Continued pitching woes forcing Ohio to pitch by committee.
Ohio coach Rob Smith has acknowledged his team’s starting pitching issues, but he’s not prepared to sit idly by and let those problems continue.
Smith decided that when Ohio (14-11, 2-4 Mid-American Conference) travels to Ohio State on Tuesday, the Bobcats will throw as many as eight pitchers in an effort to ease the pressure on players and reduce their responsibility.
The Bobcats will look to avenge last year’s 11-6 defeat against the Buckeyes (18-7, 4-2 Big Ten).
Tuesday’s game will start at 6:35 p.m. at Bill Davis Stadium in Columbus. Connor Sitz (4-1, 4.73 ERA) will be on the mound first for the Bobcats, but Smith said he’ll likely throw for just one inning.
Ohio’s entire five-game home stretch saw early exits from Bobcat starting pitchers, as all of them were ousted before the fourth inning.
Sunday’s starter against Western Michigan, Mason McWilliams, allowed three runs (one earned) in just 1/3 of an inning before being pulled. This gave way to six relievers behind him, who combined to throw the remaining 8 and 2/3 innings.
“At this point we have to really re-evaluate where we’re at with our pitching,” Smith said. “There are a lot of guys that are capable, but the roles I’ve hoped to see some guys in are a little bit upside down now with our inability to get starting pitching.”
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Jake Rudnicki is a starting pitcher who is finding himself in this type of role reversal. Rudnicki, a sophomore, started in eight of his first nine appearances but allowed 29 earned runs in 28 and 2/3 innings.
However, his four scoreless innings of relief on Saturday against Western Michigan suggested a different role may be better for him and for other struggling pitchers.
“That’s obviously all up to coach,” Rudnicki said regarding his pitching role moving forward. “If I stay the rest of the season coming out of the (bullpen) and I’m helping the team win, then I’m fine with that.”
Smith’s idea to work several pitchers into one game allows each of them to focus on smaller workloads. He said breaking the game up into segments of three outs at a time will help pitchers more easily handle the mental aspect of the game.
Catcher Cody Gaertner has confidence in his team’s bullpen and thinks the starting pitchers are beginning to move in the right direction. Gaertner, a redshirt junior, noted the pitching staff has a lot of young guys who still have much to learn.
Three freshmen and four sophomores have pitched for the Bobcats this season, three of which have worked as starters.
“A lot of the younger pitchers are up there a little bit timid, so I kinda just try and calm them down,” Gaertner said. “I say, ‘You’re stuff’s good enough. All you need to do is really throw strikes and make the players behind you field them.’”
@JordanHorrobin
jh950614@ohio.edu
