BOWLING GREEN – The 2022 calendar year featured plenty of highlights, accomplishments, and changes for Bowling Green State University athletics.
Several Falcons’ sports programs continued their winning ways, while others took a step in the right direction to getting back to their high standards.
Here are five noteworthy moments in BGSU athletics from 2022.
1. The AD firing/hiring
A change in leadership tops the list as BGSU hired University of Arizona deputy athletic director Derek van der Merwe as the school’s athletic director in late October. He replaced Bob Moosbrugger, who was fired from the position in late August.
Moosbrugger, a former Falcons’ baseball player, was hired as BGSU’s athletic director in May 2016 after previously serving as the deputy athletic director at San Diego State. During Moosbrugger’s time at BGSU, the Falcons hired coaches such as Scot Loeffler (football), Robyn Fralick (women’s basketball), and Ty Eigner (hockey). BGSU, though, did not reach a bowl game or either basketball NCAA tournament during his tenure.
van der Merwe became the 15th athletic director in BGSU history after spending five years in the Arizona athletic department.
He had plenty of Mid-American Conference knowledge, as well. van der Merwe played football for Central Michigan from 1991 to 1995 and worked in the Chippewas’ athletic department from 1997 to 2013. He also spent five years as an administrator at Austin Peay before joining Arizona in July 2018.
2. BGSU makes a bowl game
BGSU football’s bowl drought ended in 2022 when the Falcons made the short trip to Ford Field in Detroit for the Quick Lane Bowl against New Mexico State. Although the Falcons came up just short in falling to the Aggies 24-19 the day after Christmas, playing a meaningful game in December was a big step forward for the program.
The Falcons’ previous bowl appearance was in 2015 when they lost to Georgia Southern 58-27 in the GoDaddy Bowl. BGSU, which finished the 2022 campaign with a 6-7 record, had its most wins in a season since the 2015 squad went 10-4 and won the MAC championship.
The way the Falcons became bowl eligible will be remembered amongst the BGSU faithful for years to come. In a showdown with rival Toledo in mid-November, sophomore running back Ta’ron Keith caught a pass from senior quarterback Matt McDonald and scampered 42 yards for the game-winning touchdown with nine seconds left to give the Falcons a 42-35 victory.
3. Gottshall leads softball to MAC championship game
Behind the remarkable pitching of Payton Gottshall, BGSU’s softball team racked up a 30-win season and finished runner-up to Miami (Ohio) in the MAC tournament championship.
The Falcons finished the season 34-21 (16-11 MAC); it was their highest win total since the 2012 team won 36 games.
Gottshall was a big reason why.
The Falcons’ ace, who was named the MAC pitcher of the year, threw two of her three perfect games during the 2022 season. She had a 27-13 record with a 1.63 ERA in 253⅓ innings.
Gottshall (58-30 career record), who transferred to University of Tennessee in June, ranks first in BGSU history in strikeouts (784) and strikeouts per seven innings (10.13). She is also second in career wins, fourth in shutouts (21) and seventh in ERA (1.77).
4. Volleyball reaches NCAA tournament
BGSU’s volleyball team won the MAC tournament title and returned to the NCAA tournament for the second time in the last three seasons.
The Falcons (22-10 overall, 15-3 MAC) outlasted Ball State in five sets in the conference championship and finished their season with a 25-20, 25-23, 25-20 loss to Western Kentucky in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
It was BGSU’s fourth trip to the NCAA tournament overall.
Senior outside hitter Petra Indrova, who became BGSU’s first All-American from the American Volleyball Coaches Association in 2021, earned honorable mention recognition as well during the 2022 season. She finished with 332 kills and 332 digs in becoming the first Falcon to surpass 300 kills and 300 digs in the same season.
5. Baseball upsets Michigan State
One of the biggest victories for BGSU came on the baseball diamond when the Falcons topped Michigan State 12-3 in late March in East Lansing. It was BGSU’s first win over a Power Five school since 2014, when the Falcons knocked off Michigan 7-4 in Ann Arbor.
BGSU used a four-run top of the first inning and a three-run fourth to build a 9-2 lead. Peyton Wilson allowed two runs on two hits in five innings pitched to get the win.
BGSU, which finished the season 18-34 (14-24 MAC), also took the season series against rival Toledo by winning the final two games. The Falcons used a 7-1 victory at home and a 5-4 win at Fifth Third Field to take the five-game series.
First Published December 29, 2022, 7:32 p.m.
