Bowling Green State University Athletics
Friday, March 20
Bowling Green, Ohio
3 p.m.
Bowling Green State University
vs
Ohio
Photo by: Georgia Tech Athletics
Home Sweet Home: BGSU Returns To Steller Field For First Home Series On New Turf Surface
March 18, 2026 | Baseball
Falcons Set For Steller Field Celebration Prior To Saturday’s Game
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – The Bowling Green State University baseball team returns home to Steller Field this weekend for the first time during the 2026 campaign. The Falcons will host the Ohio Bobcats in a three-game series, beginning on Friday (March 20) with a 3 p.m. first pitch, followed by 1 p.m. starts on both Saturday (March 21) and Sunday (March 22). The series will mark the first at the newly renovated field, complete with new turf, new fencing and new lights. Saturday's game will also have a pre-game celebration for the new facility upgrades. Stay up-to-date with any schedule changes through the baseball schedule at BGSUFalcons.com as well as Twitter/X (@BGSU_Baseball).
Current Upcoming Schedule
Friday, March 20 vs. Ohio | 3 p.m.
Saturday, March 21 vs. Ohio | 1 p.m. | Steller Field Celebration, 12:30 p.m.
Sunday, March 22 vs. Ohio | 1 p.m.
At The Games
Friday, March 20
Home Sweet Home
After starting the season with 17 games on the road, the Falcons will return home for the first time in 2026. The series against Ohio will mark the first for the program on the new turf surface at Steller Field. The facility received a full face lift over the offseason, redoing the playing surface, the fence surrounding the field and the padding along the walls. The series against Ohio will start a homestand for the Falcons, consisting of five straight at Steller Field as well as 13 of the next 17 games. Over the last two seasons, BGSU is a combined 29-11 (.725) at home, the best two-year home record for the program since 2001-02 (36-7; .837).
Scouting Ohio
The Ohio Bobcats are off to a 3-18 start on the season while being 1-5 within the Mid-American Conference. The wins for OU have come against Murray State, 15-13 on Feb. 15, Dayton, 12-5 on March 1, and Northern Illinois, 14-7 on March 6. Since the win over NIU in their MAC opener, the Bobcats have dropped seven straight, including five MAC games. Last weekend, they were swept by Western Michigan and were outscored 42-22 over the three-game series.
Series History Against The Bobcats
What To Watch For
Tale Of Two Seasons
The Falcons have had one of the most difficult schedules in the nation to begin the season. This year, BGSU's opponents hold a record of 95-42 (.693) giving the Falcons the 13th-ranked schedule in the nation for Strength of Schedule. For comparison, no other MAC team breaks the top 85. However, Bowling Green's future schedule flips the story. For remaining schedule, BGSU ranks ninth in the MAC for Strength of Schedule. Despite that, the Falcons are still currently projected to finish the season with the second-toughest schedule in the MAC behind only Ohio.
Striking Out The Competition
As a pitching staff, Bowling Green has found their groove in the strikeout column. So far this season, BGSU has posted seven different pitching outings with 5+ strikeouts. Jacob Turner leads the way with three followed by two from Nate Kress. The list rounds out with one from Carrson Sova and one from Ethan Stade. As a team, the Falcons are averaging 8.5 strikeouts per nine innings with 145 through 17 games. On the current pace, Bowling Green will total 469 strikeouts this year, which would obliterate the program record, set last year, at 431. BGSU has set a new team strikeout record each of the last two seasons, registering 403 in 2024. Prior to 2024, the record had been set at 368 from the 1999 campaign.
Kress Staying In The Zone
Nate Kress is finding his stride this season, producing four consecutive outings with five or more innings pitched, two being starts. During that stretch, Kress has tallied a 3-0 record, tied for the MAC-lead in wins while ranking 48th in the nation. He posted five strikeouts against Kent State (March 7) and followed it up with eight against Miami (OH) (March 14). However, the most impressive aspect of Kress' season might be his strikeout-to-walk ratio. Kress has registered 21 strikeouts this year with just three walks allowed for a 7:1 ratio. The mark leads the MAC among qualified pitchers and ranks 41st in the nation.
Rolling Two With The Falcons
Bowling Green has been one of the better teams in the nation this year at working into double plays defensively. Through 17 games, the Falcons have turned 16 double plays, ranking 54th in the nation. As for the per game average of 0.94, the Orange and Brown are currently 34th in the nation. At their current pace, the Falcons would turn 52 double plays this year. The program record is 65 from the 2002 campaign. Last year, BGSU turned 36 double plays, averaging 0.65 per game.
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'
Current Upcoming Schedule
Friday, March 20 vs. Ohio | 3 p.m.
Saturday, March 21 vs. Ohio | 1 p.m. | Steller Field Celebration, 12:30 p.m.
Sunday, March 22 vs. Ohio | 1 p.m.
At The Games
Friday, March 20
- Friday's game will mark the home opener for Bowling Green and the first game at the updated Steller Field, complete with a new turf surface, enclosing walls and lights.
