Bowling Green State University Athletics
Friday, April 17
Bowling Green, Ohio
1 p.m.
Bowling Green State University
vs
Northern Illinois
Photo by: Drake Harlett, BGSU Athletics
Falcons Host NIU on Alumni Weekend
April 16, 2026 | Softball
BGSU Battles the Huskies in a Friday DH, Saturday Single Game
FIRST PITCH...
• The Bowling Green State University softball team begins a season-long eight-game homestand this weekend, hosting Northern Illinois University. Head coach Michelle Gardner's Falcons will meet the Huskies in a Friday (April 17) doubleheader and a Saturday (April 18) single game, with action beginning at 1:00 p.m. each day at Meserve Field.
• The first game each day will air on BCSN in the Toledo area, and will also be available on ESPN+. Admission is free to all BGSU home softball action.
WEEKEND SCHEDULE
Fri., April 17 – NORTHERN ILLINOIS (DH), 1:00 p.m.
Sat., April 18 – NORTHERN ILLINOIS, 1:00 p.m.
PROMOTIONS, EVENTS & FREE STUFF
• There are many reasons to come to Meserve Field this weekend. Friday is Christmas Came Early Day, with Pudge holiday shirts and ornaments being given away. Fans can also purchase a Pudge Plush Mini Stuffed Animal at the game (or at this link), and several stuffed-animal versions of the Falcons' favorite feline will be given away to lucky fans as well.
• Additionally, it will be Alumni Weekend, with numerous former Falcon greats expected to be on hand. A BGSU softball alum is scheduled to throw out the first pitch on Saturday.
FUN FALCON FACTS
• Junior Peyton Steffes tied a school record with two triples in Wednesday's (April 8) win over Toledo at Meserve Field. Steffes had three-base hits in back-to-back at-bats. BG single-game records from the program's early years are incomplete, but Steffes is just the fifth player since 2002 to triple twice in the same game (Payton Hamm, 2019; Melissa West, 2009; Jeanine Baca, 2005; and Crystal Wilson, 2002).
• The Falcons have broken a somewhat-painful school record. BGSU batters have been hit by a pitch no fewer than 44 times this spring. The old mark was 35, set in 2018.
• BGSU has scored 5.10 runs per game this season, with 199 runs in 39 games to date. That puts the Falcons on pace for the second-highest average in program history. The school record of 5.25 rpg, set by the 1981 team.
• BG has stolen 80 bases this season to date, the second-highest total in program history. The 1988 team holds the record, with 104 steals that spring.
• And, Falcon hitters have drawn 168 walks to date, just nine shy of that school single-season mark (177 free passes in 2012).
THE FALCONS – A QUICK OVERVIEW
• The Falcons are 17-22 on the season, and BGSU is 5-13 in the MAC. BG has topped the overall win total for all of last season, having gone 16-36 in 2025.
• Last week, BGSU went 2-4 in a pair of MAC series, taking a game each from Toledo at home and Ohio on the road. Sophomore Morgan Beckham picked up complete-game victories against both the Rockets (5-0, April 8) and Bobcats (8-1, April 11).
• The Falcons enter the NIU series with records of 3-6 at home, 7-12 in true road games and 7-4 in neutral-site contests. BGSU has more than tripled the road win total for all of '25, having gone 2-19 in such games last spring.
• The Falcons are hitting .268 as a team, with six regulars batting between .291 and .319. Junior Taylor Behrendt leads the way with a .319 batting average, while classmate Cameron Kaufman and redshirt sophomore Addie Martin each are hitting .303. Junior Peyton Steffes is batting .299, with senior Hannah Hunt and freshman Hannah Simko at .291 apiece.
• Martin leads the team with 10 doubles and eight homers. She also paces the club in RBI (31), total bases (67) and slugging pct. (.615) and is one of four Falcons with at least 12 stolen bases.
• Behrendt has a team-leading 38 hits this season, while each of the other five aforementioned players have between 33 and 35. Kaufman has a BG-best 14 steals, while Simko has 13 and Margin and Steffes 12 each. Kaufman also leads the Falcons with 33 runs scored and an on-base percentage of .449.
• Hunt is second on the team in RBI, with 26, while fellow senior Ashley Chevalier has 23 RBI in just 84 at-bats. Another senior, Katie Hutter, is tied with Kaufman for the team lead in walks (21).
• Hunt, Kaufman, Martin and Steffes each have started all 39 games to date, while Behrendt has made 37 starts and Simko 36.
