KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Western Michigan baseball team opens up its 2025 season this weekend at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, N.C. Due to weather concerns, the original weekend schedule has been altered. Originally, the Broncos were slated to play Friday, Saturday and Sunday, with contests against Michigan State, Dayton and Monmouth, but now WMU is set to play a doubleheader against MSU on Friday and a twin bill against Dayton on Saturday. No game is currently scheduled for Sunday. The weekend's schedule is subject to further changes depending on the weather.
WEEKEND INFO
Friday, Feb. 14 | WMU vs. Michigan State (DH) | 4:30 pm |
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Saturday, Feb. 15 | WMU vs. Dayton (DH) | 9:30 am |
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FOLLOW ALONG: @WMUBaseball
LEADING OFF
- Western Michigan begins its 2025 season down in Cary, N.C. at the USA Baseball National Training Complex
- The original schedule for the weekend has been altered due to forecasted weather, and the Broncos are currently scheduled to play doubleheaders against Michigan State and Dayton on Friday and Saturday
- WMU is 98-83 all-time against Michigan State and 1-1 against Dayton
- Last season, the Broncos racked up 32 wins, their most since 1993, and finished second in the MAC at 19-11
- As the No. 2 seed, WMU won its second MAC Tournament title in program history
- The Broncos went on to make their 13th all-time appearance in the NCAA Tournament
- The WMU offense was atop the MAC and 13th in NCAA Division I with a .313 batting average
- Western Michigan's pitching staff led the conference with a 5.55 ERA
- With seven shutouts in 2024, the Broncos tied for second-most in DI and were one shy of the program record
- WMU set a new single-season program record for strikeouts with 444
PLAY BALL
Western Michigan begins its 2025 campaign with four games in two days at the USA Baseball National Training Complex down in Cary, N.C. The Broncos were originally slated to play Michigan State, Dayton and Monmouth, but the schedule was rearranged due to weather concerns, and WMU will now play doubleheaders against both MSU and Dayton. The weekend's schedule is subject to further changes depending on the weather.
2024 YEAR IN REVIEW
The Broncos are coming off of a 32-win campaign in 2024, the most wins for the program since 1993. Western Michigan went 19-11 in conference play to finish second in the regular season standings, its highest MAC finish since 1990. The Brown and Gold were the No. 2 seed for the MAC Tournament and went on a dominant three-day run where they outscored their opponents 29-3 on the way to the second MAC Tournament title in program history. The tournament win punched WMU's ticket to its 13th NCAA Tournament, where it faced No. 2 overall seed Kentucky and Indiana State in the Lexington Regional.
THE OPPONENTS
Western Michigan is 98-83 all-time against Michigan State, and 1-1 all-time against Dayton. Friday's twin bill against the Spartans begins a slate of four games between the two in-state rivals in 2025. MSU will host the Broncos on April 15, and the Brown and Gold will welcome Michigan State to Robert J. Bobb Stadium at Hyames Field on May 7.
POWER SCHEDULING
After playing 12 games against Power Conference foes in 2024, including nine against Big Ten teams, the Broncos loaded up their non-conference slate with 13 more contests against Power Conference teams this year. In addition to four games against Michigan State, Western Michigan also has Louisville, Georgia Tech, Michigan, Northwestern and Notre Dame on its non-conference schedule.
OFFENSIVE ONSLAUGHT
The WMU offense had an outstanding 2024, leading the MAC and ranking 13th in NCAA Division I with a .313 batting average, and posting a .416 on-base percentage which was second in the conference and 21st in the country. Led by
Dylan Nevar's single-season program record 71 RBIs, the Broncos set the single-season team record for runs scored with 418. Western Michigan also set a new program record for hits (597) and tied its own record for walks (287).
RECORD-SETTING STAFF
The Broncos had a record-setting pitching staff as well last season, with the group racking up a single-season school record 444 strikeouts. Western Michigan was atop the MAC and tied for second in the nation with seven shutouts, one shy of the school record. WMU ranked atop the MAC with a 5.55 ERA, and posted a 4.85 mark in league play.
