Let The #MACtion Begin, Softball Travels to CMU

Ball State (7-16; 0-0 MAC) at Central Michigan (11-12; 2-1 MAC)
Game 24 at Central Michigan	Friday, March 25 at 1 p.m. Live Stats \| Live Video (PPV)
Game 25 at Central Michigan	Friday, March 25 at 3:30 p.m. Live Stats \| Live Video (PPV)
Game 26 at Central Michigan	Saturday, March 26 at 1 p.m. Live Stats \| Live Video (PPV)
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MUNCIE, Ind. - - The Ball State softball team will look to ride the momentum from its biggest win of the season into Mid-American Conference play when it travels to Central Michigan for a three-game weekend set.

The Cardinals (7-16; 0-0 MAC) and Chippewas (11-12; 2-1 MAC) are slated to play a Friday doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. and a Saturday single game also at 1 p.m. at Margo Jonker Stadium.

A truly battle tested Ball State squad is coming of an impressive 4-3 victory at then-No. 18 Missouri last Sunday, which is just the seventh win over a ranked opponent in program history.

The Cardinals nearly made it two ranked wins on the day, as the squad brought the tying run to the plate in the top of the seventh in its 5-2 loss to No. 14 Northwestern.

So far this season, Ball State has played 11 of its 23 games versus teams inside the top 90 in the latest NCAA RPI Rankings, including five against top 25 squads.

SEASON SO FAR:

The Cardinals enter Friday's doubleheader at Central Michigan with a 7-16 overall record, including a 1-3 mark at last weekend's Mizzou Classic … BSU ended the event with its biggest win of the season to date, however, topping No. 18 Missouri by a score of 4-3.
Despite facing some of the nation's top pitching staffs, the Cardinals enter the week with a .262 team batting average … leading the way is senior left fielder Faith Hensley who is third in the MAC and 109th nationally at .403.
In fact, Ball State's top three batters all own averages of at least .300 this season … Junior third baseman Haley Wynn is second on the squad at .312, while redshirt freshman first baseman / catcher McKayla Timmons is third at .309.
Ball State's power has still been there this season too, with the squad ranking 57th nationally with a 0.96 home runs per game average … BSU's sluggers have belted 22 home runs so far this season, with nine different players going yard.
Ball State's ability to double teams up has been a bright spot for the defense so far this season, as the Cardinals rank 12th nationally with 13 double plays so far this season … In addition, BSU's 0.57 double plays per game average is ninth nationally.
The Cardinals have also been making moves on the base paths, ranking fourth among Mid-American Conference programs with 26 stolen bases … Leading the way is sophomore transfer Remington Ross, who is a perfect 10-for-10 so far this season, with her 10 stolen bases being third among all league players.

SCOUTING CENTRAL MICHIGAN
The Chippewas enter the weekend with a 11-12 overall record, including a 2-1 mark in the MAC … CMU opened league play last weekend, going 2-1 versus Akron … After dropping the first game, 8-2, on Saturday, Central Michigan took both ends of a Sunday twinbill by scores of 7-5 and 8-0 (5) … CMU also suffered an 8-0 (5) loss at Michigan State on Tuesday … Michaleigh Vallimont leads the squad with a .390 batting average, while four of the team's regular starters are batting at least .314 … Shannon Stein is among the group at .347, and paces the squad with eight home runs, 22 RBI and 18 runs scored … In the circle Grace Lehto leads the squad with a 5-6 record and a 3.40 ERA over a team-high 59.2 innings of work … She has thrown seven complete games and struck out 63 batters over 14 appearances … Kaitlyn Bean is not far behind with a 4-5 record, 3.76 ERA, and 44 strikeouts over 54.0 innings … Overall, the Chippewas enter the week with a .266 team batting average and a 4.38 team ERA.

THE ALL-TIME SERIES:

While the Chippewas hold a 76-38 advantage in the all-time series, the Cardinals have won eight of the last 10 meetings between the two teams, including all four games last season.
The last seven meetings between the two programs have been played at CMU's Margo Jonker Stadium, with BSU going 5-2 in those contests … BSU is 21-43 all-time in games played in Mount Pleasant.
During last season's four-game sweep in Mount Pleasant, Ball State outscored Central Michigan by a 48-22 margin … The Cardinals scored wins of 14-6, 5-1, 13-10, and 16-5 (5).
Faith Hensley led the Cardinals during the 2021 series with a .667 (6-for-9) average, including four doubles and a triple … She also drove in eight of the 48 runs, while scoring four times … Threw in four walks and an HBP, then Hensley had a .733 on base percentage for the series
Deborah Jones earned two of the wins in the circle last season, allowing just four earned runs over 12.0 innings of work … She also struck out 11 batters and held CMU to a .244 batting average.

BALL STATE NOTES:

Senior outfielder Faith Hensley has picked up right where she left off last season, leading the Ball State offense with a .403 batting average this season … She has reached base safely in 21 of BSU's 23 games, including via a hit in 17 of the 23 contests … She also leads the team with 15 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 weekend ranked second in program history (minimum 150 at bats) with a .383 career batting average … She is also currently fourth in career slugging percentage (.663), based on the strength of her 19 career doubles, 15 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 22 total home runs so far this season, with nine different players getting into the action … Faith Henley leads the way with seven, while redshirt freshman first baseman / catcher McKayla Timmons, junior third baseman Haley Wynn and redshirt junior catcher Jazmyne Armendariz are tied for second with three apiece … 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 .314 batting average … She has reached base safely in 19 of BSU's 23 games this season, including a team-high 15 straight contests earlier in the year … Wynn has had at least one hit in 16 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.
Sophomore outfielder Remington Ross enters the CMU series ranked third in the league with 10 stolen bases this season … In fact, she is a perfect 10-for-10 on the year … Only four players in program history have finished a season with a perfect stolen base percentage, with Kim Manuel (16-for-16) being the last in 2019 … The Ball State record for most consecutive stolen bases without being thrown out is 32 by Lisa Rozanski spanning the 2008 and 2009 seasons.
Overall, Ball State has stolen 26 total bases this season in 37 attempts … 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 not backed down from any challenges of late, battling some of the nation's top offenses … Over her last five appearances (at Grand Canyon, at No. 23 Arizona State, vs. Stanford, vs. No. 14 Northwestern, and at No. 18 Missouri), Russo has a 2-3 record and a 4.70 ERA … She has thrown 25.1 of BSU's last 37 innings, striking out 12 batters along the way.
Last weekend was quite the weekend for Ball State freshman pitcher Emma Eubank, who faced three of the nation's toughest teams and didn't flinch … In appearances versus Stanford, No. 14 Northwestern and at No. 18 Missouri, Eubank threw a combined 5.2 innings and allowed just one hit and one earned run … She also limiting opposing batters to a .059 batting average … She picked up the save in BSU's win over No. 18 Mizzou, after holding the Tigers hitless over 1.2 innings of work … She also threw 3.0 innings of hitless softball earlier in the day versus the 14th-ranked Wildcats … Eubank started her week with a solid inning of work versus Stanford, allowing just one hit and one run.

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Players Mentioned

Jazmyne Armendariz

Emma Eubank

Faith Hensley

Deborah Jones

Kayla Lissy

Remington Ross

Angelina Russo

McKayla Timmons

Haley Wynn