Bowling Green Hosts Conference Baseball Tournament Beginning Wednesday

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May 20, 2002

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*BOWLING GREEN HOSTS MAC TOURNAMENT:
For the first time since 1998, Bowling Green will host the Mid-American Conference Baseball Tournament. This year's tournament will run from May 22-25 at Steller Field, on the campus of BGSU. The Falcons, who are in their final season as an East Division member, won the East crown for the fourth time in five seasons. BGSU also won the MAC overall regular season title for the first time since 1995 with an 18-7 league record. Eastern Michigan is the second seed as West Division champions, while Kent State is the No. 3 seed. Ball State is No. 4, Central Michigan is No. 5 while Miami is the No. 6 seed.

*EASTERN MICHIGAN CLAIMS WEST TITLE:
Eastern Michigan won its first-ever West Division title over the weekend after sweeping the four-game series against Marshall, coupled with Ball State dropping a game against Western Michigan. The Eagles will be making their fourth appearance in the MAC Tournament, but their first since 1983. EMU's 30 wins to date is the school's first 30-win season since 1990.

It is the first appearance for EMU under head coach Roger Coryell, who picked up his 225th MAC win in the Eagles' opening victory of the Marshall series. Coryell, who earlier this season won his 375th career game, enters the tournament two victories shy of 400.

*RETURNING CHAMPION IS BACK:
Defending MAC tournament champion Kent State is attempting to become the fifth different team in league history to repeat as tournament champion. Last year, Kent State won three games on the final day to win its third MAC Tournament title, and the first since 1993. Bowling Green is the last team to repeat, winning titles in 1998 and 1999.

*HOSTEST WITH THE MOSTEST?:
In the 12 previous MAC Baseball Tournaments (13, if one counts a neutral site in 1982), the home team has claimed the tournament title only four times. In 1997 and 1998, Ohio and Bowling Green each won the title on its home field, while Kent State won back-to-back titles in 1992 and 1993. In fact, the host has failed to make it to the title game in five out of the last seven years, including the last three seasons.

*KSU IN TOURNEY FOR TENTH YEAR IN A ROW:
Kent State will be making its 10th straight appearance in the MAC Tournament, which is a league record. The Golden Flashes also have won the most tourney games (21). KSU is the only MAC team to appear in every MAC Tournament since it resumed in 1992. The MAC didn't hold a baseball tournament from 1984-91. 

 Consecutive MAC Tournament Appearances
 Kent State --   10 (1992-pr.)
 Miami -- 6 (1997-pr.)
 Ball State -- 6 (1997-pr.)

*30-WIN PLATEAU FOR MAC TEAMS:
For the fifth consecutive season, the MAC had five teams win 30 games. Reaching the plateau are: Kent State (33), Bowling Green (31), Ball State (31), Eastern Michigan (30) and Miami (30). Central Michigan is one win shy of becoming the sixth league school to hit the mark.

*MAC TOURNAMENT RECORDS:
Below is a breakdown on each of the six team's records in MAC Tournament play, heading into this week's tournament. 

 MAC Tournament W-L Records
 Eastern Michigan [.800 -- 8-2]
 Miami [.630 -- 17-10]
 Kent State [.553 -- 21-17]
 Bowling Green [.529 -- 9-8]
 Central Michigan [.520 -- 13-12]
 Ball State [.368 -- 9-14]

*HUNT CHASING MAC RUNS BATTED IN MARK:
Bowling Green's Kelly Hunt became only the second player in MAC history to drive in 80 runs in a single season. Hunt, who leads the MAC in RBIs (80) and is also tied with a league-best 22 home runs, is four RBIs shy of former Kent State slugger John VanBenschoten's record 84 RBIs, which was set last season. This past week, Hunt drove in 15 runs and slammed six home runs, including a homer in five consecutive contests.

