Coming in with a rocky start to Mid-American Conference action, Ohio (7-10, 3-3 MAC) will be looking to add to its overall win total in a tough non-conference game against Northern Kentucky (11-8, 3-0 Horizon League).
After losing its opening conference series against Northern Illinois two weeks ago, Ohio was able to gain momentum with back-to-back wins to start its series against Kent State before falling on Sunday. Ohio will look to keep things rolling against a hot Northern Kentucky squad.
Primarily, Ohio will be looking for a better performance out of its pitching staff after allowing 22 total runs in its most recent game against MAC rival Kent State. The Bobcat pitching staff has allowed just under 8 earned runs per game to start the season.
Here is all you need to know for Tuesday:
Game Information:
Opponent: Northern Kentucky
Location: Bill Aker Baseball Complex (Highland Heights, Kentucky)
Time: Tuesday at 2 p.m.
How to watch: ESPN+
Follow live stats here
Meet the Opponent:
Head Coach: Dizzy Peyton (3rd season)
Statistical Leaders:
Batting Average: Jake Paulick (.426)
Hits: Liam McFadden-Ackman (29)
RBI: McFadden-Ackman (34)
Home Runs: Mitch Wood, McFadden-Ackman (9)
ERA: Aaron Massie (1.93)
Strikeouts: Tanner Gillis (28)
History:
Ohio has played Northern Kentucky once in the school's history, a matchup in 2016 where Ohio was handed a 7-6 loss on its home field in Athens. None of Ohio or Northern Kentucky's active players or coaches took part in that game.
The two will face off one more time this season in Athens.
NKU Notes:
Northern Kentucky has gotten off to a hot start considering its difficult non-conference schedule. To begin March, the Norse won a series against Missouri, a formidable power-five opponent. Following a series victory at Missouri, Northern Kentucky has jumped out to a 3-0 start in the Horizon League.
The Norse have swept back-to-back series and will carry a seven-game winning streak into its game against the Bobcats.
Player to Watch: Luke Olson
Olson, Ohio’s opening starter, has been moved into the role of Tuesday starter. It isn’t certain if Olson is on the bump for Tuesday night's game, but after appearing in just one inning in three games against Kent State, it can be largely expected. Olson, one of Ohio’s top pitchers last season, has had a rough start to the season and will look to get back on track in a non-conference road game this week.
