Thursday, March 28
Muncie, Ind.
3 PM
Ball State University
vs
Ohio
Photo by: Brayden Goins / Ball State Athletics
Cardinals Hosting Ohio for Three-Game Set Starting Thursday
March 27, 2024 | Baseball
The Ball State baseball team is scheduled to host a three-game series with Ohio beginning at 3 p.m. on Thursday.
The Cardinals (14-12, 2-7 Mid-American Conference) are riding a two-game winning streak into the Easter weekend set with the Bobcats (8-13, 4-5 MAC).
Friday (3 p.m.) and Saturday (1 p.m.) games are scheduled to follow Thursday's opener, while each contest will be broadcast on ESPN+. Links to the video stream and live stats can be found above and on the schedule page.
Ball State most recently beat Southern Indiana 12-5 on Tuesday afternoon following a 4-2 decision in Sunday's series finale at Toledo.
Ohio went 1-2 during last weekend's set with Central Michigan including winning the second game of a Saturday doubleheader 18-3. The Bobcats went 2-1 vs Kent State (March 15-17) and 1-2 against Northern Illinois (March 8-10) in earlier conference play.
SCOUTING OHIO: The Bobcats went 19-30 (15-15 MAC) last year in the third under the direction of head coach Craig Moore. Ohio finished fifth in the conference standings and miss out on the MAC Tournament by one spot.
Ohio's batters rank second in the MAC in doubles per game (1.90) and third in batting average (.289) and total hits (215).
Senior outfielder Gideon Antle leads the league and ranks in the Top 50 in NCAA Division I in hits per game (1.95, No. 2), batting average (.438, No. 15), doubles (10, No. 33), RBI per game (1.45, No. 31), slugging percentage (.787, No. 42) and total bases (70, No. 43).
ROTATION ROUNDING INTO FORM: The trio of Nate Blain, Merritt Beeker and Keegan Johnson combined for a 3.42 ERA and 26 strikeouts in 21.0 innings pitched in last weekend's series at Toledo.
Blain tossed Ball State's first complete game of the year on Friday against the Rockets while not allowing a hit or run in his final six innings on the mound, while Beeker notched his third double-digit strikeout game as a Cardinal and Johnson was named the Mid-American Conference Co-Pitcher of the Week after 11 strikeouts in 7.0 innings of 1-run ball on Sunday to improve his record to 3-0.
BACK-TO-BACK-TO-BACK BLASTS ROUND 2: Blake Bevis, Clay Jacobs and Hunter Dobbins hit consecutive home runs in the first inning of Tuesday's 12-5 win over USI to get the Cardinals an early 4-0 edge.
Michael Hallquist, Dobbins and Decker Scheffler hit three straight long balls in the second inning of the March 12 win against Purdue Fort Wayne. Dobbins and Matthew Gonzalez hit back-to-back shots in the season-opening 8-4 win over Lehigh.
LEAGUE LEADERS: The Ball State offense leads the Mid-American Conference in total home runs (37, No. 41 in NCAA Division I), doubles (48) and hits (243), while the Cardinals pitching staff paces the MAC and ranks No. 25 nationally in strikeouts per nine innings (10.5).
Hallquist leads the league in home runs (eight) and total bases (70) while ranking third in hits (36) and fifth in RBI (27). Tanner Knapp (four saves, No. 22 in Division I) and Merritt Beeker (15.92 strikeouts per nine innings, No. 7) pace the MAC in pitching categories.
WINNING TRADITION: The Ball State baseball program has finished first or second in the Mid-American Conference regular season standings every year since the MAC did away with divisions in 2018 (five years in a row).
The Cardinals won the league tournament in 2023 a year after claiming the regular season crown in 2022. Ball State has finished in the Top 3 of the division or overall standings every year under Rich Maloney except for his first in 1996.
MIDWEEK MASHERS: The Cardinals have averaged 10.0 runs per game across seven midweek contests in 2024 to lead to a 6-1 record in such games this year.
Ball State has gone 3-1 on Tuesday and 3-0 on Wednesday so far this season, while the Cardinals' best record in weekend games has been on Sunday (4-2).
ON DECK: Decker Scheffler has reached base safely in 19 straight games and has secured at least one base hit in 17 of them.
