OSU BASEBALL
Buckeyes know it’s not easy playing ‘Up North’
Tough challenge for OSU with Big Ten tournament at Michigan
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
Mark Znidar
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
It’s difficult enough to play baseball in Ray Fisher Stadium when a stiff wind is blowing in from center field and it feels like November.
Then there are the Michigan fans. They often ride opposing teams so hard that the air is filled with putdowns for every strikeout and error.
Ohio State players consider a weekend in Ann Arbor similar to being in lockup.
"It seems like every time we’re up there the weather has been kind of crappy and the fans are right on top of the field and kind of rowdy," third baseman Ronnie Bourquin said. "They’re just razzing you the whole game. You have to tune them out."
The Buckeyes (35-19, 19-12) will return to the scene of four straight losses to the Wolverines earlier this season when they start the Big Ten tournament against Purdue (30-25, 15-17) at 3:35 p.m. today.
With a win, Ohio State would play secondseeded Northwestern in the second round at 3:35 p.m. Thursday. A loss would pit the Buckeyes against the Minnesota-Illinois loser at 12:05 p.m.
Any rematch against Michigan would come in the third round at the earliest. Shortstop Jedidiah Stephen wouldn’t mind another crack at the Wolverines, who have won nine of the previous 11 regular-season games against Ohio State but have lost the last four in the tournament.
"We want to play Michigan again," he said. "I’ll tell you what: It’s a tough place to play. We’ve been up there several times. Last year, we got embarrassed on national TV."
If the Buckeyes are to make the NCAA tournament for the seventh time in 10 years, they probably must win the conference tournament. They lack signature victories and have a poor RPI.
The NCAA does not publish RPI for college baseball teams, but the highly accurate Boydsworld.com lists Ohio State at 95 th. That’s worse than Dallas Baptist.
Coach Bob Todd, who is on the NCAA tournament committee, wouldn’t say the Buckeyes are facing a win-or-else proposition.
"We’ve got to show the committee we’re able to play good baseball in a tournament setting," he said. "When I came here 19 years ago, I said I wanted to build a program and not just a winning team. One of our expectations is to play in the NCAA tournament."
Although Michigan won the regular-season championship, Ohio State has to be feared. After all, it won the conference championships in 2002, 2003 and 2005.
The Buckeyes might say their series against the Wolverines cost them the championship. They took three of four games in other six series and lost two of three to Minnesota.
"I think we’re playing good enough ball," Stephen said. "We know we have to win. We’re not stupid."
Stephen pointed out that Ohio State reached the Big Ten championship game before losing to Minnesota in 2004, but 36 victories weren’t enough to get into the NCAAs.
Purdue won’t see the same Ohio State team that took three of four games April 28-30 in Columbus. Since then, the Buckeyes found a full-time first baseman in Justin Miller, Stephen has returned to form defensively and Bourquin has gone from being a consistent hitter to a dangerous one.
The Boilermakers have a new look, too. Jay Buente has returned from an injury and will start today.
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