WOUB Sports

Ohio Bobcat Athletics: Year In Review

Tanner Smith — Wed, 30 May 2012 21:53:51 +0000

Athens, Ohio

Tanner Smith

After the most successful season in Ohio Bobcat athletics history, its time to reflect on the year that was for Bobcat sports. The WOUB Sports staff and The Bobcat Sports Showcase crew have put together a few dozen of the best plays and moments of the entire year.

Take a look at what the compilations of touchdowns, dunks, spikes, and saves and then let us know what you think. Tweet at The Bobcat Sports Showcase (@BobcatShowcase) with the hashtag #Showcase10 to let us know what your favorite plays or moments were from the 2011/12 season. We'll tally the votes in the coming weeks and then reveal the fans' favorite Bobcat moments of the year.

But for now, here is the "Year in Review" of Ohio athletics (in order of appearance in video):

- Ryan Boykin's catch and bulldozer touchdown run against Kent State.

- Jen McGill's 9 saves against North Carolina in the Sweet Sixteen of the field hockey NCAA Tournament.

- Ohio volleyball's exciting five set win over Central Michigan at the Convo.

- TyQuane Goard's ally-oop jam off an inbound pass against Bowling Green.

- Donte Harden's beast-mode kickoff return against Marshall.

- Jensen Painter's 52-game on base streak.

- Jake Madsen's 24-game hit streak.

- Ivo Baltic's spin move against North Carolina's Jon Henson in the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament.

- Dj Cooper's ridiculous three point shot against Akron in the MAC Championship as time on the shot clock ran out.

- Lavon Brazill's over the shoulder catch against Temple, keeping his toes in, oh by the way.

- Ohio softball's record five home runs in a single game against Dayton.

- Lauren McClary sets the single season strikeout record for Ohio softball.

- Tenisha Benson taking the game over in Ohio's upset of Bowling Green.

- Mose Denton's sack on fourth down against Miami, sealing the win for the Bobcats over the rival Redhawks.

- Ohio volleyball's domination of Miami; the Bobcats did not lose a single set to the Redhawks.

- Juli Accurso's record setting season for Ohio track and field.

- Lavon Brazill passing Taylor Price for the record for most career completions in Bobcat football history.

- Tyler Tettleton's touchdown pass to Donte Foster with 1:41 left in the game to give Ohio the 35-31 win.

- Ohio baseball's walk-off win against Miami in the last series of the season.

- Ethan Newton sets the all-time career steals record for Ohio baseball.

- After 24-years at the helm, Joe Carbone coaches in his final game as the Ohio baseball head coach.

- Dj Cooper sets the all-time assists record for Ohio basketball.

- Lavon Brazill's one-handed catch in the back corner of the end zone against Rutgers.

- Walter Offutt's lay-up and the foul to tied the game in the final seconds of regulation in the Sweet Sixteen.

- Ricardo Johnson's one-handed dunk against UNC Ashville.

- Taylor Brown's overtime goal to beat Lafayette and send Ohio field hockey to the NCAA Tournament.

- Donte Foster's one-handed catch against Marshall.

- One of the most exciting dunks of the year, Lamar's Mike James' one-handed ally-oop dunk over Ricardo Johnson.

- Lavon Brazill's acrobatic touchdown catch against Marshall.

- Jeremy Johnson was a nationally ranked wrestler for most of the season.

- Lavon Brazill's one-handed 70-yard touchdown catch and run against Ball State.

- Donte Harden's first down run to extend the Bobcats' final drive against Bowling Green.

- Matt Weller's 24-yard game winning field goal against Bowling Green, crowning Ohio MAC East Champs and sending them to the MAC Championship.

- Lavon Brazill's first down, near touchdown catch on 4th and 6 with Ohio down by six in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.

- Tyler Tettleton's one-yard touchdown scramble against Utah State, setting up the Bobcats for the 24-23 win over Utah State, the first bowl win in Ohio football program history.

Baseball: Ohio's Season Ends in Elimination Game

Kaylee Donegan — Fri, 25 May 2012 00:35:50 +0000

Photo Credit: Ryan Young

Kaylee Donegan

Both the Ohio and Buffalo baseball teams faced elimination from the Mid-American Conference tournament when they faced off Thursday afternoon. Yet, it was Buffalo who survived and advanced, and the Bulls did so in a 6-5 walk-off win.

“I don’t know what else we could have done,” Ohio head coach Joe Carbone said. “We played hard and we battled.”

The Bobcats got on the board first in the top of the second with an RBI single from freshman Logan Cozart. Cozart also had a two run homer in the top of the sixth. He finished 2-for-4 for the day with three RBI. Cozart is part of the strong freshmen class that have made up a large part of the starting line-up this season and will continue to do so in the future. Two other contributors from the freshmen class were Tyler Wells and Jake Madsen. Wells went 2-for-4 with a RBI and a solo home run that helped force the game into extra innings. Madsen was 1-for-4 with an RBI in the top of the fifth to help Ohio come back from behind.This season the team started five freshmen out of eight position players and was the youngest team in the tournament.

