The Clippers hosted Ohio State for an exhibition game Tuesday night. Columbus provided pitching for both teams and won 4-3.

 Indians slugger Grady Sizemore meets with the media prior to the game. Sizemore was 0-for-4 with 1K.

Ohio State Matt Streng takes a big swing.

Lonnie Chisenhall moves toward the line to play a ground ball.

Luis Valbuena looks at a close pitch. (photos by Joe Santry)

* Here is the brief game story.

* Here are Mike Sarbaugh’s post-game comments.

Wednesday: Clippers vs. Akron Aeros, 2:05pm, Huntington Park, FREE ADMISSION!
The Clippers “Mett the Team” Party will follow the game from the LC Pavilion.

Thursday: Clippers at Indianapolis Indians, 7:05pm, Victory Field, LIVE on AM 920 WMNI

Here are the pitching probables for the season opening series…
Thursday: LH David Huff vs. LH Brain Burres
Friday: RH Jeanmar Gomez vs. RH Sean Gallagher
Saturday: RH Alex White vs. LH Justin Wilson
Sunday: RH Zach McAllister vs. RH Daniel McCutchen

It’s a very bittersweet night for me. The college basketball season has ended and that’s sad for a hoops junkie like me. However, CBS is showing its’ “One Shining Moment” tournament montage, one of the highlights of my year. The tiebreaker is this: the Major League Baseball season is underway and the minor leaguers are counting down the hours until the first pitch.

2 -1, it’s officially a good night…

* The Clippers and Aeros were washed out today, but they’re still scheduled to play in Columbus Wednesday at 2:05pm.

* Grady Sizemore and Joe Smith will now play for the Clippers against Ohio State in Tuesday’s game. First pitch is slated for 6:35pm. All tickets are just $5.

Clippers historian Joe Santry has some nuggets on the Clippers/OSU game:

• · The Clippers will supply the pitchers for both teams. With a much deeper bench and staff, and with the Buckeyes coming off a three-game weekend series and looking at a game the following day (Wednesday vs. Miami) and a Big Ten weekend series at Indiana looming, it is most advantageous for the rest of Ohio State’s week to let the Clippers’ pitchers do the pitching. It’s typical, too.
• · Both teams will use wood bats. The new BBCOR bat standards have decreased the size of the sweet spot for the college game bats, making them function more like a wooden bat. Still, the Buckeye hitters will use wooden bats, just like the Clippers. The Clippers will supply the bats.

* Ryne Sandberg is hoping to manage Lehigh Valley over .500 for the first time in franchise history. A win on Thursday would accomplish that. Here’s more on that and the International league season from MILB.com

* Tony Lastoria of Indians Prospect Insider has a look at the Cleveland farm system rosters.

See you at the park!

 As the season quickly approaches, Sunday was my annual television binge and as a farewell to the tube. 144 baseball games over the next 153 days makes it tough to get any quality time with my flat screen, high-definition buddy. Even with a DVR system in place.

My wife and I watched a bit of the Academy of Country Music Awards, which is a big enough deal to get network coverage (CBS). I cannot in any way, shape, or form, be classified as a country music fan, but I really enjoyed the show.

The highlight was watching Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler rocking out with Carrie Underwood (Yes, Steven Tyler performed at a Country Music Awards show; don’t ask me to explain it). I guess we’ve come a long way since Conway Twitty toured the country music scene.

If you weren’t watching the CMA (yes, I’m already hip enough to abbreviate it) you probably went the pay-per-view route and locked in to Wrestlemania XXVII. I heard Snooki from MTV’s ever-popular “Jersey Shore” made a cameo appearance. This however, pales in comparison to “Rowdy” Roddy Piper emptying a fire extinguisher into the face of Morton Downey Jr. at Wrestlemania V. That’s a classic.

Despite the absence of “Hot Rod”, I’m told Vince McMahon put on another show for the ages.

So with that, it’s time for the NCAA Basketball Championship Game on Monday and then baseball, baseball, and more baseball.

Hey, speaking of baseball…

* The Clippers will visit Akron in an exhibition game on Monday. It will be Alex White’s turn to pitch as he’s slated to pitch again Sunday in Indianapolis in his Triple-A debut.

* I’ll be a guest on the “Ken Carman Show” on Fox Sports 1350 in Akron to preview the game. Listen live at 5:20pm.

* The Clippers Cargo Shop will be closed Monday.

* We have posted an earlier recorded interview with Mike Sarbaugh.

*Grady Sizemore was at Progressive Field today and he’s expected to play in the Clippers/Aeros game. Jordan Bastian of MLB.com has more on Sizemore’s road to recovery.

* The Clippers will host Ohio State Tuesday at 6:35pm. All tickets are just $5.

I’ll have more tomorrow.