The senior has raised his batting average 139 points since the beginning of the streak.
Up Next
Ball State travels to Louisville to face Bellarmine at 3 p.m. on Tuesday.
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The Cardinals (14-12, 2-7 Mid-American Conference) are riding a two-game winning streak into the Easter weekend set with the Bobcats (8-13, 4-5 MAC).
Friday (3 p.m.) and Saturday (1 p.m.) games are scheduled to follow Thursday's opener, while each contest will be broadcast on ESPN+. Links to the video stream and live stats can be found above and on the schedule page.
Ball State most recently beat Southern Indiana 12-5 on Tuesday afternoon following a 4-2 decision in Sunday's series finale at Toledo.
Ohio went 1-2 during last weekend's set with Central Michigan including winning the second game of a Saturday doubleheader 18-3. The Bobcats went 2-1 vs Kent State (March 15-17) and 1-2 against Northern Illinois (March 8-10) in earlier conference play.
SCOUTING OHIO: The Bobcats went 19-30 (15-15 MAC) last year in the third under the direction of head coach Craig Moore. Ohio finished fifth in the conference standings and miss out on the MAC Tournament by one spot.
Ohio's batters rank second in the MAC in doubles per game (1.90) and third in batting average (.289) and total hits (215).
Senior outfielder Gideon Antle leads the league and ranks in the Top 50 in NCAA Division I in hits per game (1.95, No. 2), batting average (.438, No. 15), doubles (10, No. 33), RBI per game (1.45, No. 31), slugging percentage (.787, No. 42) and total bases (70, No. 43).
ROTATION ROUNDING INTO FORM: The trio of Nate Blain, Merritt Beeker and Keegan Johnson combined for a 3.42 ERA and 26 strikeouts in 21.0 innings pitched in last weekend's series at Toledo.
Blain tossed Ball State's first complete game of the year on Friday against the Rockets while not allowing a hit or run in his final six innings on the mound, while Beeker notched his third double-digit strikeout game as a Cardinal and Johnson was named the Mid-American Conference Co-Pitcher of the Week after 11 strikeouts in 7.0 innings of 1-run ball on Sunday to improve his record to 3-0.
BACK-TO-BACK-TO-BACK BLASTS ROUND 2: Blake Bevis, Clay Jacobs and Hunter Dobbins hit consecutive home runs in the first inning of Tuesday's 12-5 win over USI to get the Cardinals an early 4-0 edge.
Michael Hallquist, Dobbins and Decker Scheffler hit three straight long balls in the second inning of the March 12 win against Purdue Fort Wayne. Dobbins and Matthew Gonzalez hit back-to-back shots in the season-opening 8-4 win over Lehigh.
LEAGUE LEADERS: The Ball State offense leads the Mid-American Conference in total home runs (37, No. 41 in NCAA Division I), doubles (48) and hits (243), while the Cardinals pitching staff paces the MAC and ranks No. 25 nationally in strikeouts per nine innings (10.5).
Hallquist leads the league in home runs (eight) and total bases (70) while ranking third in hits (36) and fifth in RBI (27). Tanner Knapp (four saves, No. 22 in Division I) and Merritt Beeker (15.92 strikeouts per nine innings, No. 7) pace the MAC in pitching categories.
WINNING TRADITION: The Ball State baseball program has finished first or second in the Mid-American Conference regular season standings every year since the MAC did away with divisions in 2018 (five years in a row).
The Cardinals won the league tournament in 2023 a year after claiming the regular season crown in 2022. Ball State has finished in the Top 3 of the division or overall standings every year under Rich Maloney except for his first in 1996.
MIDWEEK MASHERS: The Cardinals have averaged 10.0 runs per game across seven midweek contests in 2024 to lead to a 6-1 record in such games this year.
Ball State has gone 3-1 on Tuesday and 3-0 on Wednesday so far this season, while the Cardinals' best record in weekend games has been on Sunday (4-2).
ON DECK: Decker Scheffler has reached base safely in 19 straight games and has secured at least one base hit in 17 of them.
The senior has raised his batting average 139 points since the beginning of the streak.
Up Next
Ball State travels to Louisville to face Bellarmine at 3 p.m. on Tuesday.
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Players Mentioned
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