Bowling Green State University Athletics
Baseball To Play Eight Games In Next Seven Days
April 09, 2000 | Baseball
April 9, 2000
BG BASEBALL WINS LONE GAME, FIVE OF EIGHT GAMES THIS WEEK AT STELLER FIELD
The Bowling Green State University baseball team won its lone game last week, 21-7 over Detroit, and had three games cancelled plus a doubleheader at Western Michigan rescheduled for Monday at 1 p.m. (from Saturday, April 8).
After Monday's twinbill in Kalamazoo, BG will play five of its remaining six games this week at Steller Field. The Falcons have two non-league games slated -- Tuesday vs. Cleveland State (3 p.m.) and Wednesday at #26th-ranked Notre Dame (5 p.m. CT) -- before hosting Mid-American Conference foe Marshall for four games on the weekend. Doubleheader action on both Saturday and Sunday against the Thundering Herd starts at 1 p.m.
The Falcons continue their homestand with contests against Defiance (April 18 at 2 p.m.) and Findlay (April 19 at 3 p.m.).
UPCOMING GAMES ...
Bowling Green concludes its yearly home-and-home series with Detroit Mercy by visiting the Motor City on April 20th (3 p.m.).
The Falcons will then face MAC East Division preseason favorite Miami for four games the weekend of Apr. 22-23. Saturday's doubleheader is in Oxford, while the teams complete the weekend set Sunday in BG.
LOOKING BACK AT LAST WEEK ...
Apr. 4 -- BGSU at Wright State
The Tuesday contest slated for Dayton was cancelled due to rain.
Apr. 5 -- BGSU 21, Detroit 7
Bowling Green set season-high in runs (21) and hits (19) in defeating Detroit, 21-7, at Steller Field on Wednesday. The 21 runs marked the most by BG since a 21-3 win over Sacred Heart on March 11, 1999.
The Falcons scored at least one run in every inning including three innings where five BG runners crossed the plate. BG coach Danny Schmitz used 28 of his 31 players in the contest.
Senior second baseman Kenny Burdine and junior right fielder Lee Morrison both went three-for-three coming off the bench. Morrison had two doubles, while Burdine, Matt Best, Sean Ryan, Scott Dukate, Nick Schmidt and Kelly Hunt each had a double. BG's eight doubles was one shy of the school record set against Ohio Northern on May 2, 1966, and equalled last year on May 15th at Marshall. Nick Elrod had the lone other BG extra-base hit (a triple) in the game.
Sophomore outfielder Len Elias went one-for-two with four walks, coming one shy of the school record for free passes in a game. Eleven different Falcons had hits with 13 different players reaching base either via a hit or walk.
Freshman Aaron Nease was credited with his first collegiate victory. Nease, the fourth of 11 pitchers used by BG, allowed one hit and one run (earned) in one inning of work. Rookie Brett Baumgartner started for the Falcons and struck out two while allowing one hit in the first inning. Brad Henry, Brian Thacker, Doug Flere, Mike Muzi, Chad Curlis, Keith Williams and Ryan Streb all worked in relief and did not allow an earned run.
Apr. 8 -- Bowling Green at Western Michigan (DH)
Bowling Green's doubleheader scheduled for Saturday, April 8 at Western Michigan was rescheduled for Monday, April 10. The opening game is set to start at 1 p.m.
Apr. 9 -- Bowling Green at Central Michigan (DH)
Bowling Green's doubleheader at Central Michigan University slated for Sunday, April 9 was cancelled due to snowy weather.
FALCON NOTES ...
Bowling Green is one win shy of reaching the 400 victory plateau in Mid-American Conference regular-season league games.
BG is also four wins shy of recording the 1,200th triumph in school history.
BG head coach Danny Schmitz is five wins away from 250 in his Falcon coaching career.