• In the circle, senior Mackenzie Krafcik has appeared in 22 games, starting 17, and has 10 complete games in those 17 starts. She also has an 8-8 record with three shutouts, one save and a 3.23 earned-run average in 99 2/3 innings pitched.
• Beckham and fellow sophomore Madison Wendel have pitched in 20 and 16 games, respectively, while junior Alyvia Roth has appeared in the circle 14 times to date. Beckham has allowed opponents to hit only. 251 against her, and is 5-4 with a 3.39 ERA in 51 2/3 innings of work. Wendel is 1-4 with a 4.99 ERA in 54 2/3 innings, while Roth has a 2-6 record and an opponent batting average of .266 in 35 innings.
• Head coach Michelle Gardner and her assistants, Greg McQuillin and Indya Smith, welcomed back 15 of 19 letterwinners from last year's team, including all nine positional starters and three of the six pitchers who saw action in 2025. BGSU had four seniors on last year's roster. Two of those four players did not see action in '25, and only one of the four players played in any games after March 8.
• That 2025 club surpassed the overall and MAC win totals for the previous two years combined. BGSU went 16-36 last spring, after posting a combined record of 15-79 in the 2023 (9-41) and '24 (6-38) campaigns. In MAC play, BGSU was 7-19 last year, after going a combined 5-51 in the previous two seasons.
• At the plate, the players returning in 2026 combined for ...
• 1,339 of the team's 1,362 at-bats (98.3%) in 2025;
• 212 of the 219 runs scored (96.8%);
• 195 of the Falcons' 198 RBI (98.5%); and
• 360 of the team's 361 total hits (99.7%).
• In the circle, returning Falcons combined to pitch 215 of the 328 1/3 total innings (65.5%), including 134 1/3 of the 167 2/3 innings (80.1%) in MAC action.
• The 2025 Falcons scored 219 runs, the fourth-highest total in program history, and last year's BGSU club also ranked in the top five in school history in runs per game (4.21, fifth); RBI (198, third); walks (153; fifth); batters hit by pitch (32, third); on-base percentage (.350; fifth) and sacrifice flies (13, tie-third).
• Martin was named to the MAC's All-Freshman Team in 2025. She hit 13 homers, the second-highest single-season total in BG history, and became the first player in program history with at least 12 homers and 12 stolen bases in the same season.
THE OPPONENT / THE SERIES
• Northern Illinois is 19-12 overall, and the Huskies are 12-5 in the MAC. Northern has won seven of the last eight games, including three-game sweeps of Ball State and Kent State at home last week. On Tuesday, the Huskies split a twinbill with Bradley, winning the second game by a 21-4 score. Danielle Stewart is batting an even .500 this season to date, with Izzi Hanna (.404) and Rylie Hartman (.400) also hitting .400 or better this spring. In the circle, Madison Carlson is a perfect 8-0 with a 2.90 ERA in 67 2/3 innings of work. Head coach Kathryn Gleason's 2025 club went 21-30 overall and 14-13 in the MAC.
• BGSU trails NIU, 36-32, in the all-time series, and the Orange and Brown will be looking to snap a two-game losing streak vs. the Huskies. Last season, BG captured the opening game of a series in DeKalb, 1-0 (April 5, 2025), before the Huskies won the final two games of the weekend. Northern also took two of three games in the teams' most recent series at Meserve Field, two seasons ago (April 26-27, 2024). The Falcons are 12-13 at home, 15-20 on the road and 5-3 at neutral sites vs. the Huskies.
DOWN THE ROAD
• Following the NIU series, the Falcons will remain at home next weekend, as Massachusetts comes to town. The teams will meet in a Friday (April 24) DH and a Saturday (April 25) single game, with first pitch at 1:00 p.m. on each day.
BGSU SOFTBALL – UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Fri., April 17 – NORTHERN ILLINOIS (DH), 1:00
Sat., April 18 – NORTHERN ILLINOIS, 1:00
Fri., April 24 – MASSACHUSETTS (DH), 1:00
Sat., April 25 – MASSACHUSETTS, 1:00
Tue., April 28 – OAKLAND (DH), 2:00
Fri., May 1 – at Miami (OH), 3:00
Sat., May 2 – at Miami (OH) (DH), 1:00
All times p.m. and Eastern
HOME games at Meserve Field – free admission
FOLLOW THE FALCONS
• For more information on the BGSU softball team, follow the Falcons on Twitter/X (@BGAthletics and @BGSUSoftball) and Instagram (@bgsu_softball), as well as on the web at BGSUFalcons.com.
