BGSU baseball’s (6-5) first game back in the Buckeye State was not disappointing as the Falcons thumped the Dayton Flyers 14-4 in seven innings for their first run rule game of the 2025 season.
The Orange and Brown will remain in Ohio for a while with a three-game series slated against the Ohio Bobcats (3-8) Friday March 7 at 3 p.m., Saturday March 8 at 2 p.m. and Sunday March 9 at 1 p.m. in Athens, Ohio.
Falcon Media Sports Network’s Tyler Kavalecz (Friday), Noah Seeley (Saturday), and Chas McNeil (Sunday) will have recaps of the action following the games on bgfalconmedia.com.
Matchup History
Between the two teams, the Bobcats are the most dominant in the series holding a 95-83-1 lead since the two began playing in 1952.
This game could also be a sore spot for BGSU who had their historic 17-game Mid-American Conference (MAC) winning streak slashed (4-2) at Steller Field on April 21 2024.
Scouting Bowling Green
Bowling Green is currently third in the MAC standings with a winning percentage of 0.545 slating themselves two games behind number one ranked Ball State and one game behind second ranked Northern Illinois.
Offensively, the Falcons don’t explode on the scoreboard like their 2024 counterpart however, the team is still dominant above home plate ranked first in the MAC in hits, (115), second in triples (4) and fourth in batting average (0.274).
On the pitching side there have been some strengths but as a whole the Falcons struggle on the mound, placing fourth in the MAC in ERA (5.54), second in saves (4), eleventh in hits (131) and fourth in walks (45).
Scouting Ohio
The Bobcats fall towards the weaker side of the conference, sitting at ninth in the MAC with a winning percentage of 0.200.
In spite of a weak record Ohio does have a sizeable number of good batters with the team holding steady at fifth in the conference in batting average, (0.267).
On the pitching side the Bobcats hold a 7.63 ERA that makes them eighth in the conference placing ninth in saves, (1), hits allowed, (120), seventh in runs allowed (87) and walks, (63).
Falcon Four Players to Watch
The junior two-way player was expected to get some reps before the start of conference play and, in one game of action, he showed out, pitching four innings, allowing four hits and zero runs with four strikeouts.
Newman also makes a splash above home plate leading the Falcons in batting average at 0.378 that ranks him tenth in the MAC.
Brady Birchmeier (Bowling Green #43)
At the start of the season, Birchmeier looked like a surprise, coming up in big moments, but now he has become a true breakout player.
Recording a MAC-leading 18 hits, the sophomore infielder also leads the conference in RBIs with 17 and at-bats (50).
With how pitching is for both teams, the Bobcats are in need of a “big play” guy and the sophomore outfielder has answered the call so far this season.
Slanker currently leads the entire conference in home runs with five as well as being third in RBIs with 15.
Blake Reed (Bowling Green #14)
If Slanker is a big play player then Reed is a pure consistency piece, leading the conference in on-base percentage at 0.579.
The graduate student catcher is also a strong contender in batting average placing him second in the MAC (0.462).
