BGSU baseball will take a short break from Mid-American Conference play, beginning a six-game homestand by battling two non-conference opponents.
The Falcons will play Purdue Fort Wayne on Tuesday and Dayton on Wednesday, with both games beginning at 3 p.m. at Steller Field.
With wins against the Mastodons and Flyers, the Falcons would reach a double-digit winning streak for just the ninth time in program history and the first time since 2010. They are currently five wins away from tying the longest winning streak in program history at 13 games, which was set in 1976.
Falcon Media Sports Network’s Tyler Kavalecz and Sam Morris will have the call on Tuesday, while Kavalecz and Chas McNeil will have the call on Wednesday, with both broadcasts airing on WBGU 88.1 FM.
Matchup History
BGSU and Purdue Fort Wayne have played 21 times before, with the Falcons leading the all-time series 16-5. Bowling Green has won seven straight games against the Mastodons, sweeping last season’s series against PFW with an 8-7 win at home and a 5-2 win on the road.
Meanwhile, BG and Dayton have played 73 times, with the Orange and Brown leading the all-time series 48-25. BGSU won the first meeting against Dayton earlier this season, defeating the Flyers 14-4 on the road on March 5.
Scouting Bowling Green
Bowling Green sits atop the MAC standings, with a 13-5 overall and 6-0 conference record.
BGSU is on an eight-game winning streak, the longest since 2010.
The Falcon’s offense has been solid this season.
BG ranks second in the MAC with five triples, third with a .295 batting average, 189 hits, 87 walks and 11 sacrifice hits, fourth with a .400 on-base percentage (OBP), fifth with 26 stolen bases and sixth with a .452 slugging percentage, 125 runs, 20 home runs and 114 runs batted in.
Bowling Green has also struck out just 148 times, the fourth-fewest in the MAC.
However, after being a weakness this season, BG’s pitching staff has been a strength this year.
BGSU has a 5.58 earned run average (ERA), the second-best in the MAC. They have also struck out 158 batters, the fourth-most in the conference.
But the Falcons have thrown 23 wild pitches, the most in the MAC.
BG’s defense has also been incredible this season. The Falcons have a .981 fielding percentage, which ranks second in the MAC and 15th in the nation.
Scouting Purdue Fort Wayne
The Mastodons are just 1-17 this season and are on a nine-game losing streak. Purdue Fort Wayne has yet to play a home game this season and sits at the bottom of the Horizon League standings.
PFW faced a MAC opponent earlier in the season, losing 13-10 to Ball State. Purdue Fort Wayne’s lone win this year was a 9-5 victory in the first game of a doubleheader against Southeast Missouri State University (SEMO) on March 1.
Purdue Fort Wayne’s offense has been the worst in the Horizon League this season.
The Mastodons rank last in the Horizon League with a .289 slugging percentage, a .277 OBP, 50 runs scored, 21 doubles, five home runs, 47 RBI, 39 walks, eight hit by pitches (HBP) and 11 stolen bases. Additionally, they rank second-to-last in the conference with a .221 batting average and 129 hits.
PFW’s pitching staff has also been weak this season.
They rank fourth out of six teams in the conference with an 8.39 ERA and a .312 opponent batting average.
Despite playing the second-fewest games, 18, in the conference, they have allowed 109 walks, 39 doubles and nine triples, which all rank as the second-most in the conference.
PFW has also allowed 22 home runs and thrown 27 wild pitches, which ranks as the third-most in the Horizon League.
Meanwhile, they have thrown just 91 strikeouts, the fewest in the conference.
Scouting Dayton
Dayton enters the game with a 9-12 overall and 1-2 conference record this season. The Flyers have struggled on the road this season, going just 1-8.
Dayton has lost two games in a row and four of their last five.
The Flyers are 2-2 against the MAC this season. They won both games of a doubleheader against Western Michigan on Feb. 15, defeating the Broncos 7-6 and 8-4. Meanwhile, they lost to the Falcons before suffering a 10-5 loss to Akron on March 11.
Dayton has been one of the better offenses in the Atlantic 10 this season.
The Flyers lead the conference with 16 sacrifice flies and 51 stolen bases. They also rank second in the Atlantic 10 with 49 doubles, third with seven triples, fourth with a .290 batting average, a .453 slugging percentage, 141 runs scored, 207 hits and 128 RBI, fifth with 92 doubles and sixth with 18 home runs.
However, Dayton’s pitching staff has been less consistent this season.
They have allowed 188 runs, 163 earned runs, 220 hits, 51 doubles and hit 46 batters, which all rank as the most in the conference.
The Flyers have an 8.18 ERA, the third-worst in the conference, and have allowed opposing teams to bat .308 against them while throwing 31 wild pitches, which ranks as the second-worst in the Atlantic 10. However, they have struck out 156 batters, the third-most in the conference.
Falcon Four Players to Watch
Brady Birchmeier (Bowling Green #43)
Birchmeier has been the biggest breakout player of the year for the Falcons in his sophomore season.
The first baseman leads the MAC with 29 RBI. He also ranks fourth in the conference with six home runs and 48 total bases, seventh with 25 hits, ninth with a .676 slugging percentage and 10th with a 1.096 on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS).
The reigning MAC Co-Player of the Week batted .500 (7-14) in Bowling Green’s weekend sweep over Akron, hitting two doubles, two home runs and driving in nine runs. He has crushed three home runs and driven in 14 runs over the past five games.
Connar Penrod (Bowling Green #12)
The senior right-hander has been downright dominant for Bowling Green this season.
Penrod has five saves this season, tied for the MAC lead and the fourth most in the nation. He needs just one more save to enter the top 10 in a single season in program history and two more to rank first in the country.
The Wauseon, Ohio, native has thrown 10 scoreless innings this season while striking out 19 batters and walking just five. Penrod has given up just one extra-base hit this season, a double in his last outing against Akron on Sunday.
Justin Osterhouse (Purdue Fort Wayne #17)
The sophomore infielder/outfielder has been the main source of offense for the Mastodons, leading PFW with a .269 batting average and a .343 slugging percentage. He ranks second on the team with six RBI and is one of four players on the team to hit a home run this year.
The Grand Rapids, Michigan, native is coming off a great freshman campaign last year when he was named an All-Horizon League Second Team and All-Horizon League Freshman Team selection. He also won the MiLB Home Run Derby X in August.
In his lone game against the Falcons last season, Osterhouse batted 3-4, with two RBI and a home run.
DiMartini has been dominant for the Flyers this season.
The sophomore infielder/outfielder is tied for the Atlantic 10 lead with three triples and 17 steals. He also ranks second in the conference with 36 hits and six home runs, fifth with 27 runs scored, sixth with 23 RBI and a .750 slugging percentage, seventh with a .429 batting average, eighth with a 1.265 OPS and 10th with a .515 OBP.
However, the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, native also leads the conference with 27 strikeouts this year.
