Daily News associate sports editor Zach Carter reacts to the news that the Cincinnati Reds are declining Joey Votto’s option, ending the 17-year relationship.
The win also celebrated Ball State's seventh annual field trip day. A day when Worthen Arena is filled with elementary and middle school students with an 11:00 a.m. start time.
It’s head coach Brady Sallee’s fourth season-opening win during his 12 seasons as the Cardinals head coach. With an 11 a.m. tip-off due to Ball State’s annual Field Trip Day, it was important to get off to a fast start.
With three games remaining, Ball State will play for two rivalry trophies in the upcoming weeks. It first starts with Northern Illinois University (NIU) and the battle for the Bronze Stalk on Nov. 7 in DeKalb.
By sweeping the Cardinals this weekend and extending its winning streak to 15 matches, Western Michigan (25-2, 15-0 MAC) secured the MAC regular season crown and the opportunity to host the conference tournament.
The Cardinals now sit with an undefeated 3-0 in duel meets this season along with 2-0 against Mid-American Conference opponents this season.
“We knew coming in that it was going to be a dogfight,” head coach J. Agnew said. “They are really well coached. I feel like both teams have very strong senior classes and so we knew it was going to be a battle, so it is nice to come up on top on senior night.”
On the heels of a strong defensive effort, Western Michigan (24-2, 14-0 MAC) handed Ball State a 3-1 loss (27-29, 25-21, 25-21, 25-19) inside the Broncos’ University Arena.
Ball State men’s basketball looks to capitalize on newfound chemistry and established culture from head coach Michael Lewis with almost an entirely new squad.
For the second season in a row, Ball State (2-7, 1-4 MAC) won’t be eligible for a bowl game after a 24-21 loss to Bowling Green (5-4, 3-2 MAC) In another ‘Midweek MACtion’ contest, Ball State is set to take on Northern Illinois (4-5, 3-2 MAC) Tuesday, Nov. 7 at 7 p.m. on CBS Sports Network in Dekalb, Illinois.
It was the first midweek MACtion game for the Cardinals, a series that finds Ball State playing Mid-American Conference (MAC) opponents during the week. The Cardinals fell 24-21 with a last-minute kick just falling short.
“I do not think this is a team that needs a slogan. I don’t think it is a team that needs motivation or reminding,” Sallee said. “I think it is a team that is going to embrace the expectations and go ball."
This matchup eight years in the making is the first of back-to-back ‘Midweek MACtion’ games for Ball State (2-6, 1-3), televised Nov. 1 on ESPN2 at 7 p.m. Coming off a 24-17 win over Central Michigan, the Cardinals turn their focus to Bowling Green (4-4, 2-2 MAC).
This loss ends their season and MAC tournament run. Overall, Ball State's final record on the season is 8-8-3 and 6-3-3 in the MAC. Today was only the Cardinals' second loss at home all year.
Although Ball State was eliminated from postseason contention a week ago, The Cardinals hoped to finish the season strong and add another loss to the Spartans losing streak on their senior day, however, it became a defensive struggle for the Cardinals to manage from the start.
