Falcons Take Flight In Viking Indoor Tournament To Begin The 2014 Season

BOWLING GREEN STATE UNIVERSITY FALCONS
at
VIKING INDOOR TOURNAMENT
CSU Dome
Games #1-4
Feb. 8-9

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BOWLING GREEN -- The Bowling Green State University softball program will open the 2014 season with a trip to Cleveland, Ohio, to play in the Viking Indoor Tournament held at the CSU Dome. The Falcons will be facing off against Cleveland State University, Robert Morris University, Bucknell University and Canisius College over a two-day stretch. The Falcons opened last season at the USC Upstate Spartan Invitational in Spartanburgm S.C., going 1-0 after three games were cancelled due to weather. The Falcons defeated George Washington University (1-0) in their first ever meeting in program history.

The Falcons will compete in five pre-conference tournaments at the beginning of the year, and are scheduled to play in 24 road games before taking on Western Michigan University in a doubleheader (March 28) on their home field. The Orange and Brown will play 18 gamess in three consecutive weekends before taking on North Florida in a doubleheader in Jacksonville, Fla., on Tuesday, March 11.

Falcon Quick HIts

- The Falcons went 27-24 last season, with a record of 9-13 in MAC play.
- Coach Shannon Salsburg now has an overall record of 153-176, with a record of 76-73 in MAC play with the Falcons.
- Coach Salsburg has the second most wins in BGSU softball history, trailing only Leigh Ross (237 wins) for the most wins all-time.
- Erika Stratton returns after ranking third on the team in 2013 with a .274 batting average, 37 hits, and nine extra base hits.
- Katie Yoho also returns to the Falcons, as she was one of only four position players to start in all 51 games in 2013.
- 2013 All-MAC selection Jamie Kertes will return for the Orange and Brown. Kertes went 11-14 with a 2.19 ERA.
- Assistant coach Monica Wright will return for her third season, as she wil continue to work primarily with the pitchers.
- Kolleen Kopchak joins the Falcons' coaching staff after 11 years as an assisstant at the high school level.
- The Falcons welcome 10 new players to the roster this season:

The Weekend's Opponents
The Falcons begin the 2014 season at the Viking Indoor Tournament held at Cleveland State University. The Orange and Brown will throw out their opening pitch as the home team against the Vikings at 11 a.m. Bowling Green holds a commanding 19-6 all-time record against the Vikings. The Falcons' second game on Saturday wil be against Robert Morris at 5 p.m., where Bowling Green is 2-1 all-time versus the Colonials. The Orange and Brown will close out the tournament with another doubleheader on Sunday (Feb. 9). The Falcons will take on Bucknell at 9 a.m.,marking the second ever meeting between the two programs. Bowling Green will then close out the tournament with a 1 p.m. game against Canisius College, marking the first ever meeting between the two teams.

Returning Players
The Falcons have nine players returning this season, including All-MAC selection Jamie Kertes. In all, the Orange and Brown will return two seniors, four juniors and four sophomores return for the 2014 season.

Seniors: Erika Stratton | Katie Yoho

Juniors: Shelby Fink | Chloe Giordano | Emily McClelland | Jamie Kertes

Sophomores: Marisa Shook | Braiden Dillow | Chandler Scott | Katie Turski

MAC Preseason Coaches' Poll
MAC East (First Place Votes)
1.       Kent State (7 First Place Votes)
2.       Ohio (2)
3.       Miami (2)
4.       Bowling Green
5.       Akron
6.       Buffalo (1)

MAC West (First Place Votes)
1.       Central Michigan (6)
2.       Ball State (6)
3.       Northern Illinois
4.       Western Michigan
5.       Eastern Michigan
6.       Toledo

Follow The Action
BGSU Softball will provide up-to-the-minute action on Twitter the entire season. Follow @jdorow19 (BGSU Softball SID), @BGAthletics (Official Account of BGSU Athletics), and @BGSUSoftball (Official Account of BGSU Softball) for results, statistics and news for the Falcons for the 2014 campaign.

