KALAMAZOO, Mich.– After playing their first 27 games away from Kalamazoo, the Western Michigan softball team settles in at Fran Ebert field returning to Mid-American Conference play this weekend hosting Ohio University, March 31 & April 1. The three-game series will begin with a single game on Friday, scheduled to start at 3 p.m., followed by a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 1 p.m.
 
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The Broncos will enter the weekend at 12-15 overall and 0-3 in the MAC while Ohio stands at 22-6 overall and 3-0 in conference play. The Bobcats are winners of their last nine games and are coming off a three-game sweep over Toledo last weekend. 

The Broncos have traveled to Arizona, Tennessee and Florida for their first 27 games. Following the Ohio series, WMU will remain home on April 4, when the Broncos welcome Central Michigan for a doubleheader with the first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m.

The Broncos came into the week hitting .295 which was good for third in the MAC earlier this week. Senior third baseman Kelsea Cichocki leads the conference in batting average (.518) and RBIs (33). She ranks first in hits (44) and doubles (11) and has six home runs. Three other Broncos are batting over .300, including freshman outfielder Mackenzie Swinehart who maintains a .368 average.

Five pitchers have toed the rubber for the Broncos with sophomore Jordan Kurth and junior Anissa Sanchez getting a majority of the starts. Sanchez has a 4-3 record and an ERA at 2.25 over 59.0 innings pitched. Kurth holds a 2.45 ERA and has struck out 49 batters over 81.0 innings pitched.

Ohio is batting .305 as a team and has a 2.37 ERA and for the first time in program history, the Bobcats earned a vote in the USA Today/NFCA Top 25 Coaches Poll. Sophomore Alex Day leads the Bobcats in batting average (.415) and is fourth overall in hits (39) while five other Bobcats are batting over .300. Redshirt senior Savannah Jo Dorsey leads the team on the mound with a 13-3 overall record with a 1.28 ERA and was named MAC Pitcher of the Week last week.

Ohio won the series last season winning two of the three games in Athens, Ohio. The Bobcats took the first game 5-2 but the Broncos evened the series with a 3-0 victory the following day. Highlighted by a strong pitching performance from Kurth, the lefty threw a complete-game shutout allowing just two hits. The Bobcats would clinch the series during game two of the doubleheader.