Sports
Ty Black earns MAC East POY Nod
By: Eric Singer
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For the second time this season, an Ohio Bobcat is taking home some hardware.
The Mid-American Conference announced on Wednesday that Ohio sophomore infielder Ty Black was named East Division Player of the Week, the first such honor of his career.
Black recorded seven hits in 11 plate appearances-including his first career home run (.558 average). He also drove in five runs, and scored five runs as well, as he helped the Bobcats to a weekend sweep of University of Illinois-Chicago (UIC). Black was also named MAC Player of the Week by College Sports Madness.com on Tuesday.
For the season, Black is hitting at a .390 clip-good for fourth on the team-with 10 RBI, eight runs scored and a .419 on-base percentage.
As mentioned before, it’s the second time this season that a Bobcat was named player of the week, as first baseman Jake Madsen and pitcher Connor Sitz took home the honor following the opening weekend sweep of UNC-Asheville.
Bobcats Catcher Named To Johnny Bench Award Watch List
More accolades rolled in for the Bobcats on Wednesday afternoon, as redshirt junior catcher Cody Gaertner was named to the Johnny Bench Award Watch List for 2015, as announced by the Greater Wichita Sports Commission.
Gaertner, who missed all of the 2014 season with a shoulder injury, has been a key part to the Bobcats (9-4) early success, hitting .333 with one home run, 13 RBI, and 13 runs scored. Defensively, he’s registered nine assists and 69 putouts, and has caught three runners stealing.
The award, presented by BaseballSavings.com, is given each year to the best catcher in Division I baseball in honor of former Cincinnati Reds great and National Baseball Hall of Famer Johnny Bench. The watch list, which features 75 catchers, will remain the same until it is narrowed down on May 14 when the semifinalists will be named. From there, a national vote will take place to narrow that list to the final three, with the winner being named on June 25 at the 18th Greater Wichita Sports Banquet.
Previous winners include current MLB catchers Mike Zunino (Seattle Mariners), Bryan Holaday (Detroit Tigers), Buster Posey (San Francisco Giants), and Kurt Suzuki (Minnesota Twins).
Bobcats Set To Begin 2015 Home Slate
As a college baseball team from the north, it is normal for the team to spend the first month traveling the south, evading the frigid weather in the north.
After 14 games, the Bobcats are ready to come home.
They will begin their home slate on Saturday with a doubleheader, as they welcome in Siena for a three-game series.
“After all the travel for the first few weeks, it’s always nice when you finally get to play at home,” Ohio coach Rob Smith said before the season.
Siena comes into Athens with a meager 1-10 record, including six-straight losses, the latest an 11-0 shutout at the hands of Michigan. Ohio’s expected pitchers for the weeked are Connor Sitz (3-1, 3.26 ERA) and Jake Rudnicki (1-0, 9.82 ERA) on Saturday, and Evan Geist (2-1, 6.62 ERA) on Sunday.