Bowling Green State University Athletics
Baseball Second In MAC East Division
April 24, 2000 | Baseball
April 24, 2000
BG BASEBALL WINS FOUR OF SIX, PLAYS FIVE OF SIX ON ROAD
The Bowling Green State University baseball team has won 13 of its last 16 contests heading into Tuesday's home contest against Wright State. The Falcons then begin a 10-game road trip with a single contest at Oakland University on Wednesday. Both midweek games begin at 3 p.m.
BG returns to conference action with a four-game series at Mid-American Conference East Division leading Kent on April 29-30. Doubleheader action both days begins at 1 p.m.
UPCOMING GAMES ...
The Falcons will not have a midweek game the week of May 1-5 due to exams. Bowling Green's first games following exams will be a four-game MAC series at Ohio University on May 6-7. Doubleheader action both days begins at 1 p.m.
BG will conclude the regular-season non-conference portion of its schedule with contests at Michigan (May 9) and at home against Dayton on Wednesday, May 10.
Bowling Green's final league series will be at home on May 13-14 against Akron. Senior day will be on Sunday.
LOOKING BACK AT LAST WEEK ...
Apr. 18 -- BGSU 11, Defiance 5
Bowling Green equalled its season-best winning streak of five games with an 11-5 triumph over visiting Defiance College Tuesday at Steller Field.
Apr. 19 -- BGSU 11, Findlay 8
Bowling Green scored in double-digits for the third consecutive game in downing visiting Findlay, 11-8, Wednesday at Steller Field. The victory also extended BG's season-long winning streak to six games.
Apr. 22 -- BGSU 4, Miami 3 -- 9 innings (Game 1)
Bowling Green extended its winning streak to seven games with a 4-3 nine inning triumph at Miami in game one on Saturday. The victory also ended a five-game regular-season losing streak to the RedHawks.
Apr. 22 -- Miami 12, BGSU 2 (Game 2)
Bowling Green had its seven-game winning streak snapped with a 12-2 loss in Saturday's nightcap in Oxford. Seven of Miami's 12 runs were unearned.
Apr. 23 -- BGSU 5, Miami 3 (Game 1)
Bowling Green defeated visiting Miami, 5-3, in Sunday's first game at Steller Field.
Apr. 23 -- Miami 10, BGSU 5 (Game 1)
Bowling Green fell a game behind Kent in the MAC East Division after a 10-5 loss to Miami in Sunday's second game. BG was within one out of claiming its third victory on the weekend, but the RedHawks rallied with six runs on two hits and four BG errors in the seventh inning.
FALCON NOTES ...
Bowling Green will play its next eight Mid-American Conference games away from the friendly confines of Steller Field. The Falcons have four-game series at Kent (Apr. 29-30) and Ohio University (May 6-7). BG is 15-3 at Steller Field and 7-12-1 away from home. Bowling Green is 8-2 at home in MAC play and 3-1 on the road.
The Falcons have been using a balanced offensive attack this season with nine players currently batting .300 or above (minimum 60 at bats). Seven different Falcons have at least 14 RBI with team-leader Alan Gilhousen at 30.
Sophomore outfielder Len Elias has a team-leading 26 walks against only 10 strikeouts in 141 plate appearances.
Senior second baseman Kenny Burdine is batting a team-high .385, but with runners in scoring position, he is hitting .516.
Sophomore first baseman Sean Ryan has a BG-best six home runs overall. In league games, Ryan is hitting .515 (17-33) with a .727 slugging percentage.
Senior Matt Best went seven for 13 (.538) last week to improve his season average to .333.
Junior starting pitcher Tony Fontana has recorded five wins this season after compiling a 4-4 career mark in his first two seasons. He has limited opponents to a .229 batting average this year. Fontana has 56 strikeouts in 61 innings with only 22 walks.
Senior relief pitcher Ryan Streb has a team-leading five saves this year after being used primarily as a set-up man his first three years. His ERA coming into his final year was 7.49, but he has recorded a 3.05 ERA this season in 16 appearances.
MAC OVERALL STAT LEADERS ...
In statistics released by the conference office on April 24 (for all games), Bowling Green ranks second in team batting average (.314) behind Ohio's .324, second in doubles (82) trailing Kent's 85. The Falcons are third in team earned-run average (4.45) behind Kent (3.85) and Ball State (4.39), with an eighth-place ranking in team fielding at .954.
Individually, senior second baseman Kenny Burdine is tied for ninth in batting average (.385), while junior starting pitcher Tony Fontana ranks second in ERA (2.80). Fontana is tied for fifth in victories with five, ranks fifth in strikeouts with 56, and fourth in innings pitched with 61. Senior Ryan Streb is third with five saves.
MAC LEAGUE STAT LEADERS ...
In statistics released by the conference office on April 24 (for league games only), Bowling Green ranks first in team batting average (.335) and second in team earned-run average (4.18). The Falcons have an seventh-place ranking in team fielding at .955.
Individually, three starting pitchers are ranked in the top 10 in ERA. Senior Joe Cheney is fourth with a 2.20 ERA, Tony Fontana is seventh at 2.57 and Craig Menke is 10th at 3.63. Sophomore first baseman Sean Ryan would be second in batting, but is two at bats shy of qualifying.
