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Bowling Green State University Athletics
Falcons Wrap-Up Spring Tournaments in Columbus
March 21, 2008 | Softball
March 20, 2008
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio -
Complete Release in PDF Format
Head Coach Shannon Salsburg and the Falcons are still on the road and will wrap up the spring tournament portion of their schedule a little closer to home in Columbus, Ohio at the Buckeye Invitational. Due to weather the Buckeye Invitational schedule has changed to a one day tournament. The Falcons will now play a double-header on Friday (Mar. 21). Salsburg's squad will take on two familiar opponents rival and host #21/26 Ohio State at 2:00 p.m. and Mid-American Conference West division opponent Eastern Michigan at 4:00 p.m., in a non-conference battle. The Buckeye Invitational was to include Robert Morris and Binghamton but due to poor weather conditions neither team will be attending the tournament. Admission is FREE to all games of the Buckeye Invitational at the Buckeye Field.
FALCONS LIVE FROM COLUMBUS, OHIO
For all Falcon fans that can't make it to the live action at the Buckeye Field the Falcons will once again be live on GameWatcher Live State via the internet. Falcon fans can log onto GameWatcher Live Stats by visiting www.OhioStateBuckeyes.com. For updated tournament information and weather-delays or cancellations fans can visit the Buckeye Invitational tournament central at www.OhioStateBuckeyes.com.
MATCH-UPS ON THE DIAMOND
#21/26 Ohio State University - Buckeyes - (3/21 - 2:00 p.m.)
BG will battle against Ohio neighbor and 2007 Big Ten champions #21/26 Ohio State ... this will be the third of four Big Ten match-ups for the Falcons this season ... the Buckeyes are currently 19-6 on a two game winning streak ... the Buckeyes posted a 3-2 record at the Capital Classic beating Nevada (3-2, 8 inn.), Northern Colorado (9-5), Colorado State (5-4), and losing to Sacramento State (6-14) and California (0-2) ... the Buckeyes lead the all-time series 10-21-2 over the Falcons ... the last meeting between the two teams was in 2006 when the Buckeyes defeated the Falcons in a double-header (0-3, 1-4).
Eastern Michigan University - Eagles - (3/21 - 4:00 p.m.)
The Falcons will match-up against MAC West division opponent in a non-conference tilt ... the Eagles are currently 6-11 after almost three weeks away from the diamond ... the last time the Eagles were on the dirt was Mar. 2 at the Aztec Invitational, where they posted a 3-5 record ... the Falcons are soaring over the Eagles 44-33 in the all-time series ... the last meeting between the two was on May 10 at the MAC Tournament ... the Falcons fell to the Eagles 3-7 ... the last two seasons of the series between the Falcons and Eagles were sweeps with the Falcons taking two games from the Eagles in 2006 and the Eagles taking three games from the Falcons in 2007.
FALCONS DOUBLE UP ON DAY TWO OF STETSON SPRING CLASSIC
The Falcons doubled up on day two of the Stetson Spring Classic against Cornell and Iowa hitting five doubles in 11 hits over two games. The Orange and Brown's first three hits against Cornell were doubles to right center by three different Falcons, Emily Gouge, Zada Lines and Missy Bowman each recording their first career double. In the second game of the double-header the Falcons hit two more doubles from Hayley Wiemer and Gouge, each recording their second double of the season and for Gouge her second double of the day. Gouge tied a career high two hits against Cornell with her first multiple hit game of the season, while Lines had her second multiple hit game of the season. Wiemer had her third multiple hit game of the season against I.
ROOKIE BATS ON HOT STREAK
The Falcon rookies' bats have gotten hot as seven of the eight freshman have recorded at least one hit while combined their 28 hits total about one-third of the Falcons hits. The seniors are the only class to have more hits than rookies as they have combined for 35 of the Falcons hits. Missy Bowman and Rachel Delp are both on hitting streaks after last weekend's play at the Stetson Spring Classic. Bowman, now on a three game hitting streak got her stick going with her first career double against Cornell (Mar. 15). Delp, now on a two game hitting streak recorded her last two hits against Big Ten pitching of Iowa and Michigan State.
