Two Buckeyes have benefited from their time off the field
The wind was whipping across the diamond, there was an occasional rain shower, and temperatures were cold enough for the players to put on jackets on a nasty day to play baseball yesterday.
But ask Ohio State first baseman Josh Dezse and designated hitter Jacob Bosiokovic, and the setting might as well have been Miami Beach rather than Bill Davis Stadium.
Ohio State kicked the ball around and left eight men on base in losing 6- 3 to Northwestern, but Dezse and Bosiokovic showed that they are more than ready for the Big Ten tournament, which begins next week in Omaha, Neb.
Dezse, a fourth- year junior from Olentangy Liberty, went 1 for 4 and is batting .338 in conference play and .259 overall. He has five home runs and 26 RBI.
Bosiokovic, a sophomore from Delaware, went 4 for 4 to raise his average to .263.
No one on the Buckeyes ( 29- 25, 9-13) appreciates being in the everyday lineup more than Dezse, who sat out last season after back surgery.
“I feel very fortunate to be able to play,” he said. “I saw baseball from a different perspective last year. I didn’t like it, but it was insightful. That experience made me want to keep playing. That first trip to Florida this year felt so good. It was great just experiencing the smell of the ballpark and being with the boys again.”
As a freshman, Dezse took the Big Ten by storm by batting .332 with 42 RBI and saving six games as a reliever. In 2012, he batted .306 with 33 RBI and saved seven games.
This season, pitching was ruled out when he experienced tendinitis in February. It took him the entire preconference schedule to find himself at the plate.
“But I’m no longer protecting Josh by putting him at ( designated hitter),” coach Greg Beals said. “He has got his rhythm and timing back. Not a whole lot has changed with him other than him being bigger and stronger.”
Beals believes Dezse might get picked in the major league draft in June as a pitching prospect.
Dezse is just glad to be playing.
“Things are clicking,” he said. “I’m seeing the ball pretty well. I’m not chasing pitches. I’m hitting the ball hard. The draft? I’m hoping. I haven’t heard from scouts. Being back here with the boys next year would be OK with me, too.”
This has been a difficult season for Bosiokovic. He lost the third base job to Troy Kuhn on April 25 for lack of production. He has sat out eight of the past 13 games.
“I think the lack of success started to build on him,” Beals said. “That was the first time in his life when he had to sit down and watch.”
Bosiokovic got a second chance and went 3 for 5 with three RBI in a victory over Cincinnati on Tuesday.
“Really, I feel the same as before,” he said. “Maybe I’ve made a few changes. It’s just clicking for me. It’s just a good feeling being able to play and help the team win. I’m not a fan of watching from the dugout.”
Bosiokovic didn’t have a lot to say about his big game against Northwestern.
“We didn’t win the game,” he said. “Cincinnati was a lot more fun. But this is the time of year when you want to peak.”