The Mid-American Conference announced early Monday morning that Ohio sophomore quarterback Nathan Rourke has won the MAC East Division Player of the Week for his three touchdown performance against Hampton on Saturday night. It was Rourke’s first game in a Bobcat uniform and the team turned in a solid performance en route to a 59-0 victory.

In addition to his three touchdowns, Rourke rushed for 50 yards on six carries and went 6-of-10 for 72 yards through the air. Rourke finished the game with a 95.6 raw quarterback rating as well.

“It was great to get out there and get into the rhythm of things and hopefully this is just the building blocks for the future,” Rourke said after Saturday’s game.

The Bobcats dominated in all phases of the game against Hampton on Saturday, scoring seven rushing touchdowns while holding the Pirates to 108 yards of total offense and two turnovers.

“He makes good decisions and he’s a good running quarterback. He made some really sharp, crisp passes, I know some he’d like to take back,” head coach Frank Solich said following Saturday’s game.

Despite winning the player of the week, Solich said in his press conference on Monday that he is still committed to the two-quarterback system. Rourke and Quinton Maxwell will continue to share reps against the Purdue Boilermakers.

The Bobcats travel to West Lafayette, Indiana, this Friday to take on the Boilermakers at Ross-Ade Stadium.

Kick-off is set for 8 p.m. on Fox Sports 1.

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It was all Ohio in their first game of the season as they defeated the Hampton Pirates 59-0 on Saturday night to start the year off with a victory. The Bobcats lead from start to finish as they kept an opponent scoreless for the first time since 2015 when they shut out Kent St. 27-0.

Ohio dominated on the ground, totaling 248 yards and seven touchdowns. It was the first time since 2002 that they rushed for seven touchdowns in a game and the first time since 2014 that two players rushed for two or more scores.

Sophomore quarterback Nathan Rourke totaled three rushing touchdowns while freshman running back Julian Ross tacked on two more scores of his own.

“At first the yards were tough to come by, but our offense was able to keep ourselves on the field by completing first downs and I think it was the wear down effect,” head coach Frank Solich said.

The team also did its part in the passing game through the combination of quarterbacks, Quinton Maxwell and Rourke. The two of them put up 172 yards through the air together, on 13-of-19 passing and one interception.

“We’re a young offense, but we wanted to prove that we can put up a lot of points this year. We want to make sure that if we’re in the red-zone, that we’re punching it in,” redshirt freshman wide receiver Cameron Odom said.

While the offense did their part and put up all the points, the defense did its job as well, keeping the Pirates off the scoreboard for the full 60 minutes. In addition to holding Hampton scoreless, the Bobcats gave up just 108 yards of total offense, forced two turnovers, and tacked on three sacks.

After seeing the departure of multiple key defensive players from last season’s team, the defense looked like it hadn’t skipped a beat with the way they played from the opening kickoff to the final whistle. Players were flying around the field, hitting hard, and showing they are still the same Bobcat defense that the team has prided itself on throughout the Solich era.

“We lost those guys, but it’s time for our young players to step up,” senior nose tackle Cleon Aleose said.

Despite last season’s unit getting a lot of praise, this year’s defense already has one accomplishment that last year’s never achieved. A shutout victory.

With the season opener out of the way, the Bobcats have a much tougher task ahead of them next Friday when they travel to West Lafayette, Indiana, to take on the Purdue Boilermakers.

“I don’t feel like I need to worry about them getting themselves prepared or ready to go. They’ll do that on their own,” Solich said.

Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. next Friday at Ross-Ade Stadium.

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Ohio running back A.J. Ouellette has spent the vast majority of spring practices and Fall Camp in a non-contact jersey. But Saturday, for the first time since the fourth snap of last season, he is playing in a real game. One that counts, in Peden Stadium.

This weekend is the first game of the season for most college football teams, but for Ouellette, it is something a little more. He is back in Peden Stadium and ready for the breakout season that was taken away from him last year. Head coach Frank Solich called him “really special” this week. In his first two seasons, Ouellette ran for 1,517 yards and 13 touchdowns. Assuming health, he could have similar numbers this year alone.  

At this time last season, Ouellette was heading into his junior year. After starting his first two years, Ouellette was primed for a breakout season. However, things didn’t go as planned. On the fourth play from scrimmage, Ouellette took a handoff from quarterback Greg Windham and ran to the right. Ouellette tried to turn up the field, but couldn’t. 

His leg gave out. He was later diagnosed with a tear of the Lisfranc ligament in his foot. Season over.

“They are injuries that unfortunately take a long time to recover from because when the injury occurs in the midfoot area, basically that’s the top of the arch and that’s where a lot of the stress goes on a running athlete,” Dr. Robert Anderson said in an interview with Bill Bradley. “In order to push off or power through the foot, you have to have a stable midfoot.”

Ouellette watched the next week’s game from the sidelines, leaning on crutches. He then had surgery. From there, he committed himself to the rehab process.

“After that week went by, I knew I was done,” Ouellette said. “So after that, I committed myself to the athletic training room and told myself if you attack athletic training, like you do the weight room or on the field, you’ll come back even better.”

Ouellette spent about three or four months riding around on a scooter. After he got off the scooter it was time to “attack athletic training,” by doing different stretches and physical therapy exercises to strengthen the ligament.

Despite being upset and having his breakout season cut short, Ouellette did not miss a practice or a game. He was there for his team and the sport he loves.

“Everybody has their thing. Mine is football. Simple as that,” Ouellette said. “Growing up I wasn’t too good in the classroom, I tried. Never had straight A’s, stuff like that, but football always came naturally to me. It’s always a passion I had at a young age and I didn’t want to miss a beat when I couldn’t play.”

He committed himself to coming back better than ever. And he has.

“He’s bigger, faster, stronger than he was prior to the surgery,” said Tim Albin, the Bobcats’ offensive coordinator, and running backs coach. “He’s stronger than he was a year ago, faster than he was a year ago. He’s had no issues with that foot. He’s done an outstanding job, to get back and put himself in this position. He’s definitely going to be a spark to the offense.”

Most of Bobcat Nation will overlook the game against the Hampton Pirates and look at it as the tune up for Purdue. But for Ouellette, he gets his chance to help Ohio get a victory, something he sorely missed a year ago.

“It feels great you don’t know how great game week, game day actually feels until you miss it so having an actual game week, preparing for a victory feels pretty good now,” Ouellette said.

A Lisfranc injury can sometimes have a long recovery. So Ouellette returning to game action less than one year to the day shows his desire to get back on the field.

“He’s coming back from an injury very few players have ever been able to come back from. In fact, it seemed that there was no surgery that seemed to be the answer to that injury,” head coach Frank Solich said.

After such a serious injury, some players would change their style to avoid another major injury. Not Ouellette. He’s keeping his signature style.

“Nope. Still the same, power back with some dance moves I would say,” Ouellette said. “Still love running between the tackles, but if I have to I’ll bounce it, show off a little speed I guess.”

Ouellette wants this year to be his breakout year. He wants to prove that he and fellow running back Dorian Brown can be the best running back duo the Mid-American Conference. Ouellette has a very strong offensive line in front of him, he is completely healthy and has another very good back behind him to run with him. His hopes are high for this season.

How high?

He said he thinks Ohio can score 60 points a game.

Ouellette was asked a second time about Ohio achieving that number. He responded, “Yeah we can put it up.”

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It’s the next man up mentality for the Ohio Bobcats’ receiving group.

On August 27th, Elijah Ball, a projected starter for the Bobcats this season, announced via Twitter that he would miss the entire 2017 season with a torn ACL. The loss of Ball is a huge blow to an offense that does not have much experience at the receiver position.

Redshirt senior Brendan Cope, a leader on the receiving core, was saddened to learn the news about Ball. Cope, who will be one of the starters this Saturday against Hampton, acknowledged that he’s going to have to step up his game.