“These guys in a year or two will be an outstanding bunch of players." Carbone said. “These freshmen are championship caliber ball players. I feel like in a year or two they will be knocking on the door. “

The game came down to a close finish after Wells’ homerun sent the game into a tenth inning. Ohio could not find the offense at the right moment though and Buffalo took advantage in the bottom of the tenth. The Bulls put runners on first and second after Matt Pollock was hit by a pitch from Seth Streich and Jason Knazler hit a single. Alex Baldock wrapped it up for Buffalo with a pop fly to center field that Ohio couldn’t get the glove on.

Yet, in his final season as Ohio head coach, Joe Carbone is proud of his team’s efforts.

“I think our guys went out there and played really well,” Carbone said. “We feel badly about the two losses, but we were right there in the ball game the whole way.”

The Bobcats finish this season 16-12 in conference play and 28-29 overall. Carbone is retiring after 24 years, and is proud of the program he is leaving behind.

“I know this, my assistants and myself, Bill Toadvine and Andrew See, we gave it 100 percent everyday, 365 days out of the year,” Carbone said. “We are very proud of the young men that have played for us and proud of what they have accomplished. We are proud of the program and proud of what we represent at Ohio University.”

Baseball: Errors Hinder Bobcats in MAC Tourney Defeat

Alex Marcheschi — Wed, 23 May 2012 16:15:16 +0000

Athens, Ohio

Alex Marcheschi

The fourth seeded Ohio Bobcats took the field against the fifth seeded Western Michigan Broncos on Wednesday in an early game at All-Pro Freight Stadium in Avon, Ohio.

Ohio lost the game 4-2 as the Bobcats had trouble in the field, committing five errors in the game.

Brent Choban started the game for Ohio and held the Broncos scoreless through the first five innings.

Jensen Painter doubled to open Ohio’s second inning at-bat. Ian Mezlak was then hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second for Ohio. However, Dan Schmidt grounded out to end the inning.

Ethan Newton opened the third inning with a double to the wall, it was the 100th double of the season for Ohio, but the Bobcats failed to score in the inning.

Ian Mezlak batted in Painter to score Ohio’s first run of the game in the fourth inning.

Western Michigan scored on an error in the sixth after an over-thrown ball went into the stands. WMU then scored again as Patrick Duncan got the RBI single for the Broncos in the sixth. WMU lead Ohio 2-1 after six.

Ohio was retired in order in the bottom of the fifth and sixth innings

Western Michigan’s Zach Thoma added an insurance run for the Broncos in the seventh with an RBI single. WMU’s Jared Kujawa then singled through the right side in the same inning to bring home another Bronco run. It was 4-2 in favor of WMU heading into the eighth inning.

Painter hit a double down the line to score Jake Madsen in the eighth inning, but that’s all the damage Ohio would do in the game. Dan Schmidt struck out in the last at-bat of the game for Ohio, sealing the 4-2 victory by Western Michigan.

Casey Webber got the win for the Broncos.

Ohio must now win out to capture the MAC championship. The Bobcats’ next game is on Thursday at 12:30.

Baseball: The Legacy Of Joe Carbone

Avery Jennings — Tue, 22 May 2012 00:37:32 +0000

Athens, OH

Avery Jennings

Ohio baseball head coach Joe Carbone is hanging up his clipboard after 24 seasons. But The Bobcat Sports Showcase reporter Kaylee Donnegan caught up with him and some friends to talk about where his journey has taken him and what lies down the road.

Baseball: Ohio Defeats Miami To Even Weekend Series

Avery Jennings — Sat, 19 May 2012 16:02:22 +0000

Athens, OH

Avery Jennings

Photo Credit:

Ryan M. L. Young

Ohio second baseman Ian Mezlak turns two in Ohio's 9-7 loss to Eastern Michigan. The Bobcats went on to win the series 2-1.

@BobcatShowcase

Baseball: Ohio Drops Series Opener Against Miami

Jerod Scheetz — Fri, 18 May 2012 17:01:30 +0000

Athens, OH

Jerod Scheetz

Ohio fell short in the weekend home opener against archrival Miami (OH) Thursday evening.

In a day that the Bobcats (27-26, 15-10 MAC) struggled to piece together hits, Miami used a wild sixth inning to grab a 5-2 victory at Bob Wren Stadium.

The two teams entered the sixth tied 2-2, but Miami (27-26, 11-14 MAC) first baseman Kevin Bower led off with a single to kickstart the action. After a sacrifice bunt, Ohio starter Brent Choban (7-5) hit a batter and then walked Dan Walsh to load the bases with one out.

