The Ohio State Buckeyes were in need of a program reset prior to the 2025 college baseball season. They had not made the NCAA Tournament since 2019 and had finished above .500 in Big Ten play just once, dating back to 2018.

Justin Haire was hired to be the head coach of the Buckeyes. Before arriving in Columbus, he was the head coach of the Campbell Fighting Camels, where he won 317 games in nine seasons.

Haire also led Campbell to five straight NCAA Tournaments from 2018 to 2023. The Fighting Camels won five conference regular-season titles and four conference tournament titles under Haire as well.

A look at Haire and his two years with Ohio State

Haire's first season with Ohio State in 2025 came with some growing pains. The Buckeyes finished with a 13-37 overall record, and they won only five games in Big Ten play. That season, Ohio State finished last in the Big Ten with 11 fewer wins than Minnesota, who finished second from last.

After a less-than-stellar 2025 season, Haire was able to get Ohio State back to winning baseball. In 2026, the Buckeyes finished with a 30-25 overall record and had a solid 18-12 record in Big Ten play.

After finishing in last place in the Big Ten, Ohio State surged toward the top of the conference standings. The Buckeyes finished in fifth place in the Big Ten in 2026. The only teams that finished ahead of them were UCLA, Nebraska, Oregon, and USC. All four of those teams made the 2026 NCAA Tournament, which put Ohio State close to the NCAA Tournament bubble.

A favorable 2027 Big Ten schedule?

In 2027, the Ohio State Buckeyes avoid the two California schools in the Big Ten that finished above them last season. They do have to travel to Eugene and Lincoln to play the Oregon Ducks and Nebraska Cornhuskers. It is important to note that the Buckeyes swept Nebraska in a weekend series last season.

The Big Ten schedule for the Buckeyes is decently favorable. It would not be a shock to see Ohio State remain within the top five of the Big Ten, just like they were last season.

The next step for Haire and his Ohio State program is to get back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in eight seasons. With the conference schedule they received, it is possible.

Non-conference trips to Nashville and Pensacola

The Buckeyes do have an interesting non-conference slate that features a trip to Nashville, Tennessee, from March 5 to March 7.

They will play Vanderbilt, Cincinnati, and Virginia Tech that weekend at First Horizon Park. That ballpark is normally home to the Nashville Sounds, the Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers.

Cincinnati and Virginia Tech made the NCAA Tournament last season, and Vanderbilt will pose a challenge too, being a historically great baseball program.

Before that trip to Nashville in March, Ohio State will begin the 2027 college baseball season with a weekend series against the UConn Huskies from February 19 to February 21.

That series will be at Blue Wahoos Stadium in Pensacola, Florida. The ballpark is normally home to the Pensacola Blue Wahoos, the Double-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins.

The weekend series in Nashville and Pensacola will provide the Buckeyes with legitimate tests before Big Ten play begins. If they fare well in those games, they should also fare well against their Big Ten opponents that come later on in the season.

For more NCAA news: https://worldbaseball.com/news/category/ncaa