Friday, May 10
Muncie, Ind.
3 PM
Ball State University
vs
Central Michigan
Baseball Hosting Central Michigan in Final Home Series of 2024
May 09, 2024 | Baseball
Senior Day and First Merchants Ballpark Day on Saturday
The Ball State baseball team begins its final home series of the year on Friday at 3 p.m. when it hosts Central Michigan for a three-game set.
Subsequent games are on tap for 1:45 p.m. on Saturday and 1 p.m. on Sunday. Each game will be broadcast on ESPN+, and links to the broadcasts and live stats can be found above and on the schedule page. Saturday's game will feature a Senior Day ceremony pregame and First Merchants Ballpark Day which is highlighted by giveaways throughout the day.
The Cardinals (28-19-1, 14-10 Mid-American Conference) are winners of five straight MAC series and are coming off a 24-7 triumph over Butler on Tuesday in seven innings that was their highest offensive output of the year.
The Chippewas (15-33, 6-18 MAC) are last in the league after being picked third in the preseason coaches poll. Central Michigan lost 9-5 at Michigan on Wednesday after being swept at home by Akron last weekend to form a four-game losing streak. The Chippewas have power conference wins at Michigan State (10-0 on April 9) and Notre Dame (2-0 on April 24) over the past month.
SCOUTING CENTRAL MICHIGAN: CMU is led by Jake Sabol in his first year in charge of the program after previous head coaching stints at NCAA Division III member Alma and Division II member Northwood.
The Chippewas lead the league and rank Top 25 nationally in pitching shutouts (four, No. 15) and stolen bases (93, No. 22) while ranking third in the MAC with a .974 fielding percentage.
Senior outfielder Jacob Donahue's .367 batting average is sixth in the MAC and his 15 steals are fifth. The duo of senior Keegan Batka and junior Adam Mrakitsch are second and fifth in the league with 79 strikeouts and 66 strikeouts, respectively.
BIG DAY AT BALL DIAMOND: Ball State pounded out 24 runs on 25 hits in Tuesday's 24-7 run-rule win over Butler, marking the first time in more than five years that the Cardinals' offense put together 20+ runs or 20+ hits in a game.
The 2019 team scored 20 against Western Michigan on March 24 after notching 28 hits vs the Broncos on March 20.
WHO WILL WIN HOMER CROWN: Senior shortstop Michael Hallquist and junior catcher Hunter Dobbins enter the weekend tied for the team lead with 17 home runs each.
The duo are in a tie for third among Mid-American Conference sluggers while ranking No. 51 on the NCAA Division I leaderboard in homers.
BUZZSAW BLAIN: Senior right-handed pitcher Nate Blain earned his first two wins of the year on Friday and Sunday at Northern Illinois after combining to allow three runs (none earned) and striking out 12 in 9.2 innings of work to propel the Cardinals to a series win.
Blain was named the MAC Pitcher of the Week for his effort, becoming the third Ball State hurler to earn the honor this year (Keegan Johnson on March 25 and April 8 and Merritt Beeker on April 1). The senior swingman leads the team in ERA (4.53) and innings pitched (59.2) to begin the week.
SERIES HISTORY: Central Michigan leads Ball State 107-68 in the all-time series after sweeping a three-game set last April 14-16 in Mount Pleasant, but the Cardinals got revenge with a 7-6 win on May 24 in the MAC Tournament.
The Chippewas have won 5 of the last 6 in the head-to-head matchup after the Cardinals won seven straight from May 8, 2021 to May 27, 2022.
LEAGUE LEADERS: The Ball State pitching staff paces the MAC with 9.6 strikeouts per nine innings, ranking No. 43 nationally, and stands at fourth in the league in ERA (6.12). The Cardinals' bats lead the league in doubles (91) and rank second in home runs (78, No. 38 nationally) and slugging percentage (.502, No. 53), third in hits (466) and fourth in batting average (.289) as a team.
