Ball State University
DePaul
Play Ball!!! Softball Opens Season Friday
February 25, 2021 | Softball
| Ball State Softball at Coach B Classic - hosted by SIU | |
| Game 1 | Friday, Feb. 26 vs. DePaul - 11a ET / 10a CT |
| Game 2 | Friday, Feb. 26 vs. St. Louis - 1:15p ET / 12:15p CT |
| Game 3 | Saturday, Feb. 27 vs. Austin Peay - 11a ET / 10a CT |
| Game 4 | Saturday, Feb. 27 vs. SIU - 1:15p ET / 12:15p CT |
| Game 5 | Sunday, Feb. 28Â vs. DePaul - 11a ET / 10a CT |
| Tickets | NONE AVAILABLE |
| Game Notes | Ball State |
| Live Stats | Live Stats |
| Social Media | Twitter  |  Instagram |
QUICK HITS
» The Ball State softball program opens the 2021 season Friday, when it battles DePaul (11 a.m. ET / 10 a.m. CT) and St. Louis (1:15 p.m. ET / 12:15 p.m. CT) as part of the Coach B Classic hosted by Southern Illinois ... Saturday, the Cardinals face Austin Peay (11 a.m. ET / 10 a.m. CT) and the host Salukis (1:15 p.m. ET / 12:15 p.m. CT) ... Ball State closes play in the event Sunday with a rematch versus the Blue Demons (11 a.m. ET / 10 a.m. CT).
» Ball State finished the 2020 COVID-19 shortened season with an 18-9 overall record ... It was the third-best record through 27 games in program history ... The team's 18 wins were six more than any other team in the Mid-American Conference ... In addition, Ball State was the top-ranked MAC team in the only release of the 2020 NCAA RPI.
» As part of the run, the Cardinals tied a program record with an 11-game winning streak ... The streak started with a 10-1 (6) victory at North Florida (Feb. 15) and ended with a 5-0 win over LIU (Feb. 29) ... 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.
» The Cardinals return all nine position starters, the designated player and all three starting pitchers from last season's squad which compiled the 18-9 record ... In fact, 19 players return from last year's team, including all five seniors who were granted an extra year of eligibility due to the 2020 COVID-19 global pandemic ... Those senior are Haley Dominique, Janae Hogg, Gabby Magnifico, Alyssa Rothwell and Kennedy Wynn.
» One key newcomer to the program, first-year head coach Lacy Wood ... Wood was named the 10th head coach in program history on Aug. 24, 2020 ... Prior to leading the Cardinals, Wood spent five seasons on the coaching staff at Harvard, including the last two seasons as the associate head coach ... The Crimson amassed a 101-81 record during that time, including a 59-23 mark in Ivy League play.
» Ball State enters 2021 with a 1062-1067-4 overall record in the sport of softball since the 1975 season ... The Cardinals have tallied at least 30 wins in a season 15 times, including a program-record 43 wins in 2010.
» Ball State enters Friday's game versus DePaul with a 27-19 record in season-opening games since the 1975 season ... In fact, the Cardinals have won nine of the last 12 season openers despite a 5-4 setback to UTSA last season at the 34th Annual Louisiana Classics.
RAISING THE AVERAGE: The Cardinals finished the abbreviated 2020 season leading the MAC and ranked 20th nationally with a .304 batting average ... In fact, all nine regular starters for the program produced an average of at least .261, led by senior catcher/infielder Stacy Payton at .400 ... The program record for average in a season is .322 set by the 2014 squad.
GOING LONG: Ball State's 29 home runs last season tied for 22nd in the nation ... They were also the second-most through 27 games in program history and rank 11th on Ball State's single season charts ... A total of 11 different players hit at least one home run for the Cardinals, paced by Stacy Payton's MAC-leading eight home runs ... Senior designated player / infielder Janae Hogg was second on the list and in the MAC with seven long balls.
DOUBLE TROUBLE: In addition to being one of the nation's leaders in home runs, the Ball State offense is first in the league and third nationally with 53 doubles ... The Cardinals recorded at least one double in 23 of its 27 games last season, including five in wins at Jacksonville (Feb. 14) and at North Florida (Feb. 15) ... Akron was the next closest team in the MAC with 35 doubles over its 25 games.
VIDEO GAME NUMBERS: Stacy Payton was turning in an All-American caliber year in 2020, boasting a .400 batting average which tied 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.
DOMINIQUE AMONG ALL-TIME LEADERS: With her second-inning single in the win over Alabama A&M last season, senior outfielder Haley Dominique broke into the top 20th in program history for career hits ... She enters the 2021 season tied for 14th in the category with 176 hits ... Over her career, Dominique has proven to be one of the program's most consistent batters as she also ranks in the top 20 on Ball State's career charts in: on base percentage (.440 / 5th), doubles (43 / 6th), walks (96 / 6th), times hit by a pitch (18 / T-7th), runs scored (126 / 9th), RBI (100 / T-12th), batting average (.324 / 14th), total bases (263 / 14th), slugging percentage (.484 / 18th) and home runs (12 / T-18th).
WHAT ABOUT THE PITCHERS?: As good as the Cardinals were on offense in 2020, 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.
THE JONES FACTOR: In one of the most impressive campaigns for a Ball State freshman pitcher, Deborah Jones led the MAC with a 1.63 ERA in 2020, 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.
CLOSER NO MORE?: Senior Alyssa Rothwell moved from the closer role into a starting slot last season and didn't miss a beat, ranking just behind Deborah 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 at 28, Rothwell struck out 68 batters, picked up her first career complete game shutout and held opponents to a .218 average in 2020.
