Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Baseball picks up first win

Matt Malewitz pitched 3 1/3 strong innings in his first start of the season to help lead the BG baseball team to a 5-2 victory against Dayton, the Falcons' first win of the season.

BG had previously lost all five games it had played.

Malewitz, an All-MAC selection as a sophomore in 2009, gave up two hits, no runs and no walks, striking out two, to pick up his first win of the season. He was flanked by Jason Link, who followed up with 3 2/3 strong innings, allowing an unearned run on three hits and a walk, striking out three.

Andrew Lacinak pitched a perfect eighth inning for BG, and Ben Singer finished off the game in the ninth. He made things interesting, allowing three hits and an unearned run, but was able to finish off the win.

The Falcons had a season-high 15 hits. The top-of-the-lineup experiment continued for coach Danny Schmitz, who put Jake Thomas into the leadoff spot. He responded by going 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored.

In fact, the top four in the Falcons' lineup did significant damage. Thomas, T.J. Losby, Andrew Kubuski and Drew Kuns combined to go 10-for-17. Kubuski and Kuns each had three hits, while Kuns had two RBI.

Five Falcons — Thomas, Losby, Kubuski, Kuns and Tyler Wynn — had multi-hit games.

The Falcons defense committed four errors in the game, leading to two unearned runs.

The Falcons will be back in action Friday, as they take on Mt. St. Mary's in the first game of the RussMatt Invitational in Florida.

Monday, February 27, 2012

Richards fired after 12 seasons

BG women's soccer coach Andy Richards has been fired after 12 seasons at the helm of the program, the University announced in a statement.

Assistant coach Kellie Evans will serve as interim head coach for the 2012 season. A national search for a permanent head coach will begin in November.

“We would like to thank Andy for his years of service and contributions to BGSU women’s soccer,” BG director of athletics Greg Christopher said in a statement. “That being said, it is in the best interest of the program that we move in another direction.”

In 12 seasons at Bowling Green, Richards was 108-121-27 overall and 58-62-16 in MAC play. His teams won the MAC Tournament in 2004 and 2005, along with a regular season title in 2005.

However, the women's soccer team has struggled of late. BG hasn't posted a winning season since a 12-6-4 record in 2008, and had only six wins this past season.

Sunday, February 26, 2012

BG baseball swept by Oklahoma State

For the second straight weekend, the BG baseball team went winless, dropping all three games in a series against Oklahoma State.

The Falcons dropped game one of the series, due to a superb effort on the mound by Oklahoma State pitcher Andrew Heaney.

The left-hander went 7 1/3 innings, allowing one run on seven hits and two walks, recording 12 strikeouts.

While the Falcons were only able to manage two runs in the game, they did put 13 runners on base behind 10 hits and three walks.

Logan Walker was moved up to the leadoff spot in the lineup and responded by going 2-for-4 with a walk. Andrew Kubuski added two hits, while Brandon Howard and Alex Davison each had RBI base-hits.

Cody Apthorpe started the game, but ran into trouble in the second inning. In that inning, he allowed four runs as the Cowboys batted around.

He finished the game by going four innings, allowing five runs on seven hits and two walks, striking out three.

Saturday's game did not bring as much success for BG. While the Falcons scored a season-high three runs, their pitching faltered in a 13-3 loss.

Patrick Martin started the game and had similar results as Apthorpe, allowing five runs on six hits and a walk in four innings.
Trevor Blaylock relieved him and allowed seven runs — six earned — on six hits and three walks in 2 1/3 innings.


Walker saw an end to his three-game hitting streak, going 0-for-4, but he had a walk and scored a run.

T.J. Losby had the only multi-hit game for the Falcons, going 2-for-3 with an RBI. Drew Kuns had the other RBI for BG, going 1-for-3 and adding a run.

For the second straight game, the Cowboys received a strong effort on the mound, but this time it was from a reliever. Chase
Stevens pitched five innings in relief of Kyle Ottoson, allowing no hits and two walks, striking out 13 of the 16 batters he faced.

While Sunday's game started off well for BG, it did not finish as such in a 6-2 loss.

