Chris Mackler / Senior Photographer / cm285504@ohiou.edu

Ohio infielder Dusty Hammond bats against Kent State last Saturday during a 4-2 loss. The Bobcats will face Akron this weekend in a three-game series.

With three weeks left in the season, the Ohio baseball team faces its first challenge this weekend against Akron as the team claws for a chance to play in the Mid-American Conference Tournament.

Although Ohio (16-21, 8-10 MAC) sits in fourth place in the MAC East Division, the Bobcats can put considerable distance between itself and fifth-place Akron (12-29, 6-12) this weekend with a positive showing.

Coach Joe Carbone recognized the great importance of this weekend’s home series with Akron because of the team’s performance last week against East Division leader Kent State.

“It’s nutcrackin’ time,” Carbone said. “We lost a couple tough games to Kent that we needed to win. We needed to win them more than they did because they’re on top and we’re fighting to get into the tournament.”

The Bobcats took last weekend’s series opener with Kent, 5-3, but dropped the final two games of the series 4-2 — in 12 innings — and 15-11, respectively. By losing the series to Kent, Ohio now faces a difficult road for any chances of making the post-season.

Relief pitcher Cody Neyman emphasized the need to build momentum beginning this weekend with Akron.

“I think it’s real important,” Neyman said. “It’s a big weekend. We got to win every weekend, every MAC weekend from now out if we’re going to make it, so I think it’s real important to at least win the series.”

Despite the difficult road the Bobcats must travel to advance to play in their first conference tournament since 2003, outfielder Matt Stiffler said he feels the team is up to the task.

“Basically we have to win a lot of games,” Stiffler said. “We have to win more than we lose definitely ... We are a young team, but I think we have the ability to do it.”

However, Carbone stressed the need to concentrate on each game this weekend and not to look ahead in the schedule.

“We got to do a good job against Akron,” Carbone said. “We’re going to take it one game at a time and play as hard as we can and then go from there.”

Ohio plays host to Akron at 6 p.m. today in the first of a three-game set this weekend at Bob Wren Stadium.