Choban committed a balk on a pickoff move to first base, bringing home a Miami run to give them a 3-2 lead. Miami catcher Max Andresen would finish off the damage with a two-run single to put his team up 5-2. Andresen had a huge day at the plate from the ninth spot in the order, finishing 3-4 with two RBI’s and a run scored.

Ohio struggled to create any scoring opportunities from the fifth inning on. Ohio did load the bases in the sixth, but Jake Madsen popped out to end the rally.

Miami’s bullpen combined for 3.1 innings of scoreless work, surrendering just three hits.

Choban worked 6.2 innings, allowing eight hits and five earned runs, while striking out five Miami batters. Tyler Backstrom pitched two scoreless innings in relief, recording three strikeouts.

Ohio’s two runs came off of a pair of sac flys, one in the second and one in the third. Ian Mezlak put the Bobcats up 1-0 with his second inning RBI, and third baseman Dan Schmidt evened things up at 2-2 in the third inning with his sac fly.

Ohio is looking to send Head Coach Joe Carbone out with a strong weekend in his last games he will coach at Bob Wren Stadium. Carbone will retire at the season’s end.

“We want to send him out on top,” Choban said after the game. “We want to play well and win this weekend for him.”

The Bobcats will have to win Friday and Saturday’s games to take the series. First pitch for Friday is set for 6 PM.

Baseball: The Perfect Steal

Bradley Parks — Thu, 17 May 2012 01:44:39 +0000

Athens, OH

Bradley Parks

Photo Credit:

Conor E. Ralph

Ethan Newton singles to center field for an RBI on May 1 against Pittsburgh.

Among the world’s fastest land animals are the cheetah, the pronghorn antelope and the Ohio University center fielder.

Perhaps that’s a lie. You will not catch Ethan Newton chasing down pronghorn antelopes in his spare time. (Humans rank right after the house cat on the list of fastest land animals, so in theory it would be impossible.)

But Newton can certainly hunt down prey with the best of them. His target? Bases. Bases that, if you ask any opposing pitcher, do not belong to him.

The 5’10” outfielder recently chased down Ohio’s career steals record formerly held by Marc Sims (1991-’94). Newton has 43 steals in his short two-year career at Ohio, which is phenomenal considering it took Sims four years to do the same.

“When I initially came here, I knew it was a record I had a shot at and coach [Carbone] did too,” said Newton. “The fact that he’s had the confidence in me for these two years to go after that record and to finally get it is a great honor.”

Newton, a senior, is no stranger to stealing bases. His speed was part of the charm he brought to Ohio for his junior season. As a freshman at Allegany College of Maryland, Newton swiped 41 bases. He ranks second all-time in steals in Allegany College history.

“[Stealing bases is] just always something I’ve been able to do,” said Newton. “I feel like I’ve always been a pretty smart ballplayer and I’ve used my speed well.”

Newton used his speed to pile on 20 steals at the start of his Ohio career and has 23 this season. Had he played at Ohio all four years and stolen bases at the same pace, Newton would have more than doubled Sims’ output, perhaps securing his place in Ohio baseball history for some time.

Still, however, Newton has at least temporarily claimed his stake in Ohio baseball history. Newton is also hot on the heels of another record, one stolen base away from the single-season steals mark of 24 set by Matt Hudik in 1990. Although he knows the record is within reach, Newton is focused on making sure his team plays a lot more baseball this season heading into the MAC tournament.

“I can’t press on that and try to make it happen and try to force it to happen,” said Newton of the single-season record, “but to be able to get that would be great.”

Newton added that first on his list of short-term goals is “to get three wins this weekend” – referring to Ohio’s final home stand against Miami. But with the center fielder so close to the single-season record, the Redhawks may want to keep their eyes peeled. Bases will need to be under heavy guard to protect themselves from Newton (and pronghorn antelopes).

*Alex Hider contributed to this article.

Bobcat Sports Show Nominated For 2012 College Sports Media Award

Kelly Martin — Wed, 16 May 2012 20:05:55 +0000

Kelly Martin

Sports Video Group and the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) have announced that WOUB's "Bobcat Sports Showcase" has been nominated for the 2012 College Sports Media Awards. The show is nominated for an award in the "program series" category for the episode "Marshall week."

Representing dozens of college athletic and academic departments, as well as professional production companies and student productions, the nominees are spread across four divisions in a total of 16 categories.

The winners will be selected by a panel of judges and announced on June 6 at the College Sports Video Summit in Atlanta.

The Bobcat Sports Showcase is a 30-minute, weekly program that gives a comprehensive view of Ohio University varsity sports and features sports such as football, men’s and women’s basketball, wrestling, volleyball and baseball.

The program airs on WOUB-TV Fridays at 11 p.m. and Saturdays at 11 a.m. and is available online at woub.org.

