Five Games on Tap this Week as Season Winds Down

Wednesday, April 27

Toledo, OH

2:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

Toledo

BGSU dugout bench v Miami - April 13 2016 - Amanda Cutcher

Photo by: BGSU Strategic Communications

April 26, 2016 | Softball

BGSU plays two non-conference games at Toledo before hosting KSU this weekend

By: BOWLING GREEN, Ohio (BGSU Athletic Communications)

C O M I N G U P I N F A L C O N S O F T B A L L
BGSU at Toledo (non-conf. DH)	Wed., April 27 \| 2:00 p.m.
BGSU vs. Kent State	Fri., April 29 \| 3:00 p.m.
BGSU vs. Kent State (DH)	Sat., April 30 \| 1:00 p.m.

BGSU SOFTBALL LINKS
BGSU Weekly Release: PDF ||| The Opponents: Toledo | KSU
Follow the Falcons: BGSU Softball on Twitter
Get to Know...: Coach Willis* | Coach Lastrapes | Coach Ricks
2016 Media Guide: PDF | Interactive ||| Join the Falcon Club Today!
* coming soon

LEADING OFF
The Bowling Green State University softball team, after winning a Mid-American Conference series on the road over the weekend, takes a brief break from conference play – sort of – in the middle of the week, before resuming pursuit of a MAC Tournament berth this weekend. The Falcons of head coach Sarah Willis will head to the Glass City for a Wednesday (April 27) doubleheader against the University of Toledo. First pitch for game one of the twinbill, which will not count in the conference standings, is set for 2:00 p.m. at UT's Scott Park.

Then, the Brown and Orange will host Kent State University in a three-game weekend series at Meserve Field. The Falcons and Golden Flashes are scheduled to meet in a single game Friday (April 29) before squaring off in a Saturday (April 30) doubleheader. Friday's game starts at 3:00 p.m., while Saturday's action will begin at 1:00 p.m.

PARKING/TRAFFIC NOTE FOR THIS WEEKEND
A youth soccer tournament will be held on the BGSU athletic grounds this weekend, with thousands of visitors expected. The event begins Friday evening (April 29) and runs through Sunday evening (May 1). BGSU Campus Police will be maintaining traffic at the corners of Mercer Road/Alumni Drive and Mercer Road/Stadium Drive. Fans attending the BGSU-Kent State series this weekend can tell the police officer(s) stationed that the corner of Stadium and Mercer that they are going to softball, and they will be admitted to the regular softball parking lot (gravel lot behind the BGSU Ice Arena), or to another lot if that lot is full. But, fans are encouraged to allow extra time to reach Meserve Field this weekend.

QUOTING COACH WILLIS
"I really like the way our team responded after losing the first game at Akron last weekend. We did a good job of making adjustments from inning to inning and game to game, and we also showed great heart in battling back after we fell behind on Sunday. We want to keep playing that way as we face Toledo and Kent State this weekend. Toledo has been playing very well, and Kent State is perennially one of the top teams in the conference, so we know both teams will present great challenges for us. But, we need to stay aggressive, play good fundamental softball, and continue to make adjustments and do the little things that can mean the difference between winning and losing."

WHO'S HOT?
• Junior Haley Schrock led the Falcons with a .444 batting average at Akron over the weekend, going 4-for-9 as BG took two out of three games from the Zips. Schrock takes a five-game hitting streak into the week, having gone 7-for-14 in that span.

• Sophomore Morgan Evangelista is hitting .474 over the last eight games, having gone 9-for-19 in that time. Evangelista, who had a three-run double to give BG the lead for good in Sunday's (April 24) win over Akron, has four doubles and 10 RBI during that eight-game span.

• Senior Braiden Dillow was 2-0 with an earned-run average of 1.27 in the Akron series. She picked up a complete-game win on Saturday, then slammed the door on the Zips with four innings of one-hit shutout relief on Sunday. In the latter game, she retired the final 11 batters she faced, without allowing any of the 11 to hit a ball out of the infield.

