The Mid-American Conference (MAC) Baseball Tournament returns to Crushers Stadium in Avon, Ohio, from Wednesday, May 21, through Saturday, May 25, with Ball State, Bowling Green, Eastern Michigan, Kent State, Miami (OH) and Toledo competing for the title.
The winner of the double-elimination tournament will clinch an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament.
The reigning conference tournament champions, Western Michigan, did not qualify for the tournament this season.
Ball State (No. 3) and Eastern Michigan (No. 6) will face each other at 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday before Bowling Green (No. 4) and Toledo (No. 5) will battle at 6 p.m. Meanwhile, Miami (No. 1) and Kent State (No. 2) will have a first-round bye.
Information for the rest of the tournament schedule and bracket can be viewed on the MAC’s website.
Falcon Media Sports Network’s Tyler Kavalecz, Chas McNeil, Noah Seeley, Jack Rintamaa and Coyle Withrow will provide on-site coverage for the entire tournament.
Kavalecz, McNeil and Seeley will call every game on Falcon Radio and WBGU 88.1 FM, while providing recaps and social media coverage for every contest. Meanwhile, Rintamaa and Withrow will capture photos, with all content available on bgfalconmedia.com, @BG_FMSN on Twitter/X and @BGFalconMedia on Facebook.
Here’s a look at all six teams that will be vying for the MAC Tournament Championship this year:
Miami
The RedHawks enter the tournament as the top seed with a 32-21 overall and 23-7 conference record.
Miami, led by head coach Brian Smiley in his 2nd season, claimed a Co-MAC Regular Season Championship for the first time since 1979.
They have won three MAC Tournament Championships (1983, 2000, 2005) and will seek to end a 20-year drought.
Miami defeated Kent State 5-2 before losing 12-4 to Bowling Green and 8-4 to Toledo in the tournament last season.
The RedHawks won two out of three games against all five other teams competing in Avon.
Strengths
Miami is a very patient team at the plate, drawing 317 walks this season, the most in the MAC.
Overall, they are one of the best offensive teams in the conference and have a lot of power in their lineup.
The RedHawks rank second in the MAC with a .299 batting average, a .425 on-base percentage (OBP), a .499 slugging percentage and 437 runs scored, third with 14 triples and 73 home runs and fourth with 109 doubles.
Miami pitchers also have great control on the mound.
The RedHawks have thrown just 28 wild pitches, the fewest in the conference. They have also allowed only 215 walks and held opponents to a .272 batting average, the second-best marks in the MAC.
Weaknesses
Miami’s pitching, although controlled, has not been its strong point this year.
MU ranks fifth in the MAC with a 6.58 earned run average (ERA) and just sixth with 407 strikeouts.
They have been very susceptible to the long ball, allowing 65 home runs, which is tied for the most in the conference.
Offensively, the RedHawks do not have any glaring weaknesses.
Miami has struck out 390 times this season, the fifth-most in the conference.
MU is also not an aggressive base running team, stealing just 38 stolen bases, the second-fewest in the MAC.
Falcon Four Players to Watch
The 5-foot-9 junior left-hander earned First Team All-MAC and MAC Reliever of the Year honors last season and has been spectacular this year.
Byers, who will be a strong candidate for MAC Pitcher of the Year, leads the conference with a 2.81 ERA.
He also ranks second in the MAC with 25 strikeouts looking and a .220 opponent batting average. The Mattawan, Michigan, native is also seventh in the conference with 67 overall strikeouts.
Katskee transferred to Miami from Indiana University and has a strong case for MAC Pitcher of the Year.
The 6-foot-4 redshirt sophomore right-hander leads the MAC with 10 wins, two complete games and a .190 opponent batting average.
The Greenwood Village, Colorado, native also ranks second in the conference with a 2.86 ERA and sixth with 72.1 innings pitched.
Katskee finished the season strong, achieving a 2.30 ERA over his final five starts.
The redshirt junior infielder is one of the best power hitters in the MAC.
Appelwick is tied for the conference lead with 44 walks and ranks second with 19 home runs and 69 runs batted in (RBI), fourth with 59 runs scored, sixth with a 1.090 on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS) and seventh with a .648 slugging percentage.
The Madison, South Dakota, native hit three home runs and drove in nine runs in his final two games of the season against Ball State.
Novak has also been one of the better hitters in the MAC.
The left-handed hitting sophomore infielder/outfielder leads the conference with five triples and 44 walks. He also ranks sixth with a .483 OBP, seventh with a 1.077 OPS and 56 runs scored and ninth with 13 home runs.
Kent State
KSU enters the tournament as the second seed with a 37-16 overall and 23-7 conference record.
The Golden Flashes, led by head coach Jeff Duncan in his 12th season, shared a claim of the MAC Regular Season Championship with Miami.