*MISCH HITS ONE MARK, MISSES ANOTHER:
Western Michigan junior Pat Misch established a program record with 99 strikeouts last season, including a school record 19 whiffs at Eastern Michigan. Misch fell short of tying that mark by just four Ks this season, totaling 95 in 78.1 innings of work. He topped the team in wins (6), innings pitched, and complete games (3) in 2002. He has fanned a Western Michigan record 222 batters in 182.1 innings during his career. He topped teammate Keith Perez's record of 211 strikeouts in his second-to-last start of the year.

*PAIR NAMED SEMIFINALISTS FOR AWARD:
Ball State pitcher Bryan Bullington and Kent State catcher Pat O'Brien have been named semifinalists for the Dick Howser Trophy, which is voted on by members of the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association. Bullington and O'Brien are a part of the 40-player list. Last season, Kent State's John VanBenschoten was a finalist for the award.

*THREE PLAYERS EARN ACADEMIC HONORS:
Three MAC student-athletes garnered Verizon Academic first team All-District honors, which was released on May 9. The trio include Ball State's Bryan Bullington and Matt Deckman, and Eastern Michigan's Chad Jenkins. The Academic All-America teams will be announced on June 4. In addition to the three that captured first-team accolades, Central Michigan's Mike Gates and Akron's Brady Steineck were named to the second team.

*BULLINGTON HITS ANOTHER RECORD:
Ball State's Bryan Bullington, who set the MAC career strikeout record on May 10, added the MAC's single season strikeout mark to his list of records with 10 strikeouts against Western Michigan last Friday. The junior hurler, who became only the second player in league history to reach the 300 career strikeout plateau, moved past former EMU standout Bob Owchinko, who fanned 309 batters from 1973-76. Bullington's career total, which is up to 346, includes a league-record 126 strikeouts this season. The junior is 10-2 this season and has a 2.11 ERA, which leads the MAC.

*RECORD SETTING YEAR FOR HUSKIES:
Northern Illinois' Pat Kerrigan completed his tenure ranked in six categories for NIU and the MAC, including sixth all-time in doubles (59) and at-bats (755) while coming in 11th with 244 hits. The Huskies set 11 different records this season, including single-season team marks for hits (555) and home runs (46). Kerrigan set five career records while junior relief pitcher Max Sulzberger posted new season and career marks with his seven saves this year.

*GALLOWAY NEARS HITS RECORD:
Miami's Mike Galloway is letting his bat do the talking as he climbs not only the RedHawk record ladder, but that of the MAC. Galloway, who spent his first two seasons at Central Michigan, has piled up 237 hits in nearly three seasons. That total is tied for 17th in the league's history, while his 92 hits this season are the third most in Miami history and tied for the fifth most in MAC history. 

 Most Hits, Single Season
 1. John VanBenschoten, KSU (2001) -- 99
 2. Brady Nori, MIA (2001) -- 96
     Jason Knoedler, MIA (2001) -- 96
 4. Thomas Howard, BSU (1986) -- 94
 5. Mike Galloway, MIA (2002) -- 92
     Paul Henry, BSU (2001) -- 92

*GATES IS A WALKING MACHINE:
Central Michigan's Mike Gates leads the MAC with 49 free passes this season, including an astounding 14 walks last week in seven games. Gates, who hit .500 last week with 10 hits in 20 at-bats, reached base in 24-of-35 opportunities. He leads the league in on-base percentage (.533) and is ninth in batting (.382). In less than three seasons, Gates has drawn 131 walks, which is ninth all-time. Gates ranks second among active MAC players, trailing Ball State's Scott French (138).

*KENT STATE'S ARTISTS OF THIEVERY:
Kent State boasts two of the top three stolen base leaders in the MAC in Tom Martin and Eric O'Brien. The pair have swiped 20 bases each, marking the second straight season that two KSU players have stolen 20 or more bases. Last season, O'Brien led the MAC with a school-record 33 stolen bases. He also holds the KSU career mark of 57, while Martin had four career stolen bases prior to this year. The two trail Marshall's David Colangelo, who leads the league with 21.

