LIVE STATS | GAME NOTES
 
Bulldog Bits                                                                                                                       
- Game times have been adjusted this weekend to 2 PM, 3 PM and 2 PM
- The Bulldogs have scored 111 runs this season while only allowing 48
- BU has outscored their opponent 38-6 in the 5th and 6th innings this year
- Garrett Christman is batting .515 with runners on base, .383 on the year (18-47)
- Michael Hartnagel has reached base in 15-straight games
- Gehrig Parker, Tyler Houston, Hartnagel, and Christman have started every game
- Houston, Gehrig Parker and Hartnagel have hit 2-3-4 in every game this year
- Brock Balderson picked up his first win of the season against Ball State
- Connor Schultz and Christman were named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll
- Schultz and Josh Walker combine for 25 strikeouts out of the pen in 22.2 innings
- Butler went 7-2 against MAC opponents last year
- Butler and Western Michigan split a pair of games in 2016
 
Scouting Western Michigan
The Broncos are 8-6 overall with wins over Miami Ohio, Yale, St. Bonaventure, Villanova, Georgetown, and Saint Joseph's. The team most recently lost to Florida International 4-2 in a six inning game. Heavy rain caused a lengthy delay and the game would eventually be called after six full innings in the book. Top bats in the lineup include Nate Grys, Jimmy Roche, Drew Devine and Connor Smith. Roche is the hit leader with 21, but Grys leads the club in RBIs with 13. Devine (.333) and Smith (.305) are also over .300 as a batter this season. The pitching staff is highlighted by Jacob Piechota, a 6-3 left-hander from Batavia, Ill. Piechota is 1-1 on the hill with a 2.86 ERA. He has a team-high 23 strikeouts in 22 innings of work.
 
Last Time Out
Butler and Western Michigan played two games at Bulldog Park in 2016. The Broncos won the first meeting 2-0, but the Bulldogs would win game two 7-3.
 
Midweek Matchup
Butler defeated Ball State 6-2 on Wednesday afternoon. Garrett Christman and his brother Connor Christman combined to record four of Butler's five RBI in the outcome. Sam Hubbe got the start and struck out six over six full innings. The win went to Brock Balderson, his first of the year.
 
Christman Connects Early
It only took Garrett Christman 14 games to match his RBI total from one year ago. The BU utility man has a team-high 20 RBI this year off 18 hits. He currently posts a .511 slugging percentage and a .433 on-base percentage to go along with his team-best batting average of .383.
 
Matchups vs. The MAC
Butler went 7-2 vs. opponents from the Mid-American Conference a year ago. They split an opening weekend series vs. Ohio 1-1, but would travel to Ohio later in the regular season to sweep a three-game series. The 'Dawgs won a single game at Ball State and split a two-game series vs. Eastern Michigan. BU also picked up an 8-4 win at Miami Ohio. Butler won that contest in extra innings (10).
 
Up Next
Butler will play at Dayton on Tuesday, March 20. Their next home game will follow against DePauw on March 21. First pitch in Dayton is slated for 3 PM. Bulldog Park will feature a 4 PM start time.