BGSU baseball redshirt sophomore Titus Lotz, who is from Washington Court House, Ohio, was an electric arm at Washington High School, named the No. 2-ranked left-handed pitcher in the state by Perfect Game.
In 2023, he was named Ohio High School Division II Co-Pitcher of the Year after posting a 6-1 record with a 0.86 ERA and 0.67 WHIP.
Lotz finished his debut collegiate campaign with the Falcons last year with a 3-1 record and two saves in 21 appearances.
However, he struggled with command at times, finishing the season with a 7.40 ERA. Lotz struck out 22 and walked 20 in 24.1 innings.
After starting this season without a defined role in the bullpen, Lotz has figured things out and become a dominant presence on the mound.
Lotz has a 3.46 ERA with two saves in 11 outings. He has struck out 26 batters and walked 10 in 13 innings, allowing just two extra-base hits, which were both doubles.
“I think I just eliminated a lot of pressure and got back to my roots. Sticking in more of like a bunker mentality that I had in high school,” Lotz said. “Just relying on my faith in Jesus Christ—that’s the biggest thing. Just leaning back on that and staying calm in these pressure situations and knowing that he gave me tools to do this job. So, I think that is the mindset switch. It wasn’t really anything physical; it was more mental.”
After allowing opponents to hit .314 against him last year, batters have managed to hit only .204 against the lefty this season, a mark just above the Mendoza line.
“He does well under pressure and he has two major league pitches,” head coach Kyle Hallock said. “He’s been so very consistent and so bought into what he’s been asked to do this year. It’s been an absolute joy to coach him, and even more than that is to see his success and the role and how important he is to us winning right now.”
Lotz struck out the final two Central Michigan batters he faced in the ninth inning at Steller Field Friday night, locking down the save while securing the sixth straight win for the Falcons and their best start in April (6-0) since 1976.
He has not allowed a run in 5.2 innings pitched across his past five appearances. During the recent span, Lotz has allowed just three singles while striking out 12 and walking just two.
After a bit of a rocky start to his collegiate career, Lotz is turning his talent into a dominant closer in the Mid-American Conference.
“He’s an alpha. He is becoming the guy we recruited,” Hallock said.
Lotz has led the charge for Bowling Green’s pitching staff, who have a combined 4.50 ERA over the six-game winning streak.
“I think we’re just a bunch of greedy players. The bunker reference I mentioned, if you’re in a bunker and you’re trying to get out, you’re kind of down. That’s what we were this year. We started off kind of poorly, and we’ve worked our way into a dangerous role for the MAC. So, I think for us as a whole, we’ve gotten a lot grittier and a lot tougher in those situations. So, just getting out of the bunker and trying to survive and advance.”
Lotz and the Falcons will look to continue the winning streak on Saturday at 1 p.m. against Central Michigan at Steller Field.
