Ball State University Athletics
Softball Set To Face Challenging Slate In 2016
December 10, 2015 | Softball
MUNCIE, Ind. - - The Ball State softball team will be no stranger to top-ranked competition in 2016, as first-year head coach Megan Ciolli Bartlett has put together arguably the toughest schedule in program history with 23 games versus teams ranked in the top 125 of the final 2015 NCAA RPI rankings. In addition, the team will play nine games versus 2015 NCAA regional participants, including seven against regional or super regional finalists.
“Our pre-conference schedule will challenge us from the first pitch on,” Ciolli Bartlett said. “Last season, our players were able to experience the NCAA regionals for the first time in their careers, which only left them hungry for more. This season, we are going to enter conference and post season play as a battle-hardened team with our sights set on even more. It's not going to be an easy road, but it's a necessary road as we continue building the Ball State softball program into a contender on the national level.”
The Cardinals open the 2016 season Feb. 12 versus NCAA Auburn Super Regional runner-up Louisiana-Lafayette at the Sand Dollar Classic (Feb. 12-14), and will also face NCAA Auburn Regional runner-up South Alabama in the three-day event. Ball State closes the tournament held in Gulf Shores, Ala., versus UAB which finished 48th in the 2015 NCAA RPI rankings.
Following opening weekend, the Cardinals travel to the Hilton Houston Plaza Invitational (Feb. 19-21), where it faces NCAA Los Angeles Regional participant Texas for a pair of games, while also battling top-125 RPI teams in tournament host Houston and Iowa State. Ball State's next stop on its season-opening 33-game road stretch is the Western Kentucky Tournament (Feb. 26-28) which is highlighted by a contest against the NCAA Athens Regional finalist and host Hilltoppers.
Ball State opens its 10-day, 11-game spring break trip to the state of Florida March 4, when it begins play in the FGCU/Four Points by Sheraton Spring Break Classic (March 4-6) with its first of two games versus Stony Brook, a top 100 RPI team. The three-day tournament ends March 6 with perhaps the most anticipated matchup of the 2016 season, as the Cardinals battle NCAA South Bend Regional finalist Notre Dame. Bringing extra excitement to this in-state rivalry is Ciolli Bartlett coaching against her alma mater for the first time as a head coach. The Fighting Irish ended the Cardinals 2015 NCAA Regional run, but not before Ball State opened the tournament by knocking off 16th-seed Notre Dame for its first-ever regional victory.
The Cardinals' spring break trip continues with a mid-week tournament at Central Florida (March 8-9), which sees Ball State play the host Knights, who were finalist in the NCAA Tallahassee Regional, on back-to-back days after starting the event versus top 125 team Illinois State. Ball State concludes its spring break trip at the Jacksonville Tournament (March 12-13) where it plays two more top 125 teams in Murray State and the host Dolphins.
Ball State closes its non-conference tournament slate at the Maryland Invitational (March 18-19) where it plays games versus NCAA Eugene Regional runner-up North Dakota State and top 125 team and tournament host Terps.
Ball State plays its first game in its home state March 23, when it travels to Butler, before opening the newly reformatted conference season at Miami (March 25-26). During the 2016 Mid-American Conference season, teams will play seven three-game weekend series which will be in the format of a single game Friday and a doubleheader Saturday. Teams will also play one league opponent in a three-game mid-week series which will feature a doubleheader one week and a single game in another. Teams will no longer play all 11 league opponents, but instead will play all five divisional opponents and three cross-divisional foes.
Ball State will host MAC East Division rival Ohio in its 2016 home opening series (April 1-2), and will also host weekend league series versus Buffalo (April 8-9), Central Michigan (April 22-23) and Western Michigan (April 29-30). In addition to Miami, the Cardinals travel to Eastern Michigan (April 15-16) and Toledo (May 6-7) for weekend series. Ball State's split series will be versus Northern Illinois, with the team traveling to DeKalb for an April 5 doubleheader and hosting the Huskies for a single game April 13.
The Cardinals are also slated to visit in-state rival Indiana April 20 for its final non-conference game of the year.
The 2016 MAC Softball Tournament returns to Firestone Stadium in Akron, Ohio, this season and will be played May 11-14. The winner of the tournament will earn the league's automatic berth into the NCAA Championship which starts with regional action May 20-22 on 16 campus sites.
For the most up-to-date news on Ball State softball, follow the team on Twitter: @BallStateSB & @BallStateSports / Instagram: ballstatesb / Facebook: BallStateSoftball.
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