Friday, March 15
Muncie, Ind.
3 PM
Ball State University
vs
Bowling Green
Photo by: Brayden Goins / Ball State Athletics
Baseball Hosting Bowling Green in Second MAC Series
March 14, 2024 | Baseball
The Ball State baseball team is scheduled to host its second straight Mid-American Conference opponent when Bowling Green comes to town for a three-game series starting at 3 p.m. on Friday.
The Cardinals (11-6, 1-2 MAC) and Falcons (5-7, 3-0 MAC) are also set to play 1 p.m. tilts on Saturday and Sunday. Links to the video streams and live stats can be found above, while schedule changes will be communicated on the schedule page of the website and social media.
Ball State has won two in a row after run-ruling Purdue Fort Wayne 19-7 in seven innings on Tuesday afternoon and salvaging the MAC-opening series against Eastern Michigan with an 11-8 decision on Sunday.
Bowling Green has faced a tough nonconference, including a weekend series at No. 8 Tennessee during the first three days of March, but swept Miami (OH) last weekend to be one of the three league teams to sweep series in the opening weekend of MAC play (Bowling Green and Toledo).
SCOUTING BOWLING GREEN: The Falcons are led by Kyle Hallock in his fourth season at the helm. Bowling Green went 20-30 (13-17 MAC) in 2023 and was projected to finish ninth this year in the preseason coaches poll.
Bowling Green ranks second in the MAC in scoring (8.2 runs per game) through last weekend and third in home runs per game (1.25). Two-way player DJ Newman leads the pitching staff in innings pitched (19.0) and strikeouts (26) and the offense in batting average (.348), home runs (three) and runs scored (20).
BLASTING THE MASTODONS: Ball State's 19 runs in Tuesday's win over Purdue Fort Wayne accounted for the baseball program's highest offensive output since putting up 19 as well against Butler last March 22.
The first five Cardinals in the starting lineup hit home runs, while eight players scored multiple runs and six pounded out multiple hits and RBI in the 19-7 triumph in seven innings.
BEEKER BALL: Junior transfer Merritt Beeker struck out 10 batters for the second time this year in Sunday's 11-8 win over Eastern Michigan and allowed one run in 5.2 innings pitched to be credited with the win.
The Lexington, N.C. native leads the Cardinals in strikeouts (30) and innings (17.0) so far this season, with the strikeouts number leading the MAC and ranking 39th nationally.
STRONG PITCH HANDS: The Ball State pitching staff paces the Mid-American Conference in ERA (4.80), hits allowed per nine innings (8.52) and strikeouts per nine innings (10.5) to this point in 2024.
The Cardinals rank No. 38 in NCAA Division I in the strikeouts per nine category as of Wednesday.
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HIT MACHINES: Ball State bats rank second in the MAC in both batting average (.279) and total hits (146), while the offense's doubles per game (1.82) is fourth.
Juniors Michael Hallquist (.394) and Hunter Dobbins (six) lead the Cardinals in batting average and two-base hits, respectively, with Hallquist's 26 hits pacing the team.
BACK IN THE MAC: The Ball State baseball team plays its second of two straight home weekend series when the Cardinals and Bowling Green Falcons square off.
Ball State is scheduled to play three of its five home conference series in the month of March while having only one each in April and May.
NICK KNOWS LEADOFF: Senior outfielder Nick Gregory hit leadoff home runs on Sunday against Eastern Michigan and Tuesday vs Purdue Fort Wayne to do so in consecutive games.
The Parkland CC transfer is second on the team in batting average (.313) and homers (four) while ranking as the third-toughest MAC batter to strike out with an 11.0 K%.
BACK-TO-BACK-TO-BACK: Hallquist, Dobbins and Blake Bevis hit consecutive home runs as part of a 10-run second inning in Tuesday's rout of Purdue Fort Wayne.
Dobbins was part of another homer happy spell when he followed Matthew Gonzalez for consecutive long balls in the season-opening 8-4 win over Lehigh.
