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The MAC baseball tournament kicked off this week in Avon, Ohio as conference rivals vie for a spot in the postseason. Weather has thrown a hitch in the plans with rain causing major issues.
A matchup between Toledo and Bowling Green was originally scheduled to take place Wednesday. Precipitation pushed that start to 9 AM on Thursday. Unfortunately, the wait wouldn’t provide much relief.
Heavy rain continued this morning. The league did its best to push through. It resulted in one of the most comical box scores of the 2025 season.
The two teams were able to complete two innings of play. In that time, 16 runs were scored on a grand total of four hits.
Just a hilarious box score to start the MAC Tournament
16 runs on 4 hits and 0 errors
It’s pissing rain and neither pitcher can throw strikes
MACtion 😤 pic.twitter.com/aR7nLKw3fX
— 11Point7 College Baseball (@11point7) May 22, 2025
The pitching staffs combined to record 12 walks, eight wild pitches, and six hit batters across 34 batters faced. Eighteen of the game’s first 22 baserunners reached via free pass. There have been no defensive errors, and few balls put in play.
Pitchers simply could not find the strike zone. It wasn’t a surprise considering the conditions.
A description of the weather at first pitch can be found in the box score. The forecast called for a mix of rain and fog along with 13-22 MPH winds.
After seeing the struggles, officials finally stopped play. Unfortunately, the damage had already been done.
We’ve entered a weather delay at Crushers Stadium after two full innings. Toledo leads 9-7.
Stay tuned for updates. #MACtion ⚾️
— MACtion (@MACSports) May 22, 2025
While some made light of the situation, many following along blasted the MAC for not postponing the baseball tournament contest. The conditions were known, but the league tried to play in an attempt to catch up on missed time.
“Have to hold someone accountable,” wrote one follower. “Could only fit one game in yesterday and now force two teams battling for their tournament lives to play in the worst conditions I’ve ever seen.”
Many others agreed. “What a joke!” wrote this fan. “The game never should’ve started.”
“Shame on the MAC,” said another while calls for accountability were voiced. “This is embarrassing,” a fellow baseball viewer commented. “Teams work all year for this opportunity, and officials can’t make a competent decision.”
The winner of the MAC baseball tournament will book a ticket to the NCAA Tournament. Toledo and Bowling Green’s championship pursuits have already been met with adversity.
With the weather expected to continue throughout the afternoon, the game has been scheduled to resume at 5 PM – eight hours after first pitch. Hopefully better conditions lead to a better product.