Ohio's road toward defending its Mid-American Conference championship has been paved out.
The Bobcats announced its 53-game schedule for the 2018 season on Wednesday, with its first game scheduled on Feb. 16 against Rider in Lexington, South Carolina, as part of a four-game weekend series.
Ohio will play its first 23 games of the 2018 season on the road before making its home debut at Bob Wren Stadium on March 30 against Northern Illinois.
The Bobcats' first series of MAC play, however, begins a week prior to its home debut when they travel to Bowling Green on March 23.
Other notable opponents for Ohio include Maine (four-game series played in Atlanta, Georgia, from Feb. 23-25) and Ohio State (single game played in Columbus on April 10).
The Bobcats' 2017 season ended in the NCAA tournament following the team's third MAC-tournament victory in which Ohio went 4-0 in the conference's postseason. The Bobcats will look to defend their title despite losing 10 seniors, three of which consisted of the team's starting infield positions. Ohio's defense finished No. 12 in the nation in 2017 with a .980 fielding percentage.
The Bobcats had one player from 2017 enter the MLB. Right-handed pitcher Tom Colletti signed with the San Diego Padres as an undrafted free agent over the summer.
