Ball State University
Old Dominion
Cardinals Keep It Rolling At ODU
March 10, 2021 | Baseball
| Ball State (6-4) at Old Dominion (9-3) | |
| Dates | Friday-Sunday, March 12-14 |
| Times | Baseball Schedule |
| Location | Metheny Baseball Complex - Norfolk, Virginia |
| Live Video | Conference USA TV (Paid) (Watch) |
| Game Notes | Ball State   |  Old Dominion |
| Live Stats | Live Stats |
| Social Media | Twitter  |   Instagram |
Following a memorable series win at Kentucky, the Ball State baseball team has a challenging set against a 9-3 Old Dominion team this weekend. ODU comes into the weekend having won five of six, while Ball State hasn't lost a series yet this season.
The Cardinals now own two wins over Arizona and two wins over Kentucky, and as the season begins to take shape, Ball State is making a lot of noise. The Cardinals are sitting atop the national RPI rankings at WarrenNolan.com and were slotted 30th in the Collegiate Baseball News poll this week.Â
The noise has come from BSU's pitching, which has a team 3.83 ERA and 11.07 strikeouts per 9 innings. Opposing batters are hitting just .224 off the Cardinals. In contrast, BSU is hitting just .196 as a team and it's expected the bats will heat up. Much of BSU's damage has come from plate discipline and timely hitting for big innings late in games. Â
Following this weekend, Ball State opens conference play with two straight home weekends vs. Western Michigan (March 19-21) and Toledo (March 26-28).
What To Know For This Weekend
-- John Baker entered the season as one of the most accomplished pitchers in the Midwest and he's adding to that legacy. Baker came out of the bullpen twice at Kentucky and was the difference in a pair of wins. In only start so far this season came at Bradley, when he struck out 12 and pitched into the 9th inning.Â
-- Ball State led the country with a 11.12 Ks per 9 ratio in 2019. This year's staff is currently at 11.07, and that's while facing top 100 competition every week.
-- Ball State has won seven consecutive extra-inning games dating back to March 2019. BSU is already 2-0 in extras this year and was 3-0 in extras in the short season last year.