Ethan McKenney started the game for BG and was strong early. He allowed only one hit through five innings, but fell apart in the sixth inning. In the inning, he gave up three hits, a walk and four runs.

He finished the game going 5 1/3 innings, allowing five runs on four hits and a walk, striking out three.

Losby had another strong game for BG, going 3-for-4 at the plate with a run scored, an RBI and a stolen base.

Davison and Patrick Lancaster also had multi-hit games, each going 2-for-4, with Davison scoring a run.

The Falcons will be back in action March 3, as the team begins an eight-game in seven day stretch at the RussMatt Invitational in Winter Haven, Fla.

Falcon Softball Split 2-2 at Hilltopper Classic

Hannah Fulk continued her hit streak to five games as the Falcon’s competed in the Spring Hilltopper Classic in Bowling Green, Ky.

Fulk registered a hit in the Falcons’ first two games despite losing both games. Paige Berger continued her streak to four games before Western Kentucky snapped her streak.

The Falcons first played Indiana State on Saturday morning to a close 4-3 loss.

“[Saturday] was a tough loss,” said coach Shannon Salsburg. “We didn’t control the things we could, and they capitalized on our mistakes.”

The Falcons registered two runs in the first inning of play, before the Sycamores came back for the win. Berger went 2-for-4 with another home run, giving her 25 for her career, as she inches closer to the school record.

Friday night the Falcons played the host team of Western Kentucky. The team proved to be a tough match-up as they beat the Falcon’s 6-1.

The first run of the game didn’t come until the third inning, as WKU tallied its first run of the night. The sixth inning saw the Hilltoppers register four runs off of four hits.

“Today one inning was the difference in both games,” Salsburg said. “We talked as a team about shutting down the big innings. We look forward to playing all seven innings tomorrow the way we played six today.”

The game saw freshman pitcher Paris Imholz receive her first career loss.

Day two of the Classic saw a resurgence, as the Falcons closed off the day with two wins.

The Falcons played Morehead State first and won by a score of 6-3.

The Eagles came out sluggish and the Falcons pushed aggressively, especially from the batting of Katie Yoho. Yoho went 3-for-4 on the day, driving in two home runs and five RBIs. Berger also added another home run to the Falcons’ tally.

“We did a good job of attacking early and often,” Salsburg said.

Sunday afternoon saw the Falcons take down Murray State for the Sunday sweep.

Unlike in game one, the Falcons fell behind early by three runs, but with aggressive hitting and base running, the team managed to get the win. Berger and Yoho both contributed as well as Erika Stratton who gave the Falcons their first two RBIs.

The team used its pitching depth as it used three different pitchers in game; sophomore Erin Greenwalt earned the win while Jamie Kertes earned the save. Both were firsts for the pitchers.

Sunday saw the end of Hulk’s hit streak as she failed to reach base. The day also saw Berger move into second place for the career home run record with 26, as both she and Yoho now lead the team in home-runs this season with three.

This marks the first back-to-back wins this season, and the team will look to carry that momentum with their 4-3 record.

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Women's basketball clinches top four seed with win over Buffalo

The Falcons hung on throughout a sloppy win, and in doing so, they clinched a top four seed for the Mid-American Conference tournament.

With that in mind, if the Falcons earn the three or four seed, they have to win three games to win the championship, if they seed the one or two spots, they are automatically advanced to the semifinals and would only have to win two games to win the title.

In the team's 62-52 victory over Buffalo, BG had to play catch-up right out of the gate.

The Bulls got the first possession and scored, then the Falcons almost immediately turned it over, resulting in a 0-4 deficit within the first minute.

BG trailed the entire first half, tying it up a few times, but never surpassing them - they did come within a point, 29-28, by the end of the half.

The Falcons picked up their game in the second half, battling for their first lead all game. By the time the last 20 minutes concluded, Jessica Slagle scored 19 points and both Chrissy Steffen and Alexis Rogers posted double-doubles.

BG hits the road for back-to-back road games against Akron and Ohio for their upcoming contests.

