KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Western Michigan baseball team begins Mid-American Conference play with its first home games of the season this weekend as it welcomes Toledo to Robert J. Bobb Stadium at Hyames Field.

*Note: Due to Sunday's weather forecast, the two teams will now wrap up the series on Saturday with a doubleheader beginning at 11 am.

SERIES INFO: Western Michigan (7-8, 0-0 MAC) vs Toledo (7-10, 3-0)
Game One: Friday, March 15 | 3:05 pm | TICKETS | LIVE VIDEO | LIVE STATS
RHP Brady Miller vs LHP Noah Johnson
Game Two: Saturday, March 16 | 11 am (G1 of DH) | TICKETS | LIVE VIDEO | LIVE STATS
RHP Nolan Vlcek vs LHP Grant Umberger
Game Three: Saturday, March 16 | Game 2 of DH | TICKETS | LIVE VIDEO | LIVE STATS

FOLLOW ALONG: @WMUBaseball

LEADING OFF

• Western Michigan begins MAC play this weekend as it welcomes Toledo to town for a three-game series
• This weekend's contests also mark WMU's first home games of the 2024 campaign
• The Broncos went 10-4 at home last season, including a 10-2 mark in conference play
• Western Michigan enters the weekend with a 110-67 all-time record against Toledo
• The Broncos swept the Rockets last season in Toledo, one of its three MAC sweeps in 2023
• It was Western Michigan's first sweep of Toledo since 2005
• The last time these two programs met in Kalamazoo, they split a four-game set to open MAC play in 2022
• WMU enters the weekend with the top batting average in the conference at .309 (41st in NCAA DI)
• The Broncos also pace the MAC in hits, doubles, on-base percentage and sacrifices
• Cade Sullivan (.397) and CJ Richmond (.375) are fourth and sixth, respectively, in the league in average
• Sullivan is second in the MAC in runs scored (21), while Richmond is tied for third in RBIs (19)
• Richmond is currently riding an 11-game hitting streak, the longest by a Bronco in 2024
• Western Michigan senior Nolan Vlcek owns the top ERA in the conference at 2.81
• The senior righty ranks third in the league in strikeouts per nine innings at 11.25

TIME FOR #MACTION
After starting the 2024 campaign with 15 consecutive non-conference games away from home, Western Michigan begins Mid-American Conference play this weekend as it welcomes Toledo to Kalamazoo for a three-game series.

HOME SWEET HOME
The Broncos were dominant within the friendly confines of Robert J. Bobb Stadium at Hyames Field in 2023, posting a 10-4 mark at home, including a 10-2 record in conference games. Western Michigan won all four MAC series it played on its own turf last season and swept both Bowling Green and Ohio during an eight-game home winning streak. 

SERIES HISTORY
Western Michigan enters this weekend with a 110-67 all-time record against Toledo. Last season, the Broncos swept the Rockets in Toledo, their first sweep of UT since 2005. The last time the Rockets came to Kalamazoo, the two teams split a four-game series to open Mid-American Conference play in mid-March of 2022. 

FIRST PITCH INVITATIONAL RECAP
The Broncos are coming off of an 0-3 weekend at the First Pitch Invitational II at Fluor Field in Greenville, S.C. On Thursday against VCU, Western Michigan scored six in the ninth to force the contest into extra innings before falling in 11. WMU then lost a tight one to Michigan State on Friday, 5-3, before falling to Western Carolina on Sunday.

OFFENSIVE ONSLAUGHT
The Western Michigan's offense has gotten off to a hot start this season, as it begins the weekend at the top of the conference in batting average at .309, which ranks 41st in NCAA DI. The Broncos also enter the weekend atop the league in hits (158), doubles (31), on-base percentage (.419) and sacrifice bunts (11).  

RAKING RICHMOND
CJ Richmond has been a large part of WMU's early-season offensive production, as he enters the weekend sixth in the conference with a .375 batting average and tied for third with 19 RBIs. The Iowa Western transfer has hit safely in 14 of WMU's 15 games, recorded seven multi-hit efforts and is currently riding an 11-game hitting streak, the longest hitting streak by a Bronco so far in 2024. 

SWINGIN' SULLIVAN
Cade Sullivan leads the Brown and Gold and ranks fourth in the conference with a .397 batting average. The senior has scored 21 runs so far in 2024, which is currently second-most in the MAC.

NASTY NOLAN
Nolan Vlcek made his first start of the season for the Broncos last Thursday against VCU and delivered a solid outing, tossing a career-high 5.0 innings and picking up four strikeouts. The senior owns the top ERA in the MAC at 2.81 and the sixth-lowest opponents' batting average (.230). Vlcek has piled up 20 strikeouts in 16.0 innings this season to rank third in the conference at 13.25 strikeouts per nine innings. 

WESTERN WORKHORSE
In his start against Michigan State last week, Brady Miller became the ninth Bronco in program history to eclipse 200 career strikeouts. The redshirt senior ranks eighth in the conference with 20.1 innings pitched through his first four starts this season.

WALK THIS WAY
Western Michigan ranks second in the MAC with 83 walks so far this season. Three Broncos have drawn double-digit free passes, led by Michael Maloney's 12, while another three have drawn nine walks apiece.