VIKING INDOOR TOURNAMENT
Date	OPPONENT	TIME
2/8/2014	Cleveland State University	11:00 a.m.
2/8/2014	Robert Morris University	5:00 p.m.
2/9/2014	Bucknell University	9:00 a.m.
2/9/2014	Canisius College	3:00 p.m.

Head Coach Shannon Salsburg Q & A

Q: What do you think will be the biggest need for improvement this season to become a dynamic force in the MAC?
Head Coach Shannon Salsburg: We are working on a lot of things this offseason to become better rounded as a team. Our philosophy is that we have to do a lot more things better instead of excelling in what we could. Offensively, we have really focused on the short game to become well rounded as a team at the plate. From a pitching standpoint, we've worked on two good pitches that we can go to at all times, and make sure we have that third ready to roll. I also think that from a defensive standpoint we have a lot more opportunities to rotate, allowing us not to be stuck as a team when someone might be struggling.

Q: Talk about your expectations for this year.
SS: We expect to compete for the Mid-American Conference title this year. In order for us to do that, we must take it day-by-day as we focus on being the best that we can be to make each other better. We want to be fundamentally solid, and carry that through as we learn to play together as a group this season.

Q: Erika Stratton and Katie Yoho are the lone seniors on the team, how do you see them emerge as leaders on and off the field?
SS: They both express their leadership skills in different ways. Yoho is more outward and makes her voice be known. Stratton can literally pull anyone over and take a second to sit down with them and work out any problems they might have. On the field, they have both earned their strips and are both kids that can come through in the clutch offensively and defensively.

Q: What are you expecting out of your pitching staff this season?
SS: We have a proven winner in Jamie Kertes coming back this season. Kertes is a known quantity in the MAC. She has proven herself and wants the ball on a daily bases, and even on her off day she finds a way to compete. We also have a sophomore and returner in Braiden Dilliow, who got some quality opportunities to grow last year as a freshman. Dillow has worked very hard this offseason with assistant coach Monica Wright, and I think you will see a very different pitcher out there this season. We also have a juco transfer in Katie Turski. She came in mid-year and I think she has a nice balance for the other two.

Q: What do you think this year's team strength will be?
SS: I think our strength's will be our offensive, mostly because we are more diverse. We have the ability to run, bunt, hit and hit for power. I think the key to a good offensive team is to find a mesh that works together and that's going to be the challenge this offseason. We have a lot of kids that have the potential to be offensive weapons for us. It has to be a team effort though; it can't be one person because that doesn't work. Defensively, I think we will be solid. I think our youth will hand us some ups and downs throughout the season, but they're fighters and we've challenged them a lot in practice to fight past their one mistake and not make it two. If we can make sure to take care of the ball we will be fine. In the circle, I think we have a good idea of where we're at. We have Jamie (Kertes) back and have a couple young kids who have the potential to grow and help this team. At the end of the day, we are going to win or lose as a team. If we do it together, I think great things can happen with this group.

Q: You have nine freshman on the roster and a juco transfer, how do you see their roles develop and expectations for them?
SS: Every kid that has come in this year has an opportunity to play, which is a unique thing someone can say. It is different from years past, and I think that is something you can say about the growth of the program. We are starting to figure out roles, but roles can change as the season progresses. I think offensive is a big piece to that. If someone can show they can contribute offensively they will have a chance to be on the diamond. They have to contribute this year with them making such a large impact on our roster this season.

Q: How do you see the MAC playing out this year?
SS: I think the MAC is going to be interesting this year. Right off the bat, I think people are going to see Central Michigan as the team to beat. They had a really nice run last year that ended with a MAC title, and they return a lot of that team. However, MAC softball is a funny thing. Every year there can be a new team that emerges as a threat to win the league. Our sport is being played across the country at a high level and the MAC is no exception. Last year Central Michigan figured it out, and there is no reason why this season it can't be us.

Q: What is one word to describe your team?
SS: This might not be a softball term, but they are chameleons. These kids are all different and all unique. When they melt together on the field they can be green one day and blue the next. Our kids surprise us daily. When we aren't sure about putting a kid in the lineup one day, they come back the next and make us change our minds. I'm trying to figure out what color we're going to be to begin the season, but I hope it's orange.

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