Bowling Green State University Athletics
Friday, March 27
DeKalb, Ill.
4 p.m. EST
Bowling Green State University
at
Northern Illinois
Photo by: Hailey Pettit-Mastroianni, BGSU Athletics
BGSU Baseball Resumes MAC Play With Last Conference Trip To DeKalb
March 26, 2026 | Baseball
Falcons, Huskies Set For Three-Game Weekend Series Beginning Friday
DeKALB, Ill. – The Bowling Green State University baseball team will resume MAC play this weekend with a three-game series at Northern Illinois. The Falcons and Huskies will start the series on Friday (March 27) with a 4 p.m. EST first pitch. The series will continue Saturday (March 28) and conclude Sunday (March 29) with the start time bumping up an hour with each day. Each game of the series will be available to stream on NIU All-Access. Stay up-to-date with any schedule changes through the baseball schedule at BGSUFalcons.com as well as Twitter/X (@BGSU_Baseball).
Current Midweek Schedule
Friday, March 27 vs. Northern Illinois | 4 p.m. EST | 3 p.m. CT
Saturday, March 28 vs. Northern Illinois | 3 p.m. EST | 2 p.m. CT
Sunday, March 29 vs. Northern Illinois | 2 p.m. EST | 1 p.m. CT
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 eight different pitching outings with 5+ strikeouts. Jacob Turner leads the way with three followed by two from both Nate Kress and Ethan Stade. The list rounds out with one from Carrson Sova. As a team, the Falcons are averaging 9.1 strikeouts per nine innings with 200 through 22 games. On the current pace with 55 games on the schedule, Bowling Green will total 500 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.
Scouting Northern Illinois
The Huskies are off to a 6-3 start within the Mid-American Conference while being 14-7 overall on the season. Northern Illinois opened MAC play by taking two of three from Ohio. They followed it with just one win at Toledo, but were able to get back on track with a sweep over Miami (OH) last weekend to begin their home schedule. During the midweek, they topped Eastern Illinois, 5-4, in 10 innings to give them a season-best four-game winning streak entering the weekend.
Series History Against The Huskies
What To Watch For
Falcons On The Base Paths
In the game against Tiffin on Tuesday (March 24), the Falcons found their footing on the base paths, stealing eight bases. The eight swipes are the most in a game in at least 25 years for the Falcons. Alex Laird led the way with three followed by Sam Seidel with two. In total, five different Falcons stole at least one base with Zack Horky, Carter Mottice and Lance Vickers each adding one. For the year, BGSU has 31 stolen bases, averaging 1.4 per game. That puts them on pace for 77 stolen bases this season, which would be the most since having 89 in 2024. The program record is set at 106 from 1977.
DiLodovico Finding His Stride
Andrew DiLodovico has found his spot as the starting catcher for the Falcons and has put together a strong offensive performance in the process. DiLodovico currently has a six-game hitting streak for BGSU while also scoring in all six games as well. A freshman, DiLodovico is hitting .435 (10-for-23) over his last six games with eight runs scored, four RBI, a triple and a home run. The stretch has pushed his batting average to .300 on the season, second on the team among qualified players and third overall.
Stade Settling In
Ethan Stade has started to settle in for the Falcons. Last Friday, he tossed seven scoreless innings and picked up the win for Bowling Green. Stade has produced scoreless outings in three of his last four appearances. Over the four appearances combined, he's totaled 15.1 innings of work while striking out 26. He tallied eight strikeouts in his most recent outing and logged 11 over four innings earlier this season against Kent State on March 7. Over his last four appearances he's also allowed just six hits and four walks.
Curlis Heating Up
During the midweek games, Brayden Curlis started to find his swing at the plate and was part of two big moments for the Falcons. Coming in as a substitution in the seventh inning of Tuesday's game (March 24), Curlis went on to log the walk-off hit in the ninth with a single down the third base line. As for Wednesday (March 25), getting the start, Curlis belted his second home run of the season. Over the two games, he tallied three hits, three RBI and two runs scored. Last year, Curlis appeared in 35 games with 30 starts and was the scoring run in two walk-offs.
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 Midweek Schedule
Friday, March 27 vs. Northern Illinois | 4 p.m. EST | 3 p.m. CT
Saturday, March 28 vs. Northern Illinois | 3 p.m. EST | 2 p.m. CT
Sunday, March 29 vs. Northern Illinois | 2 p.m. EST | 1 p.m. CT
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 eight different pitching outings with 5+ strikeouts. Jacob Turner leads the way with three followed by two from both Nate Kress and Ethan Stade. The list rounds out with one from Carrson Sova. As a team, the Falcons are averaging 9.1 strikeouts per nine innings with 200 through 22 games. On the current pace with 55 games on the schedule, Bowling Green will total 500 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.
