Ohio finished third in the Mid-American Conference Tournament last year with a 27-31 (10-12 MAC) record, and enters the 2008 season this weekend as the preseason pick to go fourth.
I think that we were picked low
and that we should have been picked at least in the top three senior outfielder Courtney Waters said.
This year's team returns six starters from last year, and added seven new players, who coach Jill Matyuch said she believes will have an immediate impact.
We have stronger players to help build off last year's team Matyuch said.
The team has been working out and practicing since early September, and they're ready to get out there and play
as Matyuch put it. The team squares off against Boston College today at 10 a.m., Maine at noon and East Carolina at noon tomorrow in the East Carolina Pirate Invitational.
However, Matyuch said that the team's toughest opponent will be itself.
We're going to have a lot of adrenaline out there
and we're going to need to control our play
she said.
The Bobcats haven't played since the Collegiate Charity Classic in October where they finished 2-2, and they haven't exactly been able to practice on an actual dirt field since then. The team has been taking ground balls on the tennis courts and throwing and hitting in the cages.
Second baseman Alicia Catlette said that the courts give them a different, cleaner bounce.
We would like to play loose and confident this weekend
because we know that mistakes are going to happen our first time on the dirt
Catlette said.
We adjust well
added Waters.
Senior Michelle Sauter has been a dominant pitcher, and has the potential for another strong year. Last year she finished the season with a 2.58 ERA and 15 wins, which ranked her fourth on the all-time, single-season wins list.
Matyuch said that Sauter is a smart pitcher with great leadership in the circle and will be pitching this weekend. However, Matyuch added that freshman Emily Wethington has been showing strong abilities since October, and she will also throw this weekend.
I'm anxious to see (Wethington) in the circle
Matyuch said.
Wethington had a strong performance in the October tournament where she shut out Bowling Green and struck out nine.
Wethington said that she has been focusing a lot on her drop and location recently.
I'm nervous and anxious to get out there this weekend
she said.
