzzer to swat away a potential game-winning shot.

In any case, the numbers clearly indicate that the 2010-11 Buckeyes are the top team of the Matta era.

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Commitment Watch: Buckeyes Could be on the Verge of a Flurry of Summertime Pledges - Eleven Warriors (registration)
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Commitment Watch: Buckeyes Could be on the Verge of a Flurry of Summertime Pledges
Eleven Warriors (registration)
June has arrived, and with it comes camp season for Urban Meyer and the Buckeyes. The camp circuit will draw a number of prospects to Columbus, the majority of whom are still seeking that coveted Buckeye offer. With the potential for new offers going ...
Sizing up Ohio State's 2017 recruiting classSports Illustrated
Some jersey numbers, most move-in dates for new Buckeyes247Sports
First down: A look at Ohio State footballQuad City Times

all 8 news articles »

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2006-2007 Ohio State nearly won a national title, but the 2010-2011 team was actually better - Land-Grant Holy Land
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


2006-2007 Ohio State nearly won a national title, but the 2010-2011 team was actually better
Land-Grant Holy Land
Takeaways: With the exception of strength of schedule, the 2010-11 Buckeyes were the superior group across the board. The 2010-11 team's Pythagorean rating of .9663 trails only 2004-05 Illinois (which lost in the national title game to North Carolina ...


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Script Ohio: Ohio State to face Oklahoma in Primetime at Memorial Stadium
Joe Dexter via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Joe Dexter and Clair Crawford break down the latest Ohio State football news, Bret Bielema discussing an ACC/B1G Football Challenge and this week’s #AskClair segment.

For more Ohio State Buckeyes podcasts, follow us on Twitter: @BuckeyesRadio

The post Script Ohio: Ohio State to face Oklahoma in Primetime at Memorial Stadium appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.

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Jordan Williams, four-star 2017 DL, has Buckeyes in top five: Ohio State football recruiting - cleveland.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Jordan Williams, four-star 2017 DL, has Buckeyes in top five: Ohio State football recruiting
cleveland.com
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Spots in Ohio State's 2017 recruiting class are tight, but not so tight that the Buckeyes would turn away another defensive lineman. So Jordan Williams, a four-star defensive end from Virginia Beach, Va., put Ohio State in his top ...

and more »

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So here is a new one for me with Outlook. It revolves around Calendar events and my Inbox. I recently sent a calendar invite to two folks in my office. They both responded to the event and my inbox chimed and it shows that I have two unread messages. However, the email responses don't show in my inbox. Interestingly, they show up in my inbox on my phone and in Office 365. I also received an invite today and it shows as if I have an unread message in my inbox, as well as, an unaccepted calendar event. But again, no email in the inbox. I can accept it in the calendar event.

I asked our IT guy at the office and he has no clue. Got the standard did you restart Outlook...DUH...of course I did. So next, I get the, well you can delete and rebuild your profile. Uh no, that isn't happening for the umpteenth time.....

Memorable Weekend Sends OSU Baseball to the NCAAs
Charles via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Memorial Day weekend was an exciting one for the Ohio State baseball team as they headed to Omaha, Nebraska for the Big Ten baseball tournament. A 15-9 conference record earned OSU the fourth seed in the double elimination tournament and an opening round game against rival Michigan, the fifth seed (above image courtesy of www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com).

The weekend got off to a good start as the Buckeyes knocked off the Wolverines 8-3 thanks to a six run fifth inning. Things didn’t stay on a positive note though as OSU next faced off against 8th seed Iowa who had already knocked off top seeded Minnesota. The Buckeyes looked to have the game in hand, up 4-0 in the 9th when the Hawkeyes scored four runs to force extra innings. Iowa would get the winning run in the 10th to hand OSU a 5-4 loss that sent the Buckeyes to the losers bracket where one more loss would end their weekend.

Saturday saw Ohio State face Michigan in a rematch with the loser going home; the Wolverines had upset Minnesota on Friday. Once again the Buckeye bats were hot as they kept their tournament alive with an 11-4 win. The downside of being in the losers bracket is that you get little time between games and OSU only had a few hours rest before facing 7th seeded Michigan State; the Spartans had won their first two games of the tournament and the Buckeyes would have to beat them twice if they wanted to advance to the tournament title game. For the second time in as many days, OSU was taken to extra innings but this time they prevailed, 3-2. The second OSU-MSU matchup occurred Sunday morning and the night’s rest seemed to do the Buckeyes good as they found more offense in a 7-3 win that sent them to the tournament title game.

Ohio State’s run to the tournament title game had been made much more difficult due to their upset loss to Iowa and so it was only fitting that the two teams should meet again for the Big Ten title and an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. This time Iowa would get off to a good start, building a 4-0 lead through the first three innings before a five run fourth inning put OSU up 5-4. The Buckeyes extended their lead to 7-4 in the seventh but the Hawkeyes would tie things up in the eighth. With another extra inning game looking likely, senior Troy Kuhn hit an RBI double with two outs that allowed junior Ronnie Dawson to score what would be the winning run as Ohio State won the Big Ten Championship 8-7.

