Ball State University Athletics
Softball Announces 2015 Spring Schedule
November 25, 2014 | Softball
Complete 2015 Schedule
(dates and times subject to change)
MUNCIE, Ind. - - Ball State softball second-year head coach Tyra Perry has announced the team's 2015 schedule which features 11 games versus teams which played in the 2014 NCAA Softball Championship.
“Our schedule is very competitive this season and will feature many exciting match-ups,” Perry said. “I am excited to open up in Nashville, which gives us the opportunity to play strong competition while staying fairly close to home. We will begin our spring break at my alma mater, LSU, and end it at Coach Stanfill's alma mater, Louisville. We will also have the chance to showcase our upgraded facility during several home games this year. We are happy to host Western Kentucky for a three-game series in mid-March prior to starting MAC play.”
The Cardinals return 13 letterwinners, including four position starters and its entire pitching staff, from last year's team which captured the program's fifth Mid-American Conference regular season championship in the past six years with a 33-19 (12-4 MAC) record.
For the second consecutive season, the Ball State softball program will begin play earlier than ever before as it is scheduled to battle South Dakota in its first of five games at the Belmont/Lipscomb Music City Classic (Feb. 6-8) in Nashville, Tenn. Last season, the Cardinals opened the year with a 7-2 victory over Texas State on Feb. 8, which stands as the earliest start to a season in program history.
The Cardinals follow with tournaments at Auburn (Feb. 13-15) and South Alabama (Feb. 20-22), before going on the coaching alma mater tour for spring break. Ball State opens its 10-day, 13-game spring break trip with a tournament at Perry's alma mater, LSU (Feb. 27 – March 1), and after midweek games versus Detroit, Southeastern Louisiana and Memphis, closes the trip at assistant coach Kassie Stanfill's alma mater, Louisville (March 6-8).
Ball State will host Butler in its home opener March 9, and will also host IPFW (March 18) and Western Kentucky (March 21-22) before opening league play. The Cardinals are also scheduled to travel to Purdue (April 1) and host Indiana (April 21) in non-conference, mid-week play.
Ball State opens league play at Eastern Michigan (March 27) and Central Michigan (March 28-29), and will also play road games at Toledo (April 10), Bowling Green (April 11-12), Ohio (April 24), Akron (April 25-26) and Miami (May 2-3). The Cardinals' home league schedule includes Kent State (April 3), Buffalo (April 4-5), Western Michigan (April 17) and Northern Illinois (April 18-19).
The 2015 MAC Softball Tournament returns to Firestone Stadium in Akron, Ohio, this season, and will be played May 6-9. The winner of the tournament will earn the league's automatic berth into the NCAA Championship which starts with regional action May 15-17 on 16 campus sites.
For the most up-to-date news on Ball State softball, follow the team on Twitter: @BallStateSports, @BallStateSB and @TyraPerry13 | Instagram: ballstatesb | Facebook: BallStateSoftball.
