Bowling Green Falcons baseball

Bowling Green Falcons

2023 Bowling Green Falcons baseball team
Founded| 1915
University| Bowling Green State University
Head coach| Kyle Hallock (3rd season)
Conference| Mid–American
Location| Bowling Green, Ohio
Home stadium| Steller Field
(Capacity: 2,500)
Nickname| Falcons
Colors| Brown and orange[1]

NCAA Tournament appearances
1972, 1998, 1999, 2013
Conference tournament champions
1998, 1999, 2013
Regular season conference champions
NWOIAA
1921, 1922, 1925, 1926,
1928, 1931, 1932
MAC
1972, 1995, 2002, 2008, 2009

The Bowling Green Falcons baseball team is a varsity athletic program at Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio, The team plays in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division I level as a member of the Mid-American Conference. The Falcons have played in three NCAA Tournaments, going in 1972, 1999, and 2013. The program has 12 regular-season conference championships (7 NWOIAA, 5 MAC), six East Division championships, and three conference tournament championships.[2] The most recent regular-season championship came in 2009.[3] The 1921 team was the first athletic team at the school to win a title, when they finished 6–1–2 in the Northwest Ohio League.

## History[edit]

### Early years[edit]

The first baseball team at Bowling Green Normal College was established in 1915 under the guide of head coach F.G. Beyerman and finished their inaugural campaign at 1–3. The program would not reach varsity level until 1918, playing their first game on May 3, 1918 defeating Defiance College 4–3 in 7 innings. The Normals would finish the 1918 season 2–1 defeating Bluffton College 6–5 and losing a rematch with Defiance 13–3.

Bowling Green joined the Northwest Ohio League in 1921 and finished the season 6–1–2, good enough to make the Normals NWOIAA champions in their first year in the conference. The 1921 Normals baseball team would be the first athletic program at Bowling Green to win a title of any sort.

In May 1944 the baseball team won 1–0 against the Camp Perry team, where Italian prisoners of war watched the game.[4]

Bowling Green would win six more NWOIAA titles (1922, 1925–26, 1928, 1931–32), before deciding to leave the conference and become an independent.

### Move to the MAC[edit]

In 1953, Bowling Green would become a member of the Mid-American Conference, following rival and former NWOIAA conference mate Toledo who joined in 1951. In their first season in the MAC, the Falcons would go 8–6 including a 4–4 conference record which would place them 3rd in the conference. Bowling Green would not win their first MAC crown until 1972 when they posted a 24–12–2 record (6–2–1 MAC) and were invited to the NCAA District IV Tournament. The Falcons would defeat Northern Illinois 2–0 and Central Michigan 7–5 in 10 innings, but fell just short of a birth to the College World Series as they lost 7–2 and 7–5 to Iowa.

Since moving to the MAC, Bowling Green has won six more regular season championships (1995, 1998–99, 2001–02, 2008) and two conference tournament championships (1998–99). The Falcons were the MAC's representative in the 1999 NCAA Division I baseball tournament and were selected to compete as the 4th seed in the Columbus Regional, hosted by Ohio State. The Falcons would go 0–2, losing to 1st seed Ohio State 4–1 and then lost in the loser's bracket 10–5 to the 2nd seed Nebraska.

### Danny Schmitz era[edit]

Danny Schmitz replaced Ed Platzer as head coach of the Bowling Green Falcons in 1991. In Schmitz's first season as head coach, the Falcons posted a 16–39–1 (7–23) record and finished 9th in the MAC. Schmitz would turn the program around in his fourth season (1994) posting a 29–18 (16–10) record, finishing 3rd in the MAC. He would lead the Falcons to their second MAC crown the following year posting a 34–20 (22–8) record.

Under Schmitz' watch, the Falcons have won five regular-season conference championships, six East Division titles, two conference tournament championships, and an NCAA Tournament appearance. Schmitz is second longest tenured coach in the program's history, only behind Warren E. Steller (31 seasons) and is the programs all-time winningest manager with 489 wins. Schmitz became the program's all-time winningest coach on March 26, 2000 after the Falcons defeated Buffalo 3–2.

A Bowling Green pitcher at Russ Chandler Stadium in 2014

After 105 years, the sport was dropped at the varsity level effective immediately on May 15, 2020 as part of the budget cuts due to the on-going coronavirus pandemic.[5] Just weeks later, the school announced it was reinstating baseball after they fund-raised $1.5 million dollars of commitments over the next three years.[6] On June 3, 2020, it was announced that Schmitz would step down from head coach and step into an advisory role with the program.[7]

## Steller Field[edit]

Main article: Steller Field

Steller Field has been home to the Falcons baseball team since 1964. The field is named in honor of Warren E. Steller, a former instructor at the school who coached the school's football (1924–34) and baseball (1925, 1928–59) teams. The stadium is located on the Bowling Green campus, next to Slater Family Ice Arena and across the street from the Perry Field House.

