Coming off a much needed week-long break, Ohio (28-17, 9-6 Mid-American Conference) welcomes conference rival Miami to Athens this weekend for a three-game series. The Bobcats hope to clip the RedHawks, who are flying high in first place of Mid-American Conference standings.
Game Information
Opponent: Miami RedHawks (26-14, 11-4 MAC)
First pitch: 1 p.m. (Saturday), 3 p.m. (Saturday) Noon (Sunday)
Venue: Ohio Softball Field
How to watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7j-G0a0BxDE&feature=youtu.be
Meet the opponent
In the circle
Courtney Vierstra (11-7, 2.23 ERA, 122.1 IP,)
Taylor Rathe ( 2-1, 3.57 ERA, 51 IP)
Brianna Pratt ( 13-6, 3.13 ERA, 103 IP)
On deck
Ashton Slone (114 AB, .386 avg., 29 RBI)
Haeley Tran (137 AB, .299 avg, 6 RBI)
Morgan Lott ( 136 AB, .309 avg, 12 RBI)
Recent games
It’s been a rough month for the Bobcats. After entering April as one of the best teams in the MAC, Ohio failed to gain any ground in its hunt for first place after going 4-5 in conference games this month. Miami is currently on a five-game win streak after securing a sweep against Buffalo last weekend.
Last time out
Ohio got the better of Miami last season, winning the season series 2-1 and then defeating the RedHawks in the first round of the MAC tournament. This will be first-year head coach Kenzie Roark’s first time against Miami.
What this means for Ohio
This weekend is crucial for Ohio if it hopes to climb back into the mix for first place. It was a long month for the Bobcats and a series win against the conference leaders could be the way to still end strong. If Ohio fails it will slide further into the middle of the pack, and it won’t have enough time to get out.
