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ATHENS, Ohio – The Ohio softball team will open the 47th season of Bobcat softball Feb. 7-9 when it travels to Atlanta, Ga. for the 2020 Buzz Classic hosted by Georgia Tech. Under second-year head coach Kenzie Roark, the Bobcats will take on UAB, No. 1 Washington, Furman, and Georgia Tech.
THE LINEUP
Friday, Feb. 7 | vs. UAB | 12:30 p.m. ET | 2020 Buzz Classic | Atlanta, Ga. | Mewborn Field | Live Stats
Friday, Feb. 7 | vs. No. 1 Washington | 3:30 p.m. ET | 2020 Buzz Classic | Atlanta, Ga. | Mewborn Field | Live Stats
Saturday, Feb. 8 | vs. Furman | 10 a.m. ET | 2020 Buzz Classic | Atlanta, Ga. | Mewborn Field | Live Stats
Sunday, Feb. 9 | vs. UAB | 10 a.m. ET | 2020 Buzz Classic | Atlanta, Ga. | Mewborn Field | Live Stats
Sunday, Feb. 9 | vs. Georgia Tech | 12:30 p.m. ET | 2020 Buzz Classic | Atlanta, Ga. | Mewborn Field | Live Stats | ACCNX
2019 BOBCAT REWIND
Ohio finished the 2019 season 34-21, 12-8 in-conference, just shy of winning back-to-back Mid-American Conference titles after falling to Toledo (29-26) in the final round. Thanks to a grand slam in the seventh inning that increased the lead to 7-2, Ohio was able to defeat the top-seeded Miami (35-14), giving the Bobcats another shot at claiming the regular season crown. Despite a 5-0 lead in the first game against Toledo, Ohio was unable to recover from three errors late in the first game and five errors in game two.
Overall, the team finished with a collective on-base percentage of .365, a .462 slugging percentage and a .295 batting average. The Bobcats scored 299 runs, had 269 RBIs, hit 64 doubles and 68 homeruns, stole 52 bases and had 4 shutouts.
RETURNERS
This season, the returners for Ohio consist of five sophomores, five juniors, and one senior. Last season, senior outfielder Alexa Holland (Rochester, Ind.) had a fielding percentage of .958, with 37 outputs and nine assists. Holland finished the 2019 season with the highest batting average of her career, .266. With 29 hits in 109 at bats, she scored 18 runs, hit one triple and registered six RBI. Last Season, Holland was named to the Academic All-MAC team for the second time.
Junior Katie Yun (North Canton, Ohio) also returns for the Bobcats. Last season, Yun was batting a team high of .394 with a .711 slugging percentage, 14 homeruns and 18 doubles. Registering 78 hits, Yun set the single season hits record. Yun earned First Team All-MAC, 2019 Google Cloud Academic All-District Team, and All-Mideast Region First Team.
In the circle, junior Madi McCrady (Brimfield, Ohio) is back in the Green and White after posting a 23-13 record and a 3.20 ERA in 229.1 innings pitched, while striking out 207. McCrady also earned a spot on the Academic All-MAC squad.
Other returners include sophomores Caroline Spacek, Justice Ruggles and Mackensie Kohl as well as juniors Allie Englant and Brooke Rice.
NEW TO THE SQUAD
Ohio is welcoming 10 newcomers to the team, seven freshmen and three transfers.
Incoming freshmen for this season include, Alexis Dawe, Kaci Branch, Sydney Larson, Molly Troutman, Ryan Shaughnessy, Sophia Bernard and Holly Brehm.
The Bobcats also added three transfers to the roster for the 2020 season, including junior Ava Heidorn (Marysville, Ohio) who comes to Ohio after spending two seasons at UL-Monroe. Ohio also sees redshirt sophomore pitcher Baylie Thornhill (Baton Rouge, La.) come to Ohio from LSU, and sophomore infielder Caitlin Fogue (Columbia, Mo.) puts on the Green and White after one season at Missouri.