Monday, February 6, 2012

Gymnastics stumbles in tri-meet

The BG gymnastics team was marred by inconsistency on uneven bars and balance beam Sunday, falling to host team Maryland (194.475) and North Carolina (193.125).

The Falcons finished in third place with a score of 191.5, led by strong performances from Gina Locigno, Danielle Wishart and Jamilah Ali. Ali tied for first place on beam, hitting a season-high 9.825.

The problems began for BG on the uneven bars, the team's first event. Lacey Swords and Amanda Lievendag both missed key release skills, falling from the bar. Megan Harrington (9.475), Locigno (9.575) and Monica Eaton (9.7) completed their routines to salvage a 46.7 on the apparatus.

"Bars was a rough start," coach Kerrie Beach said. "We're seeing some new athletes getting into the lineup and I think they're adjusting to competition again. We're hoping to see some of the athletes that have been in the lineup get a little more consistent as well."

The troubles continued on beam, where the first performer, Dawn Christman, fell on her first skill: a front tuck mount. Megan Valentini continued her string of solid routines, scoring a 9.425 to get the Falcons back on track. Locigno (9.65) and Wishart (9.7) extended the rally. Harrington suffered a second fall, before Ali's winning routine in the last spot.

Halfway through the competition, the Falcons had dug themselves into a large hole, trailing second-place North Carolina by over a point.

A steady floor exercise lineup did all it could make up the difference, highlighted by Christman's season-high 9.85, good enough for second place on the event. Valentini (9.725), Locigno (9.75) and Harrington (9.775) came through as well, capping off the BG floor lineup, which is still ranked in the nation's top 25.

The Falcons finished up on vault, with Christman (9.775), Wishart (9.775) and Ali (9.825) posting big numbers. The team's final score of 191.5 is its second lowest of the season.

"Today really did not reflect what we've been doing in training," Beach said. "On bars, they've been doing a great job in practice. Some of them seem able to carry that over to the meet and others still seem nervous. We may need to do some more pressure sets in practice. On beam we had some uncharacteristic mistakes but I think we're on the right track there."

The BG gymnastics team is back at home this Saturday for a Mid-American Conference matchup with Northern Illinois. The Falcons lead NIU in the rankings, 191.680-191.370.

Friday, February 3, 2012

BG hockey at Notre Dame live chat

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Meet the new guys: Falcons' 2012 recruiting class

Head coach Dave Clawson announced a 20-member recruiting class for the Class of 2012 Tuesday. The class does not include running back Andre Givens, receiver JaRon Stokes or punter Brian Schmeidebusch. The first two are transfer students who enrolled for the Spring 2012 semester. Schmeidebusch, the punter for BG in 2011, was awarded a scholarship for the 2012 season. Here is the 20 members of the Falcons' recruiting class:

Michael Allen WR, 5-10, 175, Los Angeles, Calif.
Junior College: Spent two seasons at East L.A. College ... was named the team’s Freshman of the Year ... earned first-team all-league as a sophomore. Is an early enrollee
Clawson on Allen: "He was a player who a year ago was committed to San Diego State ... because he didn't play this year he fell off the radar for a lot of people, but we feel like we've found a really special player here. He's dynamic, athletic, a guy who I think has a chance to help us early. He's very similar to Eugene Cooper."


J.J. Beggan, OL, 6-4, 290, Pittsburgh, Pa.
High School: Currently attends Seton LaSalle High School ... coached by Greg Perry ...team captain ... helped lead team to a 20-4 record as a junior and senior ... anchored an offensive line that produced a 1,700 yard rusher and an offense that averaged 35.5 points and 325.8 yards of offense per game his senior season ... was named a two-time All-Century conference offensive and defensive lineman ... was named All-State (AA) by the Pennsylvania Sports Writers Association as a senior.
Clawson on Beggan: "We've had a lot of live evaluations on him. We think he's physical, he's tough. He's going to be an inside player for us. He's one of those rare guys nowadays who committed to us early and stuck with us the whole way through."


