Ball State University Athletics
Softball Schedule Revised for this Weekend's Tournament
March 12, 2010 | Softball
REVISED schedule for Under Armour Showcase posted below...
On Tap for the Cardinals
Ball State was originally scheduled to conclude its 2010 spring break trip this weekend with five games in the Under Armour Showcase sponsored by the University of South Florida at the Eddie C. Moore Complex in Clearwater, Fla. Due to heavy rain on Friday morning, however, the showcase schedule has been revised and the Cardinals will only face three teams in the tournament.
Friday: All games cancelled
Saturday: Temple (4-7), 4:15 p.m. on Field 9; and Stony Brook (3-6), 6:30 p.m. on Field 9
Sunday: Middle Tennessee State (4-8), 9 a.m. on Field 8
Fans can receive live game updates by following @BallStSoftball on Twitter. For more information on the showcase, click HERE.
The Numbers
Led by fourth-year head coach, Craig Nicholson, the Cardinals enter the weekend with a 12-5 overall record and a 6-1 mark since arriving in Florida on March 5. The team has scored 77 runs through 17 games this season and is batting .272 on the year. On the mound, Ball State owns a 1.49 ERA as a team and opponents are batting .180 against.
Senior third baseman and 2010 Mid-American Player of the Week (March 2), Jessie Ware (Phoenix, Ariz.), leads the team offensively as she is batting .386 on the year. Ware also leads the team with a .737 slugging average, 22 hits, 18 runs scored, one home run, three triples, five doubles, and 12 RBI. Sophomore catcher Amanda Montalto (Las Vegas, Nev.) is second in batting with a .326 average, while junior centerfielder Lisa Rozanski (Tampa, Fla.) is third with a .314 batting average and leads the team with 11 stolen bases.
In the bullpen, right-hander and two-time 2010 MAC Player of the Week (Feb. 23 and March 2), Elizabeth Milian (Grand Blanc, Mich.), leads the team with 11 appearances, a 0.43 ERA in 64.2 innings pitched and a 9-1 record. Right-handed rookie Audra Sanders (Lynnville, Ind.) has appeared in seven games, has a 2.06 ERA in 34 innings pitched and a 2-3 record.
Cardinals Tabbed Favorites
Ball State won the school's first-ever Mid-American Conference Championship with an 18-3 league mark, which was the best regular season record in school history. The Cardinals were 29-24 overall last season.
Ball State enters the 2010 season as the preseason favorite to claim the MAC West Division, as chosen by the league's head coaches in the preseason poll.
Road Warriors
Ball State opens the 2010 season with 30 straight games away from home, including all of its games in the months of February and March. The Cardinals don't open the home portion of their 2010 schedule until April 3 when they host Miami in their first Mid-American Conference series of the year. The Cardinals will play a total of 39 road games this season, while only playing 18 games at the BSU Softball Complex.
Looking Ahead
Following this weekend's Under Armour Showcase in Clearwater, the Cardinals return to Muncie for a four-day break before heading to Columbia, Mo. for a five-game series in the Missouri Tournament beginning on March 19. The Cardinals face Missouri (No. 3), Northwestern, Eastern Michigan and Northern Colorado in the three-day tournament.
