Ball State Coaching Staff
Head coach - Megan Ciolli Bartlett
Assistants - Jenny Gilbert, Josh Johnson and Jon Sanders
Returning Seniors - Sammi Cowger, Emily Dabkowski, Selena Reyna, Kelsey Schifferdecker and Nicole Steinbach
The Ball State softball team opens up the season on Feb. 12 as they look to build upon last year's conference and National Collegiate Athletic Association regional run.
In the 2015 season the Cardinals won the Mid-American Conference tournament on the way to placing in the South Bend Regional, where they won the first game against the Fighting Irish before getting knocked out of the tournament.
Megan Ciolli Bartlett is the Cardinals' new head coach and begins her coaching career as a Cardinal in Gulf Shores, Ala. Bartlett takes over the program from Tyra Perry, who left after last season for the head coaching job at Illinois University.
Bartlett is looking forward to building off of the team's success last season.
"The culture of this program was the best part of taking this job," Bartlett said.
She previously worked as an assistant coach at Purdue and Northern Illinois after playing four years at Notre Dame Univeristy as well as two seasons playing professionally with the Chicago Bandits.
Five seniors, including two starting pitchers, return this season and will help provide the leadership along with the new coach.
"I tell these seniors all the time that I wouldn't replace them for anything in the world," Bartlett said. "They've been gracious, wonderful and very willing to provide insight on the program and Ball State."
The Cardinals will face a tough test in its opening weekend taking on No. 11 Louisiana Lafayette. Ball State will also face off against No. 25 South Alabama. Overall, Ball State will compete against 23 teams currently ranked in the top 125 of the NCAA's RPI rankings this season.
Ball State comes in ranked at No. 75 in the nation.
Expectations for the season are high as Bartlett looks towards a conference championship and expects to grow each game.
"We need to make sure that every week we're getting better, making adjustments," Bartlett said. "It'll be figuring out the team, who's gonna step up and rise to the occasion."
The Cardinals start the season on the road for eight straight weekends before returning to Muncie to begin conference play against Ohio on April 1. Though it can be tough, Bartlett is excited about the challenge that the road provides.
"It can get a little trying," she said. "Big southern schools have the ability to be on their home turf, be in front of big crowds of your people and that makes it a little easier. It'll make us tougher."
Ball State starts its season this Friday, Feb. 12, at the Sand Dollar Classic in Gulf Shores, Ala., against Louisiana Lafayette.
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