Jacob Bennett, OL, 6-6, 290, Lebanon, Ohio
High School: Currently attends Lebanon High School ... coached by Shawn Lamb ... was named first-team Greater Western Ohio Conference South Division ... earned honorable mention All-Southwest District (Div. I) by the Associated Press.
Clawson on Bennett: "We really believe he's a diamond in the rough. We love his size, love his athleticism. We think he can end up being a 6-6, 6-7, 325 pound offensive lineman before his career here is over."


Coy Brown, LB, 5-11, 215, Wakarusa, Ind.
High School: Is a 2012 graduate of Northwood High School ... coached by Scott Hoover ... team captain ... earned first-team all-state and all-area as a senior ... was named to the first-team All-Indiana Football Coaches Association that same year ... helped lead team to a 4A win in the State Sectionals ... was elected to play in the North/South Indiana All-Star game. Is an early enrollee.
Clawson on Brown: "He is physical and tough. He's a very versatile athlete. We think he has a chance to be an excellent linebacker."


Dalton Chapman, OL, 6-7, 285, Grove City, Ohio
High School: Currently attends Grove City High School ... coached by Matt Jordan ... earned second-team All-OCC and honorable mention All-Central District his senior year at offensive tackle ... as a junior was named to the second-team All-OCC and honorable mention All-Central District as a defensive end ... was name honorable mention at offensive tackle in the All-Central District as a sophomore.
Clawson on Chapman: "He' an excellent student, a tall, leaning, physical athlete who has a ton of growth potential. He fits the mold of what we're looking for along the offensive line."


Jhalil-Nashid Croley, LB, 6-3, 245, Cincinnati, Ohio
High School: Currently attends Princeton High School ... coached by Gary Croley ... team captain ... earned second-team All-Ohio, first-team all-conference and first-team all-city as a senior ... was nominated for the Tri-State (Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana) Defensive Player of the Year, finishing with 102 tackles that same season.
Clawson on Croley: "Jordan Hopgood and Dwayne Woods also went to his school. He had some BCS offers early in the process ... he was a guy who broke some of Dwayne Woods' high school records, and I think he's going to be after some of his college records now."


Scott Davis, TE, 6-5, 240, Richmond, Va.
Prep School: Spent one season at Fork Union Military Academy ... coached by John Shuman. High School: Was a 2010 graduate of Mills E. Godwin High School ... coached by John Phillips ... team captain ... earned first-team all-district, All-Metro and All-Region as a defensive end and tight end his senior year ... was team’s offensive MVP. Is an early enrollee.
Clawson on Davis: "He lived six doors down from me when I lived in Richmond ... He is a dual threat tight end. He's big enough to be physical at the point of attack, and athletic enough to be a threat as a pass catcher. We thought that he was just too good to pass up."


Logan Dietz, OL, 6-5, 280, Pittsburgh, Pa.
High School: Currently attends Pittsburgh Central Catholic ... coached by Terry Totten ... team captain ... earned first-team all-conference as a junior and senior ... was third-team 4A all-state as a junior and second-team all-state as a senior.
Clawson on Dietz: "He fits the mold of what we're looking for. He's tall, he's athletic, he moves extremely well. He's another tall, physical player who can become a prototypical lineman for us."


Anthony Farinella, K, 6-3, 180, Woodridge, Ill.
High School: Currently attends Downers Grove South High School ... coached by John Belskis ... team captain and 4.0 student ... was the West Buburban Conference Special Teams Player of the Year ... named to the Tom Lemming All-Chicagoland team as a place kicker ... named a Top-12 kicker by chrissailerkicking.com ... had 46 touchbacks as a senior ... was a state champion in wrestling and a state qualifier in the 800-meters.
Clawson on Farinella: "He was his conference's Special Teams Player of the Year ... Most importantly for us, he had 46 touchbacks this year. He's a good competitor and I think he can help us early."


Erick Hallmon, LB, 6-0, 195, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
High School: Currently attends Cardinal Gibbons High School ... coached by Mike Morrill ... team captain ... four year starter ... earned second-team all-county as a senior ... recorded 65 tackles, one interception and one touchdown that same season ... played in the Broward All-Star Game and the Nike South Florida versus Dade County All-Star Game.
Clawson on Hallmon: "This was a guy where it helped being patient. He was originally committed to Texas Tech. At some point, he opened up his process and we were able to stay involved with him ... We think he can be an outside linebacker, but he might grow into playing an inside position."


