Buckeyes' Coach is a Hall of Famer
Ohio State coach Bob Todd is a Hall of Famer. Twice. Last fall, the 22nd-year Ohio State coach, who has guided the team to 14 Big Ten regular season and tournament titles and into 12 NCAA tournaments, was inducted into the school’s Varsity “O” Athletics Hall of Fame. In January, Todd was chosen by his peers and a panel of former coaches to be enshrined into the American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
Ohio State baseball, which has the distinction of being Ohio State’s oldest varsity sport with 125 seasons played, could not have a better leader. That is because Todd has Ohio State baseball firmly positioned among the best teams in the nation. Ohio State consistently wins Big Ten Conference regular season and tournament championships and qualifies for the NCAA tournament. In fact, every student-athlete who has played four years at Ohio State has either won a Big Ten regular season crown or a Big Ten tournament championship. That is truly the mark of a winning program.
The Buckeyes under Bob Todd don’t just win championships, though. They compete to the last out for championships. In 2007, for example, Ohio State won the Big Ten tournament championship by winning four consecutive games, including knocking off the Nos. 1-3 seeds, to become the first sixth-seed to ever win the title. Consider also:
- In 2005, Ohio State won 15 of its final 17 games to just get into the Big Ten Tournament and then won the championship by winning four of five games to secure the automatic NCAA tournament berth.
- A dramatic finish in 2003 had the team two wins from the College World Series. Despite losing Big Ten Pitcher of the Year and first-team All-American Scott Lewis in the final Big Ten series of the season, Ohio State won the Big Ten tournament and swept through the Auburn Regional by defeating Clemson and Auburn in come-from-behind fashion to bring a second NCAA super regional to Bill Davis Stadium.
- Led by Nick Swisher, who would later be selected in the first round of the MLB Draft by the Oakland A’s (No. 16, overall), the 2002 Buckeyes swept through the Big Ten tournament and advanced to the championship game of the NCAA tournament’s South Bend regional.
- The 1999 team won 50 games, set a school record with a 21-game winning streak and broke new ground in college baseball when selected as one of two northern schools to host an NCAA regional, which Ohio State won. Ohio State then hosted a super regional at Bill Davis Stadium and came within one win of the College World Series.
- The 1994 squad’s 49-9 record featured the best winning percentage (.845) in the nation and the team was the first in school history to earn a No. 1 seed in an NCAA regional. Ohio State dominated the Big Ten with a 25-2 record, the first of its two 25-win Big Ten seasons (1999 was the other).
- The 1991 season, Todd’s fourth, set the foundation for and defined the term compete for all future Buckeye teams as it won a school-record 52 games and advanced to the NCAA tournament, ending an eight-year dry spell for the Scarlet and Gray.
Proud to Wear the Scarlet and Gray
Todd’s Buckeyes are a team full of individuals who are proud to put on their Ohio State jerseys. They take pride in their effort. They are respectful of the sport, each other and their opponents.
Todd’s Buckeyes handle themselves with dignity, with class and with poise...in victory and in defeat. And that is, perhaps, the most impressive attribute of a Bob Todd baseball team. Todd’s Buckeyes are champions, too. They always have been and, judging by the consistency of Todd’s first 21 years at the helm of the program, his Buckeyes always will be champions.
12 NCAAs; 14 Big Ten Crowns; 40 Wins Per Year
Todd has guided the Buckeyes to an 831-435-2 record, or an average of 39.6 wins per year, since taking over the program in 1988. Setting the school record with 52 victories in 1991 and hitting 50 wins again in 1999, his teams have never had a losing season, have won at least 40 games 10 times in his 21-year tenure and have never won fewer than 30 games. To his credit are six Big Ten regular season championships, seven first-place finishes in the Big Ten regular season standings, eight Big Ten tournament championships and 12 NCAA regional appearances (1991-95, 1997, 1999, 2001-03, 2005, 2007). He also has guided Ohio State to two second-place finishes and one third-place finish in the NCAA regionals prior to the expansion and creation of the super regional format in 1999. Since that time, Todd has guided the Buckeyes to two regional championships and berths into super regionals in both 1999 and 2003. Since reaching the NCAA tournament in 1991, his teams have not missed the tournament in consecutive seasons.
