The Ohio State Buckeyes softball team enjoyed a successful weekend, culminating in a 4-0 start to the season as they dominated the Elon Softball Classic. Following their triumphs, two standout players received Big Ten weekly honors: sophomore catcher Jasmyn Burns was named Player of the Week, while freshman pitcher Lorin Boutte earned the Pitcher of the Week accolade.
Burns shined throughout the tournament, boasting an impressive .714 batting average, recording multiple hits in each of Ohio State’s games, and achieving a .733 on-base percentage. As noted by the Big Ten in their release, it was nearly impossible to get Burns out this past weekend. In addition, Boutte excelled in the circle, throwing a no-hitter in her first start and accumulating 12.1 shutout innings over the weekend.
Under the guidance of new head coach Kirin Kumar, who previously spent four seasons at Miami (OH), Ohio State is eager to improve, especially since they haven’t made an appearance in the NCAA Softball Tournament since 2022. The program is still seeking its first Women’s College World Series appearance and has yet to progress to the Super Regionals since its inception in the 1980s, with only one appearance in the AIAW WCWS back in 1982.
The Buckeyes last secured a regular season Big Ten championship in 2007, marking their second title, the first being in 1990. That year also saw the team claim their last Big Ten Softball Tournament victory. However, with their remarkable start this season, there is hope that things may be different for Ohio State softball this year.
