BGSU baseball is currently playing without two of their top stars: DJ Newman and Sam Seidel.
Newman, the two-way player who earned preseason First Team All-American honors, has not played since April 4 against Miami (OH).
Meanwhile, Seidel, the junior infielder who earned All-Mid-American Conference (MAC) First Team honors last season, has not appeared in a game since he was hit by a pitch on the arm against Youngstown State on April 9.
While those absences may have hurt the team’s offensive production, they have opened opportunities for others, and nobody has taken advantage more than BG’s freshman trio of Brayden Curlis, Carter Mottice and Alex Laird.
Curlis, Mottice and Laird have solidified their spots in the bottom three slots of the batting order. They have also earned the nickname of the Three Stooges, with Curlis being “Curly,” Mottice being “Mo” and Laird being “Larry.”
All three have continued to develop since receiving more playing time, combining for a .278 batting average and 26 runs batted in (RBI) in 169 total at-bats.
“Honestly, I don’t even see them as freshmen anymore. I mean, where we’re at in the season, they’re like sophomores and juniors because you just kind of have to go,” senior infielder Gunner Antillon said. “They’ve done a great job. We call them the Three Stooges. They’ve embraced their roles and just run with it; it’s been really cool to see.”
Their impact was on full display in Bowling Green’s two wins against Eastern Michigan on Saturday, as the three combined for six hits, six walks and two RBIs.
“The bottom of our lineup, our freshman have grown up quick,” head coach Kyle Hallock said.” They’re maturing and putting together really good at-bats; they’re feeding off of one another.”
Curlis has been the most consistent face of the three in the lineup this season, appearing in 25 games and making 20 starts.
He is batting .257, has driven in 10 runs and has walked the same amount of times he has struck out (11).
Mottice is the newest to break onto the scene, making a splash in his collegiate debut on April 9 against Youngstown State by hitting two doubles and driving in three runs.
Mottice is batting .293 with four doubles and six RBIs. He has walked six times and struck out only five.
Meanwhile, Laird has benefitted the most from the Falcon’s injuries. An injury sidelining Seidel created an opening in the infield for Laird after he played only three games in February and five in March.
Laird has fully capitalized on the opportunity, as he is batting .296 with 10 RBIs and five stolen bases.
“I love the dude to death. He’s my roommate on the road. We’ve had a lot of conversations about preparation and baseball and life and stuff like that,” Antillon said. “So, it’s really cool to see. It’s a guy that you root for, and you have a lot of love for.”
The trio’s success is a major reason why the Falcons have held on to a top-four spot in the MAC standings while battling key injuries.
Over the past six games against Ball State, Michigan and Eastern Michigan, the Three Stooges have hit a combined .317 and driven in 12 runs.
Curlis, Mottice and Laird’s production has been crucial for the Orange and Brown and will continue to be important in the homestretch of the regular season and the MAC Tournament.
