Bowling Green baseball have found themselves on yet another hot streak after sweeping their fourth straight Mid-American Conference (MAC) opponent in Northern Illinois University (NIU) , and are undefeated so far in the month of April.
The Orange and Brown are faced with two midweek tests, with their first being a road battle against the Ohio State Buckeyes on Tuesday
First pitch is at 6 p.m. from Nick Swisher Field at Bill Davis Stadium in Columbus, and will be one of only two Big Ten games for BGSU with the second being a road game against Michigan State on May 7.
Matchup History
History favors the Buckeyes in the series, with Ohio State taking home 32 of their 55 games against the Falcons.
A road win would be monumental for BGSU, who have not won in Columbus in over a decade. Their last win was a 5-4 game on April 20, 2011.
Nearly a year ago to the day, the Falcons faced the Buckeyes on April 12, losing 8-2.
Scouting Bowling Green
The Orange and Brown are led by an explosive offense that leads the MAC in home runs (44), while having the fewest at bats of any other team (902).
Pitching for BGSU has been inconsistent for the Falcons, who sit at sixth in the MAC in earned run average (ERA) at 7.03, which is right in the middle of the pack.
While Bowling Green has been perfect against MAC opponents, they have not been so lucky with out of conference play. They are 3-10 against non-conference teams with those three wins being against Xavier, Memphis and Middle Tennessee.
Scouting Ohio State
The Buckeyes are sitting at 13-14 on the season, with a 3-3 conference record in the Big Ten.
Ohio State managed to avoid a sweep against Nebraska, stealing a 9-3 win on April 7.
OSU is in the bottom third in the Big Ten in batting average (.258) and have the second lowest number of RBI’s (152), and the lowest number of doubles (45).
On the mound, the Buckeyes fare slightly better, with a 5.88 ERA, which earns them seventh place in the Big Ten. They also allow a batting average of .282.
Falcon Four Players to Watch
Nathan Archer (Bowling Green #8)
BG’s center fielder recorded his third game of the season with multiple home runs in the same contest, which played a big part in the Falcons close win against NIU last Friday.
The LaGrange, Ohio native leads the Falcons in home runs (9) as well as RBI’s (32) for the Orange and Brown.
Archer so far this season has 34 runs off nine doubles, two triples and 11 walks. He also has put up a slugging percentage of .678 and an on base percentage of .402.
The sophomore right-handed pitcher can go both ways for BGSU, slinging an ERA of 3.38, which is the best on the team.
The Archbold, Ohio native also carries his weight above home plate with a batting average of .353, as well as slugging and on-base percentages of .657 and .442 respectively.
Newman has scored 32 runs from four doubles, three triples and seven home runs. This production has also led to 29 RBIs on the season.
Matthew Graveline (Ohio State #9)
The sophomore catcher has been the bright spot in the batting order for the Buckeyes, finding himself at the top of the stat sheet with a .314 batting average.
The Centerville, Ohio native has posted a .505 slugging percentage and a .424 on-base percentage, which leads the team.
Graveline has scored 22 runs from 33 hits, with nine doubles, a triple and three home runs.
Landon Beidelschies (Ohio State #35)
A sophomore southpaw, Beidelschies has thrown a large chunk of the innings for OSU (44.2), which leads the team.
The Canfield, Ohio, native hosts an ERA of 3.63 and allows a batting average of .221.
Beidelschies has started eight games for the Buckeyes, which is tied for the most on the team. His record this season is 3-5.
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