FREQUENT FALCON MILES
The Falcons opened the 2008 season like every other season in program history on the road. However, the difference this year is that the Falcons will play 27 road games before their season opener on the BGSU softball field, which is the longest opening road trip in program history. The Falcons will rack up an estimated 7,022 miles to compete in seven different states, Tennessee, Alabama, Florida, Michigan, New York, Indiana, and in other areas of Ohio before returning to Bowling Green April 11 for their home opener.
FALCONS BATTLE THE BIG TEN
The Falcons will match-up against four of the 11 Big Ten teams this season, including three of the top four teams, 2007 Big Ten Champions and current #19 Ohio State, #9 Michigan, Iowa, who is one of the eight teams receiving votes not in the top 25, and Michigan State. In the next four weeks the Falcons will take on one or more Big Ten team each week. BG will start their battle against the Big Ten at the Stetson Spring Classic taking on Iowa on Mar. 15 and Michigan State on Mar. 16. The following weekend the Orange and Brown will match-up against state rival Ohio State at the Buckeye Invitational on Mar. 22. Salsburg and company will make a trip up to East Lansing to play the Spartans on their home field on Mar. 25. The Falcons will finish up their series against the Big Ten taking on the Wolverines in Ann Arbor, Michigan on April 2.
DELONG LEADS THE WAY FOR THE FALCONS
Senior Dawnjene DeLong is not only the lead-off batter for the Falcons but she is leading the Falcons with .381 batting average. DeLong also leads the team in runs scored (8) and is tied with fellow senior Allison Vallas for hits (16). She started off the season going a perfect three-for-three at the plate, a homer shy of a cycle, scoring three runs in the season opener. DeLong has recorded at least one hit in 11 of the Falcon's 14 games thus far, including four multiple hit games.
VALLAS CONTINES TO PICK-UP HONORS
Allison Vallas picked-up MAC East Player of the Week honors (Mar. 12) for her performance at the War Eagle Classic where she was named to the All-Tournament team. Vallas opened the 2008 season with an eight game hitting streak and has record at least one hit in eight of the nine games for the Falcons with a season high three hits and three RBIs against Lipscomb (Mar. 7). She is currently second on the team in batting average (.414), third in slugging percentage (.655) and tied for the team best in hits (12) and RBIs (7).
VALLAS NAMED TO WAR EAGLE CLASSIC ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Senior Allison Vallas was named to the War Eagle Classic All-Tournament team after posting .417 batting average and .667 slugging percentage for the weekend. Vallas tallied five hits in 12 at-bats, including a double, a triple and three RBIs. She currently second on the team in batting average (.414), third in slugging percentage (.655) and tied for the team best in hits (12) and RBIs (7).
VALLAS NAMED LOWE'S SENIOR CLASS AWARD FINALIST
Senior tri-captain Allison Vallas was named one of the top thirty softball senior student-athletes in the nation. Vallas, a Perrysburg, Ohio native, is the first Falcon to receive this honor and was one of the three Mid-American Conference student-athletes to be named to this prestigious list. She is an exercise science major with a 3.95 GPA and a two-time All-MAC selection, a two-time Academic All-MAC honoree and has been named to the ESPN the Magazine All-District Team.
FALCONS AT THE TOP OF THE MAC
In only one weekend of play the Falcons smashed their way into the Mid-American Conference leaders with their big sticks. The Falcons have one or more players in the top ten of the MAC in every hitting category. Junior Hayley Wiemer is tied as the best hitter in the MAC with .500 batting average. Wiemer also leads the MAC in RBIs (1.40 RBIs per game), slugging percentage (1.000) and on base percentage (.632). Senior Dawnjene DeLong is third in the MAC in batting average (.438), hits (7) and slugging percentage (.875). Senior Allison Vallas tied for third in the MAC in hits (7), sixth in on base percentage (.474) and seventh in hitting percentage (.412).
