Bowling Green State University Athletics
This Just In...
May 06, 2004 | Softball
May 6, 2004
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - As the Mid-American Conference regular season winds down, the Bowling Green State University softball team still controls its own destiny in terms of qualifying for the conference tournament. Wednesday's (May 5) outcomes around the league made the tourney picture a little less murky, from a Falcon standpoint.
On Wednesday afternoon, Eastern Michigan swept a doubleheader from visiting Ohio, while Buffalo and Ball State split their twinbill in Muncie. Both Ohio and Buffalo are among the teams battling for a tourney spot.
Obviously, the road for the Falcons will not be easy, as league-leading Central Michigan provides the opposition for the Brown and Orange this weekend. But, the losses by OU and UB on Wednesday have helped BGSU's chances of qualifying for the six-team tourney.
Heading into Saturday's games, only two teams -- West Division-leading CMU and East leaders Kent State -- have clinched berths in the league tournament. Six other schools are vying for the remaining four spots. The overall MAC standings are as follows (only teams still alive in the tourney race are listed)...
Team W- L (Pct.) Remaining MAC Games 1. Central Mich. 19- 2 (.905) at BGSU (Sat. DH, Sun. SG) 2. Kent State 14- 4 (.778) at Marshall (Sat. DH, Sun. SG) 3. Western Mich. 13- 7 (.650) vs. Ball State (Sat. DH); vs. Akron (Sun. DH) 4. Bowling Green 12- 9 (.571) vs. Central Mich. (Sat. DH, Sun. SG) Miami 12- 9 (.571) vs. Northern Illinois (Sun. DH) 6. Ohio 11-11 (.500) vs. Northern Illinois (Sat. DH) --------------- 7. Marshall 10-11 (.476) vs. Kent State (Sat. DH, Sun. SG) 8. Buffalo 9-10 (.474) at Toledo (Sat. DH)DH - doubleheader; SG - single game
Wednesday's outcomes did not at all change one BGSU possibility for the tournament: if the Falcons can win two games vs. CMU, BG will qualify for the tourney, regardless of any other weekend results around the league.
The Falcons have a 'magic number' of one vs. UB, and two vs. both Marshall and Ohio. If BGSU can win one game this weekend, Buffalo will not be able to catch the Falcons. Then, the Falcons would need only one loss by EITHER Ohio or Marshall to clinch a tourney berth.
BGSU still can get into the tournament without winning a game vs. the Chippewas, but the Falcons would need a bit more help. Should the Falcons go 0-3 vs. Central, BG still gets into the tournament if two of the following outcomes occur...
There are other, more convoluted scenarios that involve Miami and Western Michigan, as the Falcons still have a chance to finish as high as the tourney's third seed.
The six teams that qualify for the MAC Tournament will head to Akron's Firestone Stadium, with the first day of action scheduled for Thursday, May 13. Barring inclement weather, the league tournament champion will be crowned on Saturday, May 15.
It all makes for an interesting weekend of softball to close the regular season. The Falcons and Chippewas will do battle in a Saturday (May 8) doubleheader and a Sunday (May 9) single game at the BGSU Softball Field, with action beginning at 1:00 p.m. each day.
