Ball State University Athletics
Softball Enters MAC Play at Ohio Friday
April 01, 2011 | Softball
MUNCIE, Ind. - Ball State opens Mid-American Conference play with a doubleheader in Athens, Ohio Friday starting 1 p.m. at the Ohio Softball Field, followed by contests with Akron Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. and 1 p.m., respectively.
LAST TIME OUT: Ball State Softball enters weekend play with a 19-13 overall record after earning an even 2-2 tally during the Miami Tournament last weekend at the MU Softball Complex. The Cardinals recorded a split versus the Marshall Thundering Herd, defeated the Toledo Rockets, 6-2, and fell to the Purdue Boilermakers, 3-1, at the MU Softball Complex.
Ball State limited its opponents to a .250 batting average and the squad's pitching staff allowed 15 runs during tournament play, posting a 3.46 ERA batting average on the weekend.
Senior right fielder Alyssa Collins (Fortville, Ind./Mt. Vernon tallied a .727 (8-for-11) batting average, while freshman first baseman Taylor Rager (Fishers, Ind./Hamilton Southeastern) recorded one of three home runs on the weekend and drove in nine of the Cardinals' 23 runs.
SCOUTING THE CARDINALS: As a team, Ball State owns a .329 batting average, while its opponents are batting .271, in addition to scoring 172 runs (5.4 runs/game), while allowing 121 runs (3.8 runs/game).
Barkley leads the Cardinals offensively with a .409 batting average, in addition to seven doubles and a team-leading two triples. Barkley, an exercise science major, has also driven in nine runs and owns a team-high 14 stolen bases. Collins ranks second on the squad with a .394 batting average, including two doubles and 14 RBI.
From the circle, junior Kim Mazzapica (Palm Harbor, Fla./East Lake) leads the team in 14 appearances with a 2.72 ERA in 38.2 innings, while sophomore Audra Sanders (Lynnville, Ind./Tecumseh) has made 21 appearances and owns a 11-7 mark on the season with a 2.80 ERA in 110.0 innings of work. Junior Audrey Workman (Wickenburg, Ariz./Wickenburg) owns a 4.81 ERA in 55.1 innings pitched, in addition to a 6-5 record with 15 appearances.
SCOUTING THE BOBCATS: Friday's doubleheader marks the 68th and 69th times Ball State and Ohio will meet, as the Cardinals own the 34-33 series advantage. The two squads last met during the 2010 season when Ball State shutout Ohio, 4-0, and fell, 5-4, in Muncie, Ind. on Senior Day.
Ohio owns an 11-13 overall record before recording a split versus Canisius and Cal State Fullerton Saturday in California. Senior Emily Wethington, a native of New Palestine, Ind., leads the Bobcats' charge, batting 18-for-49, including five doubles, three home runs, 14 RBI and a .653 slugging percentage. Also from the circle, Wethington has made 19 appearances and owns an 8-5 record on the season, with a 2.96 ERA in 85.0 innings of work.
SCOUTING THE ZIPS: The contests this weekend between Ball State and Akron Saturday stand as the 42nd and 43rd meetings between the two squads, as the Cardinals own the 22-19 series advantage. Radford enter the tournament with a 12-9 overall record after falling to Winthrop, 9-1, in six innings Saturday in Rock Hill, S.C.
Senior Alex Feltes leads the Zips' charge, batting 31-for-71, including a team-high seven doubles, one triple, two home runs and 13 RBI. From the circle, Heather Bauer leads Akron in nine appearances, good for a 5-4 record with a 2.05 ERA in 51.1 innings of work, while sophomore Alissa Birkhimer has made 15 appearances and owns a 2-1 mark on the season and a 2.05 ERA in 30.2 innings of work, in addition to tallying two saves.
Live stats will be provided for all games on BallStateSports.com and updates can be found by following @BallStSoftball on Twitter.
COMING UP FOR THE CARDINALS: Ball State returns to the BSU Softball Complex Tuesday, April 12 for a matchup with Wright State at 3 p.m.
