The BG baseball team will look to continue its four-game winning streak this weekend with a Mid-American Conference series against the University of Akron Zips.
The Falcons’ game against the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish this past Wednesday in South Bend, Ind. was canceled in the fourth inning due to inclement weather and will not be rescheduled.
BG coach Danny Schmitz will look for his 600th win during the series against Akron. His record is currently 599-569-5, dating back to March 9, 1991.
The Zips are currently 8-26 (5-7) on the season and sit at fifth place, one place behind the 11-19 (6-6) Falcons in the MAC East Division standings.
Akron started its season with an 11-game losing streak, losing three games each to Georgia Tech, the University of Louisville and the University of Kentucky and two against the University of South Carolina-Upstate.
For nearly a month throughout 11 games, the Zips were outscored 91-15, including a 21-2 loss against the University of Kentucky Wildcats on March 1.
During that game, Kentucky scored five runs in the bottom of the first inning and 11 runs in the bottom of the second. Akron starting pitcher Jon Pusateri gave up nine earned runs during his one inning pitched.
Following their first win against USC-Upstate on March 10, the Zips lost two games against the Citadel and split a series against Quinnipiac University at the 2013 Chanticleer Classic in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Akron then dropped its final two games of the tournament to the University of Michigan and Coastal Carolina University.
The Zips’ first MAC series was at Ball State University in late March. They won the series two games-to-one against the Cardinals, and nearly swept the home team but lost the first game 2-1 in 10 innings.
Following the positive outcome against Ball State, Akron would lose its next four games, all at home. The Zips were swept by Northern Illinois University in a three-game series and lost to the University of Pittsburgh.
Since the beginning of April, Akron has played 10 games, winning four. Three of the Zips’ past 10 games have gone into extra innings, including two 10-inning games against the Ohio University Bobcats (they won both) and one 14-inning game against the Miami University RedHawks, which they won.
Friday’s matchup between the Falcons and Zips is scheduled for a 3 p.m., first pitch and the games on Saturday and Sunday are both slated for a 1 p.m. start.
