Big Ten Champs! Buckeye Baseball Headed to NCAA Tournament

From an Ohio State release.

BASE: Big Ten Tournament Champions!

Ohio State claims 10th Big Ten tournament title in school history, earns automatic bid in NCAA Tournament

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OMAHA, Neb.  – It was a magnificent Memorial Day Weekend for the boys. The Ohio State baseball team went on an unbelievable run, winning two games Sunday to claim the 2019 Big Ten Tournament title at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Neb.

The No. 7 seed Buckeyes became the lowest seed to win the tournament after defeating Minnesota, 8-6, in the semifinals Sunday morning before defeating Nebraska, 3-1, in the championship game in the afternoon in front of an electric pro-Husker crowd of 17,503 fans. It marked the second-largest crowd in Big Ten tournament history as well as the second-largest crowd this spring in all of college baseball.

With their 10th tournament title in school history, the Buckeyes (35-25) earn an automatic bid into the 2019 NCAA Tournament. The NCAA selection show is set for Noon ET Monday. The one-hour program will be shown live on ESPNU.

QUICK RECAP OF THE CHAMPIONSHIP

Off short rest, sophomore left-handed pitcher Griffan Smith shined on the mound in the Buckeyes’ start in front of a hostile Nebraska crowd in Omaha. He worked 5.2 innings and limited the Nebraska bats to one run, unearned, on two hits, with four walks and six strikeouts to improve to 7-4 on the year.

Smith fanned 16 in two starts in a combined 12.2 innings pitched. Smith gave the ball to junior left-handed reliever Andrew Magno in the sixth and shut the door on the Huskers, recording his fourth save of the week to seal the title for the Scarlet and Gray. He finished with 3.1 scoreless innings on two hits, two walks and four strikeouts. Magno claimed an astonishing four saves on the week.

Buckeye senior left fielder Brady Cherry gave the Scarlet and Gray an early 1-0 lead with a one-out single off Nebraska starting pitcher Matt Waldron to plate Dominic Canzone in the bottom of the first. Ohio State added a second run in the fourth when a call at a play at the plate was overturned. Husker catcher Luke Roskam missed the tag on a sliding Brent Todys at the dish. The play went in the scorebook as a sac fly by Erwin and the Buckeyes up two.

Nebraska threatened to score in the seventh with two in scoring position vs. Magno. But Nick Erwin fielded a slow roller down the third base line and fired across the diamond to a stretched Conner Pohl to end the threat. The play was reviewed and stood as called on the field as an out. Pohl added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth with a sac fly.

History in Omaha!@OhioStateBASE punches its ticket to the dance and becomes the lowest-ever seed to win the @B1GBaseball Tournament: pic.twitter.com/5CeB2na5lb

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) May 26, 2019

Bring that ? back home!@OhioStateBASE secured a spot in the NCAA Tournament and silenced the Nebraska crowd by winning the @B1GBaseball Tourney Sunday. ??? pic.twitter.com/RfVnP7t7JJ

— Ohio State on BTN (@OhioStateOnBTN) May 27, 2019

SEMIFINAL RECAP

The Buckeyes jumped out to a seven-run lead and held off a late comeback by the Golden Gophers as Ohio State defeated Minnesota, 8-6, in the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament Sunday morning. Ohio State scored four runs in the fourth, two in the fifth and two in the sixth. Dillon Dingler had a three-hit game with a stolen base and walk, while Brady Cherry launched a homer and also doubled with two RBI. On the mound off short rest, left-handed starting pitcher Seth Lonsway gave the Buckeyes five strong innings and limited the Gopher bats to one run on four hits with one walk and six strikeouts. Lonsway improved to 8-4. Left-handed reliever Andrew Magno claimed his third save of the season with 2.1 scoreless innings on one walk and one strikeout.

SIX BUCKEYES NAMED TO BIG TEN ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM

Andrew Magno was named the tournament’s most outstanding player he was joined on the Big Ten All-Tournament Team list with Seth Lonsway, Griffan Smith, Dillon Dingler, Brady Cherry and Dominic Canzone.

From a Big Ten release.

Ohio State Wins Big Ten Baseball Tournament Title

Buckeyes earn conference’s automatic berth to NCAA Tournament

OMAHA, Neb. – The seventh-seeded Ohio State baseball team won the 2019 Big Ten Tournament title after posting a 3-1 win over fifth-seeded Nebraska in the championship game Sunday at TD Ameritrade Park Omaha. The Buckeyes became the lowest seed to ever win the tournament.

Brady Cherry paced the Buckeyes going with three hits on four at bats, while Nick Erwin, Conner Pohl and Cherry had an RBI apiece. The Buckeyes claimed their 10th Big Ten Tournament title and their first since 2016.

Ohio State improves to 35-25 on the season and earns the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The NCAA Selection Show will air at noon ET Monday on ESPNU.

Ohio State’s Andrew Magno was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. Below is the 2019 Big Ten Baseball All-Tournament Team:

Most Outstanding Player: Andrew Magno, Ohio State

All-Tournament Team

P – Seth Lonsway, Ohio State

P – Andrew Magno, Ohio State

P – Griffan Smith, Ohio State

C – Dillon Dingler, Ohio State

1B – Maxwell Costes, Maryland

2B – Ako Thomas, Michigan

3B – Angelo Altavilla, Nebraska

SS – Spencer Schwellenbach, Nebraska

OF – Brady Cherry, Ohio State

OF – Dominic Canzone, Ohio State

OF – Jesse Franklin, Michigan

DH – Jordan Nwogu, Michigan

[Ohio State championship photo courtesy BigTen.org.]