FALCON BATS OPEN SEASON WITH A BANG
The Falcons opened the 2008 season hitting .394 batting average as a team, with six players hitting .500 batting average or better, including three players hitting a perfect 1.000.
Senior Dawnjene DeLong went a perfect three-for-three a homer shy of a cycle, with a single, double and triple scoring three runs for the Orange and Brown.
Junior Hayley Wiemer opened the 2008 with bang totaling two homers, a double and a career high seven RBIs in the first game of the season. In her first appearance at the plate of the season Wiemer blasted a two-run homer over the center field wall. In her third at-bat of the game she knocked a double off the left-center field wall. Wiemer's final at bat of the 2008 season opener was a smashing three-run homer over the center field wall.
Freshman Rachel Delp also hit her first career long ball over the left field wall in the Falcons season opener.
SALSBURG FIRST HEAD COACH IN OPENING SEASON TO ...
In her first season at the helm of the Falcons head coach Shannon Salsburg recorded the most wins and fewest losses of any head coach in their first season with a 33-12 record ... she is the only first year head coach to lead her team to more than 25 wins ... the first head coach to post a winning record at the end of her first opening weekend, with a 4-1 record and being crowned the back-to-back champions of the Panera Bread Challenge ... her team is the only team to hit more than 40 homeruns in a single season ... she is the most efficient first year head coach posting on overall winning percentage of .733 with a record of 33-12 and a MAC winning percentage of .700 with a conference record of 14-6 ... Salsburg's .733 overall winning percentage also makes her the most efficient head coach in BGSU softball history.
FALCONS ALL OVER FINAL NATIONAL STATISTICS
The Orange and Brown had one of the most successful seasons in BGSU softball history, which was evident as both the team and individual players were ranked in the final 2007 national statistics ... as a team the Falcons were ranked in the top 50 in four categories and in the top 100 in seven categories ... the team was ranked 10th in the nation in ERA (1.54), 17th in win-loss percentage (.733), 26th in the country in homers per game, blasting 47 homers in 45 games (1.04 homers per game), 47th in slugging percentage (.449) ... they were also ranked in the top 100 in scoring (66th, 4.67 runs per game), fielding percentage (86th, .962) and doubles (98th, 1.18 per game) ... Falcon standouts Hayley Wiemer, Emily Gouge and Jeanine Baca represented BGSU in the individual categories ... Wiemer was ranked no fewer than eight times in the final rankings ... at the plate she was 33rd in batting average (.413), which was good for sixth nationally among sophomores, 26th in slugging percentage (.746), 43rd in walks per game (0.62), 58th in RBIs per game (0.87) and 62nd in homeruns per game (0.24 -- a BGSU record of 11 in 45 games) ... on the mound Wiemer ranked 29th in earned-run average (1.45 ERA), 98th in victories (17) and tied for 82nd in saves (2) ... the Falcons were only one of six teams to have two hurlers rank in the top 20 in ERA as Gouge was ranked 48th (1.59 ERA), 61st in strikeouts per seven innings (7.6) and tied for 82nd in saves (2) ... Baca finished her career as a Falcon ranked seventh on the `toughest to strike out' list only whiffing once per 29.4 at-bats (striking out only five time in 147 AB0, was ranked 30th in runs scored (0.96) and 69th in doubles per game (0.27).
`07 FALCONS MOST EFFICIENT TEAM IN PROGRAM HISTORY
The Orange and Brown of 2007 became the most efficient team in BGSU softball program history recording a .733 winning percentage with a record of 33-12 in Salsburg's first year at helm ... `07 squad surpassed the mark of .698 winning percentage set by head coach Jacquie Joseph and the 1992 team with a record of 37-16.
