Heading into last weekend, the Bowling Green baseball team had a solid record against non-conference opponents but still needed that first Mid-American Conference victory of the season.
But by the time Sunday night rolled around the Falcons had completed a three-game sweep of Central Michigan for their first MAC series sweep in three years. The Falcons will look to build off that momentum today when they host Heidelberg College.
Heidelberg is a Division III school loaded with local talent. They won 32 games in each of the last two seasons.
BG head coach Danny Schmitz said he warned his team after they swept the Chippewas on Sunday that they needed to be ready for Heidelberg.
“Heidelberg is a program that recruits locally like we do so there is going to be a lot of local kids coming back to play close to home at Warren Steller Field,” Schmitz said. “I know they’re gonna be all fired up.”
The Falcons also have a reason to be fired up after they improved their record to 17-6 overall and 3-3 in the MAC. Schmitz said that the pitching has really helped the team be successful.
“It starts with pitching and with Central (Michigan) we had a great performance from Alan Brech,” he said. “He really helped set the tone for the weekend. For him to carry a no hitter through 8 1/3 innings was just outstanding.”
Today, pitcher Greg Becker will get the start for the Falcons. Last Wednesday he gave up just three hits in three innings in the Falcons victory over Cleveland State. Schmitz said Becker will have the opportunity to pitch even longer today.
“We may try to stretch Greg out more because he’ll have a little bit more recovery time before the weekend,” Schmitz said.
Lately the Falcons have been scoring in bunches especially in crucial situations when the game is on the line. Seniors Andy Hudak and Jeff Warnock both provided crunch time performances on Sunday which helped the Falcons make three different comebacks in the same game. Hudak hit a game tying two-run homerun in the seventh inning, while Warnock got his first home run of the season in the ninth inning that tied the game. Hudak also hit a double in the 10th inning that drove in the game-winning run.
“To play in a double header and come from behind in both games to win is (big),” Schmitz said. “But we still have a lot of things to work on.”
In the three victories over the weekend, the Falcons struck out a combined 29 times. Schmitz said the team needs to do a better job of putting the ball in play instead of trying to hit homeruns.
“They need to cut down their stroke and just make good contact,” Schmitz said. “When you’re swinging for the fences which I think a few of a guys are doing, you’re going to end up with a lot of strikeouts.”
The Falcons host Heidelberg today at 3 p.m. before heading to Dayton for a Wednesday night battle with Wright State at 6:30 p.m.
