It might have taken 43 games and close to three months, but finally the Ohio pitching staff has taken the shape it was always meant to have.
Injuries have caused coach Joe Carbone to use several different starting rotations this season, but heading into this weekend's pivotal series at Ball State (22-19 overall, 11-7 Mid-American Conference), the staff looks like the one that was predicted by several preseason publications to lead Ohio (19-24, 9-9 MAC) to a MAC crown.
Mired in a race for a spot in the MAC Tournament, the Bobcats sandwich Saturday starter Marc Cornell with Chris Bova on Friday and Adam Russell in the finale.
Carbone has been able to use Cornell on a more consistent basis of late, as the right-hander continues to recover from off-season surgery. While the decision was not made until after last Saturday's game, Cornell was given the start on Sunday against Western Michigan and went on to strikeout a career-high 12 batters, completing the Ohio sweep of the Broncos.
This time around, there is no uncertainty in the rotation -Bova, Cornell, Russell, as was planned all along.
For the conference games
that's what we've had lined up this whole year but haven't had the first two-thirds of the season Carbone said. Hopefully it's not too late and (Cornell) comes out and gives us six good innings
and we can win some ball games with him.
Cornell, tabbed as the preseason MAC Pitcher of the Year, has allowed two runs on eight hits in his last 11 innings of work.
I had some good fortune this past outing
but there's still a lot of things I have to work on
a lot of things I have to get better
Cornell said. As far as this season's concerned
I'm nowhere near being where I need to be.
At this point, however, Cornell's health is not in question.
As far as health-wise
I'm as healthy as I'm going to be
he said. It's just a matter of getting my location down
getting my speed back up and getting everything I had last year. Whenever that comes
