Spring Break Baseball: Butler University

Today was a matchup of two teams with bad records playing each other in what should have been another high scoring affair. Butler (2-5) had given up 7+ runs in every single game up until today. Bowling Green (2-7, 0-0) had given up 6+ runs in every game except two so far. So when the teams engaged in a pitchers duel, it was quite a surprise for both clubs.

3/8/10

Bowling Green: 3

Butler: 1

Box Score (Not Posted Yet)

Recap

Senior Kevin Leady led the Falcons, striking out eight on the day. Ross Gerdeman recorded his first ever save on the day and Bowling Green came through with a tough, gritty win for the first time all season.

Verdict?

This is the type of grind-it-out win BG has to come through with as the season progresses. No qualms here about the lack of offense because that hasn't been an issue at all this year, it's been the pitching and defense that's slowed BG down. Without the box score I can't say for sure, but the defense and pitching must of been superb today. Good win. Five game winning streak to end spring break here we come!

Spring Break Baseball: Rhode Island

Hey, I've got an idea... we're 1-6... let's play a team that's 0-7! Surely that'll give us a win right? Well, if BG was thinking that, they sure didn't play like it. Rhode Island got their first win of the season in a dramatic fashion during a offensive showcase Sunday.

2/7/10

Rhode Island: 9

Bowling Green: 8

Box Score

Recap

Rhode Island came out swinging a hot bat and went up 5-0 through the first four and a half innings of ball. Over the next two and a half innings though BG stormed back and took an 8-6 lead which they had until the 9th inning. An error here and a hit there and before ya know it Rhode Island had a 9-8 lead which proved too much for BG at the end of the day.

Verdict

These are the type of games Bowling Green must be able to pull out come late May if they want to have a chance to go to the NCAA's this season. It's starting to become a trend that BG can't win the tight ones, and that's something that starts to stick with a team. But hey, five more games over break so that means there's a possibility to go 6-1 and get to one game under .500!

One Last Cool Thing

Since this is probably the last we'll see of Rhode Island for a while, I thought I'd share this really sweet video from the URI baseball site. This is the kind of stuff BG needs to do, because if I was a ballplayer I would go suit up for that coach no matter where he coached.

Spring Break Baseball: Northeastern

Over spring break Bowling Green baseball will play seven games in eight days. They started off this week by playing Northeastern University this past Saturday, and finally broke through with the first win of the season.

3/6/10

Bowling Green: 13

Northeastern: 9

I don't have a box score yet as neither BG or NU have posted it yet, but I'll post it asap.

Quick Recap: The game was a back and forth battle and BG ace Brennan Smith was roughed up a bit but seniors Logan Meisler and T.J. Blanton had huge games and had key hits that allowed Smith to escape with a win. Seven of the eleven Falcons that played crossed the plate in the win, with Meisler scoring four times himself.

Verdict?

Monkey is off the back for the Falcons, as they win the first game of their seven game Florida road trip. Pitching and defense was a little shaky, but hey, a win is a win. The offense stepped up and hit well all game long. No matter what, this can be nothing but a positive step for BG, and hopefully they can carry it into the next few games.

Invasion of Kentucky! (Part 2)

So after being swept by Louisville in the first weekend of Bowling Green's "Invasion of Kentucky!" the second weekend brought another tough quality opponent in The University of Kentucky. The weekend before the Wildcats had beaten three quality opponents, Virginia Tech (15-6), West Virginia (6-0), and Coastal Carolina (3-2). Unfortunately for the Falcons, the weekend dealt with another trio of tough losses.

2/27/10

Game 1
Kentucky: 6

Bowling Green: 4

Box Score

2/28/10

Game 1

Kentucky: 4

Bowling Green: 3

Box Score

3/1/10

Game 1

Kentucky: 10

Bowling Green: 4

Box Score

Verdict?

Well, losing your first six games is not a good way to start a season, and at least winning one of these games would've been nice but Kentucky is a heck of a ball club. As of today the team is 9-1 and ranked 23rd in the nation, with the only loss coming against the Tony Gwynn-led San Diego State ball club.

Bowling Green was not expected to win either series in Kentucky over the first two weekends, but winning at least one game would've been nice. Good experience for the MAC season though.

Invasion of Kentucky! (Part 1)

Bowling Green started out their season this year taking on two well-established baseball teams from the state of Kentucky, and started off playing Louisville (birthplace of yours truly) in a three game series, with a single game played on Friday and a double-header Saturday.

The results were as followed,

2/19/2010

Game 1

Louisville: 13

Bowling Green: 1

Box Score

2/20/2010

Game 1

Louisville: 5

Bowling Green: 2

Box Score

Game 2 (F/10)

Louisville: 8

Bowling Green: 7

Box Score

Verdict?

As I'm writing this Louisville is currently 11-0 this season, and ranked 8th in the nation. They have outscored opponents by a combined score of 85 - 35, so aside from our opening 13-1 loss, these can be considered good losses (if there is such a thing). As a matter of fact, the seven runs scored by BG in game one of Saturday's double header is the most runs given up so far by the Cardinals.

All in all, playing competition like this can only help prepare the team for when the MAC season rolls around, because in all honesty there's no way Bowling Green is going to make it to the NCAA's unless they win the MAC tournament in May.