OAC Tournament Preview: Baseball Opens Postseason vs. ONU

5/18/2021 1:09:00 PM | By: Joe Ginley '16, SID

Justin Hanley's big bat will be critical on Wednesday.

ADA, Ohio -- ADA, Ohio -- With a win in the final game of the regular season, John Carroll University Baseball ensured a spot in the Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament.

The Blue Streaks' postseason journey now has an official starting point: Ada, Ohio.

Bobby Bell's team will open the OAC Tournament on Wednesday against Ohio Northern University in the OAC Quarterfinal at 4 p.m.

Live Stats

John Carroll enters the postseason with a 17-20-1 overall record, 14-19-1 in OAC play. The Blue Streaks did drop three of the four games this past weekend to Otterbein, but the men of University Heights got the job done in the decisive fourth game, with a wild 12-8 conquest.

Ohio Northern also heads into the postseason under unusual circumstances. The Polar Bears did not play their final 4-game series of the regular season vs. Capital due to COVID-19 protocols. Despite the cancelation of the series, the Polar Bears have a strong record.

ONU carries a 21-14 overall record into the postseason, including a 20-11 mark in official conference play. The Polar Bears, led by 10-year veteran Head Coach Gene Stechschulte, have won nine of their last 10 games, including a 7-1 slate in May.

Pitching could prove to be critical. With rosters limited to 25 players, pitching will be at a premium. John Carroll used most of its arms in some capacity this weekend, so the JCU coaching staff will have decisions to make. ONU's arms will be well-rested, last taking the bump on Tuesday, May 11.

John Carroll and Ohio Northern did battle way back in March. JCU and ONU split on Saturday, March 27, as the Blue Streaks catapulted to a 21-10 win in Game 1 and the Polar Bears captured a 9-0 victory in Game 2. Sunday's doubleheader was scratched due to weather, so the teams played a single game in Ada on Monday, March 29. A 3-run fifth inning allowed JCU to walk away with a 7-5 triumph.

Entering the postseason, Mitch Midea leads the OAC in strikeouts with 78, as JCU's ace of the pitching rotation. Joe Olsavsky, Henry Haracz, Sam Heaton, and Justin Hanley lead the JCU offense, all with batting averages well above .320. Olsavsky leads the team in average (.398), runs (39), slugging percentage (.636), and walks (27). Hanley holds down the fort in doubles (14), home runs (7), and RBI (38).

Print Friendly Version

Related Videos

Related Stories

Sponsors