Last season, the Falcons tied a school record by playing 31 conference games (would have been 32 if not for Marshall having to forfeit the final game of the regular season because the Thundering Herd had already reached the NCAA maximum for games played), but this year's MAC schedule was set at 28 games as Bowling Green will not face Ball State and Northern Illinois. Sunday's cancellation reduces BG's conference schedule to 26 games.
Senior second baseman Kenny Burdine (Fairfield, OH) leads the squad in batting at .394 and doubles with eight. Burdine has 19 hits in 31 at-bats with runners on base (.613). In his last five games, Burdine is nine-for-17 (.529) with five runs batted in. He has a team-high 10 multiple-hit games, while ranking second on the squad with four multiple-RBI games.
Junior center fielder Aric Christman (Leipsic, OH) and sophomore shortstop Nick Elrod (Harrison, OH) are the only two Falcons to appear in all 24 games. Christman is the team leader in at-bats (94), runs (22), hits (30), total bases (45), and is tied with freshman Corey Loomis (Pemberville, OH/Eastwood) in stolen bases with five. Christman has BG's longest active hitting streak at seven games and ranks second on the team with nine multiple-hit games.
Sophomore outfielder Len Elias (Mississauga, ONT) is second on the team in batting (.380), while ranking first in walks (17), triples (2) and on-base percentage (.489). He is batting .391 with two outs and .409 with runners in scoring position.
Second-year first baseman Sean Ryan (Toledo, OH/Start) is the team leader in home runs (four), and is tied for second in RBI with Kenny Burdine at 17.
Senior designated hitter Alan Gilhousen (Canton, OH/GlenOak) is BG's top RBI man with 21, while starting a team-high 23 contests. Gilhousen is tied with Elrod for the team lead in sacrifice flies with three. He is also the team leader in two out runs batted in with eight and multiple-RBI games with six. Gilhousen has BG's longest hitting streak this season at 10 games (March 8-25).
Junior right fielder Lee Morrison (Stow, OH/Stow-Munroe Falls) is tied for the team lead in both sacrifice hits (two) and outfield assists (two). Seven of his 23 hits have been for extra bases.
Junior third baseman Scott Dukate (Temperance, MI/ Bedford) has four walks to six strikeouts in his 48 plate appearances this season. Six of his 12 hits have been for extra bases.
Junior right-hand starting pitcher Tony Fontana (Parma, OH/Valley Forge) has a team high three victories to go with a 2.54 earned-run average in 39.0 innings. He has pitched three of BG's four complete games this season along with the Falcons only shutout (3-hit blanking of Toledo). Fontana has surrendered only one home run in his 39 innings of work.
Junior right-hand starting pitcher Craig Menke (Delphos, OH/ Fort Jennings) is the team leader in strikeouts with 33 in 26.0 innings. Opponents are batting .183 against him with 17 hits in 93 at-bats.
The only other Falcon hurler limiting opponents below .200 with double-digit innings pitched is sophomore left-hander Doug Flere (McDonald, OH) at .186. He has allowed 11 hits in 16.2 innings while striking out 26.
Senior Ryan Streb (N. Canton, OH/GlenOak) has a team- high three saves in 11 relief appearances. He has a 3.21 ERA in 14.0 innings.
Junior left-handed relief pitcher Chad Curlis (Findlay, OH) has BG's other save. Curlis has a 1.93 ERA in 4.2 innings, allowing one hit in 14 at-bats (opponents batting average is .071).
Senior right-hand relief pitcher Mike Muzi (N. Canton, OH/ GlenOak) has moved into a tie for sixth place on BG's all-time appearances list with 60. He needs to appear in seven more contests to move into sole possession of second place. Derek Common (1989-92) is the school leader at 78 games pitched.
As a team the Falcons are hitting .311 with 82 extra-base hits in 24 games. BG's team ERA is at 4.90 as opponents are hitting .264. Bowling Green has outscored its opponents 69-46 in the first three innings of a game, and 65-61 in the middle three innings. BG has been outscored 37-21 in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings combined.
