Ohio State Buckeyes Land Commitment From Vanderbilt Pitcher

The Ohio State Buckeyes have secured a commitment from a talented pitcher from Vanderbilt. 6'4" right hander Nik Copenhaver is reportedly joining the Buckeyes' baseball team.

Vanderbilt first baseman Julian Infante (22) stomps on home plate after hitting a solo homer in the fourth inning against Ohio State during the NCAA Division I Baseball Regionals at Hawkins Field Friday, May 31, 2019, in Nashville, Tenn. Nas Vanderbilt Ohio State 001 / George Walker IV / Tennessean.com

The Ohio State Buckeyes baseball team received a nice addition to the pitching staff on Thursday. Vanderbilt transfer Nik Copenhaver announced on social media that he committed to play for the Buckeyes. He is currently listed at 6'4" and 210 pounds. Mick Walker of Lettermen Row posted the screenshot on X.

Ohio State has received a commitment from Vanderbilt transfer pitcher Nik Copenhaver.

The 6-foot-4 righty did not pitch for Vanderbilt as a freshman. He was a top-500 national prospect and top-10 player in the state of Ohio coming out of Hamilton Badin, Justin Hair's alma mater,… pic.twitter.com/APhfwGPWnP

— Mick Walker (@mickdwalker) August 1, 2024

During his freshman season at Vanderbilt, the right-handed pitcher did not get an opportunity to step on the mound and throw. As a prospect coming out of Stephen T. Badin in Hamilton, Ohio, he was highly-regarded and actually ranked as the No. 3 right-handed pitcher and No. 7 overall player in Ohio. He was also a top-500 national prospect.

As a senior in high school, Copenhaver allowed just four earned runs over 36.2 innings. That is a staggering 0.76 ERA. He also had 64 strikeouts. He helped lead his team to conference titles three times and made it to the regional finals in his senior season. He was a member of the 2023 Perfect Game Preseason All-Central Region second team.

Justin Hair, the new Ohio State Baseball head coach, is also a Badin High School alumn.

Whether Copenhaven steps on the mound right away for the Buckeyes will be something to wait and see in the spring. Regardless of whether his arm is utilized during the 2025 season or he is a future high-impact player, this is a great get for the Buckeyes.

Last season, Ohio State went 29-26 overall and went 12-12 in the Big Ten. They will look to improve upon that this next season. Perhaps Copenhaven becomes a major part in making that happen.