Ball State University
South Carolina
Softball Embarks on 11-Game Spring Break Trip
February 28, 2019 | Softball
• THIS WEEK IN BALL STATE SOFTBALL: It's that time of year again ... The Ball State softball team embarks on its 10-day, 11-game spring break trip to the state of Florida on Thursday, with its first two games coming Friday as part of the USF-Clearwater Parks and Recreational Invitational ... Up first, contests versus No. 13 South Carolina (11:30 p.m.) and USF (4:30 p.m.) at the USF Softball Stadium.Â
• THE SCHEDULE:
USF - Clearwater Parks & Recreational Invitational (March 1-3) - TOURNAMENT CENTRAL
Game 17 - Friday, March 1 vs. No. 13/13 South Carolina (at USF) - 11:30 a.m.
Live Stats | Social Media (@BallStateSB)
Game 18 - Friday, March 1 at USF - 4:30 p.m.
Live Video |  Live Stats | Social Media (@BallStateSB)Â
Game 19 - Saturday, March 2 vs. Penn (at Eddie C. Moore Complex - Field 4) - 10 a.m.
Live Stats | Social Media (@BallStateSB)
Game 20 - Saturday, March 2 vs. Furman (at Eddie C. Moore Complex - Field 2) - 3 p.m.
Live Stats | Social Media (@BallStateSB)
Game 21 - Sunday, March 3 vs. Iowa (at Eddie C. Moore Complex - Field 8) - 9 a.m.
Live Stats | Social Media (@BallStateSB)
Games 22-23 - Wednesday, March 6 at Bethune-Cookman (DH) - 1 p.m.
Live Stats | Social Media (@BallStateSB)
JU/UNF Spring Break Classic
Game 24 - Friday, March 8 vs. Cleveland State (at UNF) - 2 p.m.
Live Stats | Social Media (@BallStateSB)
Game 25 - Friday, March 8 at UNF - 7 p.m.
Live Stats | Social Media (@BallStateSB)
Game 26 - Saturday, March 9 vs. Georgetown (at JU) - 11:30 a.m.
Live Stats | Social Media (@BallStateSB)
Game 27 - Saturday, March 9 vs. Presbyterian (at JU) - 2 p.m.
Live Stats | Social Media (@BallStateSB)
• FOLLOW THE ACTION: Fans can follow all of the action over Ball State's spring break trip with live stats at https://ballstatesports.com/sidearmstats/softball/summary ... In addition, BSU's Friday game at USF will have live video at https://youtu.be/cnCN29LJE0Y ... Visit the Ball State softball schedule page (https://ballstatesports.com/schedule.aspx?path=softball) often, as other ways to follow the action may be made available closer to game time ... In addition, fans can follow @BallStateSB on twitter for updates throughout the season.
• ALL-TIME: Ball State softball enters the weekend with a 1021-1043-4 (.495) all-time record ... Established as a varsity program in 1975, Ball State has won five MAC regular season titles (2009, 2010, 2012, 2013 and 2014), seven MAC West Division crowns (2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2018), three MAC Tournament championships (1998, 2010 and 2015) and advanced to the NCAA Regionals three times (1998, 2010 and 2015).
• #100: With a 9-1 victory over Montana last Sunday, Ball State softball head coach Megan Ciolli Bartlett picked up her 100th career win as coach of the Cardinals ... The ninth coach in program history, Bartlett is the fifth coach to reach 100 career wins at Ball State ... She needs three wins to pass Ruth Crowe's (1993-96) 102 win total to become the fourth-winningest coach in program history ... Craig Nicholson (2007-2013) in the winningest coach in program history with a 241-162 record over his seven seasons.
BALL STATE TEAM/PLAYER NOTES
• The Cardinals are slated to open the 2019 season with 32 straight games away from the Softball Field at First Merchants Ballpark Complex ... Ball State played its first 33 games of the 2018 season on the road which is the longest stretch of road games in program history ... Ball State played 32 straight road games to open the 2016 season, while starting the 2012 campaign with 31 straight road games.