Greg Hohenstein, LS, 6-3, 195, Warrenville, Ill.
High School: Currently attends Wheaton-Warrenville High School ... was a two-time state finals long snapper ... played in the 2010 ESPN Rise versus Maine South game as a long snapper ... earned academic all-conference as a senior ... converted on 61 of 62 snaps to the punter and 120 of 120 snaps on field goals and extra points in his career ... ranked 17th nationally and fourth in the midwest according to Rubio Long Snapping.
Clawson on Hohenstein: "He was in our specialists camp and had great times as a long snapper. He was by far the best long snapper in our camp and became our No. 1 target. With [long snapper] Corey Johnson being a senior, we wanted to have the next long snapper on campus."


(David) Kelii Kekuewa “Chief”, OL, 6-3, 300, Keaau, Hawaii
Junior College: Spent two seasons at Arizona Western Junior College ... coached by Tom Minnick ... team captain ... led the Matadors to an 11-1 record, including an appearance in the National Junior College Athletic Association Football Championship game ... was part of an offensive line that finished the year sixth in rushing offense and was part of an offense that averaged 50.2 points per game ... earned first-team All-Arizona Community College Athletic Conference, first-team All-Western States Football League and first-team All-National Junior College Athletic Association. Is an early enrollee.
Clawson on Kekuewa: "He's strong, physical. We graduated two of our top three centers, so this was a position where we wanted an older guy, a junior college guy. We thought that he was too good to pass up. He has a chance to help us early."


James Knapke, QB, 6-3, 185, Fort Wayne, Ind.
High School: Currently attends Bishop Luers High School ... coached by Matt Lindsay ... team captain ... was a three-year starter and first quarterback in the state of Indiana to win three state championships ... earned All-State honors as a senior and was a two-time MVP and first-team all-conference member ... owns the school and conference passing records with 5,983 passing yards and 76 touchdown passes.
Clawson on Knapke: "He was our first choice as a quarterback ... He's the only quarterback in the history of the state of Indiana to win three consecutive state championships. He has a very live arm and is athletic."


Izaah Lunsford, DT, 6-3, 265, Cincinnati, Ohio
High School: Currently attends Shroder Paideia Academy ... coached by Gerald Warmack ... team captain ... was a three-year starter ... earned all-league honors as a junior and senior ... also lettered in basketball and track ... was named first-team all-league in track ... owns the school record in the shot put.
Clawson on Lunsford: "He was at our traveling camp down at Lakota West, we fell in love with his work ethic and size. I think he's going to be a very good player, has good size potential."


Mike Minns II, DT, 6-0, 300, West Palm Beach, Fla.
High School: Currently attends Dwyer High School ... coached by Jack Daniels ... team captain ... earned first-team all-state and all-county as a senior, his only season as a starter ... that same season he recorded nine sacks, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries ... played in the Nike South Florida versus Dade County All-Star Game.
Clawson on Minns: "We love his size. He's ready made — 300 pounds today. At times on film he is unblockable. He's very compact and plays with leverage. He can change direction. He reminds me a lot of Chris Jones on film."


Josh Pettus, S, 5-10, 200, Detroit, Mich.
Junior College: Was a two-year starter at the College of DuPage ... coached by Gary Thomas ... team captain ... as a sophomore was an All-American Nominee, while earning first-team all-conference and first-team all-region honors ... led his team with five interceptions and was second with 72 tackles that same season ... won his team’s Most Inspirational Award ... team MVP ... helped his team win the Graphic Edge Bowl as a freshman.
Clawson on Pettus: "We thought he is a safety who was too good to pass up. We think he's a guy who can come in and make an immediate impact. He can tackle; he gets guys on the ground. He has excellent ball skills. He turned down a handful of BCS offers to play close to home."


