Despite already having set a new program record for home runs in a season and also being on pace to break the all-time Mid-American Conference long ball mark, Ohio is in the midst of a seven-game losing streak.
The Bobcats (19-20, 4-8 MAC) have had a streak of the same length only once in the past nine seasons after being swept by Ohio State, Miami and Ball State last week.
Ohio’s big-play offense has been its key to victory all season, but against tough competition it has failed to make adjustments at the plate.
“I can still do more with my hitting and make more adjustments,” senior catcher Lauren Gellerman said. “Everyone needs to know that we are good hitters. We’ve done so many good things this year — everyone up and down the lineup needs to know it.”
Although Ohio has averaged just three runs per game during the losing streak, it is still hitting homers at the sixth-best rate in the NCAA with 1.51 long balls per game.
The Bobcats have hit 59 home runs in just 39 games this season, which is 12 more dingers than they launched over the fence in 57 games last year. Ohio is also tied for the second-most homers in MAC history, behind Ball State’s 70 from last season.
Ohio witnessed first-hand the power of Ball State this past weekend, as the Cardinals outscored the Bobcats 17-11 in a pair of games.
Junior outfielder Jenny Gilbert hit her 19th homer this season for Ball State on Saturday, which is tops in the MAC and the second-most in the NCAA.
A pair of Bobcats — Gellerman and senior first baseman Caitlin Colvin — also place among the top ten power hitters in the country.
While she did not homer this past weekend, Gellerman hit three long balls against Ohio State last Tuesday, giving her 17 on the season and fifth-most in the NCAA.
Colvin has cooled off lately after not launching a ball over the fence all week but is still 10th in the NCAA with 15 dingers. Both she and Gellerman also have broken the program record for single-season home runs.
“We have some depth in our roster to call on kids,” Hermanek said. “We just need to come out and work for wins, because they don’t come easy.”
Colvin and Gellerman have set the pace with long balls, but sophomore outfielder Adrienne Gebele has added a quiet nine homers. The trio comprises the only players that have hit more than four dingers, but 11 Bobcats have homered this season.
Ohio has 14 games remaining in the regular season, including 10 MAC games, but the Bobcats are currently tied for eighth place in the conference. Because only eight teams advance to the MAC Tournament, the Bobcats will need their bats to come alive earlier in games.
“(Recent comebacks) have really got the energy going and everyone saw we can do it,” Gellerman said. “We out-hit Ball State (Saturday) and it shows that coming down to the last inning we put up a fight and didn’t give up when we were down by a lot.”
The Bobcats will finish their 10-game homestand this week with a pair of doubleheaders against Marshall and Wright State.
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