No program in the Big Ten has won more games since 1988 than Ohio State, Todd’s first season in Columbus. Todd is one of only two conference coaches to win more than 350 Big Ten games and he reached that mark quicker than any coach in league history. He is 384-217 against Big Ten opposition, an average of 18.2 wins per season. He has won 20 or more conference games six times and has twice won 25 games, the conference record for a 28-game Big Ten schedule. His teams have played in the Big Ten tournament 20 times, missing only once, and have played in the tournament the last 12 seasons, which is the longest current streak by any team in the league and the Big Ten record.
Behind the Bill Davis Stadium Experience
Todd has done even more than win championships and become the winningest coach in 125 years of Ohio State baseball. He is the driving force in the launching of Buckeye baseball into the modern age with the building and upgrades of the majestic Bill Davis Stadium, which celebrated its 12th season last year and has sparked stadium upgrades throughout the conference. The fan experience at the 4,450-seat OSU venue is the best in the Big Ten and the Buckeyes typically rank among the NCAA’s attendance leaders. The facility has played host to NCAA tournament action four times, including super regionals in 1999 and 2003. The stadium also has played host to the Big Ten tournament twice.
Ohio State baseball under Bob Todd is defined by its championships and NCAA regional appearances. When teams win, individual recognition and awards soon follow...on the field and in the classroom. In the Bob Todd era, Ohio State baseball has produced 65 major athletic and academic award winners.
All-Americans – 17
Cory Luebke.............2007
*Ronnie Bourquin........2006
Steve Caravati..........2004
*Scott Lewis............2003
*Justin Fry.............1999
Chad Ehrnsberger........1999
Mike Lockwood...........1999
Justin Fry..............1997
Dan Seimetz.............1997
*Matt Beaumont..........1994
Jonathan Sweet..........1994
Roy Marsh...............1994
Brian Maninno...........1993
Mark Mesewicz...........1992
Ken Tirpack.............1992
Mike Durant.............1991
Scott Klingenbeck.......1991
CoSIDA Academic All-Americans - 8
Jacob Howell............2007
Jason Turner............2000
Mike Lockwood...........1999
Mike Lockwood...........1998
Mark Chonko.............1996
*Mike Repasky...........1994
Brad Young..............1993
*Mike Repasky...........1993
Big Ten Player of the Year – 4
Ronnie Bourquin.........2006
Steve Caravati..........2004
Dan Seimetz.............1997
Jonathan Sweet..........1994
Big Ten Pitcher of the Year – 5
Cory Luebke.............2007
Scott Lewis.............2003
Justin Fry..............1999
Justin Fry..............1997
Matt Beaumont...........1994
Big Ten Freshman of the Year – 9
J.B. Shuck..............2006
Jacob Howell............2004
Scott Lewis.............2002
Doug Deeds..............2001
Nick Swisher............2000
E.J. Laratta............1999
Dan Seimetz.............1995
Matt Beaumont...........1992
Scott Klingenbeck.......1990
Freshman All-America – 11
Dean Wolosiansky........2008
Cory Kovanda............2007
J.B. Shuck..............2006
Cory Luebke.............2005
Doug Deeds..............2001
Josh Newman.............2001
Christian Snavely.......2001
Nick Swisher............2000
Justin Fry..............1996
Matt Middleton..........1996
Mark Carek..............1995
Dan Seimetz.............1995
Big Ten Tournament MOP – 9
Cory Luebke.............2007
Steve Caravati..........2005
Brett Garrard...........2003
Joe Wilkins.............2002
Mike Lockwood...........1997
#Scott Kaczmar..........1995
Mike Repasky............1994
Matt Beaumont...........1993
Keith Klodnick..........1991
Key: *First Team; MOP (Most Outstanding Player); # Co-MOP
Ohio State has been ranked as high as third nationally during Todd’s tenure (1994). Ohio State was one of just eight schools to have been ranked in the Top 20 following the 1991, 1992, 1993 and 1994 seasons. In fact, the Buckeyes had the nation’s third-best record during that time (186-62, .750) and still boast the Big Ten’s best record during Todd’s tenure.
