KALAMAZOO, Mich. – Following its one-run victory at Presbyterian on Tuesday, the Western Michigan baseball team returns to Greenville, S.C., this week to take part in the First Pitch Invitational II. 

*Note: Due to this weekend's weather forecast in Greenville, the tournament's original schedule has been rearranged, with the event now slated to start on Thursday instead of on Friday. 

TOURNAMENT INFO
Game One: Thursday, March 7 | 2 pm | Western Michigan vs. VCU | WATCH LIVE | LIVE STATS
RHP Nolan Vlcek vs LHP Campbell Ellis
Game Two: Friday, March 8 | 4 pm | Western Michigan vs. Michigan State | WATCH LIVE | LIVE STATS
RHP Brady Miller vs LHP Joseph Dzierwa
Game Three: Sunday, March 10 | Western Michigan vs. Western Carolina | 10 am | WATCH LIVE

FOLLOW ALONG: @WMUBaseball

LEADING OFF

• Western Michigan continues its seven-game trip to the state of South Carolina this week with the First Pitch Invitational II in Greenville against VCU, Michigan State and Western Carolina
• WMU went 0-3 against MSU, Illinois and Florida State last weekend at the First Pitch Invitational I
• Western Michigan is 98-81 all-time against the Spartans and lost to them 13-3 last weekend in Greenville
• WMU is facing both VCU and Western Carolina from the first time ever this week
• The Broncos are coming off of a 5-4 come-from-behind win at Presbyterian on Tuesday
• Western Michigan pushed across two in the 8th, with the go-ahead run scoring on a Brendan Harrity bunt
• WMU limited PC to two hits in the contest and got 4.0 no-hit innings from starter DJ Thompson
• The Bronco offense continues to lead the MAC in a slew of categories, including team batting average (.318)
• WMU is also atop the league in hits, runs, doubles, homers, walks, on-base percentage and slugging
• Dylan Nevar and Cade Sullivan are tied for second in the conference with 16 RBIs
• Sullivan is also third in the MAC with a .412 batting average and paces the league with 19 runs scored
• Western Michigan senior Nolan Vlcek owns the top ERA in the conference at 1.64

PALMETTO STATE OF MIND
Western Michigan concludes its seven-game trip to the state of South Carolina this week with three games at the First Pitch Invitational II at Fluor Field in Greenville, S.C. The Broncos are set to face VCU, Michigan State and Western Carolina this time around after going 0-3 in last weekend's edition against MSU, Illinois and Florida State. 

THE OPPONENTS
The Broncos are 98-81 all-time against Michigan State after falling to the Spartans, 13-3, last Saturday in Greenville. The two teams are slated to meet one more time this season, April 17, at the Lansing Lugnuts' Jackson Field. Western Michigan will be facing both VCU and Western Carolina for the first time ever this week. 

BRONCOS SINK BLUE HOSE
Western Michigan improved to 5-0 in true road games on Tuesday as it rallied late to beat Presbyterian, 5-4. Trailing 3-2 in the eighth, the Broncos scored the tying run on a wild pitch, and then Brendan Harrity executed a safety squeeze bunt which enabled CJ Richmond to score what turned out to be the game-winning run. The WMU pitching staff held the Blue Hose to just two hits in the game, led by 4.0 no-hit innings by starter DJ Thompson. 

OFFENSIVE ONSLAUGHT
Heading into the First Pitch Invitational II, Western Michigan still leads the Mid-American Conference in a slew of offensive categories. The Broncos currently lead the league in runs (97), batting average (.318, 36th in NCAA DI), hits (132), doubles (25), home runs (13), on-base percentage (.426), slugging percentage (.482) and walks (67).

BRONCO BOMBS
The Broncos hit seven home runs over the weekend at the First Pitch Invitational I to bring their season total to a conference-leading 13. CJ Richmond homered in both games of Saturday's doubleheader, including a three-run, game-tying homer in the eighth inning against Illinois. He and Cade Sullivan are tied for the team lead with three home runs apiece. A total of six different players went deep over the weekend including redshirt sophomore Lucas Rick, who homered in the ninth inning on Sunday against Florida State in his first at-bat for Western Michigan. 

TERRIFIC TRIFECTA
WMU's Dylan Nevar, Cade Sullivan and CJ Richmond have been the top run-producing trio in the league this season, with Nevar and Sullivan tied for second in the league in RBIs with 16, and Richmond tied for fourth with 14. Sullivan has also scored a league-best 19 times, which is tied for 18th-most in NCAA Division I, and at .412 owns the third-highest batting average. 

NASTY NOLAN
Nolan Vlcek gave the Broncos another strong outing out of the bullpen on Saturday as he went a new career-high 4.1 innings and fanned six against Illinois. After the weekend, he led the MAC in ERA (1.64), was fourth in opposing batting average (.195) and tied for ninth with 16 strikeouts. Vlcek is averaging 13.1 strikeouts per nine innings and is scheduled to make his first start of the season on Thursday against VCU.

WALK THIS WAY
Western Michigan's 67 walks lead the MAC, with six members of the regular starting nine having walked at least eight times. Greg Budig, Jackson Kitchen and CJ Richmond lead the way with nine, tied for third in the league, while Michael Maloney, Grady Mee and Cade Sullivan are all tied for ninth having drawn eight free passes.

BERG NAMED TO STOPPER OF THE YEAR WATCH LIST
Senior righty Hayden Berg has been named to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Stopper of the Year Award Watch List. Berg owns a 2.84 ERA and has struck out eight in 6.1 innings across four outings this season. He collected his first save of 2024 on Tuesday by striking out the side in a perfect ninth against Presbyterian.