“I was absolutely stunned and saddened when he first told me,” Cope said when he found out that Ball would be sidelined for the season. “He told me, well you’ll be having to make a couple more plays now. But now, it’s the next man up mentality for us and whether you’re a senior or you’re a freshman, it’s the same system so you have to be ready to go.”

Ball leaves big shoes to fill in the Bobcat offense, so for a guy like Cope, it’ll be extremely vital that he remain on the field to make plays alongside Papi White. Cope was in and out of the lineup with nagging injuries last season. He focused on getting healthy in the offseason in preparation to be a vital piece in the offense.

“Right after the [Dollar General] bowl game [last year], I got surgery, so obviously it wasn’t the best Christmas being in a sling all winter,” Cope said. “I did a lot of therapy in the spring so that way when the summer and fall came, I had most of my strength back and I was ready to go.”

The Bobcats will need their veteran to be all systems go and be one of the leaders of a young position group. 10 of the 16 receivers on the Bobcats roster are underclassmen, so it will be important that guys like Cope and White lead by example on the field.

Bobcats head coach Frank Solich had nothing but high praise for Cope, who in a press conference on Monday, said that Cope was one of the fastest players on the team. Cope was humbled to receive that praise and hopes that it will translate on the field.

“I take that as a compliment,” Cope said with a big smile on his face. “Don’t want to be prideful, but I believe it’s accurate. I just want to make sure that I can display that speed on Saturday’s and that I’m conditioned enough to do it for four quarters.”

Cope’s fully aware that the depth at receiver has to go past him and White. Slated to fill Ball’s role in the offense is redshirt freshman Cam Odom. Cope believes that Odom is ready to take on a large responsibility in the Bobcat offense.

“Cam is the next man up,” Cope said. “He’s returning from a stinger he suffered early in camp, but he’s ready to go and I’m excited to see what he can do.”

Odom, who played behind Ball during Fall Camp was crushed to learn that he and Ball couldn’t share the field this year. For Odom, it hurt a little more because he and Ball are roommates and it felt like losing a brother. Last year, Odom watched from the sidelines as his brother tore up defenses.

Now this year, his brother will be watching him try to do the same.

“We were excited all offseason and getting the chance to play together since I didn’t play last season,” Odom said. “All we talked about was scoring touchdowns and celebrating together so that really hurt when he told me that. I’m dedicating this whole season to Elijah.”

That dedication begins with his work ethic on the field. Odom realizes that every little detail in practice matters.

“Every day I’m grinding at practice, making every play count and playing fast,” Odom said. “I have the same mindset every day and that starts on Saturday.”

Odom is carrying that killer instinct with the hope that things in Detroit will end differently than they did a year ago. Odom did not play in that game so he didn’t get a taste of it, but this year he plans on rewriting the script.

“Last year seeing the seniors go out with back-to-back losses put a chip on everyone’s shoulders,” Odom said. “We’ve seen it. We got a taste of it. But we want a different outcome this year.”

Odom and the rest of the ‘Cats know that if they want a different result this year, the offense has to be clicking on all cylinders. He’s extremely excited to see what he and the rest of the offense can do on the field with starting quarterback Quinton Maxwell.

“Me and Q [Quinton Maxwell] talk all the time about making plays,” Odom said. “Q is not only excited about me but all the receivers and weapons he has this year. We have a lot of speed and a lot of guys that can make plays.”

Saturday’s home opener against Hampton will be the first chance for Odom, Cope and the rest of the weapons on offense to show that they can be one of the most dynamic offenses in the MAC.

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Week one of the 2017 Ohio Football season is upon us, and it is time to take a look at who is standing in the way of the Bobcats path to a second consecutive Mid-American Conference Championship game appearance. According to the 2017 Football Power Index put together by ESPN, Ohio has no excuse not to be playing in Detroit this December.

Out of the 130 teams in the FBS, Ohio is dead last in schedule difficulty.

It’s not hard to see why. Only two teams on Ohio’s schedule finished 2016 with a winning record, the Toledo Rockets (9-4) and the Eastern Michigan Eagles (7-6). Pair that with 17 returning starters from last year’s campaign, and you get a team that many, including coaches around the MAC, expect to capture their second consecutive MAC East title.

Game One: Hampton

The tune up. The teaser. The confidence builder.

That’s what many of the Bobcat faithful expect this matchup to be. Hampton – an FCS school located on the coast of Virginia – opens the 2017 season at Peden Stadium for the first ever meeting between the two schools. The Pirates are big underdogs in this matchup after finishing last season with a 5-6 record. All five of the Pirates victories came against Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference opponents. The Bobcats are expected to use a lot of young players in this game to get them used to live action situations. The opener will be a big opportunity for backup quarterback Nathan Rourke to showcase his skills when it really matters.

Game Two: at Purdue

The marquee matchup of Ohio’s non-conference schedule and what could be their hardest test all season, the Bobcats pay a visit to West Lafayette, Indiana.

Ohio faces a team they’ve never beaten in seven previous attempts.

Following a disappointing 3-9 season that saw head coach Darrell Hazell fired in October, Purdue hired Western Kentucky head coach Jeff Brohm as his replacement after amassing a 30-10 record with the Hilltoppers.

Brohm, well known for energy in the locker room and his stint in the XFL, makes this Boilermaker team a wild card for the rest of the country. No one knows how much his spirit and the high-powered offense he brings to Purdue will affect their win/loss column this year. Question marks aside, Ohio needs to be prepared for a tough road battle against a team hungry to prove that Brohm is the man for the job.

Game Three: Kansas

The Jayhawks have been bottom feeders in the Big-12 for nearly a decade and this year isn’t expected to be any different. Setting aside their 24-21 over Texas, last year’s 2-10 season was a disaster and Ohio Football played a part. The Bobcats beat Kansas 37-21 in Lawrence and the game was never very close. The Bobcats have home-field advantage on their side this time around and heightened confidence after last year’s win on the road. Barring a giant leap by the Kansas defense, Ohio should take care of business against the Jayhawks.

Game Four: at Eastern Michigan

After losing a 27-20 heartbreaker to the Eagles in Peden Stadium last season, Ohio should be hungry to return the favor when they travel to Ypsilanti. Eastern Michigan was up and down throughout 2016, but a 6-7 final record was a massive improvement for a team that had won three games in the two years prior. That improvement paired with the arm of Brogan Roback makes the Eagles a scary team to face in the first conference game of the season. Roback, a former four-star recruit, threw for 2,694 yards and 18 touchdowns in 10 games last year. The highlight of that campaign came against Ohio where he amassed 347 yards, and 3 touchdowns through the air en route to victory. Ohio has to win the battle in the trenches and put consistent pressure on Roback or this could be Déjà vu for the Bobcats.

Game Five: at UMass

A trip to Amherst, Massachusetts awaits Ohio for their final non-conference matchup of 2017 against a Minutemen team that never took up arms last season. UMass was the worst independent team in the FBS last season, finishing the year with a 2-10 record and one of the worst defenses in college football. The Minutemen gave up 30-plus points in nine games last season and they’ve continued that trend to start this season after dropping their opening game to Hawaii 38-35. This one could be a letdown road game for Ohio but if they can manage a few defensive stops a victory is in the cards.

Game Six: Central Michigan

Ohio Football just can’t seem to figure out the Central Michigan Chippewas.

Following last years 27-20 loss in Mt. Pleasant the Chippewas took a commanding 24-5 all-time series lead over Ohio.

This year they welcome the Chippewas into Peden Stadium for a mid-season clash and for the first time in four years Central Michigan will have a new man under center. Four-year starter Cooper Rush is now focused on finding a roster spot in the NFL, and that’s welcome news for Ohio Football fans after Rush threw for 268 yards, and two touchdowns in last year’s matchup. The Chippewas defense was suspect in 2016 and the departure of Rush means Ohio has a good shot to pick up their sixth all-time victory over Central Michigan.

