Falcon Fodder

Two BG baseball players drafted, signed

The Bowling Green baseball team had a pair of players selected in the 2011 MLB First Year Draft, and both signed professional contracts.

Jon Berti was taken in the 18th round of this year's draft by Toronto. The Falcon shortstop earned All-Mid-American Conference honors for the second straight year in 2011, leading the league with a .412 batting average as well as five triples and 13 stolen bases.

Berti is playing second base for the Vancouver Canadians, the Blue Jays' Short-Season affiliate in the Northwest League. In his first eight games, Berti is hitting .407 with a pair of triples and seven RBI. Berti currently ranks fourth in the league in batting average and is tied for second in triples.

Ross Gerdeman was selected in the 35th round by Arizona after serving as the Falcons most reliable reliever this spring. In 22 appearances for BG, Gerdeman was 2-1 with a 3.57 ERA.

Gerdeman joined the Diamondback's team in the Short-Season Arizona League and has been impressive in a pair of relief appearances, allowing just three hits in three scoreless innings.

Bowling Green now has had 43 players taken in the MLB Draft since 1965. Head Coach Danny Schmitz has seen 29 of his players selected in the draft since he took the job in 1991.

Since 2000, 18 Bowling Green players have been drafted or signed a professional free agent contract.

Meyer featured at BGSU's Gridiron Classic

The BG football team will host its third annual Gridiron Classic Golf and Dinner on Monday, July 25 at Catawba Island in Port Clinton. This year’s featured guest will be former BG head football coach Urban Meyer.

This year’s Gridiron Classic includes a golf scramble at the Catawba Island Club; a coaches' social; a "Surf 'N' Turf" dinner overlooking the shores of Lake Erie; a live auction that will include memorabilia, vacation destinations, sideline passes, and other exclusive items; and an "Orange & Brown" fireworks show.

Besides Meyer, among those in attendance will be Dr. Mary Ellen Mazey, the new BGSU president.

Cost of the event, which includes lunch, Surf 'N' Turf dinner and golf, is $500 per person or $2,000 per foursome. Cost for those who want only the Surf 'N' Turf dinner and fireworks is $125.

For questions regarding the event, please contact Assistant Athletics Director for Football, Clint Dowdle at cdowdle@bgsu.edu or (419) 372-7083.

BG hockey schedule features 18 home games

The Bowling Green hockey team's 2011-12 schedule includes 18 regular-season home games, including series against Notre Dame, Ohio State and Michigan.

The Falcons begin the season with an exhibition game against Ontario Institute of Technology on Sunday, Oct. 2 starting at 4:05 p.m. BG then opens the regular season with a pair of games against the University of Connecticut on Friday-Saturday, Oct. 7-8.

The Falcons host Notre Dame in its first Central Collegiate Hockey Association home series on Friday-Saturday, Oct. 28-29. BG also hosts CCHA series against Ferris State (Nov. 4-5), Alaska-Fairbanks (Nov. 11-12), Ohio State (Jan. 7-8), Northern Michigan (Feb. 10-11) and Michigan (Feb. 24-25) as well as single games against Western Michigan on Friday, Dec. 9 and Saturday, Jan. 28.

BG's other home games come in a non-conference series against Canisius College on Friday-Saturday, Nov. 11-12.

The only home games that do not start at 7:05 p.m. are the exhibition game, the Saturday contest against Canisius (4:05 p.m.) and the Sunday game against Ohio State (5:05 p.m.).

2011-12 BGSU Hockey Schedule

Date        Opponent                                                                 Time        

Oct. 2      ONTARIO INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (exhibition)   4:05 p.m.

Oct. 7      CONNECTICUT                                                          7:05 p.m.

Oct. 8      CONNECTICUT                                                          7:05 p.m.

Oct. 14    at Alabama-Huntsville

Oct. 15    at Alabama-Huntsville

Oct. 21    at Lake Superior State*

Oct. 22    at Lake Superior State*

Oct. 28    NOTRE DAME*                                                           7:05 p.m.

Oct. 29    NOTRE DAME*                                                           7:05 p.m.

Nov. 4     FERRIS STATE*                                                          7:05 p.m.

Nov. 5     FERRIS STATE*                                                          7:05 p.m.

Nov. 11    CANISIUS COLLEGE                                                   7:05 p.m.

Nov. 12    CANISIUS COLLEGE                                                   4:05 p.m.

Nov. 18    at Miami*

Nov. 19    at Miami*

Nov. 25    ALASKA-FAIRBANKS*                                                7:05 p.m.

Nov. 26    ALASKA-FAIRBANKS*                                                7:05 p.m.

Dec. 2      at Michigan State*

Dec. 3      at Michigan State*

Dec. 9      WESTERN MICHIGAN*                                               7:05 p.m.

Dec. 10    at Western Michigan*

Dec. 30    at Bemidji State                                                        7:35 p.m.

Dec. 31    at Bemidji State                                                        7:00 p.m.

Jan. 7      OHIO STATE*                                                           7:00 p.m.

Jan. 8      OHIO STATE*                                                           5:05 p.m.

Jan. 20    at Alaska-Fairbanks*                                                 11:05 p.m.

Jan. 21    at Alaska-Fairbanks*                                                 11:05 p.m.

Jan. 27    at Western Michigan*

Jan. 28    WESTERN MICHIGAN*                                              7:05 p.m.

