Ball State Hosts MAC Co-Leader Miami This Weekend

Game #32 – Miami at Ball State
Friday, April 13, Noon
Live Video | Live Stats | Social Media (@BallStateBB)

Game #33– Miami at Ball State
Friday, April 13, approx. 3 p.m.
Live Video | Live Stats | Social Media (@BallStateBB)

Game #34– Miami at Ball State
Saturday, April 14, 1 p.m.
Live Video | Live Stats | Social Media (@BallStateBB)

Projected Starting Pitchers (2018 stats)
Friday (Game 1) – John Baker, RHP (3-3, 3.04 ERA, 73 Ks)
Friday (Game 2) – Kyle Nicolas, RHP (2-4, 5.35 ERA, 38 Ks) or Evan Marquardt, RHP (1-1, 5.70 ERA, 31 Ks)
Saturday – Drey Jameson, RHP (2-0, 4.32, 47 Ks)

Around the Horn
Opening Pitch: MAC co-leader Miami is set to visit Ball State for a conference series for the first time in six years this weekend. The RedHawks are batting a league-best .313 against MAC opponents and have series wins against Eastern Michigan, Toledo and Bowling Green.

Ball State's pitching held Eastern Michigan to just seven runs last weekend, but the Cardinals only came away with one win. RHP John Baker and RHP Drey Jameson have two of the top four ERAs among starting pitchers in league contests. Baker is 1-1 with a 0.82 ERA in three starts while Jameson is 1-0 with a 0.95 ERA in three starts.

Series History: This is the first series between the two teams at First Merchants Ballpark Complex since 2012. The last two series (2016, 2013) were both played at Miami. The two teams did not play last year.

Ball State is 35-26 versus the RedHawks at home, but Miami holds a 73-64 lead in the overall series. The Cardinals won two of three games at Miami in 2016. Former Cardinal RHP Zach Plesac tossed a complete-game shutout in the middle game of that series. Plesac allowed just two hits in the 9-0 win on March 27, 2016.

This and That: Some random stats heading into the weekend …

• Ball State's catchers have thrown out 20 of 47 (42.6 percent) attempted base stealers. Eastern Michigan went 0-for-4 on stolen base attempts last weekend.

• Ball State's pitchers have struck out at least 10 batters in five of the last eight games.

• Sixteen of Ball State's 19 home runs have come when a runner has been on base. Ball State is 11-1 when hitting a home run this season.

• OF Colin Brockhouse has each reached base safely in 13 straight games.

• C/OF Griffin Hulecki leads the team with a .357 batting average at home. He has a home run and five RBIs in five games.

• Ball State pitching ranks third nationally in strikeouts per nine innings (10.7). Mercer (11.4) leads the nation in that category.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

John Baker

Colin Brockhouse

Griffin Hulecki

Drey Jameson

Evan Marquardt

Kyle Nicolas