BGSU baseball (5-12, 2-4) will end their 17-game road stretch to begin the season with a weekend series against Ohio (3-18, 1-5) at Stellar Field, the first time the team will play a game with the new turf and stadium lights.
The series will begin on Friday under the lights of Stellar Field, with first pitch at 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday matchups are set to begin at 1 p.m.
Matchup History
The all-time record between these two programs leans slightly towards the Bobcats with 95 wins to the Bowling Green’s 86 wins.
Bowling Green does hold the advantage while at Stellar Field with a 48-32 record, taking the last home series in 2024.
In the three-game series last year, the Falcons took all three games with a total final score of 24-17 in Athens, Ohio.
Scouting Bowling Green
The Orange and Brown last played in a weekend series against Miami (OH), taking one of three games in Oxford, Ohio.
In each of their Mid-American Conference (MAC) series so far, the Falcons have won the Saturday games, taking a 7-2 win against Kent State and a 10-0 win against the RedHawks.
Bowling Green was able to finish their 10-0 game against Miami (OH) in seven innings without a single home run or triple. Their offense consisted of nine singles and three doubles, two of which came from freshman utility player Griffin Scheiderer.
The freshman duo of Scheiderer and catcher Andrew DiLodovico have skyrocketed up the ranks for the Falcons, becoming every-game starters to begin MAC play.
DiLodovico picked up hits in all three games against the RedHawks, including a two-run blast in the closing game of the series.
Scouting Ohio
The Bobcats have struggled to start conference play, losing seven straight after taking the opening game against Northern Illinois. Their second conference series came against Western Michigan, in which Ohio lost all three matchups at home.
While they weren’t able to pick up a win in their last series, the Bobcats did score 22 runs. Senior outfielder Cam Hill picked up five of those runs for the team throughout the series, including three in their 20-12 loss on Friday.
Hill added on three hits, two of which being a double and a home run, to his stat line on Friday. His performance is something common for Ohio, having the highest batting average of any player with double digit games played with a .327 batting average.
The Bobcats have found a new arm this season in freshman right-hander Mason Gass. Without making a start so far this season, Gass has appeared in nine games and leads the team in innings pitched with 30.
Gass has picked up two of the three Ohio victories on the season, keeping one of the lowest ERA on the team with 7.50.
Falcon Four Players to Watch
Nate Kress (Bowling Green No. 11)
The right-hander has dominated on the mound since beginning conference play as the Saturday starter.
Kress has picked up wins in both of his starts, going five innings each game. In his start against the RedHawks, Kress allowed only five hits and no runs while striking out eight. The local Weston, Ohio, native and Bowling Green High School alum will look to pick up his first win on the newly turfed home field this season.
Vinny Salvione (Bowling Green No. 23)
The Portland transfer will be making his Stellar Field debut this weekend and is looking to continue his hot start to the season.
Salvione is second on the team with a .290 batting average and leads the team in home runs with four. He also has consistently been leading off for the Falcons.
The junior outfielder takes control offensively for Ohio, having the most hits on the team, including the most doubles and home runs, and is consistently keeping the team afloat.
His leadership shows when seeing he is one of three Bobcats to start in all 21 games this season. For Ohio to take down the Falcons in their first series at their newly renovated field, Boyd will have to stay consistent on offense.
Having started the most games for the Bobcats, the sophomore right-hander is one of the most consistent pitchers in their rotation.
While he does have a 10.80 ERA, he has limited trouble anytime opposing batters begin to find his rhythm. With the Ohio being a rotation heavy pitching group, Bryant will look to start them off strong on the mound at some point in this series.