• Since 2009, Ball State has proven to be the MAC's premier program by compiling a 147-64 (.697) league record ... Kent State is second over the same span at 140-73 (.657), while Ohio is third at 131-85 (.606) ... In addition, Ball State boasts a 419-417-1 (.501) all-time MAC record over 36 years.
• With her 17th career save in Ball State's 3-0 victory over Monmouth (Feb. 15), junior closer Alyssa Rothwell etched her name in the record books as the greatest closer in Mid-American Conference history ... Rothwell enters Ball State's spring break trip with 20 career saves, four more than the previous MAC record ... Her 20 career saves are also the most among active NCAA Division I players, with the next closest player at 18, and are 13 shy of breaking the NCAA career record of 32 held by Mississippi State's Kellie Wilkerson (1999-02).
• Ball State's pitching staff has proven to be one of the toughest in the nation so far this season, ranking 57th nationally and first in the MAC with a 2.29 team ERA ... Leading the charge is freshman starter Sarah Venker who ranks 39th nationally with a 0.89 ERA and is 48th nationally with five wins ... Junior closer Alyssa Rothwell leads the nation with six saves and boasts a 1.02 ERA, while redshirt sophomore Darcie Huber holds a 0.47 ERA, but is just shy of the minimum innings pitched total to be ranked.
• Ball State's pitching staff has already thrown five shutouts this season, with both Alyssa Rothwell and Sarah Venker having a hand in four each ... Venker threw Ball State's first complete game shutout of the season in the win over Delaware (Feb. 16), limiting the Blue Hens to just two hits in the 9-0 (5) victory ... Darcie Huber and senior starter Aeshia Miles have each had a hand in one of BSU's shutout wins.
• A big reason for Ball State's success in the circle this season has been strikeouts ... The Cardinals pitching staff ranks first in the league and ninth nationally with 114 strikeouts ... Aeshia Miles leads the way with 35 strikeouts over 32.1 innings, while Sarah Venker is right behind with 30 strikeouts over 31.1 innings ... In addition, Alyssa Rothwell has struck out 25 batters over just 13.2 innings, including all seven batters she faced to earn the win in Ball State's 3-2 (8) come-from-behind victory over Quinnipiac (Feb. 17).
• Aeshia Miles became just the 13th player in program history to register 200 career strikeouts when she fanned her first of seven batters at FGCU (Feb. 9) ... Miles' career total of 230 is currently tied for 11th in program history and is 15 shy of moving her into the top 10.
• Junior first baseman/designated player Janae Hogg provided several boosts to the Ball State offense at the Madeira Beach Invitational, going yard in consecutive wins over Monmouth (Feb. 15), Central Arkansas (Feb. 16) and Delaware (Feb. 16) ... In fact, all three home runs drove in what proved to be the game-winning run ... Hogg enters spring break ranked first in the MAC and 23rd nationally with five home runs this season, while her 24 career bombs are seventh in program history.
• Janae Hogg leads Ball State's active players with 18 career game-winning RBI, including four so far this season ... Of the 18 game-winning RBI, 12 have come via the long ball, including all four this season.
• A .331 career batter, junior left fielder Haley Dominique enters spring break ranked fifth on Ball State's career list with a .445 on base percentage, including a team-best .474 mark last season ... Dominique reached base safely in 51 of Ball State's 56 games in 2018, putting together a career-long 12-game hitting streak and a career-best 17-game streak of reaching base safely ... So far this season, Dominique has reached base safely in 12 of Ball State's 16 games.
• Ball State enters the week ranked second among all NCAA Division I programs with 79 walks this season ... No. 3 Florida leads the nation with 82 walks ... Individually, Janae Hogg tops the MAC with 12 walks, while sophomore shortstop Hailey Demnianiuk is second in the league with 10 free passes ... Last season, the Cardinals finished the year ranked fifth in the country with 235 walks.
• Ball State showed some speed at last weekend's Silicon Valley Classic I, legging out five triples on the weekend ... Haley Dominique hit a pair of triples in the win over Northern Colorado (Feb. 22), while senior designated player/first baseman Annie Robinson, sophomore second baseman Stacy Payton and junior outfielder Kennedy Wynn each tallied one ... In addition, freshman outfielder Kim Manuel stole three bases in the win over CSU Bakersfield (Feb. 23).