Feb. 3     at Notre Dame*

Feb. 4     at Notre Dame*

Feb. 10    NORTHERN MICHIGAN*                                           7:05 p.m.

Feb. 11    NORTHERN MICHIGAN*                                           7:05 p.m.

Feb. 17    at Ferris State*

Feb. 18    at Ferris State*

Feb. 24    MICHIGAN*                                                             7:05 p.m.

Feb. 25    MICHIGAN*                                                             7:05 p.m.

March 2-4    CCHA First Round games

March 9-11  CCHA Quarterfinals

March 16-17    CCHA Championships#

HOME GAMES IN BOLD CAPS

All times listed are local times

* Central Collegiate Hockey Association game

# At Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, MI

Daniels named head equipment manager

Brian Daniels has been named the head equipment manager at BGSU after serving as the assistant manager of athletic equipment services at Colgate University since 2008.

Prior to that time, Daniels worked for a year as assistant equipment manager at the University at Buffalo from 2006-08. He was equipment manager at Gardner-Webb from July of 2001 through December of 2006, also serving as tight ends coach for the football team during that period.

Daniels earned a masters degree from Gardner-Webb University in 2004 in sport science and pedagogy. He is a member of the Athletic Equipment Manager’s Association (AEMA) and has been a certified athletic equipment manager since 2009.

BG football game times set

Bowling Green State University announced game times for a majority of its 2011 football schedule Wednesday, including all but one of its six home games and four of its six road contests.

The home opener against Morgan State on Sat., Sept. 10 will kick off at 7 p.m. at Doyt Perry Stadium, while the Sat., Oct. 15 game against TTUN will begin at noon. The Falcons will host Temple starting at 3:30 p.m. on Sat., Oct. 22, while the team's two home November games -- Tues., Nov. 8 against Northern Illinois and Wed., Nov. 16 versus Ohio -- both will kick off at 8 p.m.

The Falcons also announced that three games will be televised by an ESPN affiliate, including the Oct. 15 home game against TTUN (ESPN Regional), the Nov. 8 home game against Northern Illinois (ESPN2/ESPNU) and the Nov. 16 contest against Ohio (also ESPN2/ESPNU).

2011 BGSU Football Schedule 

Date          Opponent (TV)                                    Time

Sept. 1      at Idaho                                                7 p.m.

Sept. 10     MORGAN STATE                                  7 p.m.

Sept. 17    WYOMING                                            TBA

Sept. 24     at Miami                                              1 p.m.

Oct. 1        at West Virginia                                   TBA

Oct. 8        at Western Michigan*                           2 p.m.

Oct. 15      TTUN*%(ESPN-Plus)                            Noon

Oct. 22      TEMPLE*                                             3:30 p.m.

Oct. 29       at Kent State*                                     1 p.m.

Nov. 8       NORTHERN ILLINOIS* (ESPN2/ESPNU)  8 p.m.

Nov. 16     OHIO* (ESPN2/ESPNU)                         8 p.m.

Nov. 25     at Buffalo*                                            TBA

Dec. 2       MAC Championship Game# (ESPN2)       7 p.m.

HOME GAMES IN BOLD CAPS

All times listed are site times

* Mid-American Conference Game

% Homecoming

# West Division champion vs. East Division champion, Ford Field, Detroit, MI

Your questions, my answers – June 6

Robert wrote: When Danny McElroy left the [men’s basketball] team, I saw you write that McElroy’s scholarship may be given to Chauncey Orr. Why?

Before I answer Robert’s question, here is a link to a pair of stories: first, a link to Danny McElroy leaving the program; second, a link to Chauncey Orr announcing he will join the Falcons this fall.

Dear Robert: You’ve noticed that in the original Chauncey Orr story, I wrote that Orr has an opportunity to attend BG on a tuition waiver since his father, head coach Louis Orr, is a university employee.

It seems like a clever ruse to have the younger Orr “walk-on” to the program, leaving a scholarship open and giving the Falcons one more scholarship-caliber player than opponents.

But here are a couple of other things to consider.

First, leaving this scholarship open isn’t very helpful at this time of the year. High-caliber recruits who can come to BG and play this coming season aren’t in great supply, since they already have signed with other programs by this point. So even if this scholarship isn’t used on Chauncey Orr, the chances are good that it won’t be used until the 2012-13 season.

Second, notice that other father-son combinations don’t use the “tuition waiver” to create that extra scholarship. Central Michigan’s Trey Zeigler is on scholarship, as is Detroit’s Ray McCallum Jr.

I’m about to make a guess here, but this is why I think coaches don’t use it: Haven’t these players earned a scholarship? In Chauncey Orr’s case, he was All-Ohio first team in Division I, and I haven’t heard anyone say he isn’t a prospect. You’ll notice in the Orr story I wrote that I mentioned that he is much better than the typical “walk-on.” Deserved or not, there is a bit of a stigma with being called a “walk-on” that Orr simply doesn’t deserve.

And finally, I’m certain this isn’t in coach Orr’s thinking, but what if he leaves for another job after this season? The tuition waiver leaves, and Chauncey Orr has to find a scholarship at a moment’s notice. That’s certainly not fair to the player.

Thanks for writing, John.

Have a question you would like me to answer? Post it as a comment (click on the "comments" link below) or send me an e-mail to jwagner@theblade.com. I will edit for clarity, length and style, but I promise you will recognize your question when you read it. Looking forward to hearing from you!