This weekend, head coach Bob Todd and his baseball Buckeyes travel to Duane Banks Field on the campus of the University of Iowa for a four-game series, the last on Ohio State’s Big Ten schedule.

The first game of the series is Thursday night, with first pitch scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET. The game can be heard live in the Columbus area on WMNI-AM 820 with Frank Fraas, Marty Bannister, Brian Mannino and Bob Spears.

Ohio State enters Thursday’s contest with an overall record of 28-22, 13-13 in Big Ten play. The Buckeyes are currently in fifth-place, one full game ahead of Northwestern and Michigan State, who are both tied for sixth in the conference.

Iowa is 20-31 and 8-20, respectively, and in last place in the Big Ten.

Unlike basketball, where all 11 teams qualify for the tournament, only the top six in baseball advance. With just a slim one-game lead over two teams, every game will be critical this weekend.

Michigan has already clinched the title and will host the Big Ten baseball tournament, which will be held May 21-24 in Ann Arbor.

Probable starters, Ohio State vs. Iowa:

Thurs., 7:00pm: RHP Jake Hale (5-3, 4.60) vs. RHP Brock Alberts (4-3, 5.93)
Fri, 5:00pm: LHP Dan DeLucia (2-3, 5.06) vs. RHP Steve Turnbull (3-5, 7.30)
Fri, Game 2 of DH: RHP Dean Wolosiansky (7-2, 3.82) vs. RHP Tony Manville (1-1, 6.75)
Sat, 2:00pm: LHP J.B. Shuck (4-3, 4.50) vs. LHP Michael Jacobs (2-5, 7.02)

Ohio State is sixth in the Big Ten, batting .301 as a team. The Buckeyes are second in the conference with a 4.74 team ERA.

The Hawkeyes rank fourth in the Big Ten in hitting (.325), third in runs scored and hits, and first in stolen bases (65), but has an 8.12 team ERA, last in the conference.

Junior first baseman Justin Miller leads the Buckeyes in batting with a .400 average (75-for-175), and also tops OSU’s roster with 57 RBI. He shares the team lead with three home runs along with senior left fielder Tony Kennedy and sophomore right fielder Ryan Dew.

On Wednesday, the Buckeyes came back from an 11-0 deficit to defeat Buffalo, 14-13.

Trailing 11-0 entering the bottom of the fourth, Dew smacked a two-run homer, J.B. Shuck added a two-run triple in the fifth, and Miller connected three-run homer in the eighth to make the score 13-10.

Ohio State scored four times in the bottom of the ninth for the win as Shuck walked with the bases loaded forcing in a run, Miller hit a two-run single, and Zach Hurley reached on a error that plated Shuck with the winning run.

Eric Best (4-1, 4.60) earned his second victory in as many games by pitching a scoreless ninth.

Tags: From Matt //