Kent State has won the tournament a record 12 times, hoisting the trophy in 1992, 1993, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2018.
KSU did not win a game in Avon last year, losing 5-2 to Miami and 8-2 to Toledo.
Kent State won the regular season series against every other team in the tournament except for Miami, who they lost two of three games against.
Strengths
The Golden Flashes are the most prolific offense in the MAC, leading the conference with a .316 batting average, a .434 OBP, a .541 slugging percentage, 519 runs scored, 126 doubles, 28 triples and 126 stolen bases.
They also rank second in the MAC with 282 walks and fourth with 72 home runs.
Kent State is also arguably the best pitching staff in the conference.
KSU leads the MAC with just 186 walks allowed. They also rank second in the conference with a 5.69 ERA and only 51 home runs allowed, third with a .273 opponent batting average and fourth with 425 strikeouts.
Weaknesses
Kent State doesn’t have many obvious weaknesses, as they are arguably the best all-around team in the conference.
However, KSU has struck out 394 times this year, the fourth-most in the MAC.
They are also an average fielding team, with a .968 fielding percentage, which ranks fifth in the conference.
Falcon Four Players to Watch
Hayden Jatczak (Kent State #31)
The graduate student utility player, the 2024 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Player of the Year, is a top candidate and possible frontrunner for this year’s MAC Player of the Year.
Jatczak leads the MAC with a 1.262 OPS, a .768 slugging percentage, 78 RBIs, 75 runs scored and 28 doubles, tied for the most in the nation.
The Bay City, Michigan, native also ranks second in the conference with four triples, third with a .384 batting average, fourth with a .494 OBP and 42 walks and eighth with 14 home runs.
Jatczak ended the regular season with home runs in back-to-back games against Eastern Michigan, driving in five runs.
After his season ended early due to injury last year, Casey has been one of the best hitters in the MAC.
The senior outfielder ranks second in the MAC with a 1.254 OPS, a .498 OBP, a .756 slugging percentage, 73 runs scored and four triples, third with 20 doubles and 20 steals, fourth with 17 home runs, ninth with a .355 batting average and 55 RBIs and 10th with 33 walks drawn.
The sophomore right-hander has been one of the best starting pitchers in the MAC this season.
Bean ranks third in the conference with a 4.02 ERA and six wins, fourth with 24 strikeouts looking, fifth with a .242 opponent batting average and 10th with 66 strikeouts and 69.1 innings pitched.
Jones has also been a solid starter for Kent State this season.
The redshirt sophomore right-handed pitcher ranks third in the MAC with three wins, sixth with a .244 opponent batting average and eighth with 20 strikeouts looking.
However, the North Royalton, Ohio, native ended the regular season rough, allowing at least four earned runs in each of his last four starts.
Ball State
Ball State heads to Avon as the third seed in the MAC Tournament with a 35-20 overall and 21-9 conference record.
The Cardinals, led by head coach Rich Maloney in his 20th season, were the preseason favorites to win the conference regular season and tournament championships. However, after leading the conference for much of the year, the birds crawled to the finish line in the regular season, winning just four of their final 11 games.
BSU has won the tournament two times, punching their ticket to the NCAA Tournament in 2006 and 2023.
Ball State made it to the championship game last season, losing 10-3 to Western Michigan after falling 8-0 against the Broncos earlier in the tournament. They won 5-1 and 4-3 against Toledo before defeating BGSU 10-5 to make it to the championship matchup.
Ball State won the regular season series against Eastern Michigan, Toledo and Bowling Green but lost two of three games to Kent State and Miami.
Strengths
The Cardinals are one of the best offensive teams in the MAC.
BSU leads the conference with 86 home runs. They also rank third with a .296 batting average, 419 runs scored and a .493 slugging percentage.
Ball State has a powerful pitching staff.
The Cardinals lead the MAC with 453 strikeouts, ranking fourth with a 6.31 ERA and a .279 opponent batting average.
Ball State is also the best defensive team in the conference with a .984 fielding percentage, which is also the best mark in the country.
Weaknesses
BSU is not the most disciplined team at the plate.
The Cardinals rank fourth in the MAC with 404 strikeouts. Conversely, they have drawn just 216 walks, which ranks eighth in the conference. This equates to a .386 OBP, which ranks sixth in the MAC.
Ball State also has control issues on the mound.
They have thrown 56 wild pitches, tied for the second-most in the conference, and walked 262 batters, the fourth-most in the MAC.
Falcon Four Players to Watch
The switch-hitting junior infielder has been one of the best hitters in the conference this year.
Grego leads the MAC with 85 hits and ranks fourth with a .371 batting average, eighth with 54 runs scored, ninth with 13 home runs and 10th with 52 RBIs and a .616 slugging percentage.
