Attempting to bounce back from a tough weekend series against Central Michigan, the Bowling Green baseball team (12-6, 3-3 in conference) plays host today to non-conference foe Wayne State (10-13). After dropping two of three games to the Chippewas, allowing 37 runs in the series, the Falcons begin a two-day home stretch hoping to turn things around.
Wayne State comes to Stellar Field having won four out of it’s last six games. The Warriors pitching staff has prevented them from playing above .500 ball by allowing 6.30 earned runs a game. Only one starting pitcher, Gary Zielke (2-0, 4.80 ERA), has a winning record, while staff ace Kirk Anderson has pitched well (3.76 ERA), but currently stands at 2-3.
Frank Jeney has been their leader at the plate, hitting .391 with 2 home runs and 13 runs batted in, while starting all 23 games. Nick Demers leads the Warriors in RBI with 18, to go along with a .338 batting average. Wayne State also is active on the base paths, swiping 26 of 38 stolen base attempts as a team.
“[Wayne State] is a team that likes to run,” said BG head coach Danny Schmitz. “They’ve got a couple of speedsters in Bobby Marten [six SB] and Adwin Springer [five SB], so they have some pretty good team speed.”
The Falcons pitching staff, which has carried this team all season, is looking to regain its early spring form. Schmitz will send out redshirt freshman Greg Becker, making the first start of his collegiate career, to face the Warriors. Becker, a right-hander, is 0-1 on the year in three relief appearances, allowing six hits and two earned runs in three innings of work.
BG is hoping for no rain this week as they repeatedly have had games rained out, including two last week against Detroit and Tiffin, which may affect the team’s consistency.
“I don’t like to make excuses, but I don’t think there’s any doubt that we were a little rusty [this past weekend],” Schmitz said. “We weren’t clicking on all cylinders and our pitching and defense have been phenomenal … but it does have some effect when you don’t get to play the mid-week games. I know we’re a much better team than what we showed up at Mt. Pleasant [Mich.].”
Today’s game starts at 3 p.m. and the Falcons will host Detroit Mercy tomorrow at the same time.