James Sanford, S, 6-2, 190, Xenia, Ohio
High School: Currently attends Xenia High School ... coached by Bob DeLong ... team captain ... earned first-team all-conference honors in his junior and senior season ... was selected to play in the Ohio North/South All-Star game.
Clawson on Sanford: "He's a big-time player, we really like him on film. He can play the high safety for us, but is physical enough to play the low safety too."


Ben Steward, OL, 6-7, 300, Holt, Mich.
High School: Currently attends Holt High School ... coached by Al Slammer ... team captain ... as a senior he was named to the Detroit Free Press Dream Team and the Lansing State Journal Dream Team ... earned first-team all-state and first-team All-CAAC Blue recognition ... three year starter that blocked for three 1,000-yard rushers ... was nominated to play in the Michigan High School Coaches Association All-Star Game ... was named to the Mid-Michigan Sports Journal Dream Team.
Clawson on Steward: "He's big and physical, the type of tackle body that we want to recruit. We love how physical and tough he is."


Will Watson, CB, 6-1, 185, Tampa, Fla.
High School: Currently attends Tampa Jefferson High School ... coached by Jeremy Earle ... team captain ... was named the 2011 Returner of the Year in Hillsborough County ... was second-team All-Tampa Bay Area in 2010 ... helped lead his team to the 3A Florida State Championship as a junior.
Clawson on Watson: "He was a very early commit to Iowa State ... We want to get bigger corners, and he has height, length and range. The standard at corner for us was high ... we wanted to take a corner who we felt could come in early and compete and possibly play early. He can do a lot of things for us."


James White, WR, 6-1, 180, Southfield, Mich.
High School: Currently attends Crockett Technical High School ... coached by Rodereck Oden ... team captain ... earned first-team all-state class “B” honors as a senior ... was ranked as the 47th best recruit by Midwest Blue-Chip ... helped lead his team to a 10-2 record and a Public School League Championship (Div. 1) as a senior.
Clawson on White: "He's a very versatile athlete. He's tall and has range, and good ball skills. With what we graduated at receiver, this position was a priority and we're happy to get him."

National Signing Day: updates as they come in

Today is one of the most important days of the year for any football team: National Signing Day, the day in which programs are built. Coach Dave Clawson will be holding a 3 p.m. press conference to formally announce the recruiting class of 2012. Until then, here is a list of prospects the Falcons have received National Letters of Intent from (courtesy BGSUFalcons.com). All star rankings are according to Scout.com

Logan Dietz, OL, 6-5, 280, Pittsburgh, Pa. (3-star)
Dalton Chapman, OL, 6-7, 285, Grove City, Ohio (2-star)
Ben Steward, OL, 6-7, 300, Holt, Mich. (2-star)
J.J. Beggan, OL, 6-4, 290, Pittsburgh, Pa. (2-star)
Jhalil-Nashid Croley, LB, 6-3, 245, Cincinnati, Ohio (2-star)
James Knapke, QB, 6-3, 185, Fort Wayne, Ind. (2-star)
James White, WR, 6-1, 180, Southfield, Mich. (3-star)
Jacob Bennett, OL, 6-6, 290, Lebanon, Ohio (2-star)
Mike Minns II, DT, 6-0, 300, West Palm Beach, Fla. (2-star)
(David) Kelii Kekuewa “Chief”, OL, 6-3, 300, Keaau, Hawaii JUCO (2-star)
Coy Brown, LB, 5-11, 215, Wakarusa, Ind. (2-star)
Scott Davis, TE, 6-5, 240, Richmond, Va. (2-star)
Michael Allen, WR, 5-10, 175, Los Angeles, Calif. (NR)
Izaah Lunsford, DT, 6-3, 265, Cincinnati, Ohio (2-star)
James Sanford, S, 6-2, 190, Xenia, Ohio (3-star)
Greg Hohenstein, LS, 6-3, 195, Warrenville, Ill. (NR)
Erick Hallmon, LB, 6-0, 195, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. (2-star)
Josh Pettus, S, 5-10, 200, Detroit, Mich. JUCO (2-star)
Will Watson, CB, 6-1, 185, Tampa, Fla. (NR)
Anthony Farinella, K, 6-3, 180, Woodridge, Ill. (NR)