.png&type=webp)
Bowling Green State University Athletics
Falcons Seeded Fifth, Will Open MAC Tournament Against NIU
May 04, 2003 | Softball
May 4, 2003
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - Sunday's (May 4) five games around the Mid-American Conference are in the books, and the field is set for the 2003 MAC Softball Tournament. Bowling Green State University is the fifth seed for the six-team tournament, and the Falcons will open tourney play against #4 seed Northern Illinois University at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday (May 8). The double-elimination tournament will be held at Firestone Stadium in Akron, Ohio.
The winner of the BGSU-NIU game will return to the diamond later Thursday, taking on top-seeded Marshall University in a contest set for 7:30 p.m.
The tournament runs through Saturday (May 10), with the winner earning the MAC's automatic bid to NCAA Regional play.
BGSU earned its way into the tournament with a three-game sweep of Eastern Michigan to close the regular season. The final win in that series, a 4-2 triumph in Saturday's (May 3) second game, moved fifth-year head coach Leigh Ross-Shaw into a tie for the top spot on the BGSU all-time wins list. Ross-Shaw, 136-113-2 (.544), has tied Jacquie Joseph (136-123 from 1989-93) for first place on that list.
The Falcons are appearing in the MAC Tournament for the fifth time in the last six years, and for the eighth time in school history. This year marks the 13th conference tournament, as a tourney was held each year from 1982-86, and resumed in 1996 after nearly a decade's absence.
The complete tournament bracket...
2003 MAC TOURNAMENT
Thursday, May 8 Game 1 - #3 Central Michigan vs. #6 Miami, 11:00 a.m. Game 2 - #4 Northern Illinois vs. #5 Bowling Green, 1:30 p.m. Game 3 - CMU/Miami winner vs. #2 Western Michigan, 5:00 p.m. Game 4 - BGSU/NIU winner vs. #1 Marshall, 7:30 p.m.Friday, May 9 Game 5 - Game 2 loser vs. Game 3 loser, 11:00 a.m. Game 6 - Game 1 loser vs. Game 4 loser, 1:30 p.m. Game 7 - Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner, 5:00 p.m. Game 8 - Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 10 Game 9 - Game 7 loser vs. Game 8 winner, 11:00 a.m. Game 10 - Game 7 winner vs. Game 9 winner, 1:30 p.m. Game 11 - Game 10 participants (if necessary), 4:00 p.m.