Keegan Johnson (Ball State #24)
After receiving MAC Freshman Pitcher of the Year and First Team All-MAC honors last season, Johnson had another great year on the rubber for the Cardinals.
The 6-foot-3 left-hander ranks second in the MAC with seven wins, third with 75 strikeouts and a .226 opponent batting average, fifth with a 4.46 ERA, eighth with 70.2 innings pitched and ninth with 19 strikeouts looking.
Jacob Hartlaub (Ball State #14)
The senior right-hander is also one of the best starters in the MAC.
Hartlaub ranks second in the conference with 80 innings pitched, third with six wins, sixth with a 4.50 ERA, seventh with 67 strikeouts and 10th with 18 strikeouts looking and a .263 opponent batting average.
Over his 80 innings this season, Hartlaub has walked just 26 batters.
After transferring from Marietta College, Richter has been a key power bat in the lineup for the Cardinals.
The left-handed hitting senior infielder ranks second in the MAC with 27 hit-by-pitches, sixth with 57 runs scored and 16 home runs and 10th with 33 walks.
Bowling Green
BGSU enters the tournament as the fourth seed with a 33-20 overall and 19-11 conference record.
The Falcons, led by head coach Kyle Hallock in his fifth season, won the MAC Regular Season Championship last season and solidified themselves as a top MAC program this year.
Bowling Green has won the MAC Tournament three times, winning in 1998, 1999 and 2013.
The only MAC Tournament team BGSU beat in a regular season series was Eastern Michigan, who the Falcons swept. They lost two of three games to KSU, Miami, BSU and UT.
Strengths
Bowling Green’s offense has been solid this season.
The Falcons rank third in the MAC with a .402 OBP and 262 walks, fourth with a .293 batting average and 68 stolen bases and sixth with 369 runs scored.
BGSU’s pitching has also been one of the better staffs in the conference.
The Falcons lead the MAC with 17 saves. They also rank third in the conference with a 6.16 ERA and fifth with 418 strikeouts.
Weaknesses
Stats aside, injuries may be the biggest weakness for the Falcons.
Junior two-way star DJ Newman, sophomore center fielder TJ Takats and senior right-handed pitcher Nic Good will all likely miss the MAC Tournament due to injury.
Power has also been less of a focus for BG’s offense compared to last season.
The Falcons rank just seventh in the MAC with a .434 slugging percentage and eighth with 47 home runs and 97 doubles.
They have also struck out 407 times this year, the second-most in the conference.
While pitching has been solid this year, the Falcons have not been perfect on the mound.
The Orange and Brown have given up 65 home runs, tied for the most in the MAC, and thrown 56 wild pitches, tied for the second-most in the conference.
Additionally, they have allowed a .305 opponent batting average and tossed 234 walks, which rank third and fourth-worst in the MAC, respectively.
BGSU’s fielding has also been sloppy at times. The Falcons’ .964 fielding percentage is tied for the third-worst mark in the conference.
Falcon Four Players to Watch
Garrett Wright (Bowling Green #3)
The reigning MAC Freshman of the Year has been one of the best catchers in the country this season.
Wright leads the MAC with a .411 batting average and a .518 OBP. The Massillon, Ohio, native also ranks third in the conference with a 1.195 OPS and 26 hit-by-pitches, fourth with a .677 slugging percentage and fifth with 58 runs scored and 19 doubles.
The sophomore leads all catchers in the country in batting average and OBP, and has tied or broken three BGSU program records this season.
Gunner Antillon (Bowling Green #41)
The senior infielder has been a breakout player for Bowling Green this season.
The Rancho Cucamonga, California, native ranks second on the Falcons this year with a .346 batting average, a .904 OPS, 13 doubles and two triples.
Connar Penrod (Bowling Green #12)
Penrod has been the best closer in the MAC this season.
The senior right-hander leads the MAC and is tied for sixth in the country with 12 saves, a BGSU single-season program record.
The Wauseon, Ohio, native has a 5-2 record and 1.78 ERA, allowing just five earned runs, three extra-base hits and a .181 opponents batting average. Penrod has 31 strikeouts to just 10 walks in 25.1 innings pitched this season.
Landon Willeman (Bowling Green #23)
Willeman has been the most consistent starting pitcher for Bowling Green this year.
The senior right-hander is only 1-1 on the season but leads BGSU starting pitchers with a 4.62 ERA, a 1.34 WHIP and a .232 opponent batting average.
Over his last two starts, Willeman has not allowed a run in eight innings, giving up just four hits and a walk while striking out 10 batters.
Toledo
The Rockets head to Crushers Stadium as the fifth seed with a 28-27 overall and 17-13 conference record.
Toledo, led by head coach Rob Reinstetle in his sixth season, enters the tournament as arguably the hottest team in the MAC. The Rockets have won five straight games, outscoring their opponents 61-17 over the recent span.
