Off to its best start since the 2007 season, the Bowling Green baseball team will face its toughest test to date this weekend.
The Falcons [3-3] square off against a near perfect Campbell University [10-2] in a 3-game road series.
After starting 3-2, Campbell has won its last seven games, scoring 50 runs in the streak. BG, due to poor weather conditions, has only taken the field for six total games over the first three weeks.
Different than recent seasons, this sporadic playing time hasn’t slowed down
the Falcons.
“We worked hard in the offseason. We started working out at 6 a.m. doing speed and conditioning and I think that built a lot of mental toughness and you can see it through these three weekends,” said sophomore Greg Basalyga, who is tied for first on the team with nine hits. “We wouldn’t have got 30-plus runs in
a weekend.”
The Falcons have scored 45 runs over their first six games, providing support for the early-season struggles on the mound.
BG will need substantial contributions from each phase against the Camels, however. But this will be a valuable series to help the Falcons determine where they are at as a team.
“It’s going to be a tough challenge this weekend. We’re going to see where we are as a team,” Basalyga said. “We’re a young team, but it’s going to show us where we’re at. We want to go down there and take another series and accept nothing less, but our motto this year is to always win the next game and the next game is Campbell.”
“It’s going to be a great challenge for us and a great measuring stick for this young team,” said head coach Danny Schmitz.
An area of concern going into the season, the youth has effectively been a positive for the team, keeping the team relaxed and focused on the basics.
“It’s a good vibe [around the team],” said senior Trevor Blaylock. “We’re confident, laid back and we just go out there and play. Up and down the lineup, whatever their role is, they do it.”
The new crop of players have played crucial roles in the early success, too.
Junior, but first year player, Kory Brown is second on the team hitting .368 while playing a clean centerfield. Randy Righter is right behind Brown hitting .364 including three homeruns and team-leading eight RBIs.
“People are stepping up and that’s definitely helping us out,” Blaylock said.
The team will need to step up yet again as Campbell is one of the better teams in the nation over the early part of the season.
A team ERA of 2.00, batting average of .317 and 37-for-40 on stolen base attempts, the Camels present a challenge in each aspect of the game.
While still trying to win, BG will continue to mix-and-match lineups in an attempt to get extended looks at an array of players in preparation for the start of the Mid-American
Conference season.
“Hopefully we see the development starting. This is going to be a great time to get more looks at some of the first year guys,”
Schmitz said.
“We may cool down. but we’re just keeping the same approach, and if we do, we’ll be a tough team to beat all year,” Basalyga said.
