Softball Closes Pre-MAC Slate at Mizzou Classic

Ball State (6-13; 0-0 MAC) at Mizzou Classic
vs. No. 14 Northwestern (15-4)	RAINED OUT
at No. 18 Missouri (18-6)	RAINED OUT
Game 20 vs. No. 14 Northwestern (15-4)	Saturday, March 19 at 10 a.m. CT Live Stats
Game 21 vs. Stanford (18-4)	Saturday, March 19 at 12:30 p.m. CT Live Stats
Game 22 at No. 18 Missouri (18-6)	Sunday, March 20 at 12:30 p.m. CT Live Stats \| SECNetwork+
Tickets Info	Ticket Information
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MUNCIE, Ind. - - Another big test awaits the Ball State softball team, which will battle three of the nation's top teams this weekend at the Mizzou Classic.

Friday's action versus both No. 14 Northwestern and No. 18 Missouri was rained out.

Saturday, Ball State is scheduled for its third meeting this season versus the nationally ranked Wildcats (11 a.m. ET / 10 a.m. CT) and will also face Stanford (1:30 p.m. ET / 12:30 p.m. CT) who is the first team outside the NFCA Top 25 in the latest poll.

The Cardinals end play in the event Sunday with a second matchup versus the host Tigers, this one set for a 1:30 p.m. ET / 12:30 p.m. CT first pitch.

SEASON SO FAR:

The Cardinals enter the Mizzou Classic with a 6-13 overall record, after going 2-7 versus a tough Spring Break schedule. Six of the seven losses came versus squads with at least 10 wins, including a pair of ranked opponents in then-No. 17 Northwestern (15-4) and then-No. 23 Arizona State (19-5).
Despite the talented competition, the Cardinals still managed to get some work done at the plate, earning a .254 batting average over the nine Spring Break games.
Redshirt freshman first baseman / catcher McKayla Timmons led the way with a .409 mark over Spring Break, playing in eight of the nine games, reaching base safely in six of the contests, including each of the last four.
The Cardinals also won the battle of the long ball over Spring Break, blasting seven on offense while surrendering just five. Senior left fielder Faith Hensley led the way with three bombs, while Timmons added two. Junior third baseman Haley Wynn and senior catcher Delanie Johnson each tallied one home run.
Ball State's ability to double teams up has been a bright spot for the defense so far this season, as the Cardinals rank 10th nationally with 12 double plays so far this season. Overall, BSU's 0.63 double plays per game average is fifth nationally.
The Cardinals have also been making moves on the base paths, tying for second among Mid-American Conference programs with 24 stolen bases. Leading the way is sophomore transfer Remington Ross, who is a perfect 9-for-9 so far this season.

SCOUTING THIS WEEKEND'S OPPONENTS
NO. 14 NORTHWESTERN: The Wildcats enter the week with a 15-4 record and ranked 17th in the latest USA Today / NFCA Coaches Poll … Northwestern has not played since Sunday, March 6, when it scored a 10-4 win over Ball State and a 7-2 victory over Northern Kentucky at the Coach B Classic hosted by SIU … Nikki Cuchran leads the team with a .356 batting average and is second on the squad with 15 RBI … Danielle Williams, who has already earned national pitcher of the week honors this season, holds a 0.96 ERA and a 9-1 record over 73.0 innings of work, while holding opponents to a .146 batting average … Overall, the Wildcats are batting .269 as a team, with a 1.83 team ERA.

NO. 18 MISSOURI: The Tigers enter the week with an 18-6 record and ranked 18th in the latest USA Today / NFCA Coaches Poll … Mizzou enters the tournament fresh off a Wednesday doubleheader sweep at Illinois, topping a squad coached by former Ball State head coach Tyra Perry by scores of 7-6 (8) and 10-2 (5) … Casidy Chaumont leads at talented Tigers offense with a .423 batting average which includes five doubles, a triple, and four home runs … Kimberly Wert has a team-leading 25 RBI, while six regulars in the lineup have scored at least 11 runs … Laurin Krings has thrown a team-high 64.0 innings, owning a team-best 8-3 record and a 2.41 ERA … She has also struck out 85 total batters … As a team, Mizzou has a .314 batting average and a .260 ERA.

