Ohio Baseball Topic
Topic: MAC Play!
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Andrew Ruck
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Posted: 3/25/2016 7:48 AM
The games that really matter start tonight and I'm excited. I think the Bobcats had a better OOC performance than their 9-11 record would indicate. The rotation improved and appears ready to go at the right time. And a freshman phenom has emerged in Rudy Rott to add to an already potent lineup. Mitch Longo still doesn't have a single homer, that figures to change quickly.

NIU is not a strong opponent and a good one to start with. A sweep would be great but we have to take 2.
Last Edited: 3/25/2016 7:50:05 AM by Andrew Ruck
Hooligan
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Posted: 3/25/2016 10:25 AM
It's going to be a long season unless the pitchers can cut back on the free passes. The amount of walks and the amount of runs scored due to walks is staggering.
Oldwriter
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Posted: 3/25/2016 11:21 AM
Need to solidify the closer role.
Andrew Ruck
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Posted: 3/25/2016 12:52 PM
I agree with both of you. The walks have been such a widespread issue, it is almost like it is a team philosophy to pitch around the zone / avoid the middle. But I do think the walks issue improved over the last couple weeks.

I'm not a huge believer in there having to be a defined closer but I think there are a few good options in the pen. It'd be nice to see one of them surface and dominate.
Andrew Ruck
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Posted: 3/25/2016 11:01 PM
Bobcats are shut out 2-0. Jake Miller goes all 9 innings and gives up just 2 hits and loses. Our potent offense managed just 5 singles against a freshman pitcher. Can't say I saw this coming.
Hooligan
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Posted: 3/27/2016 7:00 PM
Went to the game today and just saw the boxscore. 526 in attendance? There weren't 100 people int he stands, why the BS about the attendance?
Andrew Ruck
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Posted: 3/27/2016 8:57 PM
What an absolute gut punch to lose this series to start the MAC season, and to do it from such poor hitting is surprising. That's baseball though. OSU coming to town this week.
Hooligan
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Posted: 3/27/2016 9:16 PM
Sitz pitched well today. Most of NIUs hits were little bleeders with runners on. Ohio's hard hits were right at NIU defenders. Tough loss but too early to worry.
doubledribble
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Posted: 3/28/2016 11:47 AM
Bobcat pitching looking much improved from early season which is good news for the MAC schedule. Cats had a number of well hit balls that just did not find open areas in the Sunday game. NIU looks to be improved, and have a split with Illinois. Hopefully the Bobcats can shake the bats up and get some hits against the Bucks at the Wren tomorrow.
Big series this weekend against a good Ball State team at their "house". Need to get a series win to get the conference going in the right direction. Go Cats !
Last Edited: 3/28/2016 11:49:51 AM by doubledribble
BillyTheCat
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Posted: 3/28/2016 9:35 PM
Hooligan wrote:expand_more
Went to the game today and just saw the boxscore. 526 in attendance? There weren't 100 people int he stands, why the BS about the attendance?

Because it's how we count attendance, we do so in every sport, not sure of why this is a surprise.
Hooligan
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Posted: 3/28/2016 10:08 PM
BillyTheCat wrote:expand_more
Went to the game today and just saw the boxscore. 526 in attendance? There weren't 100 people int he stands, why the BS about the attendance?

Because it's how we count attendance, we do so in every sport, not sure of why this is a surprise.
The surprise is that the numbers are inflated by such a large amount.
Last Edited: 3/28/2016 10:10:50 PM by Hooligan
Catdude
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Posted: 4/3/2016 6:28 PM
Inflated numbers???? Look at runs scored by Ball State this weekend!!!
UpSan Bobcat
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Posted: 4/3/2016 7:46 PM
An extra-inning win away from being swept, although if Ohio had not blown a huge lead in the second game, it would have won the series. Still, a 2-4 start in MAC play is not what you'd hope for.
OhioBobcat
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Posted: 4/3/2016 9:33 PM
Tons of baseball left to be played. The important thing is simply making the MAC Tournament field. As last year proved, you just need to make the field and from there, anything can happen. Ohio handled teams in Avon that it lost to in the regular season. The pitching was as good as ever come tournament time and it proved to be the difference.
Bobcat Mac
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Posted: 4/8/2016 3:06 PM
Saw they are getting smoked in 8th inning at home against UB. Why the drop off?
BillyTheCat
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Posted: 4/17/2016 8:22 PM
Lost the BG series, now sitting in 7th/8th with Kent coming to town next weekend.
Andrew Ruck
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Posted: 4/18/2016 12:30 PM
We've lost a lot of games that we would've won last year with Cozart locking down the last couple innings. This team is really missing an ace, none of the main 3 starters have worked thru the control issues yet.

