The end part of the MAC schedule happens to be the most difficult part for BSGU softball (15-27, 7-11 MAC). In their fourth to final conference series, BG was swept by Ohio 10-1 and in a heartbreaking comeback 5-4, number two in the MAC standings.
It doesn’t get easier, the team playing both number one Miami (OH) in a two-game and rival Toledo in a three-game series. Their next is Central Michigan in Mount Pleasant, Mich., the number three team in MAC standings.
Of the top four teams (Miami, Ohio, CMU, Ball State), Central Michigan may be the weakest, benefiting highly from playing the weaker teams earlier in the schedule. The Chippewas have yet to play Ohio and Ball State, arguably the best two pitching staffs in the MAC. Their series against Miami and Northern Illinois brought only two wins and four losses, both teams are currently in the playoff picture.
Even still, CMU is a top offense in the conference. They are top three in every single stat category aside from triples, hit-by-pitches, and strikeouts. Most impressive is their league-leading .317 batting average, three players in the top 20 of MAC hitters and two players, Carly Sleeman (1.274) and London Williams (1.194), in the top three of OPS.
Top to bottom, they are the deepest batting order in the conference. Of the nine who have batted over 80 times this season, six have an above .300 batting average, six have an OPS of above .800, six have over 20 runs scored, and seven have over 30 hits. Seven have over seven doubles and all have double-digit walk numbers.
To put it in perspective, all of CMU’s starting nine have higher batting averages than all but three Falcons and six have a higher OPS than all but two of BG’s starters.
In addition, Central Michigan has the third-best pitching staff behind only Ohio and Ball State with sub-4.0 team ERAs. Their ace is sophomore Mackenzie Langan who has not given up more than four earned runs since March 1 against Louisville.
It certainly helps that the CMU defense is the best in the MAC, with only 32 errors this season, with the best-stolen base defense from Sleeman who has canned 14 runners on 24 stolen base attempts. The Chippewas have not yet made three errors in a game this season.
BG has a 1-8 record against current MAC playoff spot teams (Ball State, Akron, NIU, Ohio), although they have been able to compete in those games, including three losses by two or fewer runs.
Falcon pitching has been truly holding them in games, with freshman Morgan Beckham being awarded MAC Pitcher of the Week on April 15, and freshman Sydney Marshall and junior Mackenzie Krafcik adding good consistency to the Falcons. All three pitchers have conference ERAs below 4.0, a mark no Falcon has hit since 2022 and no Falcon staff has hit since 2015 (minimum 5 app. per pitcher).
The offense has somewhat of a turn downward, with only six runs scored in BG’s last five losses. Infielders Hannah Hunt, Addie Martin and Taylor Behrendt still operate at a high level, the rest of the team having offensive struggles and finding a continually changing middle/bottom of the lineup.
BGSU takes on Central Michigan in a doubleheader on Saturday, April 19 and a single game April 20. Falcon Media Sports Network will have recaps available on bgfalconmedia.com.