STANFORD: The first team just outside the top 25 in the latest USA Today / NFCA Coaches Poll, the Cardinal enter the weekend with an 18-4 overall record after going 3-2 at least weekend's OSU/Tulsa Invitational … Stanford closed the event with a 1-0 win at Tulsa and an 11-3 (6) victory over Minnesota … Taylor Gindlesperger leads another talented offense with a .481 average in 17 games of action, while Sydnee Huff has a .400 average over all 22 games and scored a team-leading 21 runs … Emily Young has a team-best 25 RBI … Alana Vawter leads the squad in the circle with a 10-2 record and a 1.41 ERA over a team-high 69.2 innings of work … She has also struck out 64 batters … As a team, Stanford owns a .321 average and a 1.37 ERA.

THE ALL-TIME SERIES:

The Cardinals are a combined 3-17 versus teams it will face in the Mizzou Classic
Ball State is 2-10 all-time versus Northwestern, with the Wildcats winning the last four meetings … The teams meet earlier this season at the Coach B Classic hosted by SIU, with Northwestern earning a 10-4 victory on March 6.
Ball State is 1-7 all-time versus Missouri, with the Tigers earning an 11-3 (6) victory at the Mizzou Softball Stadium on March 21, 2014 … Ball State's lone win in the series was a 2-1 victory over a then-No. 3 Tigers Squad at the Demarini Invitational hosted by the Tigers … The win snapped a 17-game Mizzou winning streak, which was the third-longest in program history at the time.
Ball State and Stanford will be meeting in softball for the first time.

BALL STATE NOTES:

Senior outfielder Faith Hensley has picked up right where she left off last season, leading the Ball State offense with a .393 batting average this season … She has reached base safely in 18 of BSU's 19 games, including via a hit in 14 of the 19 contests … She also leads the team with nine RBI, including five in the Feb. 19 come-from-behind win over Western Carolina.
A 2021 NFCA All-Great Lakes Region First Team selection last season, Faith Hensley enters the week ranked third in program history (minimum 150 at bats) with a .379 career batting average … She is also currently fourth in career slugging percentage (.659), based on the strength of her 19 career doubles, 14 career home runs and two career triples.
Sophomore shortstop Kayla Lissy registered BSU's first triple of the season in the 3-2 (8) victory over Towson (Feb. 18) … Last season, Lissy tied for the NCAA Division I lead with nine triples and added an inside-the-park home run for good measure.
Kayla Lissy is also off to a strong start on the base paths, ranking second on the squad with five stolen bases … As a freshman, Lissy ranked fifth in the MAC with 18 stolen bases … Her 23 career stolen bases are already just three shy of breaking into the top 20 in program history, while her .852 (23-for-27) stolen base percentage is 10th on BSU's career charts.
Ball State's sluggers have blasted 19 total home runs so far this season, with nine different players getting into the action … Faith Henley leads the way with six, while redshirt freshman first baseman / catcher McKayla Timmons is second with three … Three other players have a pair of home runs, while four have one … Overall, 10 different players on the active roster have at least one career home run for the Cardinals.
Junior third baseman Haley Wynn enters the week ranked second on the squad with a .338 batting average and is riding a team-high 14 game streak of reaching base safely … She has had at least one hit in 12 of those 14 games, including a perfect 4-for-4 effort versus UAlbany (Feb. 19) for her first career four-hit game … She is also tied for the team lead with five doubles this season.
Ball State enters the Mizzou Classic tied for second in the with 24 stolen bases this season, with Remington Ross' nine stolen bases ranking third in the conference and 86th nationally … Last season, the Cardinals registered 62 stolen bases which was the 13th-highest single-season total in program history.
Junior pitcher Deborah Jones enters the weekend with 175 career strike outs to rank 18th in program history … She needs 25 more strikeouts to become just the 15th pitcher in program history to reach 200 career strikeouts … Jones has a team-leading 41 strikeouts over 36.0 innings of work this season.
Deborah Jones earned her 20th career victory versus Northern Kentucky on March 5, allowing just one run and four hits, while striking out a career-high 12 batters in the 2-1 victory … It was her first win of the 2022 season, to go along with her seven wins as a freshman in 2020 and 12 last season … Jones is also two wins shy of breaking into the top 20 in program history.
Freshman pitcher Angelina Russo has been at the top of her game in her last two appearances, earning the complete game victory in the 5-1 win at Grand Canyon (March 12), while holding a talented No. 23 Arizona State (March 13) offense off the board in her first four innings of work … Russo has earned three of the team's six wins in the circle this season, pitching a team-high 44.2 innings.

Ball State University Athletics

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Players Mentioned

Faith Hensley

Delanie Johnson

Deborah Jones

Kayla Lissy

Remington Ross

Angelina Russo

McKayla Timmons

Haley Wynn

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