Game Seven: at Bowling Green State

From one historically tough opponent to the next, the Falcons hold a 40-26 all-time record against Ohio but last year’s insertion of freshman James Morgan was just what the doctor prescribed. Morgan struggled with accuracy against the Bobcats and was under pressure throughout the contest, Ohio sacked the freshman four times and intercepted him once. That will be the recipe for victory once again this season: keep Morgan off his rhythm, and punish the historically poor Falcons defense.

Game Eight: Kent State

Ohio welcomes Kent State into Peden Stadium for the first of three straight home games near the end of the season.

This one reeks of a trap game for the Bobcats.

The Golden Flashes have finished 3-9 in each of the past two seasons but their defense has kept them in plenty of battles, they just can’t seem to gather enough playmakers to win close football games. Now that defense has just five players returning from last year’s team that held Ohio to 14 points. Putting all that aside, Ohio has a chance to be undefeated going into this game and if they start thinking about the date with Miami a week too early, that perfect record will be gone in a flash.

Game Nine: Miami

Peden Stadium should be rocking for this matchup. Ohio fans have pegged this as the most anticipated game of the 2017 season and it’s not hard to see why.

Halloween. Battle of the Bricks. Tuesday night MACtion.

This should be an electric battle between two teams picked to finish first and second in the MAC East this season and the division title could be on the line.

Midway through last season, Miami seemed like the same old Redhawks: 0-6 and on their way to another lost season.

Enter Gus Ragland.

The junior quarterback fought through a torn ACL to come back halfway through the year and sparked the Redhawks to six straight wins, throwing for 1,537 yards, 17 touchdowns, and one interception. Miami became the first team in FBS history to finish a regular season 6-0 after starting 0-6. The last time Miami lost at home was a 17-7 defeat at the hands of the Bobcats. This time around they want to return the favor and bolster a MAC East title résumé.

Game Ten: Toledo

Similar to Western Michigan last season, Toledo represents the cream of the crop in the MAC this season. As the preseason favorites to win the conference, Toledo returns seven starters on defense, a deep receiving corps, and most importantly: quarterback Logan Woodside. The senior is looking to lead his team to the MAC Championship for the first time since 2004 and is the preseason favorite for MAC Offensive Player of the Year. This will be Ohio’s toughest test of the season but if they channel their play from last year’s 31-26 victory in the Glass Bowl (their first win in Toledo since 1967) they’ll have a good shot to close out the home schedule in style.

Game Eleven: at Akron

Last years date with the Akron Zips might as well have been called the Louie Zervos Show. The most consistent placekicker in the nation went 3-for-3 on the night to seal a 9-3 victory and the 2016 MAC East title. This year could play out very similarly in what is expected to be a cold, physical northern Ohio battle between two division rivals. The defenses will likely be the difference in this matchup, especially if Akron doesn’t turn around a unit that gave up 33.6 points per game last fall.

Game Twelve: at Buffalo

Rounding out the 2017 season for Ohio Football is a trip to Buffalo. Ohio should have no problem taking care of a Bulls team that went 2-10 last season and averaged a paltry 16.5 points per game. The defense returns its top-six tacklers but if 6-7 dual-threat quarterback Tyree Jackson doesn’t figure out how to keep drives going on third down it will be a long day against an Ohio team primed for another MAC Championship Game run.

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Every ship needs an anchor and for the Ohio Bobcats, it comes in the form of senior center Jake Pruehs.

Pruehs for the second year in a row has been named to the 2017 Outland Trophy Watch List as he is considered one of the top interior lineman in the country. Even though he received the high praise last year, he was still caught off guard by the achievement.

“I’m super honored [to be named to the 2017 Outland Trophy Watch List] and honestly, I had no idea about it,” Pruehs said. “I looked at some of the names and I would have never expected to be on the list again. I’m going to work hard to try to remain on that list the entire season.”

Pruehs credited the preseason accolades to his teammates and the Bobcats’ success a year ago that saw them reach the 2016 Marathon Mid-American Conference Championship Game. He believes a lot of the recognition he’s received is due to being in a successful program.

“Awards like that come along with being a part of a winning team,” Pruehs said. “I know a lot of those awards are given to guys who are on winning teams, but I think there are guys out there who are just as good, if not better than me but aren’t necessarily winning so they aren’t getting the recognition they deserve.”

While Pruehs is focused on being one of the premier offensive linemen in the country, as a senior he’s taking every day one step at a time as he realizes that his tenure in the green and white is coming to a close.

“[Senior year] came really fast and I hope that the previous seasons have prepared me for this one,” Pruehs said. “I know I have to step it up one more notch going into this camp.”

It’s amazing to think that Pruehs and the rest of the offensive line could take their game to another level. Last season, the team averaged nearly 400 total yards of offense per game, 170 of that coming in the running game, but in Pruehs eyes, they can be an even more effective unit this year.

“If there were any hiccups last year, it would be because of one person,” Pruehs said. “We’re trying to fine-tune any issues we may have so that we have everyone on the same page. All of that comes with the comradery and chemistry up front.”

Being the veteran of this offensive line, Pruehs has taken it among himself to be the leader that steers the ship for the Bobcats in the trenches. In a way, he’s embraced becoming a pseudo player/coach.

“I’m very confident in helping some of these younger guys,” Pruehs said. “We’re very experienced as a group but our backups don’t have that experience so we’re trying to get everyone ready so that way in case something does happen, guys are ready to step in and play. There’s a part where you’re behind the whistle and in front of the whistle and both sides of that I really enjoy.”

Pruehs and the rest of the offensive line have set some lofty expectations for this upcoming season, but they’re confident and believe that they can do something for the first time in school history.

“Obviously, there are no good stats for offensive lineman except when it comes to having 1,000-yard rushers,” Pruehs said. “We want one, even two running backs to have over 1,000 yards rushing. Every game our goal is to have a 100-yard rusher with a couple of touchdowns because they’re both as a result of the offensive line.”

If the Bobcats offensive line can deliver on these goals, they will once again be a force to reckon with as one of the preseason favorites in the MAC East. Pruehs and the rest of the Bobcats are by no means content with just one MAC Championship appearance.

“That has been the carrot that has been dangling in our faces all offseason,” Pruehs said. “We got the taste of it, but we didn’t quite get the job done. For me, that’s what you work for all season is long is for a game like that and when you get a hint of it, that’s all you want.”

Pruehs is focused on avenging last year’s loss MAC Championship game but also realizes that he must look ahead to his future outside of Athens. He has professional football aspirations just like many other college players, but he’s very content on wherever his life takes him next.

“I’m fully invested in taking that path to the NFL, but I’m also on track to graduate from the engineering program this spring,” Pruehs said. “However this season takes me I’m either going to go the engineering route or go the football route and I’m thankful for whatever happens.”

At this point, Pruehs does know one thing: the Bobcats are in prime position to get back to Detroit this year and hopefully take a bite from that elusive carrot.

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In the sport of football, individual greatness is often rewarded with praise and recognition. The best players are identified by the “experts” and rarely slip through the cracks. Ohio’s newest quarterback Nathan Rourke is an exception to that rule.

“I’ve had a chip on my shoulder ever since I came to the states,” Rourke said after the first day of Ohio Football Fall Camp. “I’m a Canadian kid, I’m a juco kid, and I’m a private school in Alabama kid and all three of those things makes for a pretty big chip.”

Originally from Canada, Rourke attended Holy Trinity High School in Oakville, Ontario. His playmaking skill set and athleticism were no match for our neighbors to the north. The 6-foot-2-inch gunslinger led his school to their first Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations Championship in 2014.

Having realized his full potential against Canadian high schools, The Ontario native moved down to Elwood, Alabama to continue pursuing his football dream.

Rourke enrolled in Edgewood Academy for his senior season and went nuclear on every team he faced, passing for 3,779 yards, and 66 total touchdowns all while guiding his team to a perfect 13-0 record, culminating in a victory at the AA Alabama State Championship.