UT is one of two active MAC teams (Northern Illinois) that have never won a MAC Tournament.
The Midnight Blue and Gold won two games in Avon last year, defeating Kent State 8-2 and Miami 8-4. However, the Rockets lost 5-1 and 4-3 to Ball State.
Strengths
Toledo has arguably the best pitching staff in the MAC.
The Rockets lead the conference with a 5.13 ERA, a .260 opponent batting average and just 85 doubles allowed in 461.2 innings pitched.
UT has also given up just 52 home runs and allowed 217 walks, the third-fewest marks in the MAC.
Toledo also has one of the best defenses in the MAC, ranking second in the conference with a .977 fielding percentage.
Weaknesses
Toledo’s offense has been one of the worst in the MAC.
The Rockets rank seventh in the conference with 52 home runs, eighth with 216 walks, ninth with 308 runs scored and a .407 slugging percentage, 11th with a .361 OBP and last with a .260 batting average.
While UT’s pitching has been dominant, they have thrown 58 wild pitches, the most in the MAC.
Falcon Four Players to Watch
The 6-foot-6 junior right-hander has been Toledo’s top inning-eater starter this season.
Bergman ranks seventh in the MAC with a 4.55 ERA and ninth with a .249 opponent batting average.
The Hicksville, Ohio, native finished the season strong with a 3.00 ERA over his final three starts of the regular season.
The sophomore infielder has been a key hitter for the Rockets this year.
Scholvin leads the MAC with a .317 batting average, a .484 OBP and a .988 OPS.
The Lewis Center, Ohio, native has recorded a hit in 11 of his past 13 games.
Konczak has also been a crucial piece of Toledo’s lineup.
The senior outfielder leads the Rockets with 42 runs scored, 63 hits, 10 home runs and a .517 slugging percentage.
The Lewis Center, Ohio, native also ended the season red hot, batting 8-15 with six RBIs in his final three games of the regular season.
The 6-foot-7 junior has been the top left-handed arm for the Midnight Blue and Gold.
The Swanton, Ohio, native is 2-2 with a 3.63 ERA, recording 39 strikeouts in 34.2 innings pitched this year. Shunk has held opponents to a .226 batting average and has only given up eight extra-base hits.
Eastern Michigan
The Eagles enter the tournament as the sixth and final seed with a 20-29 overall and 12-18 conference record.
EMU, led by head coach Robbie Britt in his second season, are the only team in the tournament with a losing overall and conference record. They are also the only team heading to Avon on a multiple-game losing streak, losing back-to-back games against Kent State to end the regular season.
Eastern Michigan lost their regular season series against the five other teams in the tournament.
The Eagles have won four MAC Tournament Championships in 1981, 1982, 2003 and 2008.
EMU is also the only team in the tournament that was not in the tournament last year, reaching Avon for the first time since 2018.
Strengths
Eastern Michigan’s offense is a solid on-base squad.
The Eagles rank fourth in the MAC with a .399 OBP, fifth with a .290 batting average and 375 runs scored and sixth with 240 walks.
EMU has also struck out only 350 times, the fewest in the conference.
Weaknesses
Eastern Michigan’s pitching staff has been one of the worst in the MAC.
The Eagles have the second-worst ERA in the MAC, 7.91 ERA, and 316 walks, which is the most in the conference.
EMU’s offense is also lacking consistent power.
Eastern Michigan ranks just sixth in the MAC with 60 home runs and a .458 slugging percentage, seventh with 99 doubles and last with four triples.
Additionally, the Eagles’ defense is one of the worst in the conference. EMU’s .964 fielding percentage is tied for the second-worst in the MAC.
Falcon Four Players to Watch
Logan Hugo (Eastern Michigan #7)
The senior outfielder has been one of the top hitters for EMU.
Hugo ranks sixth in the MAC with 58 RBIs and 17 stolen bases, ninth with 52 runs scored and 10th with 33 walks.
The Essexville, Michigan, native has recorded a hit in eight of his past nine games.
Devan Zirwas (Eastern Michigan #15)
Zirwas is another key piece in Eastern Michigan’s lineup since transferring from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU).
The left-handed hitting junior infielder ranks third in the MAC with 20 doubles and 10th with 52 RBIs.
The Imperial, Pennsylvania, native won the 2024 Atlantic-10 Tournament Championship with VCU.
Tyler Kapa (Eastern Michigan #40)
Kapa has been one of the most powerful pitchers in the MAC after transferring to EMU from Davenport University.
The senior right-hander leads the MAC with 84 strikeouts. He also ranks second in the conference with 25 strikeouts looking and sixth with five wins.
Drew Beckner (Eastern Michigan #22)
The senior left-hander has also been one of the better starters for Eastern Michigan.
Beckner ranks third in the conference with 75 strikeouts and fourth with 73.1 innings pitched.
