March 27, 2008

ATHENS, Ohio - The Ohio baseball team plays host to Western Michigan in a three-game series this weekend at Bob Wren Stadium. The Bobcats (9-10) will look to improve upon their early 2-1 Mid-American Conference mark, while the Broncos (12-4-1) will be playing their first conference series of the season. First pitch is slated for Friday at 6 p.m.

Bobcat Baseball This Weekend
Ohio vs. Western Michigan - Friday, March 28 (6 p.m.)
Ohio vs. Western Michigan - Saturday, March 29 (3 p.m.)
Ohio vs. Western Michigan - Sunday, March 30 (1 p.m.)

Live stats for all three games will be available at OhioBobcats.com. Pitch-by-pitch action of this weekend's series can be heard on 970 AM WATH radio in Athens or click here for a live web stream of the broadcasts.

Scouting Western Michigan
Western Michigan enters the weekend with the best overall record in the league at 12-4-1. WMU is tops in the MAC in team batting (.321) and pitching (3.45 ERA). Chris Lewis is hitting .404 at the plate, third-best in the MAC, to lead the Broncos' offensive attack. The pitching staff includes eight pitchers with ERA's under 4.00, including closer Derek Mosher's 0.77 ERA. Mosher has two saves on the season and 12 strikeouts in 11.2 innings on the hill. WMU is coached by Randy Ford, who is in his fourth season at the helm and has a 72-79 record at the school.

All-Time Series
Ohio is 46-51 all-time against Western Michigan, with the last series between the two schools coming in 2005. Ohio lost two of three in the `05 series in Kalamazoo, losing the first game 3-2, winning the second game, 6-1, and falling in the rubber game, 8-7. Ohio Head Coach Joe Carbone is 26-17 all-time against Western Michigan.

Pitching Probables
(Ohio's listed first)
Friday
#33 Chris Rigo (Jr., RHP, 6-3, 205)
2-1, 4.94 ERA, 31.0 IP, 17 ER, 26 K, 14 BB

#24 Ethan Hollingsworth (Jr., RHP, 6-2, 200)
2-1, 3.13 ERA, 23.0 IP, 8 ER, 23 K, 8 BB

Satuday
#1 Zach Elmer (Jr., LHP, 5-11, 185)
1-1, 2.08 ERA, 21.2 IP, 5 ER, 12 K, 15 BB

#19 Billy Morrison (So., RHP, 6-5, 205)
2-0, 3.33, 24.1 IP, 9 ER, 12 K, 7 BB

Sunday
#21 Jason Moutlon (Fr., RHP, 6-1, 170)
1-2, 4.40 ERA, 28.2 IP, 14 ER, 22 K, 7 BB

#26 Brian Stroud (Fr., RHP, 6-4, 220)
2-0, 4.42 ERA, 18.1 IP, 9 ER, 16 K, 12 BB

Fairbanks Throws Shutout
Ohio junior left-hander Zach Fairbanks stuck out a team season-high 11 batters in the Bobcats' home opener at Bob Wren Stadium against Rio Grande (3/25) to lead the Bobcats to a 2-0 victory. Fairbanks went all nine innings on the hill for the complete-game shutout, allowing just six hits and no walks, with all six hits being singles.

Elmer at Top of MAC
Junior left-hander Zach Elmer begins the weekend third in the MAC with a 2.08 ERA. Elmer (1-1) has only given up five earned runs on the season in 21.2 innings on the mound. The Delaware, Ohio, native is tops in the conference opponent batting average, holding hitters to a .210 average so far this season.

Carbone Nears 300 MAC Wins
Ohio Head Coach Joe Carbone has 298 conference wins, putting him just two wins away from becoming the third coach in league history to reach the 300-win plateau.

That's My Bag
Senior Matt Stiffler is leading the MAC in total bases this season, averaging 2.58 per game (49 total bases). Stiffler is batting .361, with four doubles, three triples and three home runs.

Saves
Senior right handed reliever John Angelicchi has three saves on the season, second best in the conference. Angelicchi has made has made seven appearances this year, pitching 12.0 innings, striking out 10 and posting a 3.75 ERA. Akron's Tom Farmer leads the MAC with four saves on the season.

Return of the MAC
Ohio won the first two games of their conference opening series against Central Michigan, becoming the first team in 15 tries to take a conference series from the Chippewas. Ohio's 2-1 start to begin MAC play is its best since going 2-1 to begin the 2000 season.

Back On the Winning Track
Ohio had its four-game winning streak come to an end in the final game of its series against Central Michigan (3/24). During the streak the Bobcats recorded two victories against Purdue and two against CMU, combining to outscore both teams 24-6. The Bbcats batted .336 to their opponents .206 average and the pitching was even more impressive as the Bobcat pitchers posted a .075 ERA, allowing just three earned runs in 36 innings on the hill. Opposing pitchers during the four-game streak had an ERA of 6.09. The four-game winning streak is the longest of the season for Ohio.

Stiffler Hit Streak
Senior Matt Stiffler is currently on a 14-game hit streak that stretches back to the last game of the Memphis series (March 2). This season, Stiffler has recorded a hit in 17 of Ohio's 19 games and has posted eight multi-hit games. Stiffler has also scored at least one run in all but three games this year.

Hartle Has Solid Week
Ohio senior shortstop Zach Hartle batted .400 at the plate in the opening weekend of MAC play, leading the Bobcats to a series win at Central Michigan. Hartle recorded two doubles, one home run, three runs scored and three RBI for the week. The Toledo, Ohio, native posted a slugging percentage of .733 and a .400 on base percentage.

Rigo Gets Second Win
Ohio junior right-hander Chris Rigo earned his second victory of the season in the MAC opener for the Bobcats against Central Michigan. Rigo went 6.2 innings, allowing just five hits and two earned runs, while striking out three in the win. The Westlake, Ohio, native posted a 2.70 ERA for the week and held batters to a .208 average at the plate.

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Wes Liles is the baseball contact in the Ohio media relations office. He can be reached via email at liles@ohio.edu.