• The Bowling Green State University softball team begins a season-long eight-game homestand this weekend, hosting Northern Illinois University. Head coach Michelle Gardner's Falcons will meet the Huskies in a Friday (April 17) doubleheader and a Saturday (April 18) single game, with action beginning at 1:00 p.m. each day at Meserve Field.
• The first game each day will air on BCSN in the Toledo area, and will also be available on ESPN+. Admission is free to all BGSU home softball action.
WEEKEND SCHEDULE
Fri., April 17 – NORTHERN ILLINOIS (DH), 1:00 p.m.
Sat., April 18 – NORTHERN ILLINOIS, 1:00 p.m.
PROMOTIONS, EVENTS & FREE STUFF
• There are many reasons to come to Meserve Field this weekend. Friday is Christmas Came Early Day, with Pudge holiday shirts and ornaments being given away. Fans can also purchase a Pudge Plush Mini Stuffed Animal at the game (or at this link), and several stuffed-animal versions of the Falcons' favorite feline will be given away to lucky fans as well.
• Additionally, it will be Alumni Weekend, with numerous former Falcon greats expected to be on hand. A BGSU softball alum is scheduled to throw out the first pitch on Saturday.
FUN FALCON FACTS
• Junior Peyton Steffes tied a school record with two triples in Wednesday's (April 8) win over Toledo at Meserve Field. Steffes had three-base hits in back-to-back at-bats. BG single-game records from the program's early years are incomplete, but Steffes is just the fifth player since 2002 to triple twice in the same game (Payton Hamm, 2019; Melissa West, 2009; Jeanine Baca, 2005; and Crystal Wilson, 2002).
• The Falcons have broken a somewhat-painful school record. BGSU batters have been hit by a pitch no fewer than 44 times this spring. The old mark was 35, set in 2018.
• BGSU has scored 5.10 runs per game this season, with 199 runs in 39 games to date. That puts the Falcons on pace for the second-highest average in program history. The school record of 5.25 rpg, set by the 1981 team.
• BG has stolen 80 bases this season to date, the second-highest total in program history. The 1988 team holds the record, with 104 steals that spring.
• And, Falcon hitters have drawn 168 walks to date, just nine shy of that school single-season mark (177 free passes in 2012).
THE FALCONS – A QUICK OVERVIEW
• The Falcons are 17-22 on the season, and BGSU is 5-13 in the MAC. BG has topped the overall win total for all of last season, having gone 16-36 in 2025.
• Last week, BGSU went 2-4 in a pair of MAC series, taking a game each from Toledo at home and Ohio on the road. Sophomore Morgan Beckham picked up complete-game victories against both the Rockets (5-0, April 8) and Bobcats (8-1, April 11).
• The Falcons enter the NIU series with records of 3-6 at home, 7-12 in true road games and 7-4 in neutral-site contests. BGSU has more than tripled the road win total for all of '25, having gone 2-19 in such games last spring.
• The Falcons are hitting .268 as a team, with six regulars batting between .291 and .319. Junior Taylor Behrendt leads the way with a .319 batting average, while classmate Cameron Kaufman and redshirt sophomore Addie Martin each are hitting .303. Junior Peyton Steffes is batting .299, with senior Hannah Hunt and freshman Hannah Simko at .291 apiece.
• Martin leads the team with 10 doubles and eight homers. She also paces the club in RBI (31), total bases (67) and slugging pct. (.615) and is one of four Falcons with at least 12 stolen bases.
• Behrendt has a team-leading 38 hits this season, while each of the other five aforementioned players have between 33 and 35. Kaufman has a BG-best 14 steals, while Simko has 13 and Margin and Steffes 12 each. Kaufman also leads the Falcons with 33 runs scored and an on-base percentage of .449.
• Hunt is second on the team in RBI, with 26, while fellow senior Ashley Chevalier has 23 RBI in just 84 at-bats. Another senior, Katie Hutter, is tied with Kaufman for the team lead in walks (21).
• Hunt, Kaufman, Martin and Steffes each have started all 39 games to date, while Behrendt has made 37 starts and Simko 36.
• In the circle, senior Mackenzie Krafcik has appeared in 22 games, starting 17, and has 10 complete games in those 17 starts. She also has an 8-8 record with three shutouts, one save and a 3.23 earned-run average in 99 2/3 innings pitched.
• Beckham and fellow sophomore Madison Wendel have pitched in 20 and 16 games, respectively, while junior Alyvia Roth has appeared in the circle 14 times to date. Beckham has allowed opponents to hit only. 251 against her, and is 5-4 with a 3.39 ERA in 51 2/3 innings of work. Wendel is 1-4 with a 4.99 ERA in 54 2/3 innings, while Roth has a 2-6 record and an opponent batting average of .266 in 35 innings.