Yet despite all of this success against top-notch competition, zero FBS schools made an offer to Rourke. The next step in his journey took him to an unlikely place: Fort Scott, Kansas.

The Canadian arrived at Fort Scott Community College last fall and didn’t waste any time making his presence felt. Rourke started all 11 games for the Greyhounds and despite finishing the year with a disappointing 4-7 record, he flourished behind a patch work offensive line. At season’s end, Rourke had thrown for 2,367 yards and 18 touchdowns, good enough to land him First Team All-KJCC honors.

Now officially on the FBS radar, Rourke got a call from Ohio Football.

The Bobcats wanted to add depth at the quarterback position and Rourke was their man. After signing with Ohio in December, he took advantage of the timing and enrolled into the university for the spring semester.

“I definitely made the right decision in December,” Rourke said. “This is a program that I really wanted to be apart of and I’m just really excited.”

With a full semester to get acclimated to his playbook and life on campus, Rourke now faces his next challenge: Quinton Maxwell.

The redshirt sophomore came into camp as the number one quarterback on the depth chart and deservedly so. Maxwell played in nine games for Ohio last season and was an integral part of a berth in the 2016 MAC Football Championship, now he wants to put a stranglehold on that starting job.

Though he may never get a true chance to hold it.

During his 11 years at the helm of Ohio Football, head coach Frank Solich has finished just one season where his starting quarterback accounted for more than 95 percent of the team’s completed passes. That outlier came during the 2011 campaign when Tyler Tettleton accounted for 265 of the team’s 274 completions.

What does that mean for this group of quarterbacks? Always be ready to compete.

“They both (Maxwell and Rourke) have shown signs of playing as well as we have played at that position in a little while,” Said quarterbacks coach Scott Isphording at Ohio Football Media Day.

Maxwell and Rourke each have the talent to take over that starting job but cementing one of them in that role isn’t a huge priority for the coaching staff.

“We gotta get back to Ford Field,” said Isphording. “In this day and age, look throughout the MAC, throughout the country, it’s more the rule than the exception to have two or three guys play for you in a given season and I want to make sure both those guys are ready for when their time comes.”

As we move closer to the start of the 2017 season, Ohio Football has the luxury of not one, but two capable quarterbacks at their disposal and if they do give the keys to Rourke, don’t expect that chip to shrink.

 

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The 2017 Mid-American Conference Football Preseason Poll is hot off the press and people around the MAC are noticing the Bobcats. Ohio Football was picked to win the MAC East, narrowly edging out the Miami Redhawks by two points.

Ohio Football is fresh off a stellar 2016 campaign that secured them a MAC East title and a berth in the 2016 Marathon MAC Football Championship game, where they eventually fell to the Western Michigan Broncos in a 29-23 thriller. A 31-29 loss at the hands of Troy in the 2017 Dollar General Bowl clearly didn’t hurt Ohio too much once it came time for voters to cast their ballots.

The Bobcats are returning 17 starters from last year’s 8-6 team and have an interesting new QB in Fort Scott Community College transfer Nathan Rourke who is on track to compete for the starting job with Quinton Maxwell.

Ohio’s biggest rivalry could have meaningful implications for the first time in years.

The Miami Redhawks made history last season by becoming the first team in FBS history to win their final six games after losing their first six. Voters took note as Miami edged Ohio by one first place vote, the two will matchup in a Battle of the Bricks showdown at Peden Stadium on October 31st.

In the aftermath of Western Michigan head coach P.J. Fleck’s departure to Minnesota, Toledo is poised to take over the MAC West this season. The Rockets secured 22 of 24 first place votes and were picked to win the 2017 MAC Championship game by 21 of 24 voters.

Team (First Place Votes) Points

MAC East Division

1. Ohio (11) 131
2. Miami (12) 129
3. Bowling Green (1) 88
4. Akron 79
5. Buffalo 41
6. Kent State 36

MAC West Division

1. Toledo (22) 142
2. Western Michigan (1) 107
3. Northern Illinois (1) 89
4. Eastern Michigan 74
5. Central Michigan 62
6. Ball State 30

2017 MAC Championship Game Winner: Toledo (21); Western Michigan (1); Bowling Green (1); Miami (1).

Ohio Football kicks their season off against Hampton on September, 2nd at 7 p.m. in Peden Stadium.

 

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Watch list season has arrived in the world of college football and Ohio University’s Louie Zervos, Troy Mangen, and Jake Pruehs were all showcased in the announcements.

Zervos was named to the Lou Groza Award Watch List (awarded to the nations best place kicker) by the Palm Beach County Sports Commission and it’s easy to see why. During his 2016 freshman campaign, the redshirt sophomore set the Mid-American Conference single-season record with 29 made field goals. That number also broke the NCAA record for field goals made by a freshman.

The Florida native’s season-long field goal of 51-yards combined with just six missed kicks all season became a big reason why Ohio made the MAC Championship game despite sub par offensive results in the red zone.

Switching to that side of the ball, Ohio’s senior tight end Troy Mangen was named to the John Mackey Award Watch List (awarded to the nation’s best tight end) by The Friends of John Mackey. The senior started all 14 games of the 2016 season for Ohio and caught 15 passes for 145 yards, good enough to land on the list for the second-straight season. Mangen figures to be a big part of the offense this season as he continues to improve his route running and blocking skills when asked to be the sixth hammer on Ohio’s offensive line.

Mangen wasn’t the only member of that offensive line to be recognized, Ohio’s senior center Jake Pruehs was one of the 81 FBS interior offensive linemen to be named to the Outland Trophy Watch List. The Football Writer’s Association of America secured Pruehs his second watch list nomination of the summer, he was previously named to the Rimington Trophy Watch List.

Pruehs has 25 starts under his belt at Ohio University, including all 14 games the Bobcats played last season. Pruehs led an Ohio offensive line that gave up just 19 sacks and averaged 167.9 yards per game on the ground.

All three of these players will be looking to get back to the MAC Championship for a second straight year and hopefully come out on top this time around. The 2017 Ohio Football season kicks off against Hampton University on September 2nd at Peden Stadium.

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Pete Rose has forever been ingrained in the minds of Reds fans for what he did on the field. Now, “Charlie Hustle’s” legacy will live on forever in statue form.

Rose joined fellow Big Red Machine members on the grounds of Great American Ball Park Saturday for the statue’s dedication ceremony.

The Rose statue is the fourth at the ballpark honoring the Big Red Machine, a team that dominated the National League throughout the ’70s.

Rose joined the ranks of Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan and Tony Perez — all of whom have statues in their likeness sculpted by local artist Tom Tsuchiya.

The sculpture captures Rose during one of his trademark headfirst slides.

Joining Rose at the ceremony was Johnny Bench, Jack Billingham, David Concepcion, Doug Flynn, George Foster, Ken Griffey, Sr., Joe Morgan and Tony Perez.

 

 

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With the Southeastern Conference Pitcher of the Year on the mound and seven batters hitting over .300, the Kentucky Wildcats were not a surprise for Ohio coach Rob Smith.

“They’re as good as advertised.”

Kentucky defeated Ohio 6-4 in the first game of the Lexington Regional.  The Wildcats had baserunner after baserunner which stifled an Ohio comeback.

Bobcat starting pitcher Michael Klein managed to sit down Kentucky’s first two batters with little trouble.  Needing one out to end the inning, the wheels quickly fell off.

Zach Reks doubled with two strikes and Luke Becker and Riley Mahan each followed with singles that advanced them to second on a throw.  The next two batters walked before Klein ended the inning, stopping the damage at two Kentucky runs.

Kentucky would tag another run on Klein before he was taken out after four innings, giving up three runs on eight hits and five walks.

“That was the best lineup I’ve faced all year,” Klein said.  “That was a good lineup, one through nine.  I had to focus every at bat, every pitch.”

The Wildcats put up two more runs on Kenny Ogg in his inning of relief for Ohio before Jake Rudnicki took over.

