Falcons Open the Season in Bowling Green ... Kentucky

Friday, February 18

Bowling Green, Kentucky

3:00 pm CT

Bowling Green State University

Western Kentucky University

Jon Berti and the BGSU Falcons begin the 2011 campaign in Bowling Green, Ky. against the Hilltoppers.

February 17, 2011 | Baseball

The Falcons and Hilltoppers will open up the 2011 season with the "Battle of Bowling Green" this weekend.

By: by Ryan Gasser, Athletic Communications Graduate Assistant

	Bowling Green Falcons (0-0, 0-0 MAC) vs. Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (0-0, 0-0 Sun Belt) *Nick Denes Field (1,500) • Bowling Green, Ky.*
Friday, Feb. 18 - 3:00 p.m. ET Charles Wooten - Sr., RHP vs. Tanner Perkins - So., LHP Saturday, Feb. 19 - 2:00 p.m. ET Nick Bruns - So., RHP vs. Taylor Haydel - So., RHP Sunday, Feb. 20 - 1:00 p.m. ET TBA vs. Justin Hageman - Fr., RHP

Live audio | Live stats | BGSU game notes | WKU game notes | Gameday Central

THE SERIES - Falcons vs. Hilltoppers
The Falcons and the Hilltoppers have meet in two series prior to this year's opening weekend match up. The first two series were more than two decades apart, the first in 1985 and the most recent in 2008. The Hilltoppers hold the all-time series record with a 2-5 mark against the Falcons. In 2008 WKU won a three-game series against the Falcons, two games to one. Only five current Falcons saw time in that 2008 series so history may matter not this go-around.

FOLLOW THE FALCONS ...
Track the Falcons as the 2010 season opens up by visiting BGSUFALCONS.com for access to the Western Kentucky LIVE STATS (free) and the Western Kentucky audio feed (rates may apply). Links to each can be found on the BGSUFalcons.com main page or on the baseball schedule page after clicking on each game. BGSU baseball can be found on Twitter all season long - @WEAREBGbaseball

ON DECK ...
The Falcons return to the Bluegrass State to play Murray State University (Murray, Ky.) for a weekend set with the Racers. It will be a three-game series, Feb. 25-27, at Reagan Field.

THE LAST TIME ...
the Falcons and Hilltoppers met was on opening weekend in 2008 (Feb. 22-24). Western Kentucky won the series, two games to one, again playing those games in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The lone Falcons win was by a count of 12-9 in a 12-inning affair. The Falcons took the advantage in the 12th inning on RBI base hits from David Borcherdt and Ryan Shay.

THREE TIMES A CHAMP!
The Bowling Green Falcons come off a year where they rattled off their third consecutive Mid-American Conference Eastern Division championship. It is the first time in BGSU program history such a feat had been accomplished. In 2008 and 2009, the Falcons won the conference regular season championship, as well. BGSU will pursue its fourth straight MAC East title, this season.

BRING IN THE HARDWARE
In addition to their team successes last season, five Falcons brought home All-MAC awards for their on the field performances in 2010.

FIRST TEAM ALL-MAC
Jon Berti - SS
Kevin Leady - SP (graduated)
SECOND TEAM ALL-MAC
Derek Spencer - UTL (graduated)
T.J. Blanton - OF (graduated)
Matt Pitzulo - DH
All-MAC TOURNAMENT TEAM
Dennis Vaughn - 1B (graduated)
ACBA/RAWLINGS ALL-MIDEAST 1st TEAM
Jon Berti - SS

FALCONS NAME CAPTAINS FOR 2011
Looking for leadership after nine seniors graduated from the BGSU program, three individuals have been named to captaincy for the 2011 season. Seniors Frank Berry (RHP) and Clay Duncan (1B) will join junior standout Jon Berti (SS) in leading the team as tri-captains this season. Berry was also a captain last season while Duncan and Berti will take part in their first years as captains.

FALCONS TABBED FOR THIRD
The annual MAC Coaches' poll has tabbed the Falcons as finished third in the East Division in this year's race for the Mid-American Conference championships. They fall behind Kent State, who is the odds-on favorite to win the MAC and the conference tournament, and the Miami RedHawks. Behind the Falcons (in order) are Ohio, Akron and Buffalo. Last year the Falcons finished tied for first in the East with Kent State, ending the year with an 18-9 conference mark.

COMEBACK KIDS
Two Falcons will begin the 2011 season coming from severe surgeries a year ago or sooner. Junior starting pitcher Matt Malewitz and second baseman Matt Pitzulo return from having Tommy John surgeries on their respective throwing arms. Pitzulo played with the elbow injury much of last season, but as the team's DH while Malewitz, a 2009 All-MAC selection, did not play in 2010 while recovering from the surgery. They both are scheduled to return full-strength for the start of the season.

REPPIN' THE BUCKEYE STATE
Head coach Danny Schmitz may hail from Michigan originally, but more than 85 percent of his players hail from Ohio. In fact, the talent pool in northwest Ohio is so heavy that Schmitz nine of his players from Ohio are from northwest Ohio alone. Twenty-two of the 32 players on the active roster reside in Ohio while six come from Michigan, two come from Virginia and one player from Illinois and Indiana.

WHAT'S GONE IS GONE
Nine seniors and one junior spent their last days dawning a BGSU uniform in 2010. Brennan Smith, a 33rd round selection in the MLB draft, decided to sign a professional contract with the Detroit Tigers. The senior class accounted for more than 680 runs, 670 RBI, 1600 total bases, 113 home runs, 320 extra-base hits, a combined batting average nearing .325 and over 1100 games played in their careers. The group was highlighted by outfielders T.J. Blanton and Dennis Vaughn, infielders Logan Meisler, Brandon McFarland, David Borcherdt, Derek Spencer and Mark Galvin, and pitchers Richie O'Brien and Kevin Leady. Leading closer, Patrick O'Brien, had six saves last season but transfered to Youngstown State University in the off-season.

FALCONS ON OPENING DAY
The Falcons have had a high-level of success on opening days in the program's history. Dating back to the team's inaugural year in 1918, the Falcons have a 50-39-1 all-time mark on the first game in a season. Their largest victory was Mar. 8, 1985 when the Falcons took Nazareth College to the woodshed in a 38-3 victory. The Falcons have dropped their last three opening day contests. No problem, though. Since joining the Mid-American Conference in 1953 the team has won five conference championships, and in none of those years did the Falcons win their opening day game.

ON DECK FOR THE FALCONS...
The Falcons will continue their tour of the Bluegrass State when they travel to Murray, Ky. to play the Murray State Racers in a three-game series from Feb. 25-27. The Falcons are 8-3 all-time against the Racers and last met in 2006.

For complete game notes, click here.