After practicing for a month in Walter Fieldhouse, the Bobcats are ready for games.
In preparation for the Madeira Beach Invitation in Florida, the Bobcats had one of their first outdoor practices of the season.
“It was so nice,” senior pitcher Danielle Stiene said. “It’s nice to not feel so confined, and it’s weird not being on the dirt. (Softball) is supposed to be on the dirt.”
Ohio will get back on the dirt for game action for the first time with five games in three days. It will play two games Friday, starting with Virginia, then finishing the day with UNC-Greensboro. There are another two games Saturday, with Lipscomb and Massachusetts on the schedule. The Bobcats will finish their weekend with a game against Jacksonville State.
It’s obvious that while the Bobcats are excited to play their first game of the season, all five games are just as important.
“Obviously the first one out of the gates, getting out on the field for the first time is exciting,” coach Jodi Hermanek said. “We’re ready for Virginia, but we’ve got a strong schedule ahead of us.”
One of the major challenges moving forward for Ohio is the loss of one of the program’s best pitchers, Savannah Jo Dorsey.
The Bobcats have four pitchers on the roster, including Stiene, with sophomore Desirae Villanueva, freshman Madi McCrady and transfer Kendall Meeks.
Hermanek will rely heavily on her veterans this season, especially with Stiene in the circle, but will also look to her other pitchers get the job done.
Stiene relishes that opportunity, especially after playing with Dorsey for three seasons.
“She was a workhorse basically in everything she did,” Stiene said. “That’s what I want from my senior year as well, is her senior year.”
And on the other side, Ohio has even more veteran leadership. Three seniors mark the Bobcat lineup, with redshirt senior Taylor Saxton and true seniors Mikayla Cooper in the infield and Haley Adams in the outfield.
Offense has been an emphasis in practice for the Bobcats, and Hermanek hopes that it pays off.
“A lot of maturity there,” she said. “I’m excited to see how they compete.”
