It has been far too long since I lost posted on Buckeye State Baseball. I offer a deep and sincere apology for my lapse in providing coverage of collegiate baseball in Ohio.
While Chad has provided Division III news and notes in my absence, Ohio’s DI, DII, and NAIA scene has taken a severe blow in its coverage which has upset me.
However, I hope with this grand news my nonexistence the last month and such can be forgave, as BSB partners with FSO.
For quite some time I have wondered how can BSB take the next step. While I have enjoyed what I have created here, I have always felt I could do more. In the fall I started exploring the prospects of having BSB picked up by a few bigger outlets to give the programs in Ohio more exposure and continue to make in-roads in expanding the reach of college baseball media.
Towards the end of March one of my efforts came to fruition. After speaking on the phone with the new Digital Content Manager at FOXSports Ohio, Barry McBride, with FSO’s revamping of their website McBride saw the potential in taking a chance on bringing BSB aboard. What I had hoped for, just a weekly or bi-weekly article on their site, turned into a full-on partnership with FSO where they will be the home of college baseball if you will.
Whenever the domain buckeyestatebaseball.com is entered, you will be directed to a new page on FSO, specifically for BSB. Any BSB features relating to Dayton, Xavier, Ohio State, Cincinnati, and the like will also show on that school’s main page within FSO, given the college game even more spotlight.
The final kinks and technical issues are being figured out, but ideally come noon on Wednesday the merger will be completed with BSB on FSO fully taking place.
To tie up a few loose ends that are lingering with the current format of BSB I have the following to address…
All archives that are currently on the blog can still be accessed by the domain bsbaseball.wordpress.com.
Regarding the incompletion of the top players, I plan on doing in-season features on those remaining players somehow someway to give their due credit alongside the other top players previously named.
The DII POY was Lake Erie’s Ryan Rua
The NAIA POY was Shawnee State’s Danny Gesick
The DIII final three were Jason Lash and Ricardo Lizacano of Heidelberg at 3,2 with Wooster’s Greg Van Horn #1.
The DIII final three pitchers were Heidelberg’s Ethan Holt, Wooster’s Justin McDowell, Student Prince Andy Lowe three to one.
The top 5 DI players were from 5-1, Xavier’s Ben Thomas, Kent State’s Travis Shaw, Akron’s Drew Turocy, Bowling Green’s Jon Berti, and Kent State’s Ben Klafczynski.
Some of those choice have come up golden, others not so much, but those are the choices.
Every email that has been sent regarding Buckeye State Baseball has been read and the words and time to exposure the appreciation of BSB has greatly been appreciated on my end. While it did tear at my to have such a hiatus, it was those emails and the desire to do more that has fueled the new adventure and abilities for BSB.
With the NAIA action heading to postseason, the NCAC tournament forthcoming, the final four weeks of DI baseball, and the DII season winding down, a lot of college baseball is to be played over the next month. A lot of exciting baseball that Buckeye State Baseball will have covered top to bottom.
Again please accept the apology in delay but hopefully the excitement of what is to come is left with.
Thank you -Chris Webb
Filed under: Division I, Division II, Division III, NAIA
Congrats on teaming up with FSO. I hope that Chad’s coverage of DIII Baseball will also be included at the same high level as on BSB. Chris, I wish you Luck in all of your future endeavors and many thanks for starting up BSB, it has been a source of great enjoyment to me and many of my friends.
really happy for the Buckeye State Baseball crew ! this is really awesome !
Chris, It’s been a week now and no follow through on your following statement:”Regarding the incompletion of the top players, I plan on doing in-season features on those remaining players somehow someway to give their due credit alongside the other top players previously named. ” The season ends this weekend. Post-season starts next week. That is, for D3 teams.