BGSU baseball got their 2025 season underway with a doubleheader against Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, on Friday.
The Falcons had a tough season-opener, falling 18-0, before bouncing back with a 7-6 victory in the second game.
Seven players — Garrett Sloan, Brayden Curlis, Gunner Antillon, Chase Chopin, Carrson Sova, CJ Boudreaux and Titus Lotz — made their debut in the Orange and Brown.
Game 1
The first game of the day was a dominating performance by the Blue Raiders.
Middle Tennessee jumped on BGSU starter Nic Good early, tacking five runs on him in the first inning with three singles, two doubles and a homer.
Although he would start to find a rhythm in the next few innings, Good had a rough day, allowing seven runs and seven hits in 3.1 innings. He walked three batters and struck out just two, taking the loss.
Meanwhile, MTSU’s starter, Trace Phillips, put on a show. He earned the win, allowing just four hits, walking one and striking out eight Falcons in six scoreless innings. Landen Burch earned the save for pitching the final three innings, striking out five while allowing just one hit.
Middle Tennessee put an emphatic exclamation mark on the victory in the bottom of the eighth, scoring eight runs.
BGSU struggled mightily on the mound and at the plate.
Bowling Green’s pitchers (Good, Sova, Boudreaux and Kade Arn) gave up a combined 15 earned runs and 15 hits. They walked 10, hit two, threw six wild pitches and struck out just five.
In the batter’s box, the Falcons hit just .133 (2-15) with runners on base and went 0-6 with runners in scoring position.
Junior second baseman Sam Seidel, sophomore first baseman Brady Birchmeier, Sloan and Antillon recorded the only hits for the Falcons in the contest, with Seidel recording the only multi-hit performance and hitting the only extra-base hit, a double.
10 of Middle Tennessee’s 12 batters to take an at-bat recorded a hit, with four tallying multiple knocks and five driving in multiple runs each.
Game 2
The second game of the day was a major rebound performance by the Falcons, as they defeated the Blue Raiders by one run to earn their first victory of the season.
Middle Tennessee got on the board first with a Tyler Minnick two-run home run. However, the Falcons would control the game after that moment, scoring five straight runs.
All hands were on deck for the Falcons in the win. Seidel drove in a run, sophomore Garrett Wright had two hits, junior DJ Newman went 4-5 and drove in two runs, sophomore centerfielder TJ Takats and Birchmeier each hit RBI doubles, Antillon went 3-3 with a stolen base, junior catcher Cooper McKenzie scored twice and senior outfielder Caden Parker drove in two runs.
Landon Willeman got the starting nod on the mound and offered a solid performance. The senior right-hander gave up four runs and five hits over 4.2 innings, striking out six and walking just one.
Junior left-hander Luke Krouse earned the win, giving up two runs on three hits and striking out two in 1.1 innings.
MTSU’s starter, Chandler Alderman, took the loss, giving up six hits and five runs, only two earned, in 3.2 innings pitched.
Meanwhile, Lotz tossed two scoreless innings in his Orange and Brown debut.
In the bottom of the ninth, sophomore Owen Poole struck out two of the three batters he faced, locking down the victory and earning his first career save.
Next Up
The Falcons and Blue Raiders will play the final game of the series on either Saturday or Sunday, depending on the weather. First pitch will be at 2 p.m., regardless of the day.
