Softball: A Look Back at the 2020 Season

The Ball State softball team was entering its final weekend of pre-conference play on a mission; to take down one of the nation's perennial powerhouses with a three-game series at No. 17/18 Michigan.

Unfortunately, the Cardinals never got the opportunity. Just hours before the team was slated to board the bus and head north to Ann Arbor, the COVID-19 pandemic brought the world of collegiate sports to a grinding halt.

It was a devastating ending to what looked to be a very promising run towards the program's sixth Mid-American Conference regular season championship and another possible berth in the NCAA Regionals.

While the end of the season was nowhere near what anyone involved in the program could have possibly imagined, that is not what the year will be remembered for.

The 2020 season will go down in history as...

One of success:

An 18-9 overall record, the third-best through 27 games in program history
The 18 wins were six more than any other team in the Mid-American Conference
Ball State was the top-ranked MAC team in the only release of the 2020 NCAA RPI
The Cardinals tied a program record with an 11-game winning streak

One of dominance in nearly every aspect of the game:

Ball State led the MAC and ranked 54th nationally with a .304 batting average
Ball State led the MAC and ranked 37th nationally with a 2.22 team ERA
Ball State's 29 home runs tied for 22nd in the nation, were the second-most through 27 games in program history and rank 11th on Ball State's single season charts
Ball State led the MAC in 12 team statistical categories and 13 individual statistical categories according to the NCAA Softball Statistical Rankings Summary

A team growing together and not only grinding out ball games, but also one of a team developing into a family.

Below, we will explore some of the highlights of the 2020 season starting with that sense of family:

A CULTURE THAT FEELS LIKE FAMILY
It's the driving force of a successful program…

It's one of the cornerstones head coach Megan Ciolli Bartlett stresses to recruits and works tirelessly to build and install in the clubhouse…

It's a feeling that was ever present this season, and one that helped this team succeed both on and off the field of play…

Ball State softball is not just a team, it's a FAMILY

You can see it in these tweets from current players: @coachcbartlett … @arothwell23 … @hal_dominique … @johnson_delanie … @k_fields28 … @faithhensleyy … @ShelbWestbrook … @teckerty … @stacypayton22 … @_Jazmyne24 … @wynnhaley16 … @hailsdemnianiuk … @tieghanmarie … @deborahhljones … @janae_jordan … @gab5377 ... @kjaniga77

… in these tweets from some former players: @ohuffman7 … @danaeeking … @cadienicole7 … @jengilbert25

… and hear about it in this interview with coach Bartlett: http://www.mentalsweetspot.com/feels-like-family/

A CLOSE CALL EARLY
The Cardinals came really close to making noise on the very first day of the season, taking No. 8 Louisiana to the wire on its home field.

Trailing 3-1 heading into the top of the seventh inning against a Ragin' Cajuns team which finished the 2020 season ranked No. 1 in the NCAA Women's Softball RPI rankings, the Cardinals used a single from junior pinch hitter Katie Janiga and a walk to sophomore pinch hitter Faith Hensley to put pressure on the host squad.

Two batters later, junior catcher Stacy Payton followed with her third hit of the game, an RBI single down the right field line to cut the gap to one run. After an error allowed senior left fielder Haley Dominique to load the bases, Ball State looked poised to even the score. Unfortunately, it was not meant to be as a foul fly and strikeout allowed the hosts to escape with the win.

FINDING A GROOVE
While the Cardinals started the season with a 3-5 record, three of the losses were by just one run and all five came against teams ranked in the top 89 of the only NCAA RPI rankings released during the season.

Following the fifth loss, a 7-2 setback in the opening game of a Feb. 15 doubleheader at North Florida which held the 45th spot in the RPI, Ball State bounced back in a BIG way.

Led by three hits apiece from sophomore shortstop Amaia Daniel and senior first baseman Janae Hogg, the Cardinals closed the doubleheader at North Florida with a commanding 10-1 (6) victory. In all, the Cardinals pounded out a then-season-high 18 hits to avenge the loss earlier in the day.

The win sparked one of the most dominating stretches in program history, as the Cardinals went on to tie the program record with 11 straight victories.