## Year-by-year results[edit]

For the year-by-year history of Bowling Green baseball see List of Bowling Green Falcons baseball seasons

## Head coaches[edit]

Tenure  | Coach  | Years  | Record  | Pct.

|
|
|
|

1915–19211 | F. G. Beyerman | 5 | 12–14–2 | .464
1922 | Earl Krieger | 1 | 7–1 | .875
1923 | Allen W. Snyder | 1 | 5–3 | .625
1924 | Ray B. McCandless | 1 | 2–2–2 | .500
1925, 1928–19592 | Warren Steller | 31 | 221–154 | .589
1926–1927 | Paul Landis | 2 | 14–11 | .560
1960–1971 | Dick Young | 12 | 184–146–6 | .557
1972–1982 | Don Purvis | 11 | 305–219–6 | .581
1983–1990 | Ed Platzer | 8 | 202–217–6 | .482
1991–2020 | Danny Schmitz | 30 | 717–786–5 | .477
2021–present | Kyle Hallock | 2 | 38–64 | .373
Totals  | 10 coaches  | 104 seasons  | 1707–1617–27  | .513

1 – Records for 1916 and 1917 are unknown
2 – Bowling Green did not field teams in 1935 and 1937 due to lack of funds and a playing site

Longest Tenure | Rank  | Name  | Seasons

|
|

1  | Warren E. Steller  | 31
2  | Danny Schmitz  | 30
3  | Dick Young  | 12

Most Wins | Rank  | Name  | Wins

|
|

1  | Danny Schmitz  | 717
2  | Don Purvis  | 305
3  | Warren E. Steller  | 221

Best Winning Pct. | Rank  | Name  | Pct.

|
|

1  | E.C. Kreiger  | .875
2  | Allen W. Snyder  | .625
3  | Warren E. Steller  | .589

## Notable alumni[edit]

* Burke Badenhop – pitcher
* Doug Bair – retired pitcher, 2-time World Series champion
* Orel Hershiser – retired pitcher, member of 1988 World Series Champion Los Angeles Dodgers, 3-time All-Star, 1988 Cy Young Award winner and 1988 World Series MVP
* Roger McDowell – retired pitcher, member of 1986 World Champion New York Mets
* Nolan Reimold – outfielder
* Andy Tracy – retired first baseman
* Jon Berti \- infielder

## References[edit]

1. ^ "BGSU Athletic Brand Standards". May 16, 2022. Retrieved June 25, 2022.
2. ^ "Mid-American Conference Baseball History" (PDF). 2008 Mid-American Conference Baseball Record Book. Mid-American Conference. 2008. p. 2\. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 3, 2016. Retrieved September 28, 2009.
3. ^ "BG Baseball Team Captures MAC Title With 17–9 Win Over Akron". BGSUFalcons.com. Bowling Green State University. May 15, 2009. Retrieved September 28, 2009.
4. ^ "Bee Gee News June 1, 1944". BG News (Student Newspaper). June 1, 1944. Retrieved November 24, 2019.
5. ^ Piotrowicz, Nicholas (May 15, 2020). "Bowling Green cuts baseball program effective immediately". The Toledo Blade. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
6. ^ Nicholas Piotrowicz (June 2, 2020). "Bowling Green reinstates baseball program". www.toldedoblade.com. The Toledo Blade. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
7. ^ Nicholas Piotrowicz (June 3, 2020). "Longtime BGSU baseball coach Danny Schmitz moves to new role". www.toledoblade.com. The Toledo Blade. Retrieved June 4, 2020.

## External links[edit]

* Official site of Bowling Green Falcons baseball

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Bowling Green State University

Located in: Bowling Green, Ohio

Academics|

* College of Arts and Sciences
* College of Education and Human Development
* Department of Popular Culture
* BGSU Firelands
* Mid-American Review

Athletics|

* Baseball
* Football
* Ice Hockey
* Men's Basketball
* Women's Basketball
* Men's Soccer
* Battle for the Anniversary Award
* Mid-American Conference

Campus|

* Anderson Arena
* Buildings
* Doyt Perry Stadium
* Jerome Library
* Mickey Cochrane Stadium
* Slater Family Ice Arena
* Warren E. Steller Field
* Stroh Center

Student life|

* Alumni
* BG News
* WBGU-FM 88.1
* WBGU-TV
* WFAL Falcon Radio

Traditions|

* Falcon Marching Band
* Freddie and Frieda Falcon

Established 1910

* v
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Mid-American Conference baseball

Teams|

* Akron Zips
* Ball State Cardinals
* Bowling Green Falcons
* Central Michigan Chippewas
* Eastern Michigan Eagles
* Kent State Golden Flashes
* Miami RedHawks
* Northern Illinois Huskies
* Ohio Bobcats
* Toledo Rockets
* Western Michigan Broncos

Championship|

* Mid-American Conference baseball tournament
* Regular Season Champions

Awards|

* Mid-American Conference Baseball Player of the Year
* Mid-American Conference Baseball Pitcher of the Year

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