• At the plate, Dillow is 8-for-16 over the last five contests, with three multiple-hit games and seven runs scored during that time.

THE FALCONS & THE MAC TOURNAMENT RACE
With just two weekends remaining in the Mid-American Conference regular-season schedule, the Falcons are in the mix for one of the final MAC Tournament berths. Eight teams will qualify for the double-elimination tournament, and BG is two games behind the two teams tied for seventh, Buffalo and Eastern Michigan. The Falcons are currently tied with Toledo for the 10th overall spot, a game ahead of Ball State and a game and a half behind ninth-place Central Michigan. The complete standings, along with each team's remaining MAC schedule, can be found below...
MAC STANDINGS & REMAINING SCHEDULE
Team (Overall) W-L(-T) Pct.   Remaining MAC Series*
1. Northern Illinois (31-13) 12-5 .706   at Toledo; v CMU
2. Miami (26-19) 11-5 .687   at Akron; at Buffalo
3. Kent State (28-17) 11-6 .647   at BGSU; v Akron
4. Western Michigan (18-23) 9-7 .563   at Ball St.; v EMU
5. Akron (26-20-1) 8-7-1   .531   v Miami; at Kent St.
6. Ohio (28-20) 9-8 .529   v Buffalo; at BGSU
7. Buffalo (14-30) 8-9 .471   at Ohio; v Miami
Eastern Michigan (18-26)   8-9 .471   at CMU; at WMU
9. Central Michigan (20-22-1) 7-9-1   .441   v EMU; at NIU
10. Bowling Green (18-28) 6-11 .353   v KSU; v Ohio
Toledo (13-31) 6-11 .353   v NIU; v Ball St.
12. Ball State (19-29) 5-13 .278   v WMU; at Toledo
* each series is three games – a Friday single game & a Saturday DH

FOLLOW THE FALCONS
• If you can't make it to the game, there are still a number of ways you can follow the Falcons. All of BGSU's remaining games this season, home and away, will have live stats available.

• Wednesday's games at Toledo are tentatively scheduled to be aired on BCSN (for fans who are in the Toledo area) and streamed via ESPN3.com (for fans who are not). And, in-game updates for all BGSU action, both at home and on the road, can be found at @BGSUSoftball on your twitter machine.

• To follow the Falcons, simply log on to BGSUFalcons.com and click the 'calendar' link on the day of the game, or navigate your way to the softball page. There you will find any available links to audio, video and live stats.

BGSU'S BATTERY IS GETTING IT DONE
• Senior P/DP Braiden Dillow has enjoyed great success at the plate since the Falcons began MAC play. Dillow, who was hitting .200 a month ago, currently has a .361 batting average. She is hitting .419 – good for first on the team and fourth in the entire MAC – in conference games, having gone 18-for-43 against league foes. Dillow has seven multiple-hit games over the last 17 contests. Dillow is tied for eighth in the MAC in hits, with 18 in conference games.

• Sophomore catcher Morgan Evangelista, as mentioned earlier, is hitting .474 over the last eight games, with four doubles and 10 RBI during that stretch. She has raised her overall batting average from .222 to .275 in that time. Evangelista, who is is third on the team with 19 RBI this season, is batting .316 with a team-leading 13 RBI in MAC games. She is tied for sixth in the conference in RBI in league games.

ABOUT THE FALCONS
• The Falcons are 18-28 on the season, and BGSU is 6-11 in MAC play. BG took two of three games at Akron, downing the Zips by scores of 9-5 and 5-3 after losing the series opener.

• The Falcons are 3-5 at home, 5-13 on the road and 10-10 in neutral-site games this season to date. In MAC play, BGSU is 2-4 at Meserve Field, and the Brown and Orange finished 4-7 in road games.

• BGSU played in no fewer than six tournaments in as many weekends to open the 2016 campaign. The Brown and Orange participated in events in Cleveland; Kennesaw, Ga.; Mobile, Ala.; Towson, Md.; Clearwater, Fla.; and Bloomington, Ind.