• Head coach Michelle Gardner and her assistants, Greg McQuillin and Indya Smith, welcomed back 15 of 19 letterwinners from last year's team, including all nine positional starters and three of the six pitchers who saw action in 2025. BGSU had four seniors on last year's roster. Two of those four players did not see action in '25, and only one of the four players played in any games after March 8.
• That 2025 club surpassed the overall and MAC win totals for the previous two years combined. BGSU went 16-36 last spring, after posting a combined record of 15-79 in the 2023 (9-41) and '24 (6-38) campaigns. In MAC play, BGSU was 7-19 last year, after going a combined 5-51 in the previous two seasons.
• At the plate, the players returning in 2026 combined for ...
• 1,339 of the team's 1,362 at-bats (98.3%) in 2025;
• 212 of the 219 runs scored (96.8%);
• 195 of the Falcons' 198 RBI (98.5%); and
• 360 of the team's 361 total hits (99.7%).
• In the circle, returning Falcons combined to pitch 215 of the 328 1/3 total innings (65.5%), including 134 1/3 of the 167 2/3 innings (80.1%) in MAC action.
• The 2025 Falcons scored 219 runs, the fourth-highest total in program history, and last year's BGSU club also ranked in the top five in school history in runs per game (4.21, fifth); RBI (198, third); walks (153; fifth); batters hit by pitch (32, third); on-base percentage (.350; fifth) and sacrifice flies (13, tie-third).
• Martin was named to the MAC's All-Freshman Team in 2025. She hit 13 homers, the second-highest single-season total in BG history, and became the first player in program history with at least 12 homers and 12 stolen bases in the same season.
THE OPPONENT / THE SERIES
• Northern Illinois is 19-12 overall, and the Huskies are 12-5 in the MAC. Northern has won seven of the last eight games, including three-game sweeps of Ball State and Kent State at home last week. On Tuesday, the Huskies split a twinbill with Bradley, winning the second game by a 21-4 score. Danielle Stewart is batting an even .500 this season to date, with Izzi Hanna (.404) and Rylie Hartman (.400) also hitting .400 or better this spring. In the circle, Madison Carlson is a perfect 8-0 with a 2.90 ERA in 67 2/3 innings of work. Head coach Kathryn Gleason's 2025 club went 21-30 overall and 14-13 in the MAC.
• BGSU trails NIU, 36-32, in the all-time series, and the Orange and Brown will be looking to snap a two-game losing streak vs. the Huskies. Last season, BG captured the opening game of a series in DeKalb, 1-0 (April 5, 2025), before the Huskies won the final two games of the weekend. Northern also took two of three games in the teams' most recent series at Meserve Field, two seasons ago (April 26-27, 2024). The Falcons are 12-13 at home, 15-20 on the road and 5-3 at neutral sites vs. the Huskies.
DOWN THE ROAD
• Following the NIU series, the Falcons will remain at home next weekend, as Massachusetts comes to town. The teams will meet in a Friday (April 24) DH and a Saturday (April 25) single game, with first pitch at 1:00 p.m. on each day.
BGSU SOFTBALL – UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Fri., April 17 – NORTHERN ILLINOIS (DH), 1:00
Sat., April 18 – NORTHERN ILLINOIS, 1:00
Fri., April 24 – MASSACHUSETTS (DH), 1:00
Sat., April 25 – MASSACHUSETTS, 1:00
Tue., April 28 – OAKLAND (DH), 2:00
Fri., May 1 – at Miami (OH), 3:00
Sat., May 2 – at Miami (OH) (DH), 1:00
All times p.m. and Eastern
HOME games at Meserve Field – free admission
FOLLOW THE FALCONS
• For more information on the BGSU softball team, follow the Falcons on Twitter/X (@BGAthletics and @BGSUSoftball) and Instagram (@bgsu_softball), as well as on the web at BGSUFalcons.com.
Players Mentioned
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/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
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/ Softball
MI
/ Softball
Util.
/ Softball
SS
/ Softball
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/ Softball
3B
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
P
/ SoftballBGSU Softball "Outside the Chalk" - Morgan Beckham (April 21, 2026)
Wednesday, April 22
BGSU Softball Highlights (April 17, 2026)
Friday, April 17
"Outside The Chalk" -- Hannah Simko (April 14, 2026)
Tuesday, April 14
"Outside The Chalk" -- Hannah Hunt (March 30, 2026)
Thursday, April 02