BGSU baseball continues their six-game homestand against Kent State for a three-game series from Friday through Sunday.
With a sweep of the Golden Flashes, the Falcons can tie the program record for longest winning streak at 13 games, which was set in 1976.
BGSU head coach Kyle Hallock will be facing his alma mater. Hallock won Mid-American Conference (MAC) Pitcher of the Year in 2011 with the Golden Flashes.
Falcon Media Sports Network will have a broadcast of all three games, along with additional coverage on bgfalconmedia.com, @BG_FMSN on Twitter/X and the BG Falcon Media YouTube channel. All broadcasts can be accessed on bgfalconmedia.com.
Chas McNeil and Rhys Patrykus will have the call on Friday at 3 p.m. on WBGU 88.1 FM. Tyler Kavalecz and Patrykus will be on the air on Saturday at 1 p.m. on Falcon Radio.
Saturday is also Wii Sports Day with an Orel Hershiser bobblehead giveaway for the first 200 fans at Steller Field.
Finally, Kavalecz and Carter Leonard will put on the headsets on Sunday at 1 p.m. on WBGU 88.1 FM.
Matchup History
The two teams are very familiar with each other, having played 202 times since 1936. Kent State leads the all-time series 133-69.
The Golden Flashes won two out of three against BG last year, marking the first conference series loss for the Falcons.
The last series win for BG against KSU dates back to 2012. Meanwhile, 1980 marks the last season series sweep for BGSU against Kent State, with the last three-game series sweep dating back to 1971.
Scouting Bowling Green
The Falcons enter the weekend atop the MAC standings with a 15-5 overall and 6-0 conference record.
Bowling Green is off to their second-best start in program history, trailing only their 18-2 start in 1944.
BGSU is also on a 10-game winning streak for the first time in 15 years and just the ninth time in program history.
The Falcons have been the kings of comebacks this season, holding a 5-3 record when trailing after the sixth inning and a 5-4 record when trailing after the seventh.
BG’s offense has been one of the best in the MAC for the second straight season, with Bowling Green undefeated when they score double-digit runs this season.
The Falcons lead the conference with a .417 on-base percentage (OBP). They also rank second with a .306 batting average, 219 hits and 109 walks, third with 155 runs scored, five triples and 33 stolen bases and fourth with 25 home runs.
However, their overall power numbers have been lower than last season, as they rank sixth in the conference with 35 doubles and a .474 slugging percentage.
Another piece of history to watch for is Garrett Wright. Wright has been hit by a pitch 32 times in his BG career, tied for the most in program history. One more hit by pitch will move him into sole possession of first place, breaking a tie with TJ Blanton, who played for the Falcons from 2007 to 2010.
Bowling Green’s pitching has been solid this year.
The Falcons rank third in the MAC with a 6.24 earned run average (ERA) and fourth with 173 strikeouts.
They have been especially dominant in conference play, leading the MAC with a 4.67 ERA in those six games.
However, BG pitchers have sometimes struggled with control, throwing 26 wild pitches and allowing 29 home runs, the most and third-most in the MAC, respectively.
For the third straight season, the Falcons have one of the best defenses in the MAC. They rank third in the conference and 40th in the nation with a .978 fielding percentage. BGSU is undefeated when they do not commit an error.
Scouting Kent State
Kent State comes into the series with an 8-10 overall and 2-1 conference record. KSU is just 1-6 on the road this season.
The Golden Flashes have gone 2-3 in non-conference play since winning their first MAC series of the season against Northern Illinois.
KSU also had a solid offense this season.
Kent State leads the MAC with 43 doubles, ranking second with 35 stolen bases, third with a .495 slugging percentage and a .410 OBP, fourth with 146 runs scored and fifth with a .296 batting average.
The Golden Flashes have struck out just 135 times this season, the second-fewest in the conference.
Pitching has been more of a mixed bag for Kent State.
KSU ranks just seventh in the MAC with a 7.65 ERA and 135 strikeouts.
However, they have walked only 67 batters, tied for the fewest in the conference. But opponents are hitting .319 against them, the third-worst mark in the MAC.
They are also not the greatest fielding team. They have a .959 fielding percentage, the second-worst in the MAC, and have committed 25 errors, tied for the most in the conference.
Falcon Four Players to Watch
Connar Penrod (Bowling Green #12)
The senior closer has been nothing short of amazing for Bowling Green this season. Penrod leads the MAC and is tied for fifth in the country with five saves.
He has not allowed a run in 11 innings, striking out 21 batters and walking just five. He has secured a save or win in six straight appearances and seven of his eight outings this season.
Brady Birchmeier (Bowling Green #43)
Birchmeier, the reigning MAC Co-Player of the Week, has been on a tear this season. After sitting out the past two non-conference games for rest, he will be back in the lineup against the Golden Flashes.
The sophomore first baseman leads the MAC with 29 runs batted in (RBI). He also ranks fourth in the conference with six home runs while ranking eighth with a .676 slugging percentage and a 1.096 on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS).
The New Lothrop, Michigan, native has driven in nine runs in the past three games played and has 14 RBI in the past five games.
Hayden Jatczak (Kent State #31)
The graduate utility player has been on a tear for the Golden Flashes after playing the past four seasons at Saginaw Valley State, where he won the 2021 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Freshman of the Year, the 2024 GLIAC Player of the Year, the 2024 Mid-West Region Player of the Year and a First-Team All American.
Jatczak leads the MAC with 12 doubles this season, ranking second with 28 hits, third with a .739 slugging percentage, a 1.233 OPS and 25 runs scored, fifth with a .406 batting average, seventh with 20 RBI and ninth with a .494 OBP.
The Bay City, Michigan, native is currently on a five-game hitting streak.
Casey is the second part of the dynamic duo on offense for Kent State.
The senior outfielder leads the MAC with 26 runs scored. He also ranks second in the conference with a 1.280 OPS, a .750 slugging percentage, a .530 OBP and 10 stolen bases, sixth with seven doubles and five home runs, and ninth with 19 RBI.
The Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, native has hit two home runs, two doubles and driven in four runs in the past three games.
