BGSU baseball will continue their road trip by traveling north to face Western Michigan in a three-game series, with first pitch between he Falcons and Broncos set for 3:05 p.m. on Friday and 1:05 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
The teams are the two reigning Mid-American Conference (MAC) champions. Bowling Green won the MAC regular season last year before Western Michigan won the MAC Tournament.
Matchup History
The teams have faced each other 169 times dating back to 1947, with the Broncos leading the all-time series 99-70.
Western Michigan won three of four games against Bowling Green last season, including defeating the Falcons 11-0 in the MAC Tournament. Overall, WMU has won six of the last seven games against BGSU.
Scouting Bowling Green
Bowling Green enters the series in fourth place in the MAC standings with a 22-9 overall and 11-4 conference record.
Although the Falcons lost their last conference series, dropping two of three games to Miami (OH) at home, they rebounded with a 17-5 victory in seven innings over Youngstown State on Wednesday.
BGSU has been one of the most dynamic and electric offenses in the MAC this season.
The Falcons lead the conference with a .303 batting average. They also rank second in the MAC with 51 stolen bases, third with 62 doubles, 157 walks drawn and a .412 on-base percentage (OBP), fifth with 36 home runs and sixth with a .468 slugging percentage.
Bowling Green’s pitching has also been solid this season.
The Falcons rank third in the MAC with 263 strikeouts and a 6.03 earned run average (ERA).
However, it has not been all sunshine and rainbows for BGSU pitching, as they lead the conference with 39 wild pitches. They have also allowed 39 home runs and a .311 opponent batting average, the second-worst in the MAC.
Scouting Western Michigan
After winning the MAC Tournament last year, the Broncos have been one of the worst teams in the MAC this season. WMU sits in eighth place in the conference with an 8-21 overall and 4-8 conference record.
However, the Broncos have a winning record of 5-4 in home games this season.
Three of Western Michigan’s four conference wins were against Akron, who is the worst team in the MAC.
The Broncos are coming off a 6-0 shutout win over the Citadel on Sunday.
Western Michigan’s offense has been one of the worst in the conference.
The Broncos rank last in the MAC with just nine home runs and 98 walks drawn. On top of ranking ninth in the conference with a .255 batting average, WMU ranks 10th with 137 runs scored, 43 doubles, a .342 slugging percentage and a .362 OBP.
Western Michigan’s pitching has also been lackluster this year.
The Broncos have just 152 strikeouts, the fewest in the MAC, and have allowed 78 doubles, the most in the conference.
They also rank just 10th in the MAC with an 8.06 ERA and 124 walks allowed.
However, on the good side, the Broncos have allowed just 20 home runs and thrown only 20 wild pitches, the second-best marks in the MAC.
Falcon Four Players to Watch
Garrett Wright (Bowling Green #3)
The sophomore catcher has been arguably the best player in the MAC this season.
Wright leads the MAC with a 1.247 on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS) and a .531 OBP. He also ranks second in the conference with a .422 batting average and fourth with a .716 slugging percentage.
The Massillon, Ohio, native has 16 multi-hit games and six runs batted in (RBI) in the past four games.
Nate Kress (Bowling Green #11)
The redshirt freshman right-handed reliever has been one of the most trusted arms out of the bullpen for head coach Kyle Hallock, appearing in 13 games, which is tied for the most on the team.
Over his past eight outings, Kress has a 1.10 ERA, allowing just two earned runs in 16.1 innings pitched.
The Weston, Ohio, native’s 3.74 ERA this season is the second-best on the team, behind only senior closer Connar Penrod.
Tanner Mally (Western Michigan #2)
The sophomore infielder has been the most consistent hitter for Western Michigan this season.
Mally leads the Broncos and ranks fifth in the MAC with a .385 batting average. He also ranks sixth in the conference with a .473 OBP and 11 stolen bases.
The Lisle, Illinois, native is currently riding a four-game hitting streak and has recorded a hit in 10 of the past 11 games.
Mee Grady (Western Michigan #1)
The junior infielder has been the other big bat in the lineup for the Broncos this year.
Grady leads Western Michigan with a .468 slugging percentage while ranking second on the team with a .319 batting average, a .454 OBP, a .922 OPS, two home runs and 18 RBIs. He also leads the MAC with 18 stolen bases this year.
The Toledo, Ohio, native is riding a four-game hitting streak with a .429 batting average over the recent span.