And I'm not sure which is more amazing...The fact that Longo still has 0 homers, or that Adryan has 11 of the team total of 19.

I still think we won't have any trouble getting a top 8 spot, and we'll go from there.
BillyTheCat
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Posted: 4/18/2016 7:21 PM
After Kent, we get a break with Central and Western, both having bad years. Those two will be big series.
UpSan Bobcat
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Posted: 4/20/2016 10:58 AM
Ohio thumped Morehead State 15-3 on Tuesday. Morehead State was an NCAA Tournament team last year. They seem not quite as good this year, but for the second year in a row, they rank as one of the best hitting teams in the country. As such, while it always is impressive to score 15 runs, perhaps the most encouraging thing was good pitching against a really good lineup. I wonder if Michael Klein might see an increased role in future league games with basically all of those starters struggling. As has been mentioned, those guys are issuing way too many walks, especially Rudnkicki (58 in 54 innings!).
Andrew Ruck
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Posted: 4/25/2016 8:45 AM
Bobcats swept with ease versus Kent. The offense really struggled to do much of anything...5 runs in 27 innings. A disappointing 5-9 in the MAC now.
UpSan Bobcat
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Posted: 5/2/2016 10:47 AM
It was a bye week from MAC play, and the Bobcats showed how good they can be, sweeping a doubleheader Sunday to take two of three overall from Notre Dame on the road.

While the Bobcats were off, they fell in the MAC standings and currently are on the fringe of the tournament picture. The last four teams are tied in winning percentage. Overall standings and remaining opponents are (no tiebreakers are being applied):

1. Kent State 14-4 (Buffalo, BG, Bye)
2t. Ball State 12-6 (EMU, Toledo, NIU)
2t. Northern Illinois 12-6 (Toledo, EMU, BSU)
2t. Miami 10-5 (WMU, CMU, Ohio)
5. Eastern Michigan 8-7 (BSU, NIU, Toledo)
6t. Western Michigan 6-9 (Miami, Ohio, CMU)
6t. Central Michigan 6-9 (Ohio, Miami, WMU)
8t. Bowling Green 6-12 (Bye, Kent, Buffalo)
8t. Buffalo 6-12 (Kent, Bye, BG)
8t. Toledo 5-10 (NIU, BSU, EMU)
8t. Ohio 5-10 (CMU, WMU, Miami)
Last Edited: 5/2/2016 10:49:27 AM by UpSan Bobcat
BillyTheCat
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Posted: 5/2/2016 12:47 PM
We have to make hay in our Western and Central series.
UpSan Bobcat
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Posted: 5/4/2016 12:54 PM
BillyTheCat wrote:expand_more
We have to make hay in our Western and Central series.
Yes, it's basically a round robin group of series the next three weeks between Ohio, CMU, WMU and Miami, so outperform CMU and WMU against the same foes and Ohio will finish ahead of them.

Ohio is third in the MAC in average and fourth in runs. The Bobcats are fourth in ERA and second in batting average against. As bad as they seem, walks aren't terrible, and Ohio pitcher's don't give up a lot of home runs. Ohio is third in fielding percentage.

But then if you go to MAC-only games, Ohio ranks poorly: third-to-last in batting average, second-to-last in ERA. Are Ohio's non-conference opponents really that much worse than other teams' or does Ohio just perform better in non-league games (like last weekend against Notre Dame)?
BillyTheCat
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Posted: 5/9/2016 12:48 AM
Well after this weekend we are in 9th (or worse with the tie-breakers, two series left.
Andrew Ruck
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Posted: 5/9/2016 10:10 AM
Barely even snuck one out. To quote Harry Doyle, we had one GD hit Friday. Left 18 on base yesterday...18! I don't think anyone on this team would disagree this has been a very disappointing season. I know they have it in them so I hope they can just find a way to sneak into the tourney and go from there.
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