Just a week ago, Ohio looked poised to head into Mid-American Conference play with some fire as it owned an 11-7 record and had won six of its past eight games.
But now, the Bobcats (11-11) are on a four-game losing streak, their longest skid this season, as they head to Columbus to play Ohio State on Tuesday night.
Three of Ohio's last four losses came as one-run losses, all to Butler last weekend, while the fourth was just a two-run defeat to Morehead State. The Bobcats haven't been blown out by any stretch this year, with two other one-run losses as well.
The Bobcats recent frequency of coming up short put a deflating look on coach Rob Smith, but his team is hitting the reset button before playing Ohio State. It is Ohio's final game before it slides into the thick of its MAC schedule.
"We can't let this weekend linger," Smith said. "You have to take it for what it is. It was certainly a disappointing week to not come out with any wins, but we competed hard and we just have to continue to get better."
Return of the In-State Rivalry
The last time the Bobcats played the Buckeyes was almost exactly a year ago, when Ohio State prevailed in a 6-3 win.
Hundreds of fans packed into Bob Wren Stadium as the two in-state rivals played against one another in Athens for the first time since 1993.
This time, Ohio will return as the visitor to Nick Swisher Field at Bill Davis Stadium hoping to capitalize on a struggling Ohio State ball club that has lost six of its last seven games — a complete contrast to the situation last season, where the Buckeyes had won six of their previous seven.
For Ohio, the situation is more similar. Prior to the matchup last season, the Bobcats were 10-13 and struggling to find runs on offense. While the record is slightly better a year later, Ohio's offense has still lacked the support needed to compliment its stellar pitching.
But with a much more depleted Ohio State ball club, the Bobcats have a good opportunity to capture a big win over a big team, which may be enough to put them back on track as they head into conference play next weekend.
