June 25, 2026
I got a chance to talk to the coaches at Ohio State this week about baseball and recruiting. They have a lot going for them now.
The Buckeyes just went 30-25 in Justin Haire's second season as head coach.
That might not sound like a headline number.
Until you know what came before it.
One year ago, Ohio State went 13-37.
That was the worst season the program had seen in over 50 years.
In year two, Haire brought in 23 new players, rebuilt the roster, changed the culture, and turned that same program into an 18-12 Big Ten team that swept No. 16 Nebraska, swept rival Michigan in Ann Arbor for the first time since 1994, and reached the Big Ten Tournament.
That is a coach who knows exactly what he is doing. More on Ohio State's recruiting below.
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2027 Commits:
- Grady Lantz — RHP
- Nate Henderson — LHP
- Jonathon Vogel — LHP
- Jackson Schilling — C
- Noah Goettke — OF
- Koby Dues — SS
- Corey Taylor — RHP
2028 Commits:
The class currently has zero commits but that will start changing this summer.
That is the window families should be watching.
Not because Ohio State is easy to get an offer from.
Because the earlier families understand the board, the better position they are in to decide whether a school like this belongs in the plan.
WHY OHIO STATE BASEBALL MATTERS RIGHT NOW
Justin Haire was hired in June 2024 as the 13th head coach in program history.
Before Ohio State, he spent 10 years at Campbell, winning five Big South Conference titles and four Big South Coach of the Year awards.
He knows how to build programs. He has done it before.
And the 2026 results prove the blueprint is working here too.
The staff ERA dropped from 9.62 in 2025 to 5.31 in 2026. Henry Kaczmar set a single-season program record with 26 doubles. Dane Harvey tied the single-season home run record with 19. The pitching staff produced multiple arms with ERAs under four in conference play.
The foundation is not just better. It is built.
WHAT FAMILIES SHOULD NOTICE
At a Big Ten program in Columbus with in-state tuition under $13,000 and 45,000-plus students, at a school ranked in the top 100 nationally with programs across business, engineering, and health sciences, that is a real opportunity sitting right in front of families right now.
The staff is building. The momentum is real for the 2027 and 2028 class. And the athletes who get on Coach Haire's radar this summer are the ones who show up prepared with the right video, the right outreach, and a clear case for why Ohio State makes sense for them.
That is what separates the families who get evaluated from the families who watch it happen to someone else.
Ohio State baseball is one of the best turnaround stories in college baseball in 2026.
Big Ten stage. A coach who builds programs everywhere he goes. A campus and city that gives your athlete everything they need. A 2028 class with zero commits.
The key is not just wanting it.
The key is knowing if your athlete fits the level, the academic profile, the roster need, and the timeline.
To your son's success.
P.S. I help baseball players get interest and offers from their top colleges. Over 510 committed players.
- Premier Athletes Recruiting Program (4-figure investment) – Full-service: coaches outreach, video creation, bi-weekly check-ins, and our proven playbook to turn interest into legit offers.
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About Alex
Meet your college baseball recruiting specialist: Alex Swenson.
As a high school baseball player, I navigated the college recruiting process all on my own. Despite average statistics, I landed a spot on a Division-1 baseball team Jacksonville University, where I became a 3-time team captain. Post-college, I became a D1 coach, scout, and recruiter at Georgetown University and Ole Miss, where we won an SEC championship.
After experiencing the process as both recruit and recruiter, I’ve successfully dissected the best strategies to connect with college coaches and draw offers from them.
After experiencing the process as both recruit and recruiter, I’ve successfully dissected the best strategies to connect with college coaches and draw offers from them.
Learn more about Alex’s Experience
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Receive professional direction from Alex himself until your son commits to his desired school. A step-by-step action plan will be provided with strategic small-group coaching meetings every 2 weeks to ensure we are making progress. Included is a baseball networking platform that connects him to coaches, optimizes his exposure to scouts, alerts him to college camps and showcases, and MUCH MORE.
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