Ohio kicked off Mid-American Conference play in a doubleheader against Northern Illinois this past weekend for its first conference series of the season. It wasn’t the best weekend for the Bobcats, but they still managed to take home their first conference win of the year.
Not only that, but it was Ohio coach Craig Moore’s first conference win as the full-time head coach. He had earned a handful as the interim head coach last season, but this was his first MAC win as the official head of the program.
The snow may have canceled Ohio’s Sunday series against Northern Illinois, but there is still plenty to celebrate — and worry about — from this past weekend. Here are The Post’s takeaways from Ohio’s first weekend of conference play:
Upperclassmen are key
It’s no secret that Ohio has an upperclassmen-heavy lineup, but what would the Bobcats do without them? Eight of Ohio’s nine starters in both games of the doubleheader were upperclassmen. The veteran presence gives the Bobcats an upper hand. Team chemistry isn’t created in a day.
A majority of the pitchers are working with a catcher they’ve thrown to for multiple seasons now. That in itself is the most essential part. While Ohio may find itself in a jam, the batterymen know how to communicate with each other in that situation because they’ve seen it before. This can waiver when an underclassman comes in as relief, but Ohio only started upperclassmen pitchers against Northern Illinois.
Also, having that many upperclassmen means that they’re used to the level of pitching they’ll see at the plate. On Friday, Ohio was led by redshirt senior Spencer Harbert in game one. Harbert hit two home runs that were bolstered by senior Colin Kasperbauer’s ability to get on base. In game two, it was a cluster of upperclassmen that led the offense.
Pitching might be a problem
When Ohio is on, it's on. When Ohio is off, it takes a monumental effort to get back on track.
Ohio used one pitcher in game one. Edward Kutt IV allowed two runs in seven innings, which was a complete game due to the doubleheader. However, game two was not as promising. Ohio used five pitchers in nine innings.
The number of arms could be viewed as a way to provide time on the mound for young arms. All four relievers in game two were freshmen. But short appearances won’t fly when Ohio plays four games in three days. With how pitch counts work, Friday relievers could appear again later in the series, but that’s not ideal. Ohio needs solid relievers who won’t allow runs.
Score early, score often
It may seem like an obvious statement, but it's true in Ohio’s case. When the Bobcats score early, they tend to win. In game one, the Bobcats had a one-run lead by the end of the first. But what pushed them toward a larger lead was the volume at which they scored in the later part of the game.
Ohio scored five runs in the fourth inning to increase its lead. It mixed a variety of hits with smart base running to jump ahead of Northern Illinois. It scored again in the fifth on a home run by Harbert, but the damage done in the fourth was what set Ohio apart.
In game two, the Bobcats once again did a majority of their scoring in the fourth inning, but they were already too far behind by that point. Not even the passed ball in the sixth could have helped Ohio defeat Northern Illinois a second time Friday.
It might work out
Starting off with a split in conference play is not a bad thing. Ohio will get a break from conference action against Marshall on Wednesday before resuming MAC play against Kent State.
Last season, Ohio started MAC play with a win and three losses against Bowling Green, and it ended that season with an overall winning record. If the Bobcats can keep moving along, they’ll be just fine.
