BASEBALL: Ball State comes back to take series at Central Michigan
April 24, 2010Sweeping a doubleheader Saturday at Central Michigan University, Ball State University climbed into first place in the Mid-American Conference West Division.
Sweeping a doubleheader Saturday at Central Michigan University, Ball State University climbed into first place in the Mid-American Conference West Division.
Coach Bill Richards said his team played a solid match and did what it had to do. He said it was a difficult match to get a read on because of Chicago State playing just five players, but today's match against Northern Illinois will tell them more.
Central Michigan defeated Ball State University 4-3 in Mount Pleasant, Mich., Friday. Jesse Hernandez (6-1) threw a complete game for the victory. Perci Garner (5-1) allowed four runs on six hits in 5 2/3 innings for his first loss this year.
McDonald was a member of the Ball State staff for nine seasons, including the 2007-08 season when she took over the program as interim head coach following then-coach Tracy Roller's departure due to illness. McDonald was a primary candidate for the head coach position the following season, and decided to stay on the staff when current coach Kelly Packard was hired.
Ball State is coming off a loss to the University at Buffalo which destroyed any chance the Cardinals had to get the MAC regular season title. The next two matches for Ball State now become tune-ups for the Championships. Chicago State comes into the match on a twelve-match losing streak, winless in all of its MAC matches.
Ball State still has to get the bad taste out of its mouth from its last game against the Boilermakers on Wednesday. The Cardinals (28-13) managed only one hit off Boilers' starter Suzie Rzegocki, a double from senior third baseman Jessie Ware, in their 7-0 loss.
Ball State (28-13) was swept by Purdue University (22-22) on the Cardinals' home field. The Boilermakers took the first game 6-4 and the second 7-0.
The two matches will close out the regular season for Ball State before the team travels to the Mid-American Conference Championships next weekend. With an overall record of 7-12 and one win in their last eight matches, the Cardinals are determined to pick up a victory.
No. 13 Ball State University opens MIVA Tournament play Saturday night in Worthen Arena against IPFW, and the seniors don't want it to be their last match in a Ball State uniform. The Cardinals are now in a one-and-done situation from here on out.
Ball State (17-20, 9-3) will face perhaps its sternest test of conference play when it kicks off action against the West Division at Central Michigan University (21-13, 10-2) on Friday. The Cardinals are a game behind the first-place Chippewas in the West.
Ball State lost 10-5 at Butler University on Wednesday afternoon. The Bulldogs (12-21) had just nine wins against Division I competition entering the game.
The Cardinals head to Fishers, Ind., today to begin play in the MAC Championships, and though it will be senior Kirsty O'Connor's last meet for Ball State, she'll have plenty of opportunities to keep up with the team next year when she becomes the graduate assistant for the University of Akron women's golf team.
Quietly, Blake Beemer established himself as Ball State University's everyday center fielder. Now, halfway through the season, he is establishing himself as a force at the top of the lineup.
Ball State will host Purdue in a doubleheader Wednesday starting at 3 p.m.
In their last event before the Mid-American Conference Championships, the Ball State University men's golf team placed ninth of 12 teams in the Crooked Stick Invitational in Carmel, Ind., Tuesday afternoon.
Steve Shondell has barely had time to sit down to evaluate his team, get to know each player's strengths and weaknesses, address assistant coaching vacancies and speak to recruits. Yet he knows the immediate direction he wants to take the team — the NCAA Tournament.
Ball State (17-19) scored six runs in the first two innings, and Brad Piatt (1-3) gave the team his best start of the season for the win. Ball State will take its latest success on the road to Butler University today, but more importantly, to Central Michigan University this weekend. The Chippewas lead the Cardinals by a game in the Mid-American Conference.
Much of the focus during Spring Practice was on Ball State University's ongoing quarterback competition. Meanwhile, the defense toiled in relative obscurity, getting used to changes in the coaching staff and playing without some mainstays of the past.
Ball State University is in ninth place out of 12 teams after two rounds in the Crooked Stick Invitational hosted by Indiana University in Carmel.
Julie Breivogel will join the Purdue staff and coach during summer camps.