It’s About the Team Accomplishments
Todd’s teams have broken virtually every school record, including marks for wins (52 in 1991), winning percentage, runs scored, home runs, RBI, stolen bases, saves, shutouts, highest batting average and doubles. His teams and players have led the Big Ten in several categories, including team ERA in 1992, 1993, 1997, 2004, 2005 and 2006, team batting in 1991, 1994, 1996 and 2006 (with the fifth-highest OSU average of .332) and fielding percentage in 1996.
Nationally, the Buckeyes have been ranked among the top six teams in winning percentage three times, including leading the nation in 1994 (49-9). Ohio State has also been ranked three times among the top seven teams in fielding percentage, including leading the nation in 1998 (.972) and ranking third in 1996. Offensively, Ohio State has five times been one of the top 10 hitting teams, including 5th in team batting average (.332) in 2006.
Seventeen of Todd’s OSU players have earned first-, second- or third-team All-America recognition. Eight players have won Academic All-America honors, 113 have been named Academic All-Big Ten, 53 have been chosen first-team All-Big Ten and perhaps most impressively, 71 have signed professional baseball contracts. Since 2002, 11 Buckeyes have been drafted in the first 10 rounds.
Four-Time Big Ten Coach of the Year
Todd has been recognized as the 1989, 1994, 1999 and 2001 Big Ten Coach of the Year, becoming the first coach to be so named four times. He also was nominated for national coach of the year honors in 1991, 1994, 1999 and 2003 and was chosen National Coach of the Year in 1994 by the Columbus Touchdown Club.
Respected by many in college baseball, Todd has served on numerous national committees, most notably the prestigious NCAA Division I Baseball Committee, which he served from 1998-2004. One of the main topics of discussion for that committee was examining the feasibility of pushing back the baseball season and implementing a national starting date which came into effect for the 2008 season and beyond. Todd was the only coach on the committee, which is made up mostly of athletics directors and conference commissioners.
Nearing 1,000 Victories
Todd, 60, is the 10th head coach in OSU history. After 25 years as a collegiate skipper, including a four-year stint as the head coach at Kent State from 1984-87, he has a career mark of 955-426-2. Before becoming the head coach at Kent State, Todd was an assistant coach at Missouri from 1974-83.
Todd’s teams at Kent State compiled a record of 124-82, including a 42-15 mark in 1986 and a 31-20 slate in 1987. All four of his teams posted winning records and two set single-season school marks for Mid-American Conference victories. Todd, who also served as an assistant athletic director, won a school-record 65 conference games while at Kent State. His teams finished eighth, third, second and fifth, respectively, in league play, ending a string of 16 consecutive last-place finishes by the Golden Flashes.
Todd began his coaching career in 1971 as an assistant at Ritenour High School in St. Louis, Mo., but left the high school ranks in the fall of 1974 to return to his alma mater. During his nine years as an assistant at Missouri, the Tigers won two Big Eight titles and played in four NCAA regionals, with two of those teams advancing to the regional final.
While at Missouri, Todd served as recruiting coordinator and worked with the Tigers’ pitchers and catchers. More than 30 of his pitchers were drafted, and two of his staffs ranked in the Top 20 nationally in ERA – including one that set a Big Eight record for lowest ERA. Additionally, three of his catchers were All-Americans. Todd left Missouri in the fall of 1983 for Kent State.
A native of St. Louis, Todd graduated from Missouri in 1971 with a bachelor’s degree in education. He also received a master’s degree from Missouri-St. Louis in education.
Bob and his wife, Glenda, have four children – Scott, a 1996 Ohio State graduate and a four-year baseball letterwinner; Jeff, a 1997 graduate and three-year baseball letterman at Southern Mississippi; Brad, a 2001 graduate and two-year wrestling letterman at Ohio State and Stacey, a 2003 graduate and three-time field hockey letterwinner at Ohio State, who was named to the 2002 Big Ten tournament and NFHCA West Region teams. Todd and Glenda reside in Worthington, a Columbus suburb.