• BGSU has scored 193 runs and allowed 256 this season to date. The Falcons have a team batting average of .266, while the opponents are hitting .286 entering the Toledo twinbill.

• Two Falcons – senior Marisa Shook and junior Haley Schrock – have started all 46 games this season. Redshirt sophomore Chelsea Raker has made 44 starts, while true soph Katee Hinkle and senior Molly Holliday each have started 42 contests, sophomore Morgan Evangelista 34 and senior Marina Cobbs 33.

• Senior Braiden Dillow is hitting .361 on the year. Dillow has started 25 games this spring, including each of the last 16 contests, and has 13 runs scored and 11 RBI. She is hitting .419 in MAC games, leading the team and ranking fourth in the entire league.

• Schrock is batting .324 after going 4-for-9 in the Akron series. She has made starts at four different positions this season, and leads the Falcons in at-bats (136) and hits (44). Schrock is tied for second on the team in extra-base hits (13) and ranks third in total bases (63) and slugging pct. (.463).

• Raker is hitting .311 on the season. She leads the Falcons in on-base percentage (.409) and walks (21), and ranks second on the club in hits (42), homers (five), runs batted in (22), total bases (66) and slugging pct. (.489), Raker has played in all but two games this year after missing all of last season due to injury.

• Shook, who is hitting .304, paces the team in a plethora of categories, including runs scored (30), doubles (11), homers (eight), RBI (29), total bases (76) and slugging pct. (.563). She is second on the Falcons in on-base pct. (.397), tied for second in walks (19) and third in hits (41).

• Both Shook and Raker have been named MAC Player of the Week once this season to date.

• Sophomore Kayla Gregory, after playing in just three of BGSU's first 22 games (all off the bench), has started each of the last 24 contests and is batting .291 on the season. Evangelista is batting .275, and is third on the team with 19 RBI.

• Schrock and Evangelista are batting .317 and .316, respectively, in MAC games.

• Holliday, hitting .262 this year, is second on the team with 21 runs scored. She has 12 RBI after driving in five runs during all of last season, and leads the Falcons with seven stolen bases.

• All five pitchers on the BGSU roster, including two freshmen, have seen action this spring. First-year Falcon Kiley Sosby has a team-low earned-run average of 3.94, and also leads the hurlers in appearances (23), games started (20), innings pitched (101 1/3), complete games (seven), wins (nine) and strikeouts (91). She is 9-7 on the season and has allowed opponents to bat just .234 against her.

• Junior Briana Combs has an ERA of 4.44, and has allowed Falcon foes to hit .296 against her in 58-plus innings of work. Combs has four complete games among her 11 starts.

• Dillow has a 4.70 ERA and ranks second on the Falcons with six wins. Freshman Brooke Parker has a 5.44 ERA and has 19 appearances in the circle this season (Dillow and Combs each have 20). Parker leads the team with 17 relief appearances, and has the team's lone save. Senior Katie Turski has appeared in three games in relief this spring.

• A total of 22 different players have seen action, with 18 of those 22 making at least two starts this season.

• Last year, the Falcons finished with an overall record of 20-28, and BGSU went 8-14 in MAC play to place fifth in the league's East Division.

SCOUTING TOLEDO
• UT has an overall record of 13-31 heading into Wednesday's non-conference doubleheader vs. the Falcons.
• The Rockets won just six of the season's first 37 games, but Toledo enters the BGSU DH riding a five-game winning streak. UT swept IPFW in a non-league twinbill before going to Kalamazoo and winning three games against Western Michigan over the weekend.
• Seniors Jessica Lemieux and Marla Gooding swept the MAC's West Division weekly awards on Monday. Lemieux was named the MAC Player of the Week after batting .611 (11-for-18) last week, with two doubles, two triples and seven runs scored.
• Gooding pitched in all five games last week, picking up four wins. She had an ERA of 0.53 on the week, and just 0.40 in the WMU series.
• Lemieux is batting .366 on the season, pacing the Rockets with 10 doubles, 74 total bases and 28 runs scored. She also leads the team with 27 stolen bases.
• Junior 2B Chandler Rice is batting .307 with team-high totals of five homers and 21 RBI. Rice has a .512 slugging percentage, second on the team behind Lemieux (.552).
• In the circle, Gooding leads the team with a 3.87 ERA and 157 1/3 innings pitched. Freshman Heather Webb has 61 strikeouts to Gooding's 60. Gooding has an 11-15 record heading into the BG twinbill, while Webb is 2-10.
• Head coach Kristen Butler welcomed back 10 letterwinners from last year's team that went 24-31 overall and 7-14 in the MAC.