*GOLESKI NEARS EMU HOME RUN MARK:
Eastern Michigan's Ryan Goleski broke one Eagle record and tied another over the weekend. Goleski set the single season mark for home runs with 22, bettering the old mark of 19, while he also tied the career mark with 34 homers. Both marks were held by current BGSU assistant coach Chris Hoiles.

In addition, EMU's Brian Bixler tied Goleski's freshman home run record with 12. As a team, the Eagles homered a record 87 times this season, breaking the old record of 77, set in 1997.

*BAYER, BULLINGTON MOVE UP IN WITH WIN:
Miami's Russ Bayer and Ball State's Bryan Bullington moved into a tie for sixth place in the MAC's all-time victories categories following wins two weekends ago. The duo have won 28 games in their career, tying them with three others. Bayer is two wins away from Ben Burnau's school record of 30, while Bullington is tied for the school record with Tom Sharon. Only four players have tallied 30 or more victories in MAC history. 

 All-Time MAC Victories:
 1. Kip Young (BGSU, 1973-76), 37
 2. Tim McDonald (CMU, 1985-88), 36
 3. Doug Martin (EMU, 1988-91), 33
 4. Ben Burnau (MIA, 1985-88), 30
 5. Bob Owchinko (EMU, 1973-76), 29
 6. Russ Bayer (MIA, 1999-pr.), 28
     Bryan Bullington (BSU, 2000-pr.), 28
     Eric Wilson (CMU, 1982-85), 28
     Tom Sharon (BSU, 1974-77), 28
     Mike Rachuba (UT, 1974-77), 28

*CLOSING OUT CAREER IN FINE FASHION:
Ohio's Mike Arbinger closed out his collegiate career in fine fashion on Sunday, homering for a school-record 20th time this season. Arbinger ended his career as a Bobcat as the school's record holder in runs scored -- one of four in MAC history to score 200 times -- and at-bats (740). He also set a single season Ohio record for slugging percentage (.828), while finishing second in school annals in career hits (266). Arbinger also concluded with 444 total bases, which is an Ohio record and ranks third in MAC history.

*ELIAS MOVING UP IN THE RANKS:
Len Elias became Bowling Green's all-time leader in hits over the weekend, passing Chuck Black (1976-79) with 251. Elias now has 254 career hits in four years at BGSU, which ranks him eighth all-time in the MAC. He is third all-time in the MAC in runs scored with 203, one of four players in league history to score 200 runs. 

 MAC Career Active Hit Leaders
 Mike Arbinger, Ohio -- 266 (4th all-time)
 Len Elias, Bowling Green -- 254 (8th)
 Pat Kerrigan, Northern Illinois -- 244 (11th)
 Scott French, Ball State -- 238 (16th)
 Mike Galloway, Miami/C. Michigan -- 237 (T17th)
 Matt Deckman, Ball State -- 218
 Nick Elrod, Bowling Green -- 208
 Paul Henry, Ball State -- 206

*MAIER NABS TOLEDO HITS RECORD:
Sophomore catcher Mitch Maier delivered a single in the first inning against Dayton on Tuesday for his 75th hit of the season. The 75th hit surpassed teammate Phil Pilewski (74) for the most hits in a single season in school history. He also set a school record for total bases in a season (142) passing Pilewski (120). Maier also finished second in doubles (16) and home runs (14), third in runs scored (60) and sixth in RBIs (43).

*SANCHEZ BECOMES RBI LEADER AT UB:
Third baseman Bryan Sanchez became Buffalo's all-time RBI leader with his four RBI effort at Coastal Carolina on May 16. Sanchez, in just three seasons, eclipsed the mark of 113 set by Rudy Pettiford (1979-82). Sanchez knocked in a team-high 38 runs this season, fifth most in school history, and now has a total of 117 in his career.