Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. In gymnastics, close is the difference between winning and losing. The Ball State University gymnastics team learned that lesson the hard way yet again. The team was one fall on the balance beam short of a perfect meet – being able to count 20 clean routines – as it lost to Illinois State University (194.15-193.925) Friday night.
Ball State (6-1, 1-1 MIVA) is on a six-match winning streak. The Cardinals' winning streak is tied for the nation's longest active streak with Loyola University, who defeated Ball State in both teams' season opener.
It's a major turnaround for a team that ended last season poorly, finishing 5-13 overall and 0-8 in the MAC. While coach Amy Behrman wasn't with the team last year, she's quick to point out that health has played a big role in the team's recent resurgence.
Ohio State has now won 13 of their 16 matches with Ball State, and coach Joel Walton believes that recent history is giving the Buckeyes a mental edge.
Ben Battjes, Adam Dale, Tyler Dixon, Ben Karwoski, Austin Laska, Jordan Rantz and Josh Young will be honored in senior day festivities for the Cardinals
Bowling Green leads the MAC in total offense, scoring 74 points a game while holding opponents to just more than 60 points a game. The Falcons also lead the MAC in free throw percentage and field goal percentage.
The Cardinals finish the two-day invitational today. For continuing coverage, check back with bsudailynews.com.
For 33 minutes Thursday night, Randy Davis played almost flawless basketball. The point guard led Ball State University to a 64-59 victory against Bowling Green State University with a game-high 18 points and four assists. Davis turned the ball over only once, and made five of his six free throws.
The Cardinals (3-1) won all six of their singles matches — some in dominating fashion. Five of the six matches were won in two sets. Junior Hayley Hall led the team with a victory in the No. 1 singles match, defeating IUPUI freshman and reigning Summit League Player of the Week Hunter Bullock 6-2, 7-5. The loss was Bullock's first of the season.
Each week, The Ball State Daily News sports staff picks its PPQ — the player, play and quote of the week. And, with the help of our online readers, the weekly fan choice is also featured. To vote in next week's poll, be sure to visit Monday's online edition of The Ball State Daily News.
As Stan Parrish announced Ball State University's 2010 recruiting class Wednesday afternoon, he didn't shy away from heaping big expectations on his future players. Ball State signed 21 high school seniors on National Signing Day, a group that Parrish is very confident in.
Ball State had three head coaching spots to fill after the coaches in women's tennis, soccer and field hockey were all fired within a one month period in October and November.
Roberts led UT Martin to a combined record of 34-27-12 in four seasons. In the past three seasons, the Skyhawks were 19-3-1 on their home field. In his most recent season, UT Martin went 9-7-0 and won its first Ohio Valley Conference championship in program history.
If last season was a dream season for Ball State University, this one is a nightmare. The nightmare continued for Ball State (9-13, 3-6) as it lost 69-54 Wednesday night at Mid-American Conference-rival Miami University.
Heading into tonight's game against the Falcons (11-9, 4-4 MAC), the Cardinals are 3-0 against the MAC East, while the rest of the West Division has stumbled to a 3-11 combined record against its cross-divisional rivals.
The Cardinals opened the match by losing the doubles point, but not without a fight. Sophomores Zane Smith and Andres Monroy were edged 8-6 by the Wildcats' Alex Sanborn and Joshua Graves at No. 2 doubles, while Ball State's No. 1 duo of junior Eduardo Pavia and freshman Dalton Albertin lost 8-5 to Northwestern's Andrew McCarthy and Tobias Reitz.
The 28-point margin of victory is the largest for Ball State under coach Billy Taylor, and the largest since defeating the University of Northern Colorado 81-42 to open the 2006-07 season.
Over the past five games, freshman Myron Green has firmly inserted himself into coach Billy Taylor's rotation, averaging more than 22 minutes of playing time per game.
Going into Sunday's match at No. 47 Northwestern University, Ball State men's tennis coach Bill Richards knew his team would be challenged by stiff competition. Talking after the match, Richards didn't seem surprised by the results.
