Bowling Green State University Athletics
Friday, April 10
Bowling Green, Ohio
6 p.m.
Bowling Green State University
vs
Central Michigan
Photo by: Hailey Pettit-Mastroianni, BGSU Athletics
Falcons Set For Home Weekend Series Against CMU Amid Five-Game Winning Streak
April 09, 2026 | Baseball
Sunday To Feature Pudge The Cat Appearance, Postgame Autographs With Team
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – The Bowling Green State University baseball team will host the Central Michigan Chippewas this weekend for a three-game slate at Steller Field. The series will begin on Friday (April 10) under the lights before moving to a 3 p.m. first pitch on Saturday (April 11) and an 11 a.m. start in the series finale on Sunday (April 12). Stay up-to-date with any schedule changes through the baseball schedule at BGSUFalcons.com as well as Twitter/X (@BGSU_Baseball).
Current Weekend Schedule
Friday, April 10 vs. Central Michigan | 6 p.m.
Saturday, April 11 vs. Central Michigan | 3 p.m.
Sunday, April 12 vs. Central Michigan | 11 a.m. -- TIME CHANGE!
At The Games
Pudge The Cat will be returning to campus for Sunday's (April 12) series finale and will be present at Steller Field during pregame and the first few innings. Pudge Plushes will be available for $15 or two for $25. Following the game, there will also be autographs with the team for the first time in program history. There will also be a chance to receive a free Pudge Plush at the postgame autographs.
April Showers Bring BGSU Wins
The Falcons are off to a strong start in the month of April this year, posting a perfect 5-0 record since April 1. The start is the best start in the month of April for the Falcons since going 5-0 to start the 2006 campaign. Another win would give BGSU a 6-0 April record for the first time since going 12-0 in 1976. The last time the Orange and Brown started any month with a record of 6-0 or better was a 6-0 start to the month of May in 2009.
Scouting Central Michigan
Central Michigan enters the weekend with an 11-17 record on the year while being 5-10 within the MAC. The Chippewas are coming off a midweek loss, 6-4, to Michigan on Tuesday (April 7), but picked up two of three games against Western Michigan last weekend in MAC play. The first two games were split and both decided by just one run before a 6-3 CMU win in the series finale. The other three MAC wins for Central Michigan have included two against Toledo and one over Ball State. Two of those were also one-run games while the third was an 18-7 win in eight innings over UT.
Series History Against The Chippewas
What To Watch For
B-G! S-U! >>> O-H! I-O!
During the midweek slate of games, the Falcons tallied a 9-3 win over the Ohio State Buckeyes in Columbus. The win marked the first for Bowling Green against a Power Conference opponent since topping nationally-ranked Louisville, 9-6, on Feb. 25, 2023. Additionally, the win was the first for the Orange and Brown against the Scarlet and Gray since April 20, 2011 with a 5-4 victory. BGSU still has two Big Ten opponents scheduled with Michigan on April 22 and Michigan State on May 5. The last time Bowling Green tallied multiple wins over a Power Conference opponent in the same season was 2009, topping Michigan State, 16-3, on March 17 and Michigan, 8-3, on March 31.
Stade Catching Fire
Ethan Stade has been lights out for the Falcons over his last five outings, logging eight or more strikeouts in four of the five appearances including in each of the last three. During those five appearances, Stade is 2-1 with a save to go along with a 3.08 ERA and a 0.99 WHIP. Additionally, over his last five outings, Stade is averaging 8.2 strikeouts per appearance and for the year he's averaging 14.1 strikeouts per nine innings. Stade is now not only leading the MAC in the stat, but ranked 13th in the nation. As for total strikeouts, Stade is just four off the MAC lead, held at 51 by NIU's Max Vaisvila.
Laird Running Through The Record Book
Alex Laird couldn't be stopped on the base paths last weekend against Akron, stealing seven bases on seven attempts in the final game of the three-game set. The seven stolen bases for Laird marked not only a new program record for a single game, but a new MAC record as well. Additionally, Laird was only one short of the NCAA record, set at eight by King Lewis (Bethune-Cookman) in 1994 and matched by Bobby Kingsbury (Fordham) in 2001, both on eight attempts. Laird has 13 stolen bases on the season, second for BGSU behind only Sam Seidel's 14.
Striking Out The Competition
So far this season, BGSU has posted 13 different pitching outings with 5+ strikeouts. Ethan Stade leads the way with four followed by three from Jacob Turner. Nate Kress and Carrson Sova have both produced two with the list rounding out with one from both Jackson Miller and Ty Roder. As a team, the Falcons are averaging 9.4 strikeouts per nine innings with 281 through 30 games. On the current pace with 54 games on the schedule, Bowling Green will total 506 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 since 1999.
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 Weekend Schedule
Friday, April 10 vs. Central Michigan | 6 p.m.
Saturday, April 11 vs. Central Michigan | 3 p.m.
Sunday, April 12 vs. Central Michigan | 11 a.m. -- TIME CHANGE!
