Ohio has gained some traction of late. It won six of the final nine games of the nonconference slate. As Ohio makes its way into Mid-American Conference play, it will meet Miami in the Battle of the Bricks. Ohio will also play its first home games of the season at Ohio Softball Field.
While this is one of the most contentious rivalries in the MAC, this season’s series will also see the preseason No. 1 team in the MAC, Miami, face off against the preseason No. 3 team, Ohio. The high-octane matchup, although being played early in the season, could hold massive implications long term when it comes to seeding and tiebreakers in postseason play later in the year.
Here is the information for the Bobcats’ first home series of the season:
Game Information:
Opponent: Miami (OH)
Dates and Times: March 17 at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. and March 18 at 1 p.m.
Live stream: Friday game 1, Friday game 2, Saturday
Live stats: Live stats can be found here
Meet the Opponent:
Individual statistics leaders
Batting average: Allie Cummins (.333)
OPS: Cummins (1.223)
Hits: Karli Spaid (21)
Home runs: Spaid (7)
RBI: Spaid (22)
Innings pitched: Brianna Pratt (64.0)
ERA: Laurelai DePew (2.96)
Strikeouts: Pratt (47)
Notes:
Miami is 12-7 after a successful nonconference schedule. Miami started slow, but a five-game weekend sweep in the Murray State Tournament that saw it give up a mere eight runs over the course of the weekend invigorated the team. While Miami did falter a little bit against better competition in the DeMarini Invitational against the likes of Cal, Villanova and Stanford, Miami has rebounded to win three of its last four games.
Series History:
The Battle of the Bricks is a matchup that both schools circle on the calendar regardless of the sport or venue. In softball, the Bobcats and RedHawks have split the last 32 matchups. Ohio won two out of three games last year in Oxford including a doubleheader sweep that saw it score an astounding 25 runs. As both teams return very similar rosters, expect the RedHawks to have revenge on their mind while the Bobcats look to carry over their dominance to this season.
