KALAMAZOO, Mich.  –  The Western Michigan baseball team approaches the highlight of its 2018 Fall Schedule, hosting the annual Brown & Gold World Series, beginning Oct. 30 at Robert J. Bobb Stadium at Hyames Field. Admission to all games are free.

The three-game intrasquad series will be contested on the following days and times:
Game 1 (7 innings): Tuesday, Oct. 30 • 3:15 p.m.
Game 2 (7 innings): Wednesday, Oct. 31 • 2:15 p.m.  
Game 3: (9 innings): Friday, Nov. 2 • 2:30 p.m.

The 2018-19 squad is filled with experience and youth as the Broncos have 17 upperclassmen to go along with 15 underclassmen and are led a veteran senior class of Andrew Stone, Casey Horjus, Jesse Forestell, Matt McConnell, Chris Modrzynski, Nate Grys, Conner Henderson, Cooper Marshall and Jimmy Roche.

Fresh faces join the Bronco baseball program this season with the addition of nine newcomers to the squad. The 2019 recruiting class features Jimmy Allen, Dan Armbrustmacher, Bobby Dearing, Gavin Doyle, Brady Miller, William Morrison, Easton Sikorski, Drew Szczepaniak, Ryan Vice and KVCC transfer Jeffery Burch.

At the plate the Broncos will be led by Grys who was named Second Team All-MAC last season after leading WMU in doubles (14), triples (2), home runs (10), RBIs (48), total bases (96) and slugging percentage (.611). Grys became the first Broncos since 2009 to hit double digit home runs and the first do so in the BBCOR bat era which began in 2011.

On the mound Chris Modrzynski returns for his senior season after appearing in 19 games, starting 10 a season ago. Modrzynski finished the season with a 3-4 record in 47.0 innings pitched.

The Broncos ended last season with an overall record of 23-25 and 12-13 in Mid-American Conference play. It was the fifth straight season WMU recorded at least 20 wins and the fifth straight year registering double digit conference victories.
With a loss on the final day of the regular season at Ball State, the Brown & Gold missed the MAC Tournament for the first time since 2013. WMU has qualified for the conference tournament in six of the last eight seasons.

In the offseason the Broncos had two players selected in the 2018 MLB Draft with RHP Nic Laio selected by the Texas Rangers (20^th round) and shortstop Connor Smith picked in the 30^th round by the Cleveland Indians. Under head coach Billy Gernon, Western Michigan has had nine players drafted while having a junior drafted in each of the last five seasons.