SCOUTING KENT STATE
• Kent State has an overall record of 28-17, and the Golden Flashes are 11-6 in MAC play, good for second place in the East Division.
• KSU hosts Youngstown State in a Wednesday doubleheader before coming to BGSU for this weekend's three-game series.
• The Flashes have won three-straight games entering the week. After losing a pair of one-run midweek decisions to Pittsburgh, KSU swept Buffalo in a weekend series, outscoring the Bulls by a 15-3 count in the three games.
• KSU is 8-3 at home, 6-12 on the road and 14-2 in neutral-site contests. In MAC play, the Flashes are 8-1 at home and 3-5 on the road.
• Sophomore Holly Speers and junior Maddy Grimm have combined for 26 homers this season to date. Speers is batting .340 with 11 homers, 29 RBI and a .709 slugging percentage.
• Grimm is hitting .328, and has 15 homers, 31 RBI and 41 runs scored. Grimm has a slugging pct. of .784, and she (26) and Speers (24) have combined to walk 50 times this year to date.
• In the circle, junior Ronnie Ladines is 16-6 with an ERA of 2.77 and five shutouts. She has 139 strikeouts in 149 innings pitched. Classmate Janel Hays is 11-11 with an ERA of 3.14.
• Interim head coach Eric Oakley has 12 letterwinners, including seven positional starters, back from a year ago. The 2015 Flashes went 41-13 overall and 17-4 in the MAC, winning the league's regular-season crown.

THE SERIES
• BGSU leads Toledo, 67-36, in the all-time series between the teams, and the Falcons have won four-straight meetings with their arch-rivals. Last season, the Brown and Orange opened the home schedule with a pair of four-run wins at Meserve Field (March 29, 2015), downing the Rockets by scores of 7-3 and 4-0. Marina Cobbs and Molly Holliday had four hits apiece in that DH sweep, while Briana Combs got the last two outs of the first win and fired a complete-game shutout in the second. Those games were originally scheduled to be played at Scott Park, but were moved to BGSU due to field conditions at the Rockets' home complex. BG has not played at UT in four years, when the Brown and Orange posted 7-1 and 3-1 victories (April 21-22, 2012). BGSU has won eight of the last 10 meetings with the Midnight Blue and Gold. All time, the Falcons are 37-13 at home, 24-21 on the road and 6-2 in neutral-site matchups with UT.

• The Falcons trail Kent State, 61-44-1, in that series, and the Golden Flashes have won the last seven meetings. A year ago, KSU came to Meserve Field and posted a pair of shutout wins by scores of 3-0 and 1-0 (April 24, 2015). The Flashes' Emma Johnson threw a no-hitter in the opener, while BGSU's Briana Combs allowed only an unearned run in six-plus innings of work in game two. The Falcons' last win over the Flashes came four years ago, when the teams split a twinbill in Kent (April 6, 2012). BG's last home victory over KSU came in 2009, an 8-0 run-rule verdict in the opener of a two-game series (April 25, 2009). The Falcons are 20-27 at home, 21-28-1 on the road and 3-6 in neutral-site meetings with Kent/Kent State over the years.

COMING UP...
Following this weekend's Kent State series, the Falcons will close the regular season with another three-game intradivisional series at Meserve Field. BGSU will face Ohio next weekend (May 6-7), playing a Friday single game and a Saturday doubleheader. Then, the top-eight teams in the final MAC standings will head to Akron for the MAC Tournament, which will be held at Firestone Stadium from May 11-14.

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