.png&type=webp)
Bowling Green State University Athletics
Baseball Travels To West Virginia
March 20, 2000 | Baseball
March 20, 2000
The Bowling Green State University baseball team will attempt to snap its three-game losing streak this Wednesday when it faces West Virginia in a doubleheader in Morgantown. The Falcons lost three games at Missouri this past weekend after leading by identical 4-0 scores in each of the last two contests.
UPCOMING GAMES ...
The Bowling Green State University baseball team continues its extended season-opening road trip with two games at West Virginia on March 22. Doubleheader action begins at 2:30 p.m. The first game will be seven innings, with the nightcap being nine innings. This is a change from the original schedule.
The Falcons begin the home portion of their schedule with a three- game non-conference series against Buffalo this weekend. Saturday's twinbill begins at 1 p.m., with Sunday's single game also starting at 1 p.m.
BG will play two midweek games the following week: Tuesday at home versus Oakland (3 p.m.), and Wednesday at Michigan (3 p.m.).
THE COACH ...
Falcon mentor Danny Schmitz moved into second place on BG's all-time baseball coaching list with the Falcons 7-3 triumph over Ohio University on April 25th last season. He surpassed the legendary Warren E. Steller, who compiled 221 victories in 31 years (1925, '28-34, '36, '38-59) with a .589 winning percentage (221-154-0).
Schmitz has led the Falcons to back-to-back NCAA appearances. BG's trip to the NCAA's in 1998 was its first since 1972.
Prior to being named to his current position in August, 1990, he served three seasons (1988-90) as an assistant coach at Eastern Michigan following three years as the manager of Visalia (1985-87) in the Class A California League. Schmitz also spent eight years playing in the minor leagues including the last seven in AAA.
LOOKING BACK AT LAST WEEK ...
Mar. 17 -- Missouri 4, BGSU 1
Bowling Green had its three-game winning streak snapped with a 4-1 loss at Missouri Friday night. The Falcons scored their lone run in the seventh inning when junior center fielder Aric Christman walked with two outs and moved to second when sophomore left fielder Len Elias followed with an infield single. Senior designated hitter Alan Gilhousen then drilled a 1-2 offering into center field scoring Christman.
BG outhit Mizzou 7-5, but Falcon starter Tony Fontana walked six batters including the first two in the decisive third inning. Missouri added a run in the fourth inning when leadoff batter Nick Wilfong doubled to left field, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt and scored on an infield groundout.
The Tigers final run came in the seventh inning when Fontana walked the first two batters and was replaced by Ryan Streb. Streb struck out J.R. Warner on an 0-2 pitch, before Ryan Stegall singled to center field plating Luke Cassis.
Bowling Green left 10 runners on base to Missouri's seven. Fontana allowed four earned runs in six innings and just three hits, but walked six. Streb pitched the final two innings, striking out one and allowing two hits, but no runs.
Mar. 18 -- Missouri 6, BGSU 5
Bowling Green dropped its second consecutive game at Missouri, falling 6-5 on Saturday.
The Falcons took a 4-0 lead in the second inning. Scott Dukate led off with a single to center field but was forced at second by Matt Best. After Best stole second and moved to third on a wild pitch, Corey Loomis drew a walk on a 3-2 pitch. Loomis stole second before Brad Simon drilled a 2-2 offering into center field scoring both Best and Loomis. After a walk to Shaun Rice, Aric Christman hit the first pitch from Matt Hobbs for an RBI double to right center. Rice scored on a sacrifice bunt by Kenny Burdine.
Missouri scored three unearned runs in the fourth inning and tied the game with another tally in the fifth inning.
BG went ahead 5-4 in the seventh inning when Aric Christman reached on an error, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Kenny Burdine, and scored on an Alan Gilhousen single down the right field line.
The Tigers tied the game again in the bottom of the seventh on two singles sandwiched around a groundout. Mizzou scored the winning run in the eighth when Kurt Propst walked on a 3-2 pitch from Mike Muzi with the bases loaded.
Joe Cheney started for BG and allowed five runs (two earned) in seven innings. He struck out two and walked two. Chad Curlis pitched 0.2 innings, allowing one earned run, one hit and one walk. Mike Muzi pitched the final 1/3 of an inning and allowed two walks.
Mar. 19 -- Missouri 8, BGSU 6
Bowling Green (3-8-1) dropped its third consecutive game at Missouri (14-8), 8-6 on Sunday.
The Falcons took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Aric Christman led off with a double to left, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a Len Elias sacrifice fly.
BG increased its lead to 4-0 with three runs in the third inning. Elias led off with a walk and moved to third on Alan Gilhousen's single to center. Sean Ryan drove in Elias with a single down the right field line. Gilhousen scored on Matt Marcum's sacrifice fly, while Nick Schmidt plated Ryan with a double down the left field line.
Missouri struck for five runs in their half of the fifth inning, all coming with two outs. The Tigers added three more runs in the sixth on a solo home run by Kurt Propst and a two-run single by Jayce Tingler.
Bowling Green scored twice in the seventh inning when Scott Dukate reached on an error with one out and advanced to second on Matt Best's pinch-hit single. Lee Morrison drove in Dukate with a double down the right field line, while Kenny Burdine's pinch-hit single scored Best.
Craig Menke started for the Falcons, in the 38-degree temperatures, and allowed five runs (two earned) in 4.2 innings. Menke surrendered four hits and struck out three, while walking five. Deryck Griffith pitched one inning giving up three earned runs on three hits and a walk. Brad Henry pitched the final 2.1 innings allowing one hit and one walk.
FALCON NOTES ...
Sophomore Len Elias was one of three outfielders named to the Pepsi/Johnny Quik Classic All-Tournament team. Elias batted .412 (seven-for-17) with three doubles, a triple, a walk and a stolen base while starting five games in the Falcons third-place finish.
Senior designated hitter Alan Gilhousen had one hit in each game against Missouri extending his hitting streak to seven games. He has batted third in all 12 games and has a hit in all but two contests this season. Gilhousen is the lone Falcon to start all 12 games.
Junior center fielder Aric Christman extended his hitting streak to five games with one hit on Friday, and two hits on both Saturday and Sunday versus the Tigers. Christman and freshman infielder Corey Loomis are tied for the team lead with four stolen bases.
Elias leads the team in batting average (.389), slugging percentage (.639), doubles (5) and triples (2).
Gilhousen and sophomore first baseman Sean Ryan are tied for the team lead with 11 runs batted in. Ryan has a team-high three home runs and 25 total bases.
Sophomore shortstop Nick Elrod leads the team in walks (five), and defensively in assists (24).
Senior infielder Kenny Burdine has a team-best 15 hits.
Senior pitcher Ryan Streb has appeared in a team-high five games with one save and a 1.00 earned-run average. He has allowed 10 hits in nine innings, but only one run. Streb is also second on the team with 11 strikeouts.
Junior pitcher Tony Fontana has hurled a team-high 21.2 innings, while also leading the team with 14 strikeouts.
Freshman pitcher Deryck Griffith has held opponents to a .182 batting average in 6.2 innings.
Sophomore pitcher Brad Henry has limited opponents to a .194 batting average in 9.2 innings.
Falcon catchers have limited opponents to nine stolen bases in 16 attempts. Seniors Matt Marcum (5-10) and Brad Simon (2-4) have each thrown out 50% of opposing base stealers.
