The Bobcats opened the 2017 season with plenty of question marks about their identity. Through their first 27 games, though, that identity is not too hard to find by taking a quick look at the stat sheet.
Simply put, Ohio lives off its pitching and defense, while its troubles lie in the batter's box.
That formula may continue to work for coach Rob Smith and the Bobcats, who own a 15-12 record and an early, but pleasing, 3-0 Mid-American Conference mark.
"We have to continue to have patience," Smith said. "We have to continue to improve throughout the season and get ourselves into the conference tournament playing our best baseball."
Offense: C+
The Bobcats own a .262 batting average and have scored 132 total runs, both of which rank fourth in the MAC.
So, Ohio doesn't have any major challenges with getting men on base, and it may not appear that they have problems scoring runs. Where the Bobcats can improve, however, is when they have runners on base, as the Bobcats have left 215 total runners on base and have averaged eight runners left on base per game.
But that isn't the biggest concern to Smith. As long as the team finds ways to get runners on base, he thinks the runs will come.
"It's not necessarily about how many we leave on," Smith said. "It's about our efficiency when we have runs in scoring position and I think we've gotten better at that over the last week. Hopefully that will continue as we move forward."
Ohio has also struggled offensively late in games, as the team is 3-8 when trailing after just four innings.
But the offense now seems to be heading in the right direction for the Bobcats, who own a four-game win streak and have scored five or more runs in that stretch.
To compete for the MAC's top spot with Kent State (17-10, 5-1 MAC), Ohio will have to continue improving offensively, which will come with more skill with runners on base and a bit more resiliency when facing a deficit.
Pitching: A+
Ohio's pitching staff has been among the best in the MAC this year, as it currently leads the conference in ERA (3.33), hits allowed (210), earned runs (91) and opponent batting average (.234). It is also third in the conference in strikeouts (235) and walks (102).
Ohio's tremendous pitching performances have been led by its weekend starters in right-hander Michael Klein and left-handers Gerry Salisbury and Butch Baird. The trio has combined for a 2.68 ERA in 111 2/3 innings pitched, having allowed 93 hits and 36 walks while striking out 102 batters.
Ohio's pitching staff made a complete turnaround from last season, which finished with an ugly 4.87 ERA and had an opponent-batting average of .260.
Smith offered a quick response to explain the different, improved look of the pitching staff.
"Throwing strikes."
Smith pointed to the difference between walks and strikeouts as the reason for the revamped pitching.
"This time last year, we had significantly more walks and we've done a much better job of lowering our walk totals," Smith continued. "That makes a huge difference. When you start to create a gap between walks and strikeouts, that tends to lead to better pitching."
The Bobcats' bullpen has also fared well under pressure, as the team is 3-1 when tied after seven innings.
Taking the majority of Ohio's late-inning work has been right-handers Jake Rudnicki and Jake Roehn, who have combined to throw 36 2/3 innings for a 1.73 ERA with 31 hits allowed and 47 strikeouts.
Regardless of how the offense performs, Ohio's pitching should continue to keep the team around the .500 record mark. Any concern about whether the pitching would continue its hot start to the season has subsided, and the talent here is legitimate.
But despite the solid numbers, pitching still hasn't been the best statistical trait for Ohio this year.
Defense: A+(+)
Ohio is quietly having one of the nation's best performances defensively, as the team owns a .983 fielding percentage — good for fourth in the nation.
The Bobcats have committed just 17 errors on the season and are on pace to finish with 34, a huge improvement from last season in which the team committed 63.
Smith knew his team's defensive play would improve, and he attributes this season's reliability to senior third baseman Connor Callery, who went the first 26 games of the season without an error.
John Adryan, who served as the team's primary third baseman last season, led the team in errors with 12.
"(Callery) has been one of the biggest differences this year in terms of what's going on with our defense," Smith said. "There's been some key elements that have elevated our defensive play, and I think he's certainly one of them."
The elite defensive play has given assurance to the pitchers, which has helped simplify their game to focus on just what's happening at the plate.
"It's awesome," sophomore reliever Kenny Ogg said. "I don't have to go and strike everybody out. I know they always make the big plays, so it's easier for me to just go out there and throw strikes and get outs."
With one of the nation's top defenses, a reliable pitching staff and an average but potentially-rising offense, the Bobcats could be in for a fun second half of the season as they set their eyes on a deep playoff run.