This was Ohio State’s ninth Big Ten tournament title but their first in nine years. This may have been the most impressive of those titles as the Buckeyes had to play four straight elimination games to secure the title with both Saturday and Sunday being doubleheaders for OSU. OSU was the first team to win the title after falling into the losers bracket since 2006 when then top seeded Michigan won. The craziness of the weekend was epitomized by the fact that the higher seed only won 5 games and all 5 of those victories were by Ohio State.

Winning the Big Ten title gave Ohio State an automatic berth in the NCAA tournament. This will be the Buckeyes’ 19th appearance in the tournament and their first since 2009. The NCAA baseball tournament is a strange beast that cannot decide on a consistent tournament format. The first weekend of the tournament features 16 regions with four teams each hosted by the top seed in that region; each region will be a double-elimination tournament. The winners of the regional round will then face off in 8 super-regionals which are a best of three series on campus sites. The winners of the super-regionals advance to the College World Series in Omaha where they are split into two four team groups which play another double-elimination tournament. The winner of each group will then face off in a best of three championship series.

Ohio State earned the number 2 seed in the Louisville region and are joined by top seed Louisville, three seed Wright State, and fourth seed Western Michigan. Louisville finished ranked fourth in the country and will pose a tough matchup. First, the Buckeyes have to take on Wright State in the opening game of the regional which will be played Friday at 2:00pm and can be seen on ESPNU.

College baseball is normally dominated by southern teams thanks to the season starting in February when weather conditions in the north are not exactly conducive to the baseball. Most northern teams are forced to have pre-season practices indoors, often in football practice facilities, and will then spend the first couple weeks of the season on the road; this season Ohio State played their first 15 games on the road and didn’t play in Columbus until a month into the season. These conditions make it harder for northern teams to recruit players and have led to them struggling in the playoffs. Other than Oregon State winning the CWS in 2008 and 2009, no northern team has made the championship series since Eastern Michigan in 1976 and no northern teams has won the CWS since Ohio State did it in 1966. Since the College World Series started in 1947, teams currently in the Big Ten have made 28 appearances in the CWS and have won 6 titles (3 by Michigan, 2 by Minnesota, and 1 by Ohio State). This year the Big Ten will have three teams trying to make the CWS as Ohio State is joined in the tournament by Minnesota and Nebraska.

While history doesn’t seem to be on Ohio State’s side in this tournament, the Buckeyes showed this weekend that they can overcome very challenging situations. If OSU can play like they did the last four games, nothing is impossible and I wouldn’t be surprised to see them sneak into a super-regional.

The post Memorable Weekend Sends OSU Baseball to the NCAAs appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.

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Ohio State an option for 4-star QB after decommitting from Baylor
Bret Favachio via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


After the recent developments at Baylor, one 2017 Ohio State target is back in play for the Buckeyes.

Mond back on the market


Amid the latest investigation into the allegations surrounding the Baylor program, plenty of 2017 commitments have stepped away from their pledge to the program and that wouldn't change on Wednesday. Class of 2017 QB Kellen Mond (Bradenton, FL / IMG Academy), a four-star QB, also backed off of his pledge to the Bears and has now reopened his recruitment.


Mond was professional about his decommitment and showed gratitude towards Baylor and recently fired Head Coach Art Briles, but it was certainly no surprise that this announcement would take place. The next step for Mond will be figuring out what program is the best place for him.

The 6'2, 201-pounder said in a video with Jeff Jones of News 4 San Antonio that Auburn, Ohio State and Texas A&M are the three that he is focused on for now.


Th dual-threat QB prospect did mention that the Tigers were his leader at the moment, however, Ohio State is in the No.2 spot – and with Head Coach Urban Meyer, you never know what can happen. Mond was most recently visited by co-offensive coordinator/QB coach Tim Beck back in early May and he made an unofficial visit to the campus in mid-April. However, if the Buckeyes want to overtake Auburn for the top spot, it would be ideal for them to get the 103rd overall player back in Columbus for another visit.

Williams reveals Top Five


Not even one month ago (May 13), Ohio State dropped an offer to 2017 DE Jordan Williams (Virginia Beach, VA / Frank W. Cox). With that being said, the Virginia Beach native must have been very intrigued with what the Buckeyes have to offer because on Wednesday, his top five included Ohio State despite an offer just coming.



As you can see, along with Ohio State in the list are both in-state powerhouse programs in Virginia and Virginia Tech. The other two are Clemson and Tennessee, the two schools who may very well be in the best position to secure Williams' services. According to the 247Sports Crystal Ball, the Volunteers seem to be the team to beat for the 6'4, 260-pounder with Clemson right on there heels.

Perhaps the best thing to take away from this news is the simple fact that Williams included the Buckeyes despite just being offered about three weeks ago. Williams has yet to see Ohio State's campus and when/if he does, it could vault the Buckeyes up his list of top schools. Until then, Ohio State just has to withstand the efforts out in by other programs.

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