The harsh bitterness of losing continues to linger with Ball State (12-31).
With a non-conference game versus a Big Ten opponent set for this afternoon, the Cardinals look to regroup as they travel to West Lafayette to complete the home-and-home series with the Purdue Boilermakers (30-16).
The Cardinals have dropped eight of their last 10 games and currently ride a six-game losing streak entering their final non-conference contest of the season.
The last meeting between the two clubs was on April 12 at Ball Diamond and it was the Boilermakers who departed from Muncie with an 8-5 win.
Supporting a 5-4 lead in the top of the ninth inning, Ball State was just one out away from securing the victory. However, Purdue stormed back, tallying four runs on back-to-back two-run singles from Barrett Serrato and Payton Bieker.
Ball State is in search for its first win against Purdue since March 30, 2005, it held on for a 9-8 victory in Muncie.
Coach Alex Marconi will use multiple pitchers in his team's final mid-week contest of the season.
Freshman lefty Nestor Bautista will start for the Cardinals. Bautista (0-4, 7.90 ERA) will be making his fifth start of the season and second against Purdue.
Bautista allowed four runs on seven hits in four innings of work against the Boilermakers.
The Cardinals are (2-3) in non-conference games this season, but are winless (0-2) against the Big Ten.
First pitch is set for 1 p.m.
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