24 Years of Todd Baseball
| Kent State Year-By-Year Record |
| Year |
Overall |
Pct. |
MAC |
Pct. |
Finish |
MAC Tourn. |
NCAA Tourn. |
| 1984 |
24-20 |
.545 |
11-14 |
.440 |
8th |
- |
- |
| 1985 |
27-27 |
.500 |
16-14 |
.533 |
3rd |
- |
- |
| 1986 |
42-15 |
.737 |
21-11 |
.656 |
2nd |
- |
- |
| 1987 |
31-20 |
.607 |
17-15 |
.531 |
5th |
- |
- |
|
124-82 |
.602 |
65-54 |
.546 |
- |
- |
- |
|
| Ohio State Year-By-Year Record |
| Year |
Overall |
Pct. |
Big Ten |
Pct. |
Finish |
Big Ten Tourn. |
NCAA Tourn. |
| 1988 |
32-28 |
.533 |
16-12 |
.571 |
4th |
4th |
- |
| 1989 |
34-27 |
.557 |
16-12 |
.571 |
4th |
3rd |
- |
| 1990 |
32-29-1 |
.524 |
16-12 |
.571 |
4th |
2nd |
- |
| 1991 |
52-13 |
.800 |
20-8 |
.714 |
1st |
1st |
3rd/Midwest |
| 1992 |
40-21 |
.656 |
20-8 |
.714 |
1st |
4th |
2nd/South I |
| 1993 |
44-19 |
.698 |
19-9 |
.679 |
1st |
N/A |
2nd/Atlantic |
| 1994 |
49-9 |
.845 |
25-2 |
.926 |
1st |
1st |
4th/Atlantic II |
| 1995 |
40-23 |
.635 |
18-10 |
.643 |
1st |
1st |
t5th/Midwest II |
| 1996 |
36-20 |
.643 |
15-13 |
.536 |
6th |
- |
- |
| 1997 |
42-18 |
.700 |
18-10 |
.643 |
2nd |
1st |
t5th/Mideast |
| 1998 |
37-16 |
.698 |
18-9 |
.666 |
3rd |
4th |
- |
| 1999 |
50-14 |
.781 |
25-3 |
.893 |
1st |
4th |
2nd/Columbus Super Regional |
| 2000 |
37-23 |
.617 |
15-13 |
.536 |
5th |
3rd |
- |
| 2001 |
43-18 |
.705 |
20-7 |
.741 |
1st |
3rd |
4th/Columbus Regional |
| 2002 |
38-20-1 |
.653 |
18-11 |
.621 |
2nd |
1st |
2nd/South Bend Regional |
| 2003 |
44-21 |
.677 |
20-12 |
.625 |
2nd |
1st |
2nd/Columbus Super Regional |
| 2004 |
36-25 |
.590 |
19-11 |
.613 |
2nd |
2nd |
- |
| 2005 |
40-20 |
.667 |
17-12 |
.548 |
t-4th |
1st |
3rd/Corvallis Regional |
| 2006 |
37-21 |
.638 |
19-12 |
.613 |
3rd |
3rd |
--
|
| 2007 |
38-24 |
.613 |
15-15 |
.500 |
6th |
1st |
3rd/College Station Regional |
| 2008 |
30-26 |
.536 |
15-15 |
.500 |
5th |
6th |
- |
|
831-435-2 |
.656 |
384-217 |
.639 |
| Totals |
955-517-2 |
.649 |
449-271 |
.619 |
Team USA CoachTodd, one of the most respected field generals in college baseball, has twice served as an assistant coach on the Team USA baseball team: in 2001 and in 1994. His 1994 responsibilities included identifying talent for the 1996 Olympic team. The 1994 team traveled around the world and finished the summer tour by playing in the World Games in Managua, Nicaragua. That team played the likes of Korea, Taiwan, Japan, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Cuba. Earlier that year, Team USA posted a pair of wins over Cuba, which went on to win the World Games.
