The Bobcats have a chance to gain ground on their division leader this weekend against the Golden Flashes.
Ohio finds itself in a different position now compared to last season in so many ways.
For starters, it nearly doubled its win total from the 2014 season and is sitting just one victory short of its total Mid-American Conference wins from last season with 15 conference games remaining.
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The Bobcats have a goal coming into view that last year was never more than a hopeless mirage.
With a 6-6 record in MAC play, the Bobcats are in a favorable position to make the MAC postseason tournament — something they missed out on last season when they won just seven of 20 conference games.
When Ohio (20-14, 6-6 MAC) heads to Kent State (20-13, 8-4 MAC) this weekend for a three-game series, the Bobcats can move another step closer to that playoff goal.
Junior right-hander Jake Miller (2-2, 2.91 ERA) will pitch for Ohio in Friday’s game at 6 p.m. The Bobcats will face the Golden Flashes again Saturday at 4 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m. The games will be played at Schoonover Stadium in Kent, Ohio.
In the MAC East division, Ohio is alone in third place behind Akron and Kent State, who each hold an 8-4 MAC record. A series win over Kent State would help Ohio get closer to postseason contention and help them gain ground in the division.
A sweep of the Golden Flashes would put the Bobcats in first place for the MAC East, barring a weekend stumble from Akron.
“We’ve got a goal of making the conference tournament,” Ohio coach Rob Smith said. “We’ve got an idea of how many wins we need to get in order to get there and (playing Kent State) is an opportunity to pick up some of those wins.”
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Though the Bobcats have won just one of their four conference series so far, they’ve picked up at least one win in each matchup to remain competitive.
If Ohio only gets one win this weekend, it’s likely to come in Friday’s game with Miller on the mound.
Miller is Ohio’s Friday starter — typically the spot penciled in for the best starter in the pitching staff — for the third consecutive weekend. In his last two starts, Miller has pitched a combined 11 1/3 innings and given up four runs (three earned) with 14 strikeouts.
He’ll need to focus on limiting Kent State’s scoring chances in early innings, which is something Ohio has struggled with all season. In 34 games, the Bobcats have given up 67 runs in the first two innings.
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Last year, when Ohio was swept by Kent State at Bob Wren Stadium, the Golden Flashes scored 11 runs in the first two innings.
Ohio catcher Kyle Dean is looking for sharper defense and more aggressive pitching in the 2015 series to give the Bobcats a better chance at winning and, as a result, moving up in the MAC standings.
“Every weekend for us is important,” Dean said. “But with Kent State, it’s definitely a different feel to the weekend.”
jh950614@ohio.edu
@JordanHorrobin