PRESEASON POLL
Ohio softball team has been selected fourth in the 2020 MAC Softball Preseason Poll, the league announced today (Feb. 5). The poll was voted on by the head coaches of the 11 MAC institutions.
The Bobcats earned 86 votes, but did not receive a first-place vote. Finishing ahead of Ohio is Miami who was selected as this year's favorite with 113 votes and four first place votes, followed by Kent State with 112 votes and four first place votes. Ball State finished with 90 votes and two first place votes.
Selected behind Ohio is Toledo (68) with one first place vote, Central Michigan (66), Northern Illinois (65), Western Michigan (48), Bowling Green (32), Akron (25) and Buffalo (21).
Miami and Kent State both were selected to take home the 2020 MAC Tournament crown, earning five votes each. Ball State also received one vote to win the tournament.
SCOUTING UAB
The Blazers ended on a high note with a three-game win-streak, allowing them to finish the 2019 season 19-31 with an 8-16 record in Conference USA, UAB finished the season ninth overall in their conference after sweeping Charlotte in their final series.
Among the returners for the Blazers is sophomore Faith Hegh. Hegh led the team in 2019 with a .357 batting average; in 48 games and 154 at-bats, she finished the season with 55 hits, 21 runs and 21 RBIs. Senior Natalie Erwin followed closely behind with a .319 cumulative batting average and 44 hits.
Returning to the circle for UAB is junior Emily Kachel. In 2019, Kachel appeared in 28 games, pitched a total of 97 innings and struck out 84 batters.
SCOUTING NO. 1 WASHINGTON
Washington enters the 2020 season as the top-ranked team in the country.
Washington's 2019 season came to an end in the World Series semi-finals, when the Huskies fell to UCLA in the longest game in WCWS history. Scoreless until the tenth inning, the loss concluded Washington's season with a 52-9 record. This is the third time in a row that Washington has won over 50 games in a season.
Returning for the Huskies is senior Sis Bates. In 2019, Bates was at the top of the pack with a .387 batting average, finishing the season with 60 runs scored, 11 doubles, three triples, and 13 RBIs. Redshirt senior Morganne Flores hit 23 homeruns for the Huskies, finishing with a .348 batting average.
Junior Gabbie Plain will be returning to pitch for Washington. Last season, she made 38 appearances with 27 starts and 16 complete games, closing out the season with a 1.27 ERA.
SCOUTING FURMAN
Furman finished their 2019 season 13-38, falling to Samford in the Southern Conference Softball Championship 7-0. In the Southern Conference Furman had a record of 5-12 and concluded the season on a five-game losing streak.
Senior Casey Bigham is returning to the field for Furman. In her 2019 season, Bennett played in all 51 games, finishing with 32 hits and seven doubles.
SCOUTING GEORGIA TECH
The Jackets' 2019 season came to a close in the quarterfinals of the 2019 ACC Softball Championship, falling to Florida State, 7-0. Georgia Tech finished 31-27 overall, finishing with over thirty wins for the first time since 2012.
Junior Breanna Roper is returning for the Jackets. Roper played and started 58 games for the Jackets, concluding the 2019 season with a .364 batting average. She had a .513 slugging percentage and had 71 hits, 18 doubles, and three homeruns.
Senior Morgan Bruce is returning to pitch for Georgia Tech. Bruce made 51 appearances in the circle, throwing 177.1 innings. She pitched five complete games, recorded seven wins and three saves.
COMING UP
Up next, the Bobcats head to Chattanooga, Tenn. to take on Western Kentucky, Lipscomb, Indiana State, and Marshall. On Friday, February 14, Ohio takes on Western Kentucky at 11 a.m. and Lipscomb at 2:30 p.m. Play continues on Saturday where the Bobcats are set to play Indiana State at 11 a.m. and Marshall at 1:30 p.m. On Sunday, the Bobcats conclude by facing off with Lipscomb one last time at 11 a.m.
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