After losing to West Virginia and getting swept by USC last week, the Buckeyes repeated the same performance this week. Only Kent State and Minnesota aren’t as good as the Mountaineers and Trojans. Ohio State has now lost eight in a row after taking two of three against the top 20 Oregon Ducks. Their record is 8-24 in the first year of Justin Haire leading the program. Growing pains were to be expected in a new era. Having three times as many losses as wins is below even that tempered standard.
On Wednesday, Kent State drove down to Columbus for a game and the Golden Flashes flattened the Buckeyes 8-3. Kent State isn’t exactly having a fantastic season that would maybe explain this loss. They are 21-13, and after their upset of the Buckeyes, they dropped two of three to Miami (Ohio) over the weekend and are in third place in the MAC.
Things didn’t get any better on Friday when Minnesota came to town. The Gophers were 13-17 and next to the Buckeyes in the Big Ten’s basement. Ohio State should have had a reasonable shot to stop their five-game losing streak and get back in the win column. Ohio State would battle to within one run after five innings, but Minnesota would close the game with four unanswered runs and win 10-5.
Saturday after Buckeye football’s Spring Game Ohio State had hoped fans would come help will the baseball team a win. It didn’t happen. Ohio State didn’t even get on the scoreboard until the seventh inning when they were already down 6-0. Minnesota would win 9-2.
On Sunday, the Gophers finished off their sweep of the Buckeyes with a 6-4 win. Ohio State kept it close, holding onto a 4-4 tie after seven innings. Minnesota would get two runs in the final two innings. Minnesota left Ohio with a 16-17 record and a five-game winning streak.
Ohio State is the only team (of 18) in the conference that is over 10 games behind the first-place Iowa Hawkeyes. Ohio State’s quest to build something positive out of this season continues this week. On Tuesday, they’ll host Wright State (21-13 and in first place in the Horizon League) before traveling up north for a weekend series in East Lansing against the Michigan State Spartans, who are 19-15 (6-9). Buckeye Nation will keep riding with our Bucks 8-24 (2-13).