Sports
Podcast: Ohio Prepares For Eastern Michigan, Xavier
By: Eric Singer
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The Bobcats went 1-3 since the last time the On Deck crew discussed the team's prospects, with their one win coming against Toledo. The Bobcats dropped the other two in their three-game series at home and one on the road to Cincinnati.
Ohio now sits at 4-19 overall and 1-2 in the Mid-American Conference, and they hit the road for their second MAC series of the season against Eastern Michigan. The Bobcats won 2-of-3 games last season against the Eagles, but Eastern Michigan has started the season off 10-13 and swept Cincinnati earlier this season in a three-game series.
Eastern Michigan is 0-3 in the MAC after getting swept by Miami in their MAC opener, where they gave up 41 hits in three games. The Eagles have been led this season by outfielder Sam Ott, who was First Team All-MAC last season. The junior is hitting .359 this season with nine doubles and 17 RBIs.
They have also received strong play from Mesa Community College transfer Adam Sonaben, who has been hitting .329 with 17 RBIs this season. He has also played well behind the plate. Other players to keep an eye on are Jamie Simpson (.304, 3 home runs, 14 RBIs) and Lee Longo (.286, 11 RBIs).
Ohio returns home to face Xavier, who has started off 9-11 overall this season. The Musketeers are among the top hitting teams in the nation, with a .304 batting average (27th in the nation), .378 on-base percentage (68th) and .411 slugging percentage (61st).
Xavier also features one of the top hitters in the nation in senior Mark Elwell. The outfielder is 54th in the nation with a .400 batting average. He also has hit eight doubles for 14 RBIs and a .494 OBP.
First pitch in game one against Eastern Michigan is set for 3 p.m. The two next two games are at 1 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The Bobcats come home to face Xavier on April 2 at 6 p.m.