Ohio hasn’t beaten Xavier since 2005.
When a trend in sports exists for a long enough time, it is inevitable that something or someone will come along and break it.
When Ohio plays host to Xavier (7-16) on Tuesday, the Bobcats will attempt to do just that. The Bobcats haven’t beaten the Musketeers in a decade.
The single-game matchup is scheduled to start at 4 p.m. at Bob Wren Stadium, which will be the first true home game played in Athens for the Bobcats this season.
Though Ohio (12-8) kicked off its conference schedule against Central Michigan last weekend, it will shift its focus to Xavier, a local but non-conference opponent.
The Bobcats typically play a single-game set against the Musketeers, who are located in Cincinnati, and alternate hosts each year. This will be the teams’ ninth meeting in the past 11 years.
Ohio’s last win against Xavier came in 2005 by a 15-0 margin, but the Bobcats have lost all seven matchups since – including last year’s 14-0 defeat in Cincinnati.
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The Musketeers are coming off a 30-29 season that landed them in the Nashville Regional of the NCAA Tournament last postseason. They currently sit with a lackluster seven wins in 23 games so far, but have lost nine games by three runs or fewer and have a notable win in the first of a three-game series on the road against Louisville, the No. 12 team in the country at the time.
Statistically, Ohio appears to be poised to snap its losing streak against Xavier. The Bobcats needed just 18 games this year to amass 12 wins, which tops last year’s total of 11. They have swept three opponents so far and earned a win against Central Michigan, who finished third in the Mid-American Conference standings last season.
Last year’s starter against Ohio for Xavier was Eric Steine, a 6-foot-2 righty who gave up just two hits and zero walks while striking out three in six scoreless innings. The senior hasn’t pitched since Wednesday against Miami and will likely get the call to face Ohio again in Tuesday’s matchup.
Ohio will have a quick turnaround and be back home on Wednesday to take on Marshall, another non-conference team, at 6 p.m.
@JordanHorrobin
jh950614@ohio.edu
