Ohio State baseball got its 2026 season off to a good start this past weekend. They played a three-game series against the St. Louis Bilikens, and the Buckeyes got their first series sweep since 2023. St. Louis isn't LSU or UCLA, but Ohio State getting a 3-0 start after a 13-37 season is great for Justin Haire in his second year as Ohio State's head baseball coach.
Ohio State won its first game against St. Louis, 7-1. They then won a doubleheader 3-2 and 7-3, respectively. Next up for Ohio State is the Grind City Classic in Memphis, Tennessee. There, they'll take on Louisiana Tech and Memphis.
This Friday, they'll play a doubleheader, with their first game against the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs followed by a game against the Memphis Tigers. They'll play Louisiana Tech again on Saturday and Memphis again on Sunday to finish their weekend slate.
The Buckeyes at 3-0 already have more wins on the road and at neutral sites in 2026 than they did in 2025. Last year, Ohio State was a terrible 2-22 away from Nick Swisher Field at Bill Davis Stadium. The expectations for Justin Haire are high at Ohio State. Haire took Campbell University to the NCAA Tournament five times in his ten years coaching the Fighting Camels.
Ohio State has to have a sense of urgency to win this weekend, as its schedule gets a lot tougher once it leaves Memphis. Four of their following seven games will be against the top three teams (one game against #3 Texas in Houston, and three games against #1 UCLA in Columbus).
Coach Haire will look to veteran players like Lee Ellis, Maddix Simpson, and Mason Eckelman to lead as the Buckeyes try to build their baseball program into a Big Ten contender in 2026.