Ohio (7-29 overall, 4-14 Mid-American Conference) took care of business in its first game against Miami this past weekend, but that has been all the highs for the Bobcats over their current road trip. They are 1-4 over the stretch, but will look to find some footing in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, against the Central Michigan Chippewas.
Central Michigan (13-19 overall, 7-11 MAC) has had some struggles of its own in 2026. This conference is very top-heavy this year, but the Chippewas have flashed competitive numbers all year, posting a team ERA of 6.85 to land in the upper half of the MAC, while also averaging 8 runs per game on offense, which is good for third in the conference.
These numbers drastically outshine those of Ohio, which is at the bottom for both statistics, with a 10.56 team ERA and an average of just over 5 runs per game. Ohio’s pitching staff has certainly had its ups and downs so far this season, but it will have to be at its best to slow down this high-powered offense.
Game Information
Opponent: Central Michigan Chippewas
Location: Keilitz Field at Theunissen Stadium
Times: Friday at 3 p.m., Saturday at 1 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.
Where to Watch: Central Michigan University Athletics
Follow live stats here
Meet the opponent
Head Coach: Jake Sabol (3rd season)
Projected Starters
Central Michigan: Tyson Potts (1-2, 5.40 ERA)
Ohio: Mason Gass (3-1, 8.32 ERA)
Statistical Leaders
Batting Average: Harrison Bowman (.316)
Hits: Bowman (42)
Home Runs: Bowman (9) RBI: Bowman (37)
ERA: Hayden Bailey (4.50)
Strikeouts: Luke Neiswonger (47)
Looking at Central Michigan
Coach Sabol took the reins of his former team just a few years ago, and this program has been in rebuild since. He has tried to find players to buy into the future of this team, and it has paid off with improvement over all three years of his tenure. He was a former pitcher and found a handful of guys to log big innings and help them win on the mound, such as Potts and Bailey, who have thrown over 35 innings apiece this year.
The Chippewas rely on another third-year man, assistant coach Doug Walters, to recruit the offense. He has found a leader in Bowman, who leads in every major batting category, but he is followed closely behind by teammates Drew Loikits and Brady Krzciok, who have 33 hits. Krzciok also has 31 RBIs, which is good for fourth behind Bowman and both Zach Knowlton and Cole Prout with 32 each.
Looking at Ohio
Ohio is under the tutelage of former Bobcat and first-year head coach Andrew See. See brought in over 30 new players to the program with the hopes of finding success in a rebuild similar to that of Central Michigan, but the Bobcats have not been nearly as successful in See’s first year. This group has struggled to put the pieces together, but they have had some bright spots.
Gass has been a solid piece to Ohio’s pitching staff in his first collegiate season, but the pitching staff has all had their fair share of poor outings. This group will need to collect itself against the Chippewas to give their bats a chance.
Ohio’s hitting has been led by junior Cameron Boyd and graduate student Will Henson. Boyd has moved up and down the lineup all year as See has looked for a spark, but it has not stopped his production, as he has posted a .266 batting average, with 38 hits, 24 RBIs and 7 home runs. Henson has been in the heart of the order all year, posting a .278 average, with 37 hits and 25 RBIs.