Rudnicki threw only nine pitches, the first was a bunt single by Mahan with a runner on.  The next eight pitches missed the zone and another run crossed the plate, giving Kentucky a 6-0 lead.

Needing six runs with two innings left to play was a challenge that was too much for Ohio, but the Bobcats did not miss by much.

With Sean Hjelle still on the mound for Kentucky in the eighth, Spencer Ibarra and Ty Black hit back-to-back singles to bring Rudy Rott up.  The lefty-on-lefty matchup benefited Rott as he smacked a ball over the sign in right field to cut Kentucky’s lead in half, 6-3.

“[Hjelle] got down 1-0, and I was looking for one pitch in one spot and I got a fastball middle in and just put my best swing on it,” Rott said.

In the top of the ninth, Rott had another chance in a big spot.

Rott went to the plate as the tying run after Black singled in Devon Garcia who reached with a walk.  Rott saw one pitch from closer Logan Salow and grounded out to first base.

Ohio’s loss threw the Bobcats into the Elimination Bracket in Lexington.  One more loss for Ohio and the season is over.  The Bobcats will try and stay alive against the loser of Indiana and North Carolina State at noon on Saturday.

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The No.5 Seeded Ohio Bobcats stormed back from a late deficit to beat the No.3 seeded Eastern Michigan Eagles 7-4, securing the team’s second Mid-American Conference Title in the past three seasons.

The Bobcats had their backs against the wall throughout the game thanks to a strong showing on the mound from Eagles starting pitcher Brad Allen. The junior stymied the Bobcat lineup for six innings but his seventh trip to the mound is what rejuvenated Ohio’s title hopes.

Allen gave up a Tyler Finkler single, Spencer Ibarra double, and a three-run bomb off the bat of Ty Black which ended the pitcher’s day an inning too late for EMU and tied the contest 4-4.

“Biggest hit of my life, biggest situation that I’ve been in,” Black talking about the home run. “I don’t even know what happened once it left my bat.”

Forced to stay alive in a do or die game, Eastern Michigan replaced Allen with their ace Sam Delaplane. Not that it really mattered to Ohio, which proceeded to bat around the lineup and score three more runs in the inning.

Gerry Salisbury started the game on the mound for the Bobcats but really struggled with his pitch placement early on. The lefty gave up a game-tying solo shot to lead off the third inning

and Coach Smith decided to replace him after he put runners on the corners with zero outs. In came Kenny Ogg, the sophomore tossed five innings with zero earned runs on five hits, continuing his strong tournament play when Ohio needed his best.

Ogg kept the Bobcats in the game during the middle innings and did a great job keeping the Eagles’ base runners from rounding third. Eastern Michigan left 12 runners on base to Ohio’s four; Championships often come down to opportunities and the Eagles simply couldn’t take advantage of theirs when they needed to most.

A lot of those opportunities disappeared for Eastern Michigan once Ohio called upon Jake Rudnicki and Jake Roehn to close out the tournament. The duo gave up two hits, zero runs, and struck out four Eagles in the final two innings to capture the program’s 17th MAC Title.

Center fielder Devon Garcia led the Bobcats at the plate, Going 2-for-3 on the day with 2 RBI’s. Meanwhile, Spencer Ibarra was right behind him going 1-for-5 with a ground-rule double in the 8th inning. Ohio’s best hitter was also named player of the game and tournament MVP for his

monstrous performances at the plate throughout Ohio’s title run.

“I mean there’s a lot of of good guys on this team, and I’m just thankful that I had this group of guys behind me,” Ibarra on being named Tournament MVP. “Plus, all my coaches and everything, I’m just very grateful.”

Ohio must now refocus their goals and prepare for the NCAA Tournament Regionals. The Bobcats will find out their region at 8 p.m. tonight, while their opponent will be announced during the NCAA Baseball Tournament Selection Show on Memorial Day at noon.

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For the second time in the past three years, the Ohio Bobcats have a chance to win the Mid-American Conference after defeating Kent State 7-2. Their second win over the Golden Flashes in the tournament and four of their last five games.

Senior Tom Colletti pitched a three-hit complete game to propel the Bobcats. Colletti striking out a career-high nine in nine innings of work on the mound. He gave up two runs one of which was earned on three hits and four walks. He retired the side in five innings and no-hit the Golden Flashes over the first four frames. Colletti improved to 4-3 on the season.
Ohio grabbed a 2-0 lead in the top of the third.

Tyler Finkler hit a one-out single to center, and senior center fielder Spencer Ibarra followed by drawing a walk. Finkler then stole third to put runners on the corners. After Ty Black drew a walk.

Rudy Rott knocked a two-RBI single up the middle to score both Finkler and Ibarra.
Kent State sophomore catcher Pete Schuler broke up Colletti’s no-hit bid in the home half of the fifth by smashing a one-out solo shot to right to cut Ohio’s lead to 2-1.
The Bobcats responded by adding a third run to their total in the ensuing frame.

Senior third baseman Connor Callery was hit by a pitch to lead things off, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by junior right fielder Tony Giannini and to third on a single to center by senior catcher Anthony Mrosla. Callery then dove across the plate to make it 3-1 in favor of Ohio after sophomore center fielder Devon Garcia successfully executed a squeeze bunt.
Ohio kept adding to its advantage with a two-run top of the seventh. Black got it going by leading off to center with a single.

One out later, Black hit a ground-rule double to left to put a pair of Bobcats in scoring position. Black then raced home on a wild pitch, and redshirt junior designated hitter Michael Klein made it 5-1 in favor of Ohio when he scored on a base hit back up the middle by Callery.
The Golden Flashes made it a three-run game in the bottom half of the seventh, though. Redshirt junior center fielder Mason Mamarella led off with a walk, then moved up to second on a wild pitch one out later. One out later, Mamarella scored on an Ohio error and a fielder’s choice that put senior second baseman Dom Iero on base. Colletti escaped further damage, though, when he got sophomore third baseman Josh Hollander to ground out to short to end the inning.
After Colletti retired Kent State in order in the bottom of the eighth, Ohio’s bats broke the game open with two more runs in the top of the ninth.

Rott hit a one-out single back up the middle to set up a two-run home run to left by Klein; that gave the Bobcats a 7-2 lead.
In the bottom of the ninth, Mamarella led off with a walk and redshirt senior right fielder Luke Burch singled through the right side to put runners on the corners for the Golden Flashes. Colletti struck out both junior first baseman Dylan Rosa and Schuler swinging, though, for the first two outs. Iero loaded the bases for Kent State by drawing a walk, but Colletti sealed the trip to the championship game for the Bobcats by getting redshirt junior pinch hitter Reilly Hawkins to strike out swinging.
Klein powered Ohio’s bats in the victory with a 3-for-4 performance that included a double, a home run, a walk, two RBIs and two runs scored. The contest marked his 15th multi-hit effort of the year and ninth multi-RBI performance.

Rott singled twice, drove in two runs and scored another. He has tallied 19 multi-hit games, which is tied for second on the team, and nine multi-RBI contests, which is tied with Klein for second on the squad.
Mrosla went 2-for-5.
Junior right-handed starting pitcher Zach Willeman took the loss on the mound for Kent State, falling to 6-5 on the season. He struck out one while permitting two earned runs on four hits and three walks over five innings. Sophomore left-hander Connor Wollersheim threw two innings of relief, allowing three earned runs on four hits and a walk. He fanned one. Freshman righty Zach Schultz surrendered two earned runs on three hits in two innings. He struck out one.

Ohio now turns their attention to Eastern Michigan.
Ohio is against 1-4 against Eastern Michigan all-time in MAC tournament play and has never met either team in the championship game.

The Bobcats were swept by Eastern Michigan in the 2017 regular season, The Eagles recorded wins of 8-2 (April 14), 12-9 (April 15) and 12-11 (April 16) over Ohio.

