It’s safe to say Ohio will be better focused for this week’s games.
A common theme for the Bobcats after getting swept last weekend was they all wanted to put the series behind them.
Ohio will hit the road Tuesday to face Xavier in Cincinnati.
Xavier, which currently sits at second place in the Big East Conference standings, is not an easy team for Ohio to rebound against. The Musketeers (10-6) have two fewer wins than the Bobcats (4-12) have losses this season.
Xavier started the season with four straight victories before dropping three straight to the likes of North Carolina. Xavier has won six of its last nine games since that point, including two victories in a three-game series against Toledo this past weekend.
Xavier redshirt junior outfielder Patrick Jones leads the team this season with a .342 batting average. Junior infielder Joe Forney leads the Musketeers with 22 hits, including a team-high of eight doubles. Senior infielder Tres Eberhardt leads the squad with 16 runs on 17 hits this season
Ohio freshman center fielder Mitch Longo suffered a wrist injury in the team’s last game Saturday while attempting to make a diving catch on a fly ball. He will be a game-time decision for Tuesday’s bout with Xavier.
Longo leads the Bobcats all major batting categories, with a .410 batting average, eight runs, 25 hits, 13 RBI and two home runs.
Sophomore pitcher Jake Miller will toe the rubber for the Bobcats on Tuesday after missing his scheduled start this past weekend because of a schedule change.
He did pitch in relief of freshman hurler Jake Rudnicki on Saturday, going for 2.2 innings of work, allowing six earned runs and claiming the loss. Miller has a 12.89 ERA in six appearances this season, where he has gone for 14.2 innings allowing 26 hits, three fewer runs and 12 walks in 71 at-bats. He has been involved in two decisions, owning a 0-2 record this season.
A win by Ohio would give the Bobcats their fifth victory of the season, as they head into their Mid-American Conference-opening series this weekend at home with three games against Central Michigan.
“The next 13 games we have are big for us,” sophomore first baseman John Adryan said. “We would like to get above .500 if we can. We’re playing for everyone who supports us, and we’re just trying to stay positive and do our thing to win. That’s our main focus right now.”
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Up Next
Who: Ohio at Xavier
When: 3 p.m., Tuesday
Where: Cincinnati, Ohio
