Brock Fowler / For The Post / bf278107@ohio.edu

Robert Maddox III slides into third base as Anthony Manley of Duquesne misses a throw from left field on April 30 at Bob Wren Stadium. With three conference games at Buffalo left this season, the Bobcats dream of a MAC tournament berth is within  reach.

As the Ohio players packed up their equipment and hustled out of their locker room in preparation for an eight-hour bus ride to Buffalo, The Convo’s hallways had a new feeling.

With the Bobcats usually entering their last weekend of Mid-American Conference play with nothing to play for, a confident and lively outlook replaced the solemn one normally felt by the team at this point in the season.

“We’re getting a thrill at playing for (the tournament) on the last weekend,” said Ohio coach Joe Carbone. “There’s nothing more fun than that.”

Ohio can control its destiny by playing in the conference tournament for the first time since 2003.

The Bobcats are third in the MAC East standings, and a sweep would ensure a post-season berth in the tournament held in Chillicothe next week. If Ohio wins one or two games in the series, Akron — in fourth in the East — would have to sweep its series against Bowling Green to take third.

Even if the Bobcats (25-27, 12-12 MAC) fall to fourth in the MAC East, they still have a shot at one of the two bids that go to the MAC teams with the best records not in the top 3 of their divisions.

For center fielder Matt Stiffler, a senior who has not had a sniff of post-season play, this weekend represents a culmination of his career marked by many individual accomplishments but still lacking a much-desired shot at a conference championship.

“It’s kind of a big deal, because I haven’t been there yet,” Stiffler said. “It would be big, especially if we have a chance to actually win it.”

Like the Bellbrook, Ohio, native, senior Zach Hartle said the seniors have the responsibility to carry the young team to post-season play.

“Obviously, being a senior you want to go out on top to have something to show for the season,” said the shortstop. “Coming out, our seniors need to energize and keep everyone up, and when we get down, to stay up.”

Fortunately for the Bobcats, their final opponent of the season is MAC doormat Buffalo, which has won only six games in conference play all season and has lost 10 games in a row.

Despite the dreadful record in conference play, the Bulls are 8-6 at home this season with Ohio 1-5 over their last two road series.

“Don’t worry — we’re not overlooking Buffalo by any stretch of the imagination,” Carbone said. “Buffalo has lost some tough games to a lot of teams in the conference, so they are right there.”

Unlike the Bobcats’ previous series in conference play, held Friday-Sunday, the series against the Bulls runs today through Saturday.

Carbone said the league opted to change the format of the last weekend in order to get team’s best pitchers ready by the start of the tournament yesterday.

“In the past, teams’ No. 1 pitcher went on Friday, and that wasn’t quite enough time to pitch them on the first day of the tournament,” Carbone said. “(The coaches) voted to do that.”