In his second season with the Ohio State baseball team, pitcher Gavin Kuzniewski has done anything but fall into a sophomore slump.
Since stepping into the Friday starter role, Kuzniewski has developed from a promising freshman contributor into the centerpiece of Ohio State’s rotation. After showing flashes of potential during his first season, he has taken a major leap as a sophomore and emerged as one of the Buckeyes’ most reliable arms.
As Ohio State navigates through the final stretch of the 2026 regular season, the Fishers, Ind. native is finally seeing his preparation translate into results after the Buckeyes had a tough year in 2025.
“It’s been nice this year playing with this group. Last year was tough, so it’s nice to bounce back and really learn with guys around me and really come up on top more often,” Kuzniewski said. “It’s nice to know that I’m setting the tone for the weekend on the mound.”
Despite the 2025 Buckeye squad finishing a measly 13-37 record and ranking dead last in the Big Ten with a 5-25 mark in conference action, Kuzniewski still managed a solid freshman season.
The 6-0, 190-pound right-hander appeared in 18 games, tied for fourth-most on the team, and finished with a 3-5 record and a 6.75 ERA. He recorded 43 strikeouts, second on the Buckeyes only to Jake Michalak (49), while allowing a .280 batting average against him.
In 2026, Kuzniewski’s production took a significant step forward. As a sophomore, he earned Ohio State’s top starting-pitching role and delivered a strong season, posting a 5-2 record with a 4.93 ERA in 69.1 innings. He led the team with 60 strikeouts while holding opponents to a .245 batting average, helping the Buckeyes to a 26-22 overall record and a 15-12 mark in Big Ten play, with just a series against rival Michigan to play in the regular season.
That leap forward has been fueled by the refinement of Kuzniewski’s pitch mix, as Ohio State head coach Justin Haire credited that development to his versatility and competitive edge on the mound.
“His strength is that he’s got four or five pitches on any given night, if he’s got three of those going, it’s got a chance for him to get deep in the game,” Haire said. “So that combination, on a Friday night, a guy that’s super competitive is a really good recipe for us. Gavin’s just a bulldog man. He is a stud.”
Ohio State catcher Mason Eckelman expressed how Kuzniewski’s preparation, competitiveness and presence as a teammate have helped fuel his success on the mound throughout the season.
“He is such a competitor, man. He’s so fun to be around, and his preparation just totally takes over in the game. You just see that kind of competitiveness, how he keeps pounding the zone attacking,” Eckelman said. ”I think that the biggest thing for him is getting ahead (in an at-bat) and putting yourself in a good position to make good pitches and kind of work off of that. I think he’s a pro at what he does and how he takes care of himself.”
As his role has grown, so too has his responsibility within the program.
Even as an underclassman, Kuzniewski has taken on the responsibility of helping lead a pitching staff that includes several new faces, while focusing on growing his leadership role, particularly vocally.
“I think it’s important for me to step up as a vocal leader, just because I’m a returner on the mound coming early in the fall, a lot of guys were new faces, so a lot of guys had questions. We were looking at what to do in certain situations. So I think stepping up just in that way,” Kuzniewski said. “I’ve always been more like a lead-by-example guy. Coach Haire and (assistant coach Tyler Robinson) talked to me about trying to use my voice more. I think just learning from the older guys on how to lead, and watching leaders in previous years lead, and just learning from that, and just helping the guys around me.”
Kuzniewski and Ohio State will close out their home schedule at Bill Davis Stadium on Tuesday at 6 p.m. against Wright State (24-23).
Image courtesy of Ohio State Athletics