- Prior to Saturday's game there will be an on-field celebration and ribbon cutting for the new turf surface at Steller Field. The celebration will begin on the field at 12:30 p.m. and will include remarks, the ribbon cutting and a first pitch from Paul Hooker.
Home Sweet Home
After starting the season with 17 games on the road, the Falcons will return home for the first time in 2026. The series against Ohio will mark the first for the program on the new turf surface at Steller Field. The facility received a full face lift over the offseason, redoing the playing surface, the fence surrounding the field and the padding along the walls. The series against Ohio will start a homestand for the Falcons, consisting of five straight at Steller Field as well as 13 of the next 17 games. Over the last two seasons, BGSU is a combined 29-11 (.725) at home, the best two-year home record for the program since 2001-02 (36-7; .837).
Scouting Ohio
The Ohio Bobcats are off to a 3-18 start on the season while being 1-5 within the Mid-American Conference. The wins for OU have come against Murray State, 15-13 on Feb. 15, Dayton, 12-5 on March 1, and Northern Illinois, 14-7 on March 6. Since the win over NIU in their MAC opener, the Bobcats have dropped seven straight, including five MAC games. Last weekend, they were swept by Western Michigan and were outscored 42-22 over the three-game series.
Series History Against The Bobcats
- Bowling Green and Ohio have met 188 times previously in program history with the series leaning to the Bobcats, 99-88-1.
- The Falcons swept the series last year against Ohio, winning the three games in Athens by a combined tally of 24-17.
- The last time the two met in Bowling Green was during the 2024 season. BGSU took two of three against OU, outscoring Ohio 42-14 over the series, but the Bobcats took the final game to end BGSU's MAC-record 17-0 conference start.
- The last time BGSU swept Ohio at home was during the 2009 season.
What To Watch For
- The Falcons will be opening their home schedule against Ohio, playing 13 of their next 17 games at home after beginning the season with 17 consecutive road games.
- So far this season, Bowling Green has played the 13th-hardest schedule in the nation in terms of Strength of Schedule. No other MAC team is in the top 85.
- On Saturday (March 21), BGSU will be hosting a field dedication prior to the game, cutting the ribbon for the new turf surface.
- Among the new additions to Steller Field is a padded wall around the playing surface. The design of the outfield wall graphics was created by BGSU senior infielder Sam Seidel.
- Over the last two seasons, BGSU has posted a 29-11 record when playing at home, the best two-season home stretch for the program since 2001-02 (36-7).
- As a team, the Orange and Brown have struck out 145 batters, averaging 8.5 per game for a projected 469 this year. The pace has the Falcons on target to break the team's single-season strikeout record for the third consecutive season, currently set at 431.
- This year, the Falcons hold a record of 5-1 when scoring six or more runs in a game and are 5-2 when holding their opponent to five runs or fewer.
Tale Of Two Seasons
The Falcons have had one of the most difficult schedules in the nation to begin the season. This year, BGSU's opponents hold a record of 95-42 (.693) giving the Falcons the 13th-ranked schedule in the nation for Strength of Schedule. For comparison, no other MAC team breaks the top 85. However, Bowling Green's future schedule flips the story. For remaining schedule, BGSU ranks ninth in the MAC for Strength of Schedule. Despite that, the Falcons are still currently projected to finish the season with the second-toughest schedule in the MAC behind only Ohio.
Striking Out The Competition
As a pitching staff, Bowling Green has found their groove in the strikeout column. So far this season, BGSU has posted seven different pitching outings with 5+ strikeouts. Jacob Turner leads the way with three followed by two from Nate Kress. The list rounds out with one from Carrson Sova and one from Ethan Stade. As a team, the Falcons are averaging 8.5 strikeouts per nine innings with 145 through 17 games. On the current pace, Bowling Green will total 469 strikeouts this year, which would obliterate the program record, set last year, at 431. BGSU has set a new team strikeout record each of the last two seasons, registering 403 in 2024. Prior to 2024, the record had been set at 368 from the 1999 campaign.
Kress Staying In The Zone
Nate Kress is finding his stride this season, producing four consecutive outings with five or more innings pitched, two being starts. During that stretch, Kress has tallied a 3-0 record, tied for the MAC-lead in wins while ranking 48th in the nation. He posted five strikeouts against Kent State (March 7) and followed it up with eight against Miami (OH) (March 14). However, the most impressive aspect of Kress' season might be his strikeout-to-walk ratio. Kress has registered 21 strikeouts this year with just three walks allowed for a 7:1 ratio. The mark leads the MAC among qualified pitchers and ranks 41st in the nation.
Rolling Two With The Falcons
Bowling Green has been one of the better teams in the nation this year at working into double plays defensively. Through 17 games, the Falcons have turned 16 double plays, ranking 54th in the nation. As for the per game average of 0.94, the Orange and Brown are currently 34th in the nation. At their current pace, the Falcons would turn 52 double plays this year. The program record is 65 from the 2002 campaign. Last year, BGSU turned 36 double plays, averaging 0.65 per game.
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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