BGSU baseball is hitting the road after completing a six-game homestand, traveling to Mount Pleasant to battle Central Michigan in a three-game weekend series.
Due to forecasted weather, the teams will play a doubleheader on Friday, with the first game beginning at 11 a.m. The second game will start approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of the first contest. The series finale is scheduled to start at 10 a.m. on Saturday; however, that time is subject to change.
Falcon Media Sports Network will have coverage of all three games on bgfalconmedia.com.
Matchup History
The teams have played each other 136 times since their first battle in 1971, with CMU leading the all-time series 83-52-1.
BGSU swept the season series against Central Michigan at Steller Field last season. The Falcons also won two out of three games in the last series against the Chippewas at Mount Pleasant.
Scouting Bowling Green
BGSU is off to another great start, positioned as one of the best teams in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) with a 17-7 overall and 7-2 conference record.
However, the Falcons lost their last MAC series, losing two out of three games to Kent State at Steller Field. But BG is coming off a 12-7 win over Youngstown State on Tuesday.
Bowling Green has one of the best offenses in the MAC for the second straight year.
The Falcons lead the conference with 268 hits. They also rank second in the MAC with a .312 batting average and 37 stolen bases, third with 189 runs scored and 124 walks drawn, fourth with 31 home runs and a .418 on-base percentage (OBP) and fifth with a .486 slugging percentage,
BGSU’s pitching has been a mixed bag this season.
On one hand, the Falcons rank second in the MAC with 215 strikeouts and third with a 6.69 earned run average (ERA).
However, on the other hand, they have allowed 58 doubles and 37 home runs, the most and second most in the conference, respectively.
Teams also bat .320 against BG pitchers, which is the worst mark in the MAC. On top of that, the Falcons have thrown 32 wild pitches, the most in the MAC and six more than the next closest team.
Scouting Central Michigan
Central Michigan is off to a better start than expected. The Chippewas are one of the best teams in the MAC early in the season, with a 10-15 overall and 5-1 conference record after being picked to finish ninth out of 11 teams in the conference in the preseason poll.
Central Michigan is also undefeated at home this year, holding a 2-0 record at Keilitz Field at Theunissen Stadium.
CMU is red hot, winners of five games in a row. The Chippewas beat Cleary before sweeping Northern Illinois. They most recently beat Grace Christian 26-1 on Tuesday.
Central Michigan’s offense is in the middle of the pack in the conference.
CMU ranks sixth in the MAC with 164 runs scored and seventh with a .281 batting average and a .425 slugging percentage. They also rank eighth with 22 home runs and a .375 OBP.
Pitching has also not been a strong suit for the Chippewas this season.
Central Michigan does rank fourth in the MAC with a 6.93 ERA. However, they have thrown 128 walks and just 156 strikeouts this season, the fourth-most and third-fewest, respectively.
Additionally, CMU has given up 54 doubles and 32 home runs, the third-most in the conference.
Falcon Four Players to Watch
Gunner Antillon (Bowling Green #41)
The senior infielder has caught on fire at the plate for the Falcons, recording a hit in five straight games and 13 of the past 14 games.
Antillon has recorded multiple hits in three of the past four contests, driving in a run in back-to-back games.
Garrett Wright (Bowling Green #3)
The sophomore catcher is having another monster season at the plate for the Falcons, following his MAC Freshman of the Year campaign last season.
Wright is tied for the conference lead with three triples and four sacrifice flies. He also ranks second in the MAC with a .523 OBP, fourth with 33 hits, fifth with 25 runs scored, sixth with a .402 batting average and a 1.218 on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS) and seventh with a .695 slugging percentage.
Cole Prout (Central Michigan #44)
Prout has been the best hitter for the Chippewas this season.
The junior outfielder ranks fifth in the MAC with eight doubles. He also leads CMU with a .320 batting average, a .626 slugging percentage, a .446 OBP, a 1.072 OPS, 30 hits, 21 runs scored and 21 runs batted in (RBI).
The Standish, Michigan, native has recorded multiple hits in five of the past six games and hit a home run against Bowling Green last season.
Cayden Smith (Central Michigan #11)
The freshman two-way player has broken onto the scene for CMU, batting .304 with a 3.18 ERA in four relief appearances.
He is tied for fifth in the MAC with eight doubles and is one of just three qualified Central Michigan hitters batting above .300.
The Lake Isabella, Michigan, native is riding a six-game hitting streak and has driven in a run in four straight games.