Here is a snapshot of what the winning streak looked like:
Feb. 15 at North Florida - 10-1 (6)
Feb. 16 vs. Alabama A&M - 9-1 (5)
Feb. 21 vs. Green Bay - 8-0 (5)
Feb. 21 vs. Indiana State - 10-2 (5)
Feb. 22 at Western Kentucky - 6-5 (8)
Feb. 22 vs. Green Bay - 9-8
Feb. 23 vs. Indiana State - 7-5 - won the Hilltopper Classic Championship
Feb. 28 vs. Drexel - 9-4
Feb. 28 vs. Longwood - 12-3
Feb. 29 vs. Drexel - 3-1
Feb. 29 vs. LIU - 5-0

Overall, the Cardinals out-scored the opposition 88-30 over the 11 games, while blasting 18 home runs and boasting a .364 batting average. In the circle, Ball State compiled a 2.17 ERA during the run, while holding foes to a .234 average.

EMOTIONAL WINS
In a season full of success, two wins in particular stand out with the first coming versus Indiana State in the championship game of the Hilltopper Classic.

Feb. 23 vs. Indiana State - COMPLETE RECAP
The Cardinals found themselves trailing 5-1 heading into the bottom of the seventh inning against a tough Sycamore squad. However, Ball State managed to post six runs on the scoreboard and cap an already impressive weekend with a three-run walk-off home run from senior center fielder Kennedy Wynn. The blast sealed a 7-5 victory over in-state rival Indiana State and allowed the Cardinals to claim the Hilltopper Classic championship.

March 7 vs. Tulsa - COMPLETE RECAP
This one was a personal grudge match for the program, facing off against former assistant coach Mitch Roberts who left Ball State to become the pitching coach for the Golden Hurricane.

With friendly back-and-forth banter taking place throughout the game between the Cardinals and their former defensive coach, it was a matchup where both teams were determined not to blink.

That lead to seven scoreless innings of softball and a thrilling finish in extra innings. After both teams took advantage of the international tiebreaker for a run in the eighth, the Cardinals held Tulsa off the board in the top of the ninth.

In the bottom of the ninth, the Cardinals quickly loaded the bases with no outs. Tulsa would follow with a force play at home to get the first out of the inning. Then, Ball State head coach Megan Ciolli Bartlett turned to a little trickery to pull out the victory.

She had redshirt freshman second baseman Jazmyne Armendariz attempt to pull off a squeeze bunt. Chaos ensued and the Cardinals were able to capitalize and score the winning run.

DOMINATING OFFENSE
Ball State's offense was nearly unstoppable in 2020, leading the MAC and ranking among the nation's best with a .304 team batting average.

Up and down the lineup, the Cardinals were getting consistent production with all nine regular starters hitting at least .261. In fact, six starters were batting .297-or-better.

Ball State averaged an impressive 6.19 runs-per-game, aided by its ability to blast the ball out of the yard. Overall, the Cardinals smashed 29 home runs over the 27 games played, which are the second-most over the first 27 games in program history, trailing only the 31 smashed by the 2014 squad.

Eight different Ball State players hit at least one home run in 2020, with five smashing four-or-more.

But the long ball was not the only thing the Cardinals were proficient at during the 2020 season. Ball State also led the league and ranked third nationally with 53 doubles and drew 102 total walks to once again lead the conference and rank eighth nationally.

A BANNER YEAR IN THE CIRCLE
As good as the Cardinals were on offense, they were even better in the circle, ranking first in the MAC and 34th nationally with a 2.22 staff ERA.

Ball State's pitching staff held opponents to a .243 batting average and threw four total shutouts over the 27 games played.

In one of the most impressive campaigns for a Ball State freshman pitcher, Deborah Jones led the MAC with a 1.63 ERA, allowing just 16 earned runs over her 68.2 innings of work. She also struck out 55 batters, boasted a 7-2 overall record and had a hand in three of the team's four shutouts.

Senior Alyssa Rothwell moved from the closer role into a starting slot and didn't miss a beat, ranking just behind Jones with a 1.79 ERA as she allowed just 15 earned runs over 58.2 innings of work. The NCAA's active career saves leader, Rothwell struck out 68 batters, picked up her first career complete game shutout and held opponents to a .218 average.

VIDEO GAME NUMBERS
Turning back to offense, junior Stacy Payton was turning in an All-American caliber year, boasting a .400 batting average which ties as the seventh-best single season average in program history.

In fact, she led the MAC in nearly every offensive category, including hits (36), doubles (13), home runs (8), RBI (35), total bases (75) and slugging percentage (.833).

Her 13 doubles were second in the nation, trailing only the 15 by New Mexico's Cameryn O'Grady, while her 35 RBI were fifth and her eight home runs were 26th.

Ball State University Athletics

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Players Mentioned

Jazmyne Armendariz

Amaia Daniel

Haley Dominique

Faith Hensley

Janae Hogg

Katie Janiga

Deborah Jones

Stacy Payton

Alyssa Rothwell

Kennedy Wynn

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