AVON, Ohio – The No. 2 seed Western Michigan baseball team continued to roll on Friday night as it blanked top-seeded Bowling Green, 11-0. The win puts the Broncos in the Championship Game for the first time since it won the tournament in 2016. It was also WMU's 31st victory of the season, the most for the Broncos since 1995.
 
FINAL SCORE: No. 2 Western Michigan 11, No. 1 Bowling Green 0
LOCATION: Crushers Stadium (Avon, Ohio)
RECORDS: Western Michigan (31-21) | Bowling Green (33-19)
W: Nolan Vlcek (5-3) | L: Landon Willeman (3-3)
 
Friday marked WMU's third consecutive shutout, making it the first time the Broncos have tossed three consecutive shutouts since they swept Akron with three straight shutouts in 2011. It was Western Michigan's seventh shutout of the season, which is tied for second-most in the nation this season and for second-most in a single season in program history.
 
The contest played out in similar fashion to Thursday's tournament opener for the Brown and Gold, with Nolan Vlcek playing the role of dominant starting pitcher. The senior scattered three hits over his seven scoreless frames and struck out 10, his third double-digit strikeout performance of the season.
 
After Vlcek, WMU handed the ball to Turner Doran, who set down six of the seven batters he faced in the eighth and ninth frames. In total, the duo retired 26 of the 30 batters they faced, with one double play turned behind them on a line drive to Josh Swinehart, who threw to Cade Sullivan at first to double off the BGSU baserunner. Vlcek and Doran struck out 13 without issuing a walk and did not allow a Bowling Green runner to get past first base the entire night.
 
The Western Michigan offense got off to a quick start, as the first four batters all registered singles, with CJ Richmond knocking in the game's first run with an infield hit. Swinehart followed with a bases-loaded walk, and Dylan Nevar then scored on a wild pitch to cap the three-run opening frame.
 
The score remained 3-0 until the sixth, when the Broncos added five. Jackson Kitchen delivered a run-scoring base hit to get things started, and one out later, Nevar followed with a two-run single. Richmond then capped the frame with a two-run blast to right center.

Western Michigan tacked on three more insurance tallies in the ninth. Sullivan capped a four-hit game by doubling home a pair to eclipse the 50-RBI mark for the third consecutive season. The senior joins Nevar (68) and Richmond (63) as the first trio in program history to all drive in 50 or more runs in the same season. Nevar's 68 RBIs tie him with Tanner Allison's 2017 campaign for the most in a single season in school history.
 
With Friday night's win, the Broncos advance to face Saturday evening's Championship Game, where they will face the winner of the first game of the day between No. 1 seed Bowling Green and No. 3 seed Ball State. First pitch for Saturday's Championship Game is scheduled for 6 pm. All games of the 2024 MAC Tournament will be streamed on ESPN+.