Thursday, May 16
Bowling Green, Ohio
3 p.m.
Bowling Green State University
vs
Toledo
Photo by: Drake Harlett, BGSU Athletics
Falcons To Close Regular Season With Battle Of I-75, Annual Game At Fifth Third Field
May 14, 2024 | Baseball
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BGSU, UT To Play Fourth Annual Game At Fifth Third Field Friday
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – The Bowling Green State University baseball team will wrap up the 2024 regular season this weekend at home, hosting the rival Toledo Rockets in the Battle of I-75. The series will begin at Steller Field on Thursday (May 16) with a 3 p.m. first pitch. The Falcons and Rockets will then play their annual game at Fifth Third Field in Toledo on Friday (May 17) with a 7 p.m. first pitch. The series, and regular season, will conclude on Saturday (May 18) back at Steller Field for Senior Day and a 3 p.m. start.
At The Ballpark
The entire series against Toledo will be an Orange Wave with fans encouraged to wear Orange in support of the Falcons. Friday's game (May 17) will be at Fifth Third Field, home of the Toledo Mud Hens. Fans can buy tickets HERE. The series will wrap up on Saturday (May 18) with Senior Day for Bowling Green, recognizing the team's seniors. It will also be Little League Day with foam BGSU gloves, similar to foam fingers, being given out.
Current Weekend Schedule
Thursday, May 16 | 3 p.m. | Orange Wave
Friday, May 17 | 7 p.m. | Orange Wave at Fifth Third Field
Saturday, May 18 | 3 p.m. | Orange Wave, Senior Day, Little League Day
Scouting Toledo
Toledo enters the series with wins in five of their last seven with the only two losses being to Notre Dame. On the year, the Rockets are 25-27 overall while being 16-11 in the MAC. Like Bowling Green, Toledo has clinched a spot in the MAC Tournament, but their seed is undecided. They are still able to climb as high as the second seed, but could fall as low as the sixth seed.
Series History
What To Watch For
History On The Horizon For Archer
Nathan Archer is putting together one of the best seasons in the history of BGSU Baseball. He's currently in the top 10 all-time for five single-season stats; home runs, runs, RBI, total bases and at-bats. The season has added to a strong career, now in the top 10 for career triples, home runs and total bases and just one RBI away from joining that top 10 as well. For Archer, the next milestone is the program record for single-season at-bats. This year, Archer has logged 220 at-bats for the Falcons, needing to reach 224 to tie and 225 to break the record. His 62 RBI this season are also two away from taking over second all-time, but the program record stands at 84, set by Kelly Hunt in 2002 as both the team and MAC record.
Top Three Offense In The Nation
For the season, Bowling Green is averaging 9.7 runs per game, ranking as the third-best offense in the nation behind only Austin Peay (11.1) and Wofford (10.6). In total, the Falcons have registered 457 runs this season with the closest MAC team being Kent State with 372. BGSU has also played two fewer games this season than the Golden Flashes. Over the course of the season, the Falcons have scored 7+ runs in a game 33 times and 10+ in a game 20 times. Bowling Green scored a season-high 34 runs against Ball State on March 16, the second-most in the NCAA this season behind only Austin Peay's 35 against Alabama A&M on April 30. BGSU also scored 26 against Ohio on April 20.
Walking Through The Record Book
The Falcons already broke the single season walks record for the program and rank 19th in the nation for walks, but Jack Krause and Leighton Banjoff are making progress of their own in the record book. Krause currently leads the team with 41 walks, tied for fourth in program history for single season walks and 10 away from breaking the record set by Randy Law in 1976 with 50. Krause is also tied for 38th in the nation in walks per game with 0.91. As for Banjoff, he's entered the top 10 single-season list as well, currently tied for 10th all-time with Chuck Black (1979), both with 39. Krause and Banjoff are also first and third in the MAC, respectively.
Wright Among MAC Freshmen Leaders
Garrett Wright has already put his name in the BGSU record book by setting the single-season record for HBPs with 19, ranking second in the MAC behind Akron freshman Nicky Sackett. However, Wright is also among the best freshmen in the MAC this season overall. This year, Wright is batting .384 for the Falcons which not only leads the team but ranks third overall in the MAC and first among freshmen. Wright has also maintained a .500 on-base percentage, which leads all qualified players in the conference. As for slugging percentage, Wright is 12th in the MAC (.616), giving him the sixth-best OPS in the conference and first among freshmen.
Falcons In The Field
BGSU has been one of the top teams in the MAC in fielding, ranking third in the conference for fielding percentage and on-pace to break the program record. The Falcons have four players inside the top 20 in the MAC for the stat, including Caden Parker (1.000), Nathan Archer (.993), TJ Takats (.991) and Garrett Wright (.989).
Follow the Falcons
Be sure to follow the Falcons' baseball team on social media
Twitter - @BGSU_Athletics and @BGSU_Baseball
Instagram - 'bgfalcons' and 'bgsu_baseball'
Facebook - 'BGSU Athletics'
YouTube - 'Falcons Athletics'
At The Ballpark
The entire series against Toledo will be an Orange Wave with fans encouraged to wear Orange in support of the Falcons. Friday's game (May 17) will be at Fifth Third Field, home of the Toledo Mud Hens. Fans can buy tickets HERE. The series will wrap up on Saturday (May 18) with Senior Day for Bowling Green, recognizing the team's seniors. It will also be Little League Day with foam BGSU gloves, similar to foam fingers, being given out.
