KALAMAZOO, Mich. -- The Western Michigan softball team will play its first series at its home field this weekend against the Bowling Green Falcons.

LAST TIME OUT
The Broncos opened Mid-American Conference play at Miami (OH) where they went 1-2 against the RedHawks. WMU ended a six-game losing streak in the series on Friday night in the opening game of conference action. Junior infielder Analeez Niles was the difference maker for the Brown and Gold in the 8-6 win as she hit the first grand slam of her career in the fourth inning. Western Michigan took a 5-2 lead on the team's second grand slam of the season and didn't relinquish it over the next three innings. The Broncos had eight different players record a hit in the victory.

WMU had a close game with Miami to open Saturday's doubleheader. The Brown and Gold offense was silent for the first four innings as the RedHawks built a four run advantage. Western Michigan scored its first run on a foul out sacrifice from infielder Kendall Kotzmacher, sending pinch runner Emily Yacapraro home. The Broncos wouldn't score again until the seventh inning, now facing a six run deficit as Miami responded to WMU's run with two of its own in the bottom of the fifth.

But the Brown and Gold mounted a furious comeback attempt, scoring four runs on five hits, coming just a run shy of sending the game into extras. Outfielder Rylee O'Brien was the only Western Michigan player with multiple hits in the 6-5 loss with two. The Broncos struggled in the final game of the weekend, only connecting on four hits and scoring a single run. Utility Caitlin Tighe scored the only run of the second game, launching a solo home run to left field to begin the fourth inning. O'Brien, catcher Tristen Head, and outfielder Megan Malartsik recorded the three other hits of the game.

ROAD WARRIORS
WMU has played 22 games away from its home field of Fran Ebert Field to begin the 2026 season. The Brown and Gold have played 13 true road games i sn that 22 game stretch, going 4-9 in opponents stadiums. While Western Michigan has a 6-3 record on neutral fields going into its first home series of the season.

During Head Coach Marlee WIlson's tenure, the Broncos are an even 1-1 in home openers. Friday's game against Bowling Green is the earliest home opener for WMU since the 2022 season when the Brown and Gold played their first game at Ebert Field a day earlier on March 19 against Toledo. Western Michigan was scheduled to begin its 2023 season at home on March 17 against Buffalo. But the Buffalo series that season was canceled due to inclement weather.

MAKING THE SACRIFICE
The Broncos are one of the national leaders in sacrifice bunts heading into their 23rd game of the season. WMU has recorded 18 sacrifice bunts at the plate for an average of 0.82 a game. The Brown and Gold are ranked 29th among Division I teams in total sacrifice bunts. But Western Michigan is third in the MAC in the category as they are right behind the two teams tied for first. Bowling Green and Toledo have 19 sacrifice bunts each heading into this weekend's series. 

STRIKING OUT IN SEVEN
The Broncos are also nationally ranked in a category in the cirlce as well ahead of Friday's home opener. WMU's pitching staff is 27th in the country and leads the MAC in team strikeouts per seven innings. The Brown and Gold average 6.41 strikeouts a game, led by freshman Hannah Potts at 7.2 strikeouts in seven innings. Potts threw out 12 Miami batters last weekend and had 15 strikeouts for the week including her three inning performance at Ohio State.

SERIES HISTORY
Western Michigan holds a firm lead in the overall series against Bowling Green with a 62-40 record. The series dates back to 1980, two seasons before the Broncos joined the MAC for softball with WMU winning the initial meeting 5-0. The Brown and Gold have a distinct advantage in Kalamazoo, leading the Falcons 36-17. Western Michigan currently has dropped its last two games to Bowling Green in the program's series at Ohio last season.

In 2025, the Broncos dropped two of three games at Bowling Green, taking the opener 3-1 on Friday, but falling 8-0 and 4-0 in a doubleheader on Saturday. In WMU's lone win of the series last year, the team connected on nine hits and scoring three runs across seven innings. The Brown and Gold were led by infielders Niles and Micaela Booth, who had two hits each and brought in all three runs.

SCOUTING THE FALCONS
Bowling Green enters this weekend with a 13-10 overall record and an identical MAC record to Western Michigan at 1-2. The Falcons opened conference play hosting Central Michigan where they took the first game 1-0, but dropped the final two games 7-4 and 8-2. Bowling Green comes to Ebert Field hitting .269 as a team, with five of its starters batting between .286 and .329. In the circle the Falcons have a team ERA of 4.11 with 63 strikeouts.

Bowling Green's leaders at the plate are junior Taylor Behrendt with a .329 batting average, while redshirt sophomore Addie Martin is right behind at .328. Freshman Hannah Simko and junior Cameron Kaufman each are batting .296, while senior Katie Hutter bats .286 to round out the Falcons top five hitters. In the circle, senior Mackenzie Krafcik leads the team with 15 appearances and 12 starts with eight complete games. She also has an 8-4 record with one save and a 2.48 earned-run average.