Eric Boggs
The Ohio State baseball team made a significant addition to its roster as Marc Stephens, a standout player from Orange Beach, Alabama, announced on X (formerly Twitter) that he will be joining the Buckeyes. Stephens comes from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College (MGCCC), where he had an impressive career. Over two seasons, he hit .387, with six home runs, 71 RBIs, and 16 stolen bases in 94 games. His remarkable performance helped lead MGCCC to a 26-22 record this past season.
Stephens showed tremendous improvement in his second collegiate season, raising his batting average from .340 to .435. Although maintaining such a high performance level in the competitive Big Ten might be challenging, his talent is undeniable. Ohio State is excited to welcome a player of his caliber.
In addition to Stephens, the Buckeyes have also added a pitcher via the transfer portal. Spencer Hill, a central Ohio native from New Albany, announced his commitment to Ohio State via social media. Hill, a 2020 graduate, spent a post-graduate season at Bridgeton Academy, where he posted a 2-0 record with 13 strikeouts in a COVID-19-shortened season. He then played a year at Northern Illinois before transferring to UNC-Asheville.
While at Asheville, the 6’4″ right-hander made 28 appearances for the Bulldogs, recording a 10.18 ERA with 21 strikeouts in 20 innings of work. Newly hired head coach Justin Haire, familiar with Hill from their encounters while Haire was at Campbell University and Hill at UNC Asheville, is optimistic about Hill’s contributions to the team.
Coach Haire has been busy rebuilding a roster that lost most of its 2024 production through graduation and the transfer portal following the departure of former head coach Bill Mosiello, who returned to Texas to serve as the TCU hitting coach. With these new additions, the Buckeyes are looking to build a competitive team for the upcoming season.
