Former Chillicothe Paints players advance careers
Former Paints player now assistant coach at Duke
Duke baseball has hired Ohio University’s Andrew See as an assistant to oversee the Blue Devils’ pitching staff. See joins head coach Chris Pollard’s staff after six seasons as pitching coach and recruiting coordinator with Ohio University’s Bobcats.
This year, the Bobcats ranked second in the Mid-American Conference with a 3.73 team ERA. During the 2010 campaign, See’s pitching corps recorded 348 strikeouts, the fifth-highest total in the MAC.
See is an OU graduate, where he was a standout baseball player, and he played two seasons, professionally, for the Chillicothe Paints, both as an outfielder and a pitcher. A highlight of See’s career with the Paints was when he belted a walkoff home run to defeat Canton in the Frontier League playoffs.
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Paints hurler and Ohio State Buckeye, John Kuchno signs with Pittsburgh Pirates
Ohio State right-hander John Kuchno signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates Friday after he was selected in the 18th round of the 2012 Major League Baseball First Year Player Draft in June. The Ellicott City, Md. native will begin his professional career with the short-season State College Spikes and will become the ninth former Buckeye to currently be playing professional baseball.
Kuchno was a starting pitcher for this year’s Chillicothe Paints’ ball club. In two starts, he pitched 12.2 innings, compiling a 1-1 record with 10 strikeouts.
“This is something I have dreamed about since I was a kid, and I’m really excited to be able to continue to chase my dream,” Kuchno said. “I’ve had a great few years in Columbus and really appreciate what my coaches and teammates have done to help me get here. Without Ohio State, I never would have had the chance to get to where I am now.”
Kuchno tied for second in the Big Ten with eight wins in 2012, posting a 4.38 ERA and striking out 59 in 74.0 innings pitched. The redshirt sophomore was even more impressive in Big Ten play, going 4-1 with a 3.89 ERA and 27 strikeouts in 39.1 innings pitched. After starting the season in the bullpen, Kuchno found his spot in the Ohio State rotation, going at least six innings and allowing one earned run or less in starts against Toledo, Minnesota, Northwestern and Indiana.
“I am excited for John as he begins his next challenge in baseball,” head coach Greg Beals said. “He has worked extremely hard over the past two seasons to put himself in this position and has developed immensely as a pitcher and student-athlete since his arrival here at The Ohio State University."
In his two years at Ohio State after transferring from Wake Forest, Kuchno went 9-8 with a 5.06 ERA and 77 strikeouts in 105 innings pitched.