Current Weekend Schedule
Thursday, May 16 | 3 p.m. | Orange Wave
Friday, May 17 | 7 p.m. | Orange Wave at Fifth Third Field
Saturday, May 18 | 3 p.m. | Orange Wave, Senior Day, Little League Day
Scouting Toledo
Toledo enters the series with wins in five of their last seven with the only two losses being to Notre Dame. On the year, the Rockets are 25-27 overall while being 16-11 in the MAC. Like Bowling Green, Toledo has clinched a spot in the MAC Tournament, but their seed is undecided. They are still able to climb as high as the second seed, but could fall as low as the sixth seed.
Series History
- The Falcons and Rockets have met 236 times previously in program history with Bowling Green holding the all-time advantage with a record of 136-100 dating back to 1921.
- The Falcons won the first meeting this season on April 30, taking the non-conference game, 17-9.
- Over the last three seasons playing at Fifth Third Field, BGSU is 2-2 against Toledo, including splitting a doubleheader to close out the 2023 campaign and winning the game in 2022.
What To Watch For
- BGSU has won 21 MAC games this season and are one win shy of tying the program record, two of breaking, for MAC wins in a season. Both the 1995 and 1999 teams won 22 conference contests.
- The Falcons have maintained a fielding percentage of .975 this season, which is on pace to break the program record for the second time in the last three years (.973, 2022).
- The Bowling Green pitching staff has struck out 355 batters this season and need 14 more to break the program record for strikeouts in a season, set by the 1999 squad at 368.
- Last weekend, the Falcons secured the outright MAC Regular Season title and secured the No. 1 seed in the MAC Tournament. The title marks the first outright for BGSU since the 2009 campaign. BGSU will begin play in the MAC Tournament on Thursday, May 23 in Avon, Ohio.
- Garrett Wright has been hit by a pitch 19 times this season, setting the program record.
History On The Horizon For Archer
Nathan Archer is putting together one of the best seasons in the history of BGSU Baseball. He's currently in the top 10 all-time for five single-season stats; home runs, runs, RBI, total bases and at-bats. The season has added to a strong career, now in the top 10 for career triples, home runs and total bases and just one RBI away from joining that top 10 as well. For Archer, the next milestone is the program record for single-season at-bats. This year, Archer has logged 220 at-bats for the Falcons, needing to reach 224 to tie and 225 to break the record. His 62 RBI this season are also two away from taking over second all-time, but the program record stands at 84, set by Kelly Hunt in 2002 as both the team and MAC record.
Top Three Offense In The Nation
For the season, Bowling Green is averaging 9.7 runs per game, ranking as the third-best offense in the nation behind only Austin Peay (11.1) and Wofford (10.6). In total, the Falcons have registered 457 runs this season with the closest MAC team being Kent State with 372. BGSU has also played two fewer games this season than the Golden Flashes. Over the course of the season, the Falcons have scored 7+ runs in a game 33 times and 10+ in a game 20 times. Bowling Green scored a season-high 34 runs against Ball State on March 16, the second-most in the NCAA this season behind only Austin Peay's 35 against Alabama A&M on April 30. BGSU also scored 26 against Ohio on April 20.
Walking Through The Record Book
The Falcons already broke the single season walks record for the program and rank 19th in the nation for walks, but Jack Krause and Leighton Banjoff are making progress of their own in the record book. Krause currently leads the team with 41 walks, tied for fourth in program history for single season walks and 10 away from breaking the record set by Randy Law in 1976 with 50. Krause is also tied for 38th in the nation in walks per game with 0.91. As for Banjoff, he's entered the top 10 single-season list as well, currently tied for 10th all-time with Chuck Black (1979), both with 39. Krause and Banjoff are also first and third in the MAC, respectively.
Wright Among MAC Freshmen Leaders
Garrett Wright has already put his name in the BGSU record book by setting the single-season record for HBPs with 19, ranking second in the MAC behind Akron freshman Nicky Sackett. However, Wright is also among the best freshmen in the MAC this season overall. This year, Wright is batting .384 for the Falcons which not only leads the team but ranks third overall in the MAC and first among freshmen. Wright has also maintained a .500 on-base percentage, which leads all qualified players in the conference. As for slugging percentage, Wright is 12th in the MAC (.616), giving him the sixth-best OPS in the conference and first among freshmen.
Falcons In The Field
BGSU has been one of the top teams in the MAC in fielding, ranking third in the conference for fielding percentage and on-pace to break the program record. The Falcons have four players inside the top 20 in the MAC for the stat, including Caden Parker (1.000), Nathan Archer (.993), TJ Takats (.991) and Garrett Wright (.989).
Follow the Falcons
Be sure to follow the Falcons' baseball team on social media
Twitter - @BGSU_Athletics and @BGSU_Baseball
Instagram - 'bgfalcons' and 'bgsu_baseball'
Facebook - 'BGSU Athletics'
YouTube - 'Falcons Athletics'
Players Mentioned
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