At The Games
Pudge The Cat will be returning to campus for Sunday's (April 12) series finale and will be present at Steller Field during pregame and the first few innings. Pudge Plushes will be available for $15 or two for $25. Following the game, there will also be autographs with the team for the first time in program history. There will also be a chance to receive a free Pudge Plush at the postgame autographs.
April Showers Bring BGSU Wins
The Falcons are off to a strong start in the month of April this year, posting a perfect 5-0 record since April 1. The start is the best start in the month of April for the Falcons since going 5-0 to start the 2006 campaign. Another win would give BGSU a 6-0 April record for the first time since going 12-0 in 1976. The last time the Orange and Brown started any month with a record of 6-0 or better was a 6-0 start to the month of May in 2009.
Scouting Central Michigan
Central Michigan enters the weekend with an 11-17 record on the year while being 5-10 within the MAC. The Chippewas are coming off a midweek loss, 6-4, to Michigan on Tuesday (April 7), but picked up two of three games against Western Michigan last weekend in MAC play. The first two games were split and both decided by just one run before a 6-3 CMU win in the series finale. The other three MAC wins for Central Michigan have included two against Toledo and one over Ball State. Two of those were also one-run games while the third was an 18-7 win in eight innings over UT.
Series History Against The Chippewas
- Bowling Green and Central Michigan have met 139 times previously in program history with the all-time series leaning to CMU, 83-55-1.
- Despite the Chippewas holding the all-time series lead, BGSU has won six straight over CMU with three-game sweeps each of the last two seasons, including at home in 2024.
- Over the last two seasons, BGSU has outscored CMU by a combined score of 55-45, including an extra innings game in the series finale both years.
- The first meeting between the two teams came on May 13, 1972 with the Falcons capturing a 9-6 victory on the road at Central Michigan.
What To Watch For
- The series will be the final weekend series of BGSU's current homestand with the full stretch closing out on Tuesday (April 14) against Dayton. The Falcons are in the midst of playing eight of nine games at home as well as 21 games in the state of Ohio over a stretch of 24 contests dating back to March 6 and lasting until April 14.
- During the team's five-game winning streak to begin the month of March, Bowling Green is averaging 9.2 runs per game while holding opponents to 4.6 runs per game.
- The Falcons currently lead the MAC and are ranked 32nd in the nation for strikeouts per nine innings with a mark of 10.1.
- In addition to the strikeout numbers, BGSU is also third in the conference for walks allowed per nine innings, giving up just 4.58 free trips to first per game. The Falcons trail only Kent State (3.47) and Miami (OH) (3.67) in the MAC for the stat.
- As a team, Bowling Green has tallied nine triples this year from eight different players, ranking 42nd in the nation and just one behind the MAC lead, set at 10 by Ball State.
B-G! S-U! >>> O-H! I-O!
During the midweek slate of games, the Falcons tallied a 9-3 win over the Ohio State Buckeyes in Columbus. The win marked the first for Bowling Green against a Power Conference opponent since topping nationally-ranked Louisville, 9-6, on Feb. 25, 2023. Additionally, the win was the first for the Orange and Brown against the Scarlet and Gray since April 20, 2011 with a 5-4 victory. BGSU still has two Big Ten opponents scheduled with Michigan on April 22 and Michigan State on May 5. The last time Bowling Green tallied multiple wins over a Power Conference opponent in the same season was 2009, topping Michigan State, 16-3, on March 17 and Michigan, 8-3, on March 31.
Stade Catching Fire
Ethan Stade has been lights out for the Falcons over his last five outings, logging eight or more strikeouts in four of the five appearances including in each of the last three. During those five appearances, Stade is 2-1 with a save to go along with a 3.08 ERA and a 0.99 WHIP. Additionally, over his last five outings, Stade is averaging 8.2 strikeouts per appearance and for the year he's averaging 14.1 strikeouts per nine innings. Stade is now not only leading the MAC in the stat, but ranked 13th in the nation. As for total strikeouts, Stade is just four off the MAC lead, held at 51 by NIU's Max Vaisvila.
Laird Running Through The Record Book
Alex Laird couldn't be stopped on the base paths last weekend against Akron, stealing seven bases on seven attempts in the final game of the three-game set. The seven stolen bases for Laird marked not only a new program record for a single game, but a new MAC record as well. Additionally, Laird was only one short of the NCAA record, set at eight by King Lewis (Bethune-Cookman) in 1994 and matched by Bobby Kingsbury (Fordham) in 2001, both on eight attempts. Laird has 13 stolen bases on the season, second for BGSU behind only Sam Seidel's 14.
Striking Out The Competition
So far this season, BGSU has posted 13 different pitching outings with 5+ strikeouts. Ethan Stade leads the way with four followed by three from Jacob Turner. Nate Kress and Carrson Sova have both produced two with the list rounding out with one from both Jackson Miller and Ty Roder. As a team, the Falcons are averaging 9.4 strikeouts per nine innings with 281 through 30 games. On the current pace with 54 games on the schedule, Bowling Green will total 506 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 since 1999.
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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LHP
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INF
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RHP
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LHP
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RHP
/ BaseballBGSU Baseball Tops Central Michigan In Series Opener | April 10, 2026
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