Just like the soaring temperatures, Bowling Green’s baseball team has gotten hot this summer.
The Bobcats qualified for the ACME State Tournament for the second time in three years, and will open
play in the double-elimination tournament tonight at 7:30 against Vandalia. The tournament is being held
at Celina’s Eastview Park.
BG, with a record of 14-7 this summer, made it through sectionals and districts and are the sole
qualifier from District 7, which represents Wood, Hancock, Sandusky, Seneca, Huron and Wyandot counties.

The Bobcats won the district title by defeating Perrysburg in the second game of a doubleheader, with
BG’s Cody Lang hitting a walk-off home run to clinch the trip to the state tournament.
“For the program, it’s what we’ve been striving for,” said BG coach Josh Iler. “This is where you prepare
for next spring. Program-wise, it’s like a head start for us. If they can start working together now and
figure each other out, it’s only going to benefit them.”
BG is one of eight teams in the tournament, along with Springfield, Minster, Lima Shawnee, Toledo Central
Catholic, Defiance and Greenville.
If BG should win its first game, it would face the winner of Defiance and Greenville Sunday at 7:30 p.m.
If BG loses, it would play the loser of Defiance and Greenville on Sunday at 2:30 p.m.
The Bobcats, who graduated seven seniors from their varsity team this spring, have had many players play
well at different times this spring.
Shortstop Jake Ireland leads the team with four home runs this summer, and had a walk-off hit against
Perrysburg earlier in the district tournament.
Mason Mayberry pitched a complete game for the win in the district finals, and is also one of BG’s
leaders at the plate and in the field from his first base position.
Austin Rodesky, who has stepped in after playing mostly junior varsity in the spring, has been a key
pitcher for the Bobcats this summer. Andy Fisher, Nolan Dill and Reid Mankowski have also seen
significant time on the mound.
Nate Tracy (catcher), Andrew Herringshaw (third base) and Rob Tyrrell (right field) have also made key
contributions this summer.
“We started to see the improvement and started to see they were helping each other out. It’s culminated
into what we see now, them going to state,” Iler said. “I’m seeing a lot of good things. There’s a lot
of guys stepping up.”
Iler, who is the varsity coach, is limited in his interaction with the team due to state rules. Andrew
Beaverson, Duane Carey and Shaun Briggs also help coach in the summer.
“It’s perfect for these guys. The junior varsity guys haven’t been in a tournament game like varsity guys
have, but just to be under the pressure that they’re going to be under will make them better suited next
spring,” Iler said.
“They’ve made themselves believe that they can just as easily win that thing as any of the other teams
there. So they’re ready to take it all.”
For more information on the ACME State Tournament visit www.acmebaseballcongress.org.