Up Next
Ball State is scheduled to play in-state midweek games at Valparaiso on Tuesday and Butler on Wednesday.
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The Cardinals (11-6, 1-2 MAC) and Falcons (5-7, 3-0 MAC) are also set to play 1 p.m. tilts on Saturday and Sunday. Links to the video streams and live stats can be found above, while schedule changes will be communicated on the schedule page of the website and social media.
Ball State has won two in a row after run-ruling Purdue Fort Wayne 19-7 in seven innings on Tuesday afternoon and salvaging the MAC-opening series against Eastern Michigan with an 11-8 decision on Sunday.
Bowling Green has faced a tough nonconference, including a weekend series at No. 8 Tennessee during the first three days of March, but swept Miami (OH) last weekend to be one of the three league teams to sweep series in the opening weekend of MAC play (Bowling Green and Toledo).
SCOUTING BOWLING GREEN: The Falcons are led by Kyle Hallock in his fourth season at the helm. Bowling Green went 20-30 (13-17 MAC) in 2023 and was projected to finish ninth this year in the preseason coaches poll.
Bowling Green ranks second in the MAC in scoring (8.2 runs per game) through last weekend and third in home runs per game (1.25). Two-way player DJ Newman leads the pitching staff in innings pitched (19.0) and strikeouts (26) and the offense in batting average (.348), home runs (three) and runs scored (20).
BLASTING THE MASTODONS: Ball State's 19 runs in Tuesday's win over Purdue Fort Wayne accounted for the baseball program's highest offensive output since putting up 19 as well against Butler last March 22.
The first five Cardinals in the starting lineup hit home runs, while eight players scored multiple runs and six pounded out multiple hits and RBI in the 19-7 triumph in seven innings.
BEEKER BALL: Junior transfer Merritt Beeker struck out 10 batters for the second time this year in Sunday's 11-8 win over Eastern Michigan and allowed one run in 5.2 innings pitched to be credited with the win.
The Lexington, N.C. native leads the Cardinals in strikeouts (30) and innings (17.0) so far this season, with the strikeouts number leading the MAC and ranking 39th nationally.
STRONG PITCH HANDS: The Ball State pitching staff paces the Mid-American Conference in ERA (4.80), hits allowed per nine innings (8.52) and strikeouts per nine innings (10.5) to this point in 2024.
The Cardinals rank No. 38 in NCAA Division I in the strikeouts per nine category as of Wednesday.
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HIT MACHINES: Ball State bats rank second in the MAC in both batting average (.279) and total hits (146), while the offense's doubles per game (1.82) is fourth.
Juniors Michael Hallquist (.394) and Hunter Dobbins (six) lead the Cardinals in batting average and two-base hits, respectively, with Hallquist's 26 hits pacing the team.
BACK IN THE MAC: The Ball State baseball team plays its second of two straight home weekend series when the Cardinals and Bowling Green Falcons square off.
Ball State is scheduled to play three of its five home conference series in the month of March while having only one each in April and May.
NICK KNOWS LEADOFF: Senior outfielder Nick Gregory hit leadoff home runs on Sunday against Eastern Michigan and Tuesday vs Purdue Fort Wayne to do so in consecutive games.
The Parkland CC transfer is second on the team in batting average (.313) and homers (four) while ranking as the third-toughest MAC batter to strike out with an 11.0 K%.
BACK-TO-BACK-TO-BACK: Hallquist, Dobbins and Blake Bevis hit consecutive home runs as part of a 10-run second inning in Tuesday's rout of Purdue Fort Wayne.
Dobbins was part of another homer happy spell when he followed Matthew Gonzalez for consecutive long balls in the season-opening 8-4 win over Lehigh.
Up Next
Ball State is scheduled to play in-state midweek games at Valparaiso on Tuesday and Butler on Wednesday.
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Players Mentioned
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P/1B
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INF
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