ATHENS, Ohio -- The Ohio baseball team (11-6) opens its 2015 Mid American Conference schedule this weekend (March 20-22), visiting West Division foe Central Michigan (13-8) at Theunissen Stadium in Mount Pleasant, Mich.

The series opener is scheduled for 3:05 p.m. ET on Friday (March 20), followed by a 2:05 p.m. ET contest on Saturday (March 21) and a 1:05 p.m. ET finale on Sunday (March 22).

PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS

Friday: Ohio Jr. RHP Connor Sitz (Westerville, Ohio; 4-1, 3.20 ERA, 6 APP, 5 GS, 25.1 IP, 29 H, 9 ER, 9 BB, 23 SO) vs. Central Michigan So. LHP #27 Nick Deeg (Lake Orion, Mich.; 3-1, 2.10 ERA, 5 APP, 5 GS, 30.0 IP, 23 H, 7 ER, 7 BB, 18 SO) | Gametracker

Saturday: Ohio Fr. LHP #13 Mason McWilliams (Belevue, Ohio; 1-1, 3.55 ERA, 5 APP, 0 GS, 12.2 IP, 12 H, 5 ER, 1 BB, 13 SO) vs. Central Michigan Fr. RHP #17 Pat Leatherman (Jenison, Mich.; 2-0, 2.55 ERA, 4 APP, 4 GS, 24.2 IP, 20 H, 7 ER, 5 BB, 17 SO) | Gametracker

Sunday: Ohio So. RHP #35 Tom Colletti (Wheaton, Ill.; 1-0, 5.56 ERA, 8 APP, 0 GS, 11.1 IP, 14 H, 7 ER, 7 BB, 8 SO) vs. Central Michigan Jr. RHP #35 Jason Gamble (Wixom, Mich.; 2-1, 2.62 ERA, 6 APP, 3 GS, 24.0 IP, 17 H, 7 ER, 4 BB, 6 SO) | Gametracker

LAST TIME OUT: BOBCATS TOPPLE KENTUCKY

Ohio jumped out to a six-run lead and held on to hand Kentucky its first home loss of the 2015 season with a 10-7 victory on Tuesday (March 17) at Cliff Hagan Stadium in Lexington, Ky.

The Bobcats matched their win total from the entire 2014 season with the win and posted their first triumph over a Southeastern Conference opponent since recording a 15-4 win at Kentucky in 1997. Ohio went on to win the Mid-American Conference that season and earned an NCAA Mideast Regional berth.

The top of Ohio's batting order did the bulk of the damage to Kentucky, with the top six hitters combing to go 13-for-28 with nine RBI and seven runs scored. Four Bobcats -- junior Manny De Jesus (Caguas, P.R.), redshirt senior Garrett Black (Lima, Ohio), sophomore Mitch Longo (Mayfield, Ohio) and redshirt junior Cody Gaertner (Pittsburgh, Pa.) -- tallied three hits in the victory. De Jesus went 3-for-5 with a double, an RBI and three runs scored. Black finished 3-for-4 with a double, two RBI and three runs scored. Longo went 3-for-4 with a double, four RBI, a run scored and a walk. Gaertner went 3-for-5 with an RBI.

Sophomore righty Christian Botter (Toronto, Canada) pitched a perfect inning of relief and earned his first career victory, improving to 1-0 on the season.

Senior right-handed closer Logan Cozart (New Philadelphia, Ohio) fanned two over an inning and two-thirds of work, picking up his fourth save of the year.

'CATS' BATS WHITE HOT

Ohio ranks eighth in the NCAA in batting average, hitting at a .316 clip as a team.

Ohio has tallied double-digit runs six times in 2015 and has earned double-digit hits 11 times -- including five games with at least 16 hits.

Longo leads the way for the Bobcats, hitting at a team-best .395 average with a team-high 30 hits -- including three doubles and two home runs -- to go along with a team-high 17 RBI as well as 17 runs scored. He extended his hitting streak to a team season-high 11 games in the win over the Wildcats and has reached base safely in a team season-high 14 straight games. He has tallied four multi-RBI games this season. Longo posted his ninth multi-hit game of the season, matching redshirt junior catcher Cody Gaertner (Pittsburgh, Pa.) for the team lead.

De Jesus is batting at a .393 clip with 24 hits -- including a team-high five doubles to go along with a triple -- in addition to 12 RBI and a team-high 20 runs scored. He has hit safely in seven straight, reached base in seven straight and posted seven multi-hit games this year.

Senior Tyler Wells (Lexington, Ky.) sports a .357 batting average with 20 hits -- including three doubles and a team-high three home runs -- to go along with 15 RBI and 12 runs scored.

Sophomore Ty Black (Waynesville, Ohio) is a .339 hitter with 19 hits -- including a double and a team-high two triples as well as a home run -- to go along with 10 RBI and nine runs scored.

Gaertner, who was named to the 2015 Johnny Bench Award presented by BaseballSavings.com last week, has been hitting at a .338 pace with 24 hits -- including two doubles and a home run -- to go along with 14 RBI and 15 runs scored.

Senior Jake Madsen (Cincinnati, Ohio) rounds out Ohio's bats hitting better than .300 this season, batting at a .333 clip with 20 hits -- including a team-high five doubles to go along with a triple -- in addition to 15 RBI and nine runs scored.

SITZ 'EM DOWN

Sitz will be making his sixth start of the 2015 season on Friday. He is 4-1 with a 3.20 ERA and has fanned 23 over 25.1 innings of work while allowing nine earned runs on 29 hits and nine walks. Sitz put together a strong start last Saturday (March 14) in the first game of a doubleheader against Siena at Veterans Administration Memorial Stadium in Chillicothe, Ohio. He fanned six over six frames while allowing two earned runs on three hits and two walks.

ENTERING THE ROTATION

Ohio's starting pitching rotation will feature two new faces this weekend in McWilliams and Colletti as both make their first starts of the 2015 season.

McWilliams is 1-1 with a 3.55 ERA in five appearances out of the bullpen. He's struck out 13 in 12.2 frames while surrendering five earned runs on 12 hits and a walk.

Colletti is 1-0 with a 5.56 ERA in eight appearances, striking out eight while giving up seven earned runs on 14 hits and seven walks.

OHIO IN MAC OPENERS

The Bobcats seek their first win in a league opener since topping Toledo, 9-3, on March 23, 2012.

SERIES HISTORY

Ohio is taking aim at its first series win over the Chippewas since the 2009 season at Bob Wren Stadium in Athens. The Bobcats won the opener, 9-5, on March 20. After Central Michigan edged Ohio, 12-10, in the second game, the Bobcats took the rubber match with a 16-6 triumph on March 22.

Ohio's last series win in Mount Pleasant came in 2008, with the Bobcats prevailing in the first two games of the weekend set -- a 13-2 win on March 22 and a 5-4 victory the following day.

Central Michigan has taken four straight from the Bobcats -- including a three-game sweep last season in Athens. The Chippewas recorded wins of 6-3, 10-2 and 4-2 at Bob Wren Stadium.

UP NEXT

Ohio plays host to Xavier next Tuesday (March 24) in its 2015 home opener at Bob Wren Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. ET.

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