Ohio (7-28, 4-14 in the Mid-American Conference) looks to bounce back as it faces the Northern Kentucky Norse (15-19, 6-6 in the Horizon League) after splitting the first two games in the Battle of the Bricks before the long ball destroyed most of the momentum they had from game one.
The Bobcats look to win their second out-of-conference game since defeating Marshall 5-3 on the road in late March. Ohio looks to limit walks and longballs as its pitchers lead the MAC in walks with 215, while sitting fourth in most home runs given up with 42. The team does hit the ball hard, as the Bobcats are slated in fourth in doubles with 65 and tied for fourth with 62 swiped bases in the MAC.
As for the Norse, they are coming off a home series win against the UNC Greensboro Spartans, where they won the series 2-1. The Norse bounced back from a dominant game two for the Spartans, where they scored 17 runs before Northern Kentucky bounced back to take the series in a 4-3 victory, where a three-run sixth inning helped edge their way to victory.
Game Information:
Opponent: Northern Kentucky Norse
Location: Bill Aker Baseball Complex, Highland Heights, KY
Time: Tuesday at 3 p.m.
Where to Watch: Check your local listings.
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The Bobcats head into the Bill Aker Baseball Complex with a 5-16 away record, where the team looks to win its first game against the Norse in team history. The team is 0-2 on the road against NKU but kept it close, only losing by a combined -6.
As for the Norse, they hold a 10-5 record at home, including their recent matches with UNC Greensboro, where they put up 40 hits. Northern Kentucky currently sits in second behind Wright State in the Horizon League.
The Norse look to continue their home dominance as they lead the Horizon League in home runs with 33, RBIs with 216, the second-most hits with 281 and the second-highest slugging percentage with .401.
In order to win this matchup, the Bobcats must take advantage of the team’s poor pitching staff, as their staff holds the top spots in home runs given up in the MAC with 46, hits allowed with 361, earned runs with 269 and walks with 194.
For Northern Kentucky, the team looks to generate rallies from redshirt junior catcher Jake Paulick. The Centerville product has crushed the ball at the plate, as he is slashing a .304 batting average, 1.034 OPS and a team-leading 8 home runs to go with 29 RBIs. He’s also efficient behind the dish, gunning down eleven runners on 19 attempts.
Ohio looks to junior outfielder Cameron Boyd to spark the offense. The outfielder is an offensive machine as he leads the team in hits, doubles, home runs and RBIs. He’s lethal on the base paths as well, as he holds a 90% steal percentage on 11 attempts.