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The No. 5-seeded Ohio Baseball team (29-26) has earned a spot in the Mid-American Conference Tournament winner’s bracket final after defeating the No. 1-seeded Kent State Golden Flashes (36-17) 5-3 in a late-night matchup at Sprenger Stadium.

Ohio scored four of their five runs in the final three innings of the game, as the bats came alive when the Bobcats needed them the most. Connor “Poke” Callery may have forced the most important error of Ohio’s season in the eighth-inning. A screamer off the end of his bat was too much for the Golden Flashes to handle, bringing in the go-ahead run by Ohio second baseman Ty Black.

Ohio Catcher Nick Bredeson started the late-inning scoring run for Ohio, plating a run on a Tyler Finkler double down the left field line that tied the game at two runs apiece in the top of the seventh inning.

Enter relief pitcher Kenny Ogg.

Head Coach Rob Smith called on the sophomore to relieve Cory Blessing after one inning of work and he showed zero nerves. Back-to-back errors by his teammates didn’t make things easy on the young pitcher but he found a way out of the jam and stranded a couple of Kent State base runners in the process.

“Kenny Ogg. Young player. First time out there, he was just outstanding for us getting three outs in that situation,” Coach Smith said after the game.

Ogg secured six of the Bobcats toughest outs and handed the reins to MAC Reliever of the Year, Jake Roehn. The flamethrower gave up one run but closed the game without much trouble, sealing Ogg’s first postseason victory in the process. Ohio’s ace Michael Klein, pitched five strong innings, giving up just two runs on three hits and four walks.

MAC Pitcher of the Year Joey Murray pitched well in 6.2 innings of work, matching Klein with two runs allowed. Unfortunately for the Golden Flashes, Murray couldn’t stay on the mound all night and Ohio took full advantage.

Ty Black led Ohio at the plate, going 2-for-4 on the night with one run batted in. Meanwhile, only three other Bobcats tallied a hit, one of those coming off the bat of Spencer Ibarra. The right fielder went 5-for-6 at the plate in game one of the tournament but came back down to earth against Kent State with a 1-for-4 performance.

“It feels great you can’t really describe this, we knew we had a shot just getting to the tournament, and that was our main goal.” Ty Black said about advancing this far, “We knew once we were here we could make noise, and we’re definitely making some noise right now.”

The Golden Flashes must now regroup for a 4:30 p.m. matchup tomorrow with their first-round opponent, the Toledo Rockets. The victor will face Ohio Saturday at 1 p.m. in the tournament semi-final.

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The No. 5-seeded Ohio baseball team (28-26) came out with a 4-3 win over No. 4-seeded Ball State (30-27) in the 2017 Mid-American Conference Championship opener on Wednesday (May 24) at Sprenger Stadium.

Ohio has improved to 7-1 all-time against the Cardinals in league tournament play and is now 4-0 against Ball State after sweeping them early in the regular season back in April.

Senior right fielder Spencer Ibarra recorded his team-high 23rd multi-hit game of the year and team-high 10th with multiple RBIs. He collected a career-high five singles along with five of Ohio’s seven recorded hits; his final RBI base hit in the top of the ninth inning won the game for the Bobcats.

After overcoming an early deficit in the game as Ball State jumped to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first, Ohio tied it up in the fifth inning and then eventually taking a 2-1 lead in the sixth.

Senior catcher Anthony Mrosla led off with a double down followed with a single from Ibarra and sophomore first baseman Rudy Rott getting walked. Redshirt junior designated hitter Michael Klein tied the game by drawing a walk to send Mrosla home. In the following inning, Mrosla drew a two-out walk, move to second when senior shortstop Tyler Finkler was hit by a pitch, and then score on a RBI single from Ibarra.

Ohio went into the seventh with a 2-1 lead but Ball State did not take long to tie it up after collecting a run with Senior pitcher Jake Rudnicki on the mound.

However, the Bobcats fought back and managed to jump up to a 3-2 lead in the top of the eighth. Ibarra led off with a single then advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by senior second baseman Ty Black. He was then moved to third on a wild pitch after Rott was given an intentional walk and with one out later, Ibarra scored on another wild pitch. However, this lead would soon be tied by the Cardinals in the bottom of the eighth.

The Bobcats continued their fight in the top of the ninth at bat. Junior left filder Evan Bourn and Mrosla drew back-to-back walks. Mrosla was relieved by freshman pinch runner Jack Longo, who scored the go-ahead run on a two-out TBI single from Ibarra, putting Ohio in the lead 4-3.

Redshirt junior left-handed starting pitcher Gerry Salisbury went 6.1 innings on the mound for Ohio, striking out eight to match his career high and only allowing two runs on five hits and two walks.

Redshirt junior right-handed closer Jake Roehn collected the victory on the mound for the Bobcats, striking out three while giving up one hit and a walk over two innings to improve to 4-4 on the season.

Ohio will advance to the winner’s bracket of the MAC Championship to take on No. 1-seeded Kent State on Thursday (May 25) in a night game starting at 8 p.m. at Sprenger Stadium.

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It’s been almost a month since Ohio baseball (22-25) played longtime rival Marshall (25-23). The teams competed in early April when Marshall recorded a 12-9 win in on April 12 followed by Ohio pulling out an 11-10 win in ten innings on April 19th to even the series.

However, the Bobcats faced a 5-2 upset while hosting Marshall for their last midweek game of the 2017 season on Tuesday at The Wren.

An early lead was taken by Marshall in the second inning when senior first baseman Tommy Lane led off with a single then scored on a base hit by senior shortstop Leo Valenti.

Followed up with two more runs in the ensuing frame, the Bison jumped to a 3-0 lead in the third inning. Junior third baseman Tyler Ratliff reached on an Ohio error by senior third baseman Conner Callery. He then stole second and scored off of a single by redshirt sophomore center fielder Shane Hanon. Hanon was also accountable for Marshall’s third run after he was moved to second on a bunt by sophomore left fielder Andrew Zban then scored on a single by Lane.

However, Ohio put up a fight in the home half of the third that put them on the board and in the ball game plating two runs.

Senior center fielder Spencer Ibarra got on with a one-out single followed with redshirt junior designated hitter getting walked. Both batters were advanced on a passed ball which set them up in scoring position for a double by senior second baseman Ty Black to send them home making it 3-2 by the end of the third.

Unfortunately, Marshall retaliated in the top of the fourth when junior second baseman Will Ray hit a one-out single putting him on base and in position to score one of the two runs plated by the Bison after Ratliff knocked out a homerun. These two earned runs would be the last runs scored for the remainder of the game.

Redshirt sophomore righty Nick Kamrada started on the mound and for the Bobcats allowing one run on five hits and striking out one in two innings. He suffered the loss for Ohio bringing his record down to 0-2 for the season. He was relieved by junior lefty Butch Baird who struck two but gave up four runs on five hits throughout two innings. Senior southpaw Matt Mikolajczak, sophomore Kenny Ogg, and senior righty Jake Rudnicki combined a total of five scoreless frames of relief for Ohio, each striking out two batters.

Black went 2-for-4 with a double, a walk and two RBIS; he now holds the team season high of reaching base in twenty-three straight games while tallying fifteen multi-hit games, ranking him fourth on the team.

Callery went 3-for-4 with a walk while improving his hitting streak to nineteen-straight games while Rott tallied a pair of singles, bringing him up to sixteen multi-hit games this season. He is now ranked third on the team.

Ohio will travel to Amherst, New York to compete against Mid-American Conference East Division rival, Buffalo, in a three-game series this weekend. The opening game is scheduled for Friday (May 12) at 3 p.m. followed with two games on Saturday (May 13) and Sunday (May 14), both set to start at 1 p.m.

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Ohio baseball (20-23, 7-9 MAC) took the first of three games against Bowling Green State University after defeating the Falcons 9-1 in game one of the weekend series.

The Bobcats showed up at the plate today knowing in nine hits and nine runs against BG.

