It's the secret no one in the Big Ten's Indianapolis offices wants you to know. In games between the top four teams in the Big Ten and the Mid-American Conference, the MAC is leading the season series 3-0.
The Ball State University (19-18) baseball team is primarily responsible for that mark, with wins against No. 25 Ohio State University and Indiana University. Kent State University also defeated the Buckeyes and was called "the cream of the crop in the North" by rivals.com in their rankings this week.
The Cardinals will have another chance to take down a Big Ten school Tuesday at Ball Diamond. Purdue University (17-21) comes to Muncie, as they do every other year, seeking revenge after Ball State defeated them 17-8 earlier this year in West Lafayette.
The Boilermakers are seventh in the Big Ten and the Cardinals are looking to extend their winning streak against Big Ten teams to four games.
Purdue enters the game having lost six of their last seven games and was swept at the University of Minnesota last weekend. They will send junior Drew Wurdack to the mound against the Cardinals. He picked up the lone Boilermaker win in the last seven games when he pitched five innings against Butler University last week. Wurdack allowed two runs and struck out nine against the Bulldogs.
Ball State will start the game with senior Adam Quinn, but will likely use multiple members of their bullpen early in the midweek contest. Quinn threw 2/3 of an inning in the first game against Purdue, but did not factor into the decision. However, the right-hander has not started a game since March 25 at Indiana State University, when he allowed four runs on four hits in two innings.
The game will also feature a matchup between freshman first baseman Ian Nielsen and his brother, senior Purdue catcher Eric Nielsen. Eric got the better of his younger brother in the first meeting, going 1-for-5, while Ian was hitless, but came away with the win.
Ball State is not the only MAC team in action against the Big Ten Tuesday. Miami University will travel to Indiana and Eastern Michigan visits Michigan State University. While there are no top-four matchups, the MAC would love to improve on their 13-17 overall record against the Big Ten. The Cardinals will get one more shot at the Big Ten this season when they visit the University of Michigan on May 12.
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