BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – The Bowling Green State University baseball team will be on the road for a midweek contest before returning home to Steller Field later this week. BGSU will begin the week on Tuesday (April 15) with a road trip to Purdue Fort Wayne set for a 3 p.m. first pitch. From there, the Falcons will be back at home, hosting the first-place Ball State Cardinals in a three-game series starting on Thursday (April 17). Thursday will have a 3 p.m. start before 1 p.m. first pitches on Friday and Saturday (April 18-19). The games on Friday and Saturday are also set to be on BCSN with a simulcast on ESPN+. Any schedule changes will be announced on BGSUFalcons.com as well as Twitter/X (@BGSU_Baseball). 

Current Week Schedule
Tuesday, April 15 | at Purdue Fort Wayne | 3 p.m.
Thursday, April 17 | vs. Ball State | 3 p.m. | BCSN/ESPN+
Friday, April 18 | vs. Ball State | 1 p.m. | BCSN/ESPN+
Saturday, April 19 | vs. Ball State | 1 p.m. | BCSN/ESPN+

What To Watch For

• The matchup between Bowling Green and Ball State will feature the top two teams in the MAC for winning percentage with Ball State ranked 41st in the nation (0.703) and BGSU 48th (.676). 
• Brady Birchmeier enters the week ranked 39th in the nation and fourth in the MAC for RBI per game with an average of 1.33 while totaling 40 on the season.
• Garrett Wright is currently 14th in the nation and second in MAC for both Hit-By-Pitches (17) this season and HBPs per game (0.52). 

Scouting Purdue Fort Wayne
Since the last meeting between Bowling Green and Purdue Fort Wayne, the Mastodons have posted a 5-9 record, including losses in their last seven games. The losing streak also includes midweek losses to Toledo (9-4) and Central Michigan (16-3, 7 Innings). This year, Purdue Fort Wayne is 0-5 against MAC opponents. Wins this year for PFW have included three against Oakland, two against Youngstown State and a single win against SEMO. 

Series History Against The Mastodons

• Bowling Green and Purdue Fort Wayne will be meeting for the 23rd time in program history and the second time this year with BGSU holding the all-time advantage with a record of 17-5.
• The Falcons and Mastodons met earlier this season on March 18 in Bowling Green. The Falcons claimed a 19-18 win, using a two-out rally to walk-it off for the win.
• Four of Purdue Fort Wayne's five wins in the all-time series have come on their home field. 

Scouting Ball State
Ball State enters the week with a 26-11 record on the season while being 13-2 within MAC play with a midweek against Butler scheduled for Tuesday (April 15) before facing Bowling Green. The Cardinals are coming off back-to-back MAC sweeps, topping Northern Illinois and Eastern Michigan. With just two MAC losses, only Akron and Toledo, both of which came in the final game of the series. As for games on the road this season, Ball State has a record of 13-9 when playing away from home. 

Series History Against The Cardinals

• Bowling Green and Ball State have met 140 times previously in program history with the Cardinals holding a slim advantage in the series with a record of 71-67-2.
• The Falcons swept the regular season series against Ball State last year, but the Cardinals claimed a win over BGSU in the MAC Tournament. 
• The last series win for BGSU in Muncie came in 2009, which also marked the last sweep in Muncie.

Penrod Snaps The Saves Records
Connar Penrod tallied his ninth save of the season over the weekend, setting the program record for saves a single-season by a Falcon. Additionally, the save marked the 13th of the year for BGSU, setting the team saves record for a season as well. For Penrod, his nine saves are also tied for the MAC lead with Kent State's Peyton Cariaco as well as tied for third in the nation behind only Alabama's Carson Ozmer (11) and Clemson's Lucas Mahlstedt (12). For the season, Penrod has maintained a 0.93 ERA through 19.1 innings. He needs 25 innings to qualify for the program's single-season ERA leaderboard with the record currently set at 1.01 by Kip Young in 1974. 

Freshmen Finding It: Carrson Sova
Carrson Sova has shined in three consecutive Saturday starts for the Falcons. Moving into a weekend starter role against Central Michigan, Sova has allowed just one earned run and two total runs over three Saturday starts. In the three appearances, Sova has totaled 16.2 innings of work while striking out 14 batters. Since March 25, Sova has recorded a win in three of his four appearances, moving his season record to 3-1, which ties for the team-lead in wins. He's also worked his ERA down to 4.55.

Freshmen Finding It: Brayden Curlis
Over the last week, Brayden Curlis led the Falcons at the dish, logging a .467 batting average while starting all four games for BGSU. Curlis led the team in hits with seven, with only one other player logging four or more hits during the week. Curlis added a team-high four RBI during the week as well as a double and a run scored. Curlis' strong outings were fueled by back-to-back three hit games to start the week, coming against Youngstown State and Western Michigan in the season opener. All four of his RBI, along with his double and run scored, came against Youngstown State as well. 

Freshmen Finding It: Carter Mottice
Carter Mottice made his BGSU debut last week, starting all four games for the Falcons. Mottice immediately burst onto the scene for Bowling Green with a 2-for-4 day along with two doubles, three RBI and three runs scored against Youngstown State in his collegiate debut. For the week, Mottice tallied four hits, trailing only fellow freshman Brayden Curlis' seven for the team lead. He did, however, lead the team in doubles (2) and runs scored (5) for the week. Mottice also drew three walks during the week, reaching base in each of his first four collegiate appearances. 

Parker Finding Ways On Base
Caden Parker is currently in the midst of a 24-game on-base streak, the longest by a Falcon this season. The streak for Parker stretches back to Feb. 28 against Southern Indiana when he tallied two hits and a walk to start the run. Since then, Parker has totaled 22 hits, 17 walks and four HBPs to keep his on-base streak alive. He's also added 17 runs scored and 14 RBI for the Falcons in addition to one double and one home run during the streak. Four of his five stolen bases have also come during the streak. 

Follow the Falcons
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Twitter - @BGSU_Athletics and @BGSU_Baseball
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