Sophomore first baseman Rudy Rott nailed his first career grand slam to add onto his career high of earning 10 homeruns of the 2017 season along with hitting a double and matching his career high with six RBIs.

Junior right fielder Tony Giannini went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs and senior second baseman Ty Black walked twice and scored three of Ohio’s nine runs along with reaching base safely in now twenty straight games.

Senior third baseman Connor Callery went 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI and scoring two runs along with adding to the team high of hitting safely sixteen games straight ranking Ohio’s longest hitting streak of the 2017 season.

Senior center fielder Spencer Ibarra continues to thrive at bat going 2-for-4 with a walk, a run scored and has tallied a team-high of nineteen multi-hit games along with ranking in second behind Callery in hitting safely. Ibarra has also reached base safely in fourteen straight games.

However, it was not only the batting that earned the win for the Bobcats.

Redshirt junior left handed pitcher Gerry Salisbury started on the mound for Ohio for seven innings only allowing one run on four hits, a walk, and striking out seven batters. Salisbury earned the win for the Bobcats improving his record 2-3.

Redshirt junior Cory Blessing relieved Salisbury and went 1.1 innings striking out three batters until he was relieved by senior southpaw Matt Mikolajczak who struck out one batter to help earn the final two outs of the game.

It was in the second inning that Ohio took an early lead after Callery singled to the center and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by junior left fielder Evan Bourn. A double to the right from Giannini sent Callery home earning the first run.

Ohio added their second run to the board after Black drew a one-out walk, advanced to second on a walk by Rott and third on a single by resdhirt junior designated hitter Michael Klein and then scored on an RBI by Callery.

It was in the fourth inning that the Bobcats jumped up to a 6-0 lead. The bases were loaded after senior catcher Anthony Mrosla earned a one-out walk and senior shortstop Tyler Finkler and Black were both hit by pitches. A grand slam over the fence from Rott sent all of the runners home earning four runs for Ohio.

It was not over yet as the Bobcats plated two more runs in the the bottom half of the sixth after Ibarra knocked out a two-out infield single then scored on a double by Rott.

Ohio tallied their ninth and final run in the seventh after Callery doubled to the right setting him up to later score on a single by Giannini.

This weekend series at Bob Wren will continue as Ohio goes up against Bowling Green again on Saturday (May 6) at 3 p.m.

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Ohio Football’s Tarell Basham will soon be calling Indianapolis home.

The Indianapolis Colts selected Ohio’s all-time leader in sacks as the 80th overall pick in the 2017 NFL draft. Basham joins a Colts’ defensive line that ranked tied-19th in sacks last season, a number the franchise expects Basham to help.

Basham is the first Ohio player drafted since 2014 when Travis Carrie was taken with the 219th pick by the Oakland Raiders. Basham is the second-highest drafted player under head coach Frank Solich. The top honor belongs to current Pittsburgh Steeler Mike Mitchell, who was drafted with the 47th pick in 2009.

Basham impressed analysts throughout the draft process with his combination of size, athleticism, and explosiveness on the edge of the Ohio defense. On top of all that, he has shown willingness to contribute to any franchises special teams unit. All of that was able to outweigh his lack of technique in the eyes of his new team.

The Colts are bringing in a player that started every game and anchored the fifth-best rushing defense in the country last season. All while setting the single-season (11.5) and career sack (29.5) records for the Bobcats.

Basham is expected to play outside linebacker in the Colts 3-4 defensive scheme and expected to compete for a starting role from day one.

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Redshirt Junior Michael Klein is doing something for Ohio that has not been done since Logan Cozart. Klein is not only contributing to the Ohio baseball team both at the plate and on the mound, but he is doing so in key ways.

Prior to Ohio, Klein Earned four letters in baseball at Mountain Vista High School in Highlands Ranch, Colorado.

On the mound, Klein went 9-3 with a 3.02 ERA and 78 strikeouts. At the plate, Klein recorded a .373 batting average and a .739 slugging percentage with 53 hits including 12 home runs to go along with 52 RBIs.

After high school, Klein took Iowa Western Community College to the JUCO World Series in 2015, posting a 1.40 ERA in 25.2 innings while batting .417 and slugging .767 en route to earning Honorable Mention All-Iowa Community College Athletic Conference honors.

Now as Ohio’s third starter and cleanup hitter, Klein continues to help the Bobcats win games. His focus this past summer was simple; play more, but rest when needed.

“I like to workout almost every day of the week and take the weekends off,” he said. “Summer ball was huge for me, I recently had summer ball off the year prior. But this year I got to focus on having a lot more at-bats.”

In 2016, Klein was not as effective as he has been this year. Klein made 19 appearances on the mound with six starts, going 3-4 with 38 strikeouts over 54.1 innings of work. Klein hit just .208 with a .292 slugging percentage and a .208 on-base percentage with just 24 at-bats on the season.

The transition from Junior College to Ohio was not a drastic one since Klein played in competitive leagues back home as well as at Iowa Community College.

“It is pretty much the same level; I grew up in a very competitive league in Colorado. So a lot of my friends got drafted and are in the pros right now. I’m used to the talent and high caliber.”

Now 36 games into the 2017 season, Klein continues to put in work both on and off the field to maintain his health and composure.

“I take my off days really seriously. A lot of guys go in to take swings, I go in to rest my body and do more of a mental game. During practice, I’ll have something that I focus on every day. I don’t try and hit home runs, I work on different things here and there.”

Klein leads Ohio’s staring pitchers with a 2.68 ERA, a 3-2 record with 43.2 innings pitched and has 40 strikeouts.

At the plate, Klein has 147 at-bats. His .279 batting average is fifth on the team, he has the fourth most hits with 41 and his four home runs and 20 RBIs are both third on the team.

Klein embraces the competition with his teammates but knows that he can take the time to relax and joke around and enjoy the fun. Especially with Spencer Ibarra.

“We don’t push each other vocally,” Klein said. “But, we are roommates so we do joke around that we are close in average, but we have some fun.”

Being both a pitcher and hitter has its advantages. Knowing what opposing pitchers might throw during a specific count during the at-bat or making sure the hitters he faces do not get an edge on his pitches.

“It helps out a lot. There is a good time that I know what pitch is coming. On base, I know what counts to steal on. I may not be the fastest guy on the team, but I finally can steal bases more. Sometimes they fool me, but that is baseball. Most of the time I know what is coming.”

“For pitching, I try and change it up and throw the opposite of what they think is coming.”

The baseball season is long, but Klein puts his team and his teammates before his own stats.

“We want to be focused on winning these series and keep working our tails off. If we lose a game or two to pick each other up. This year, before each game, we pray in the outfield and focus on picking each other up. If things don’t go my way, then so what. As long as the team is winning and we’re having a good time, I can’t let a bad attitude affect the team.”

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Ohio Bobcat fans knew this was a possibility but did not want to believe it.

Now they are forced to face their fears.

Jason Arkley of the Athens Messenger reported Monday night that star point guard Jaaron Simmons will transfer to the University of Michigan.

Simmons, who is set to graduate this week, has one year of eligibility left. Due to NCAA rules, Simmons can transfer anywhere without sitting out.

He’s doing just that.

“It’s one of the toughest decisions I’ve ever had to make,” Simmons told Arkley. “We have a great relationship. Nothing negative happened, there was nothing bad about it. I’m just trying to do what I think is the best for me as an individual.”

Last year, Simmons averaged 15.9 points per game and 6.5 assists per game and was named First Team All-Mid-American Conference. In his first year at Ohio, he set the program record for most assists in a single season with 275. Perhaps his best game came on Feb. 4 against Akron. Simmons scored 38 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and had five assists.

The loss of Simmons leaves a major hole for the Bobcats. James Gollon and Jordan Dartis are the only ones returning next year with point guard experience. Zach Butler and Teyvion Kirk are incoming freshman that have committed to Ohio for next year. They are both point guards and now could receive significant playing time.