DYLAN'S DAMAGE
Dylan Nevar was a big part of Western Michigan's offensive success last season, led by his single-season school record and MAC-leading 71 RBIs. The outfielder also launched 16 home runs, which tied for the third-most in school history. Nevar enters his senior season chasing several career records at WMU, including the career RBI mark. At 160, he is 14 away from tying former Bronco and Major Leaguer Matt Mieske's record of 174, amassed between 1987-90. Nevar has hit double-digit home runs in two of his first three seasons for the Brown and Gold, and a third would take him past former teammate
Cade Sullivan's record-setting total of 38 from 2021-24.
BACK IN BROWN
The Broncos bring back several key contributors on both sides of the ball from last year's championship squad. In addition to reigning MAC Tournament MVP
Dylan Nevar,
Brendan Harrity (.299),
Michael Maloney (.273) and
Grady Mee (.292) all return after starting all 55 games a season ago. On the pitching side,
Turner Doran returns to anchor the bullpen after turning in a 3.44 ERA and collecting three saves last year.
Joe Shapiro earned five wins in relief in 2024, including getting the victory in the MAC Tournament Championship Game.
DJ Thompson split time between the bullpen and rotation a season ago and posted a 4.32 ERA in 50.0 innings. Each of Thompson's last three regular season starts turned into shutouts for Western Michigan.
WELCOME TO THE ZOO
Western Michigan welcomed seven transfers to this year's squad. Three transferred in from fellow Division I programs,
Chris Akers (Towson),
Aiden Hinds (Kent State) and
Matt Maloney (Evansville). A pair of pitchers arrived at WMU from Division II programs, in
Reese Gaber (University of Sioux Falls) and
Ty McKinstry (Davenport), and the Broncos also grabbed a pair of players from the junior college ranks in
Diego Pena (Kellogg CC) and
Joey Wizceb (McHenry County College). WMU also welcomed five true freshmen to the program, with all five hailing from the state of Michigan.
OPENING DAY STARTER PEDIGREE
Western Michigan has turned to either
Brady Miller or Easton Sikorski to start on Opening Day for each of the last five seasons. With Miller finishing up his time at WMU in 2024, both have now moved on to the professional ranks. Sikorski was a 17th round draft pick of the Cincinnati Reds in 2022 and reached High-A Dayton in the Cincinnati system last summer. Following his senior campaign last year, Miller was signed by and made his pro debut with the Chicago Dogs of the American Association. This year, the Broncos will turn to Davenport transfer
Ty McKinstry on Opening Day. The junior righty arrives in Kalamazoo after two strong years with the Panthers, and was named the 2023 GLIAC Freshman Pitcher of the Year after striking out 24 in 18.2 innings of work.
DORAN NAMED TO STOPPER OF THE YEAR WATCH LIST
Coming into the year, senior right-hander
Turner Doran was named to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers
Association (NCBWA) Preseason Stopper of the Year Award Watch List. In 23 appearances last season, Doran posted a 3.44 ERA across 34.0 innings, the best ERA on the team among pitchers who threw at least 30.0 innings. The righty struck out 42 over those 34.0 frames and picked up a pair of wins and three saves.
PRESEASON POLL
Coming off of a second-place regular season finish and the second MAC Tournament title in program history, the Broncos were picked to finish fifth in the MAC Preseason Coaches Poll. Ball State was selected as the favorite to win both the regular season and tournament titles. Western Michigan was one of five teams to receive at least one vote to win this year's tournament, with Ball State (5), Bowling Green (2), Kent State (2) and Miami (1) all garnering votes. The MAC Tournament returns to Mercy Health Stadium in Avon, Ohio, from May 21-24.
MR. 300
Billy Gernon earned his 300th win at the helm of the Broncos on Senior Day 2024 in a shutout against NIU. In the 300-win club, Gernon joined a pair of WMU Athletics Hall of Famers, Fred Decker, who had 791 from 1976-2004, and Charlie Maher, who racked up 437 victories in two stints at Western Michigan, from 1937-43 and 1946-67.
PIPELINE TO THE SHOW
Since the start of the MLB Draft in 1965, Western Michigan leads all MAC schools with 115 Draft picks. Of the 115, WMU has had 35 players reach the Major Leagues. Five former Broncos are playing in Major League organizations:
Keegan Akin - Baltimore Orioles
Blake Dunn - Cincinnati Reds
Easton Sikorski - Cincinnati Reds
Connor Charping - Seattle Mariners
Luke Thelen - Colorado Rockies
