TWO NIGHTS before
the Big Ten baseball tournament Ohio State senior outfielder Jacob Howell wrote
in an online journal that he was dedicating the rest of the season to his
sister. Hannah, 21, recovering from surgery for a brain aneurysm, returned the
love: One of her first postsurgery questions was if she could go to Michigan
for the tournament. Hannah made the trip, and not only did she inspire Jacob to
lead an Ohio State upset (the sixth-seeded Buckeyes won as Howell went 12 for
21), she was also part of an amazing numerological coincidence. Consider:
?Jacob's uniform number is 11.
?He had the game-winning hit in the semis against Minnesota in the 11th
inning.
?His hit came at exactly 11:11 p.m.
?Hannah had her operation on May 11 and was released 11 days later.
"It's pretty
cool," said Hannah, who was greeted with a standing ovation by OSU fans at
the field. "I guess you could say I have a new lucky number."