The Wolverines finished 26-12 this past season and made it to the Sweet Sixteen on the NCAA Tournament where they lost to Oregon. Derrick Walton Jr., who started all 38 of Michigan’s games at point guard during the 2016-17 season, is graduating.

For Simmons, this is a chance to play in a Power five conference and a chance to prove his is one of the best point guards in the country, something Ohio coach Saul Phillips has been saying since Simmons first arrived in Athens.

For Ohio, they now have to replace their best player, again.

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Ohio produced seven top five finishes in one of the most competitive meets of the year.

Throws once again played a huge role for the Bobcats at the Jesse Owens Classic hosted by Ohio State, but solid results were seen all-around.

Distance events would be the highlight for Ohio. Alyssa Atkinson finished ninth with a time of 17:03.23 in the 5K showcase. The Bobcats also saw a strong results in the 800-meter run as Amelia Milton placed 11^th, timing 2:13.28.

The 4×100 team, which has been strong all year, had another big showing on Saturday. The team, consisting of Mya Hodge, Olivia Mayfield, Kristin Winkel and senior Tajah Smith, came in 12^th, clocking 48.62.

Throws would not produce a champion in any event, a rare narrative for this season. Despite this, they still got positive results out of the event.

Jordan Porter finished fourth in the shot put with a toss of 15.90m. The Bobcats earned second and sixth place finishes in the discus. Gaza Odunaiya claimed second and Emma Ryan took sixth with throws of 43.73m and 44.50m, respectively.

Odunaiya and Ryan’s impact was felt in two additional events. Odunaiya placed fourth in the hammer throw with a mark of 53.90m. The javelin brought Ryan third place accolades as she threw 42.37m, and Tajah Haley threw 38.83 in the javelin, finishing fifth.

The Bobcats are in Athens again for the last academic week of the year as they host the Ohio Open on Thursday.

@TylerCorbit

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The Ohio Bobcats (19-20) defeated Miami University (16-25) 3-2 Sunday at Bob Wren Stadium to close out their three-game series and get them one game closer to .500 on the season.

The game started slow for both teams as neither got onto the scoreboard for the first three innings. Tom Coletti started for Ohio but the Bobcats used a total of four pitchers this game. Coletti pitched 4.1 innings, Cory Blessing faced just two batters, Jake Rudnicki pitched two innings and Jake Roehn came in to end it.

In the third, the Green and White got a boost of confidence with their first runs of the game. Spencer Ibarra drove in a run and reached to third on a throwing error by the Miami pitcher and Rudy Rott kept it going with a double that scored another run.

In the fifth, The Redhawks crawled their way back into the game after a two-RBI double for Tyler Harris. Miami eventually left three runners on base but tied the game.

In the bottom of the inning, the Bobcats had a chance to pull away.

With Ty Black in scoring positon, a wild throw to first from a Miami infielder caused Connor Callery to be safe and a sprint to second while also allowing Black to score. The Bobcats left two stranded but led 3-2.

Roehn took care of business in the seventh and left Miami struggling to get find an answer and capitalize on opportunities.

The Ohio offense also struggled late in the game, giving no real chance to conquer their rival. Fortunately for Ohio they did not need it.

Rudnicki, 2-3, got the win and Roehn earned his ninth save of the year. Ohio ended the game with five hits and left nine runners on base.

The Green and White continue play Friday, April 28 at Western Michigan.

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Deadlocked at five in the seventh inning, pinch-hitter Nick Bredeson smoked a two-out, three-run double to left field to help the Bobcats beat Miami 9-5 in the first of their three-game series.

Miami drew first blood with a run in the top of the first inning.

Spencer Ibarra evened the score with a leadoff solo shot to right field, his team-high 10th of the year. Ibarra has homered in each of the last four games and five of the last six.

Ohio grabbed the lead in the second when Evan Bourn belted his first homer of the year.

The RedHawks tied the game at two on a Tyler Harris hit his sixth home run of the season but Ohio took a 3-2 lead in the bottom half of the third. Rott sent a one-out single through the right side advanced to third on a Miami fielding error and scored one out later on a base hit to right by Giannini.

Miami evened the score again in the top of the fourth.

Bourn put Ohio in front again in the fourth, this time with a leadoff home run to right. Tyler Finkler followed with a double to left, then scored on a double to left center by Ibarra.

The RedHawks answered back by tying it at five-all in the fifth, though. The Bobcats continued their recent power surge with three home runs.

Ohio has gone deep 17 times over the past six games and has five multi-homer games during the span.

“We’re really starting to swing the bat really, really well,” said head coach Rob Smith. “We’ve said from the beginning that we like our pitching and our defense and if we could get our offense going, they would make a difference. Our offense has been outstanding.”

Bourn led Ohio at the plate, going 3-for-4. The Bobcats had nine players get a hit while five of them had multi-hit games.

Tony Giannini extended his team-best hitting streak to 10 games, and he and Black have both reached base safely in a team-high 13 straight games. Bredeson has reached base in each of his last 11 games while Rott has done so in each of the last 10.

Rudnicki picked up the victory on the mound for the Bobcats, improving to 1-3 on the season. He struck out one while giving up three hits and two walks. Redshirt junior southpaw starting pitcher Gerry Salisbury struck out two in 4.2 frames of work.

Salisbury allowed five earned runs on seven hits and four walks.

Cory Blessing struck out three in 1.1 innings of relief. He allowed one hit and one walk.

The Bobcats and Redhawks return to action tonight for a 6 p.m. first pitch for game two.

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Junior Jake Rudnicki took home the Mid-American Conference Pitcher of the week after his stellar performance on the mound for Ohio.

Rudnicki helped Ohio (19-20, 5-7 MAC) finish with three victories in four games last week with his performance out of the bullpen, going 2-0 with four strikeouts while allowing just six hits, four walks and no runs over three appearances and 4.2 innings of work.

Rudnicki threw one scoreless inning of relief last Wednesday in an 11-10 win in 10 innings over longtime rival Marshall, striking out two while giving up a hit and a walk.

On Friday, Rudnicki picked up his first victory on the mound of the 2017 season in a 9-5 win over Division archrival Miami, striking out one while surrendering just three hits and two walks in 1.2 frames.

Rudnicki improved to 2-3 on the year by earning the win on the mound in the series finale on Sunday, a 3-2 win that allowed the Bobcats to clinch the weekend series from the RedHawks.

He struck out one while giving up two hits and a walk in two scoreless frames of relief.

Ohio returns to action Friday, April 28^th for a three-game away series at Western Michigan.

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Ohio is currently attending what coach Clay Calkins calls “one of the marquee meets in the country.”

The Jesse Owens Classic, hosted by Ohio State during April 21-22, will pit the Bobcats against some of the toughest competition they have faced all year. It will also provide the team chances to qualify athletes for the Mid-American Conference Tournament.

There are still high expectations for Ohio, even with them taking on some of the nation’s top teams. The Bobcats will need strong performances from the sprinters.

Coach Calkins is especially optimistic about what short sprinters Kristin Winkel, Thelma Agyekum, Gracie Huffman and Erin Stewart can produce if temperatures are friendly to them.

“A lot of that (quality of performances) hinges on if the weather permits. We can hopefully get some good performances, but if it’s cold and rainy, it can definitely (negatively) affect what they are doing out there,” Calkins said.

If the weather is conducive, you can also expect strong performances from Kaitlyn Logan, Christina Seas, Emily Cass and Abby Miller in mid-to-long distance events. Far tosses can be expected in the throwing events occurring this afternoon and evening if it’s consistently sunny.

Throwing has been on point all season long for Ohio with Jordan Porter, Emma Ryan and Gaza Odunaiya highlighting final results.

Although the trio is used to being at the top of their respective events, throws coach Nick Pero understands top performances in the ring and the track will be needed to place highly at the Jesse Owens Classic.

@TylerCorbit

tc032115@ohio.edu

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