Baseball: Bats Come Alive As 'Cats Dismantle Dayton

Alex Hider — Wed, 16 May 2012 03:57:09 +0000

Athens, OH

Alex Hider

Right fielder Jensen Painter went 2-3 with two home runs, and catcher Kyle Dean added a grand slam as Ohio beat Dayton 7-2. It was the fourth win as many tries for the Bobcats, coming on the heels of a six game losing streak.

“The guys were getting fatigued a bit,” said manager Joe Carbone of the streak. “We needed a little bit of a break, and we got that.”

Leading off the second inning, Jensen Painter took a Tommy Konrad hanging curve to deep left field for his 13^th home run of the year. Painter wasn’t done. In the bottom of the fourth, he launched his second homer of the game to almost the exact same spot as the first.

“He hadn’t swung the bat well for a while,” said Carbone. “He’s worked really hard to do some mechanical things to get better. Hopefully it carries into this weekend.”

Carbone went to his bullpen after the fourth inning, despite a shut out performance from Tyler Backstrom. In the sixth, reliever Sean Kennedy allowed a pair of singles with one out, and both runners took an extra a base on a play at third. With runners on second and third, CJ Gillman’s RBI single brought home the first Dayton runner of the night. Zach Stewart reached on a fielder’s choice and pushed across another run to tie the game at two.

Ohio answered right back in the bottom of the frame. A Ryan Madsen double and walks by Dan Schmidt and Ian Mezlak loaded the bases for catcher Kyle Dean. With one swing of the bat, Dean turned a back and forth game into a rout, as his grand slam brought in four runs to give the Bobcats a 6-2 lead.

“Mainly I just tried to put it in play,” said Dean of his first grand slam. “I just wanted to keep it out of the double play.”

The Bobcats added one more in the bottom of the seventh when Tyler Wells scored on a double steal. With Wells on third and Painter on first, Painter attempted to steal second. As the Bobcat right fielder was caught in the rundown, Wells snuck down the third base line and beat a throw home to put Ohio up 7-2.

“I didn’t write it in the sand, but yes,” said Carbone when asked if he had called the double steal.

Ohio (27-25) will begin its final series of the regular season on Friday at 6 at Bob Wren Stadium, Carbone’s final three home games as Ohio’s manager.

Mike Schmidt One of Six in 2012 MAC Hall of Fame Class

Kaylee Donegan — Tue, 15 May 2012 17:55:31 +0000

Athens, OH

Kaylee Donegan

Photo Credit:

Photo source: SIKids.com

Former Ohio baseball All-American Mike Schmidt was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1995 after 548 career home runs with the Philadelphia Phillies. Now, 17 years later, Schmidt will be honored on Thursday, May 17^,thas a member of the 2012 Mid-American Conference Hall of Fame Induction Class at the Renaissance Hotel in Cleveland.

“Being recognized by the Mid-American conference now as a hall of famer is a nice honor,” Schmidt said. “It [playing in the MAC] was a great, great period in my life.”

Schmidt played baseball for Ohio from 1967-71 and lettered those four years, despite being a walk-on to start his career. He was named an All-American during the 1970 and 1971 seasons and in 1970, was one of the key contributors when the team made it to the College World Series. Schmidt played shortstop in college and was also named First Team All-MAC in 1969, 1970, and 1971.

“Those were the formative years of my life,” Schmidt said. “I arrived at Ohio University as a walk-on. I never had any scholarship money, but I tried out for the freshmen team and ended up an All-American.”

“You knew he was someone special when you were playing with him,” Ohio baseball head coach Joe Carbone said.

Schmidt was the 30^th overall pick by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 1971 Major League Baseball Draft and played for 18 seasons in Philadelphia. He was a member of the 1980 World Series Champion Philadelphia Phillies, a three-time National League MVP, named to 12 All-Star teams and received 10 Gold Glove Awards.

“His professional career speaks for itself, but what people forget is what a great college career he had with helping us get to the college world series, so it [induction] is obviously deserved,” Ohio athletic director Jim Schaus said. “He is as good as any athlete in any sport in our conference ever.”

The MAC Hall of Fame started with the charter class in 1988 and other classes were added in 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, and 1994. Yet, it was suspended until it was reinstated earlier this month. The 2012 class will bring the total members from 52 to 58.

Joining Schmidt in this year’s class is Karen Fitzpatrick (Ball State-Field Hockey coach), Herb Deromedi (Central Michigan-Football coach), Ben Curtis (Kent State-Golf), Wayne Embry (Miami-Basketball), and Bob Nichols (Toledo-Men’s Basketball coach).

“There is no question that it is a point of pride to Ohio University, and our athletic department and our baseball program to have a Mike Schmidt as part of our history, but there are a lot of those athletes in the MAC and we are very proud of them,” Schaus said.

mike schmidt.mp3