Photo by: Ball State University Creative Services
Cardinals Baseball Sets 2020 Schedule
November 06, 2019 | Baseball
Ball State fans now know what the road to a baseball championship will look like for 2020. The Cardinals, 38-19 and second in the league last year, have announced a schedule featuring 18 home games and 12 games against opponents in the RPI Top 75 last year.
The season's first 16 games will be played in Georgia, Texas and the Carolinas. The Cardinals will begin 2020 with four games at Georgia Southern, a top 70 team that has won 30+ games in each of the last six seasons. Houston Baptist, the second opponent of the season, was an NCAA Tournament team in 2015.
"As always, we are traveling early to play some great competition," head coach Rich Maloney said. "Georgia Southern is a winning program and will be a great challenge early, and Houston Baptist should be a quality team and it gives us a chance to play in Texas."
BSU then spends two March weekends in South Carolina, playing at the First Pitch Invitational in a minor league park in Greenville, S.C., and at the Swig & Swine Classic at the Shipyard in Charleston. The Greenville event is run by Michigan State, where former Maloney assistant Jake Boss is head coach. The Spartans and Cardinals will play Sunday, March 1 and Ball State will play a doubleheader vs. Kansas in Greenville.Â
At the Shipyard, Ball State will see four east coach teams, including Yale and Richmond.
"We love going to the Shipyard," Maloney said. "It's a first-class event run by Ball State baseball alum Jason Murray. We were able to beat Notre Dame twice there last year and our guys love playing there overseeing the ocean."
The schedule contains 18 games in Muncie, where the Cardinals posted a national-best 23-1 record last year. Indiana and Purdue both come to First Merchants Ballpark Complex, as do Dayton and league opponents Akron, Northern Illinois, Miami and Central Michigan.
"Playing Indiana and Purdue at home are always exciting games for local fans," Maloney said. The series against Central Michigan (May 1-3) is expected to have heavy league title implications as CMU went 22-5 last year, just ahead of Ball State's 20-5 record.Â
"We're a quality team and so are they. It should be an exciting baseball weekend," Maloney said.
Ball State returns six players who started 30+ games last year as well as three starting pitchers. Four players who have been all-conference in their careers (John Baker, Chase Sebby, Ross Messina and Noah Powell) also return.
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The season's first 16 games will be played in Georgia, Texas and the Carolinas. The Cardinals will begin 2020 with four games at Georgia Southern, a top 70 team that has won 30+ games in each of the last six seasons. Houston Baptist, the second opponent of the season, was an NCAA Tournament team in 2015.
"As always, we are traveling early to play some great competition," head coach Rich Maloney said. "Georgia Southern is a winning program and will be a great challenge early, and Houston Baptist should be a quality team and it gives us a chance to play in Texas."
BSU then spends two March weekends in South Carolina, playing at the First Pitch Invitational in a minor league park in Greenville, S.C., and at the Swig & Swine Classic at the Shipyard in Charleston. The Greenville event is run by Michigan State, where former Maloney assistant Jake Boss is head coach. The Spartans and Cardinals will play Sunday, March 1 and Ball State will play a doubleheader vs. Kansas in Greenville.Â
At the Shipyard, Ball State will see four east coach teams, including Yale and Richmond.
"We love going to the Shipyard," Maloney said. "It's a first-class event run by Ball State baseball alum Jason Murray. We were able to beat Notre Dame twice there last year and our guys love playing there overseeing the ocean."
The schedule contains 18 games in Muncie, where the Cardinals posted a national-best 23-1 record last year. Indiana and Purdue both come to First Merchants Ballpark Complex, as do Dayton and league opponents Akron, Northern Illinois, Miami and Central Michigan.
"Playing Indiana and Purdue at home are always exciting games for local fans," Maloney said. The series against Central Michigan (May 1-3) is expected to have heavy league title implications as CMU went 22-5 last year, just ahead of Ball State's 20-5 record.Â
"We're a quality team and so are they. It should be an exciting baseball weekend," Maloney said.
Ball State returns six players who started 30+ games last year as well as three starting pitchers. Four players who have been all-conference in their careers (John Baker, Chase Sebby, Ross Messina and Noah Powell) also return.
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OTHER SCHEDULE NOTES
- Ball State's home opener is Tuesday, March 10 vs. Purdue Fort Wayne. Dayton then visits March 13 and 15.
- Indiana comes to Muncie Tuesday, March 31. It's the first time IU has visited BSU since 2015. Last year, the two teams faced off at Victory Field and it was technically Ball State's home game.
- With the addition of Akron to the league, there is now one league weekend where MAC teams will play non-conference competition. The Cardinals will play at SEMOÂ April 24-26.
- Fans should also note the program's Meet The Team Night is set for Saturday, Feb. 8 at the Ball State Alumni center.Â
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