Scouting Northern Illinois
The Huskies are off to a 6-3 start within the Mid-American Conference while being 14-7 overall on the season. Northern Illinois opened MAC play by taking two of three from Ohio. They followed it with just one win at Toledo, but were able to get back on track with a sweep over Miami (OH) last weekend to begin their home schedule. During the midweek, they topped Eastern Illinois, 5-4, in 10 innings to give them a season-best four-game winning streak entering the weekend.
Series History Against The Huskies
- Bowling Green and Northern Illinois have met 74 times previously in program history with the series leaning to the Falcons, 45-28-1.
- Last year, Bowling Green won two of three against NIU at home to close out the regular season. Despite the Falcons winning the series, the Huskies outscored BGSU in the series 20-17.
- The Falcons swept the series in their last trip to DeKalb, coming during the 2024 season. In addition to sweeping the series, BGSU outscored NIU 27-8 over the three games.
- Northern Illinois enters the series with a four-game winning streak, including a home sweep over Miami (OH) last weekend to open their home schedule 3-0.
What To Watch For
- The series at NIU will put BGSU's home schedule on pause. Coming off a five-game homestand, the Falcons will return to Steller Field for nine of their next 10 following the weekend in DeKalb.
- BGSU and NIU are currently two of the top teams in the MAC for triples this season. Northern Illinois tops the list with seven followed by Bowling Green in a tie for second with six.
- On the pitching side, BGSU and NIU are also two of the best teams in the MAC for allowing triples. NIU is the only team in the conference to not allow a triple this season while BGSU is second with just one allowed.
- Ethan Stade, Nate Kress and Carrson Sova are all in the top 20 in the MAC for strikeouts. Stade is ninth with 29, Kress is tied for 13th with 25 and Sova is tied for 18th with 22.
- In addition to his strikeouts, Nate Kress is tied for fourth in the MAC for wins this season with three, just one off the league lead, which is shared by NIU's Max Vaisvila with four.
- Sam Seidel has already entered the top 10 all-time in program history for career stolen bases, currently eighth, and is nearing the top 10 for both career hit-by-pitch, needing two more, as well as career walks drawn, needing five more.
Falcons On The Base Paths
In the game against Tiffin on Tuesday (March 24), the Falcons found their footing on the base paths, stealing eight bases. The eight swipes are the most in a game in at least 25 years for the Falcons. Alex Laird led the way with three followed by Sam Seidel with two. In total, five different Falcons stole at least one base with Zack Horky, Carter Mottice and Lance Vickers each adding one. For the year, BGSU has 31 stolen bases, averaging 1.4 per game. That puts them on pace for 77 stolen bases this season, which would be the most since having 89 in 2024. The program record is set at 106 from 1977.
DiLodovico Finding His Stride
Andrew DiLodovico has found his spot as the starting catcher for the Falcons and has put together a strong offensive performance in the process. DiLodovico currently has a six-game hitting streak for BGSU while also scoring in all six games as well. A freshman, DiLodovico is hitting .435 (10-for-23) over his last six games with eight runs scored, four RBI, a triple and a home run. The stretch has pushed his batting average to .300 on the season, second on the team among qualified players and third overall.
Stade Settling In
Ethan Stade has started to settle in for the Falcons. Last Friday, he tossed seven scoreless innings and picked up the win for Bowling Green. Stade has produced scoreless outings in three of his last four appearances. Over the four appearances combined, he's totaled 15.1 innings of work while striking out 26. He tallied eight strikeouts in his most recent outing and logged 11 over four innings earlier this season against Kent State on March 7. Over his last four appearances he's also allowed just six hits and four walks.
Curlis Heating Up
During the midweek games, Brayden Curlis started to find his swing at the plate and was part of two big moments for the Falcons. Coming in as a substitution in the seventh inning of Tuesday's game (March 24), Curlis went on to log the walk-off hit in the ninth with a single down the third base line. As for Wednesday (March 25), getting the start, Curlis belted his second home run of the season. Over the two games, he tallied three hits, three RBI and two runs scored. Last year, Curlis appeared in 35 games with 30 starts and was the scoring run in two walk-offs.
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'
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