BGSU is set for a three-game series against their archrival, Toledo, beginning with the Fifth Third Field game on Friday.
First pitch from the home of the Toledo Mud Hens is set for 7 p.m. Falcon Media Sports Network’s Tyler Kavalecz and Chas McNeil will have the call on WBGU 88.1 FM.
From there, the Falcons will battle the Rockets at Scott Park at 3 p.m. on Saturday and 1 p.m. on Sunday. Kavalecz and Rhys Patrykus will be on the call on Saturday, while Kavalecz and Kaden Knapp will have the call on Sunday, with both games on WBGU 88.1 FM.
“The Fifth Third Field game gets talked about for fan experiences as one of the best ways to play that game in one of the best spots,” BGSU head coach Kyle Hallock said. “We’ve got those three games always circled on our schedule, and it’s a high priority to play well and get the job done.”
Bowling Green can clinch a spot in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) Tournament by winning two games against Toledo. The Falcons can also clinch a berth with one win against the Rockets and losses from Eastern Michigan, Central Michigan and Western Michigan, making it possible for BG to clinch at Fifth Third Field.
“We have to treat it like it’s the last game we’re going to play together because if we get out there and just act like we’re going to win, it’s not going to happen; you have to make stuff happen,” sophomore catcher/outfielder Garrett Wright said.
A lone win against the Rockets would also mark just the 16th 30-win season in program history and the first time the feat has been achieved in back-to-back years since the 2001 and 2002 campaigns.
Matchup History
The teams have faced each other 239 times, with Bowling Green leading the all-time series 139-100.
BGSU also holds a 5-2 advantage in games against the Rockets at Fifth Third Field.
The Falcons swept the four-game series over the Midnight Blue and Gold last season, winning six of the last seven meetings.
Scouting Bowling Green
BGSU sits in fourth place in the MAC standings with a 29-14 overall and 16-8 conference record, including a 17-7 mark on the road.
The Orange and Brown have heated up recently, winning four straight — a three-game sweep over Eastern Michigan and a 6-3 win over Findlay.
Bowling Green’s offense has been one of the better in the MAC.
The Falcons lead the conference with 469 hits. They also rank second with a .308 batting average, 230 walks drawn and 61 stolen bases, third with a .419 on-base percentage (OBP) and fifth with 84 doubles.
But the power numbers have been down this year compared to last season. BG ranks seventh in the conference with 43 home runs and a .458 slugging percentage.
“We’re in search of our perfect game and our level of play,” Hallock said after the win over Findlay on Wednesday. “We need to find a way to play to our standard.
The Falcons have been playing without three offensive stars: junior two-way player DJ Newman, junior infielder Sam Seidel and sophomore first baseman Brady Birchmeier.
While Newman and Seidel will remain sidelined for the Toledo series, Birchmeier will have a chance at playing.
“[Birchmeier’s] still day-to-day, week-to-weekish. But he’s working through it to make himself available as early as Friday,” Hallock said. “We just continue to grind out the game of baseball, and we’re going to play with the hand we’re dealt, and Brady’s going to continue to do everything he needs to do to be available for us when we need him the most.
BGSU’s pitching has also been solid.
The Falcons rank fifth in the MAC with a 6.26 earned run average (ERA) and 334 strikeouts.
However, they lead the conference with 59 home runs allowed and 50 wild pitches. They also rank third-worst with 94 doubles allowed and a .306 opponent batting average.
As the regular season continues to near an end, BGSU is looking to adapt their mindset.
“We talked this week a lot about rather than playing to win, we need to play to dominate. That’s the next step for this team, and we need to find that before the regular season’s over and before we hit the conference tournament,” Hallock said. “We have the experience. The guys have been out there and know what to expect when we’re practicing and playing to that standard that has been set by previous teams and then the one this one’s created,” Hallock said. “The needle has to move from playing to win to playing to dominate because if you play to dominate, you end up winning.”
Scouting Toledo
The Rockets rank fifth in the MAC with a 20-25 overall and 10-11 conference record.
Toledo is coming off back-to-back non-conference wins against Mercyhurst on Tuesday and Oakland on Wednesday.
UT notched a 5-3 win over No. 3 Oregon in the first series of the season. However, they have dropped conference series against Miami (OH), Ball State, Kent State and Akron. But they have rebounded recently, winning back-to-back MAC series against Eastern Michigan and Western Michigan.
Toledo’s offense has been one of the worst in the MAC this season.
The Rockets rank last in the conference with a .233 batting average, a .360 slugging percentage, a .334 OBP and 200 runs scored.
They also rank ninth with 33 home runs and 11th with 62 doubles.
Toledo’s strength is their pitching.
The Rockets lead the MAC with a 5.48 ERA and three shutouts. They have allowed the second-fewest doubles (72) and the third-fewest walks (178) in the MAC.
Although they only rank eighth in the conference with 306 strikeouts, they have the third-best opponent batting average (.273).
Falcon Four Players to Watch
Garrett Wright (Bowling Green #3)
Wright has been one of the best hitters in the MAC and the nation this season.
He leads the conference with a .436 batting average, a .544 OBP and a 1.249 on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS). The Massillon, Ohio, native is currently three points behind Kelly Hunt’s 2003 program record for single-season batting average with over 100 at-bats (.439)
The Massillon, Ohio, native ranks ninth in the country in batting average and 11th in OBP. He is the only catcher in the top-50 in the country in batting average and the only catcher in the nation in the top-33 in OBP.
Connar Penrod (Bowling Green #12)
Penrod, a senior right-handed pitcher, has been dominant this season as Bowling Green’s closer.
He has shattered BGSU’s single-season saves record with 11 this year. He also has a 2.08 ERA, allowing just five earned runs, 16 total hits and three extra-base hits in 21.2 innings pitched.
The Wauseon, Ohio, native has 28 strikeouts to nine walks, with opponents batting just .198 against him.
In four career appearances against Toledo, Penrod is 1-0 with a 2.46 ERA.
The sophomore infielder leads qualified Toledo batters with a .292 batting average, a .450 OBP and an .893 OPS.
The Lewis Center, Ohio, native batted 6-11 with two runs scored and two runs batted in (RBI) in three games against Bowling Green last season.
The senior outfielder has also been a top hitter for the Rockets this year.
Konczak leads Toledo with eight home runs, a .470 slugging percentage and eight stolen bases.
The Lewis Center, Ohio, native also ranks second on the team with a .268 batting average, a .379 OBP, a .849 OPS, 28 runs scored, 44 hits, 22 RBIs and nine doubles.