Junior left-handed pitcher Merritt Beeker is tops in the MAC in strikeouts (92) and strikeouts per nine (14.1), ranking No. 15 and No. 9 nationally in those categories, respectively. Hallquist is near the top of the MAC leaderboards in total bases (132, No. 2), slugging (.673, No. 5) and hits (64, No. 7). Dobbins is second in slugging percentage (.719) and eighth in total bases (115), while the duo of Hallquist and Dobbins are tied for third in the league in homers and doubles (15 each).
SCHEFF COOKING UP HITS: Senior outfielder Decker Scheffler went 5-for-5 at the dish with two doubles, a home run, four RBI and three runs scored in Tuesday's romp of the Bulldogs.
It was the second five-hit day of the year for Scheffler after he went 5-for-6 on March 30 against Ohio in what was the first five-hit performance by a Ball State player since 2018 (Jeff Reidel on March 9 vs Western Carolina).
Up Next
Ball State is scheduled to host nationally-ranked Indiana State at 3 p.m. on Tuesday.
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Subsequent games are on tap for 1:45 p.m. on Saturday and 1 p.m. on Sunday. Each game will be broadcast on ESPN+, and links to the broadcasts and live stats can be found above and on the schedule page. Saturday's game will feature a Senior Day ceremony pregame and First Merchants Ballpark Day which is highlighted by giveaways throughout the day.
The Cardinals (28-19-1, 14-10 Mid-American Conference) are winners of five straight MAC series and are coming off a 24-7 triumph over Butler on Tuesday in seven innings that was their highest offensive output of the year.
The Chippewas (15-33, 6-18 MAC) are last in the league after being picked third in the preseason coaches poll. Central Michigan lost 9-5 at Michigan on Wednesday after being swept at home by Akron last weekend to form a four-game losing streak. The Chippewas have power conference wins at Michigan State (10-0 on April 9) and Notre Dame (2-0 on April 24) over the past month.
SCOUTING CENTRAL MICHIGAN: CMU is led by Jake Sabol in his first year in charge of the program after previous head coaching stints at NCAA Division III member Alma and Division II member Northwood.
The Chippewas lead the league and rank Top 25 nationally in pitching shutouts (four, No. 15) and stolen bases (93, No. 22) while ranking third in the MAC with a .974 fielding percentage.
Senior outfielder Jacob Donahue's .367 batting average is sixth in the MAC and his 15 steals are fifth. The duo of senior Keegan Batka and junior Adam Mrakitsch are second and fifth in the league with 79 strikeouts and 66 strikeouts, respectively.
BIG DAY AT BALL DIAMOND: Ball State pounded out 24 runs on 25 hits in Tuesday's 24-7 run-rule win over Butler, marking the first time in more than five years that the Cardinals' offense put together 20+ runs or 20+ hits in a game.
The 2019 team scored 20 against Western Michigan on March 24 after notching 28 hits vs the Broncos on March 20.
WHO WILL WIN HOMER CROWN: Senior shortstop Michael Hallquist and junior catcher Hunter Dobbins enter the weekend tied for the team lead with 17 home runs each.
The duo are in a tie for third among Mid-American Conference sluggers while ranking No. 51 on the NCAA Division I leaderboard in homers.
BUZZSAW BLAIN: Senior right-handed pitcher Nate Blain earned his first two wins of the year on Friday and Sunday at Northern Illinois after combining to allow three runs (none earned) and striking out 12 in 9.2 innings of work to propel the Cardinals to a series win.
Blain was named the MAC Pitcher of the Week for his effort, becoming the third Ball State hurler to earn the honor this year (Keegan Johnson on March 25 and April 8 and Merritt Beeker on April 1). The senior swingman leads the team in ERA (4.53) and innings pitched (59.2) to begin the week.
SERIES HISTORY: Central Michigan leads Ball State 107-68 in the all-time series after sweeping a three-game set last April 14-16 in Mount Pleasant, but the Cardinals got revenge with a 7-6 win on May 24 in the MAC Tournament.
The Chippewas have won 5 of the last 6 in the head-to-head matchup after the Cardinals won seven straight from May 8, 2021 to May 27, 2022.
LEAGUE LEADERS: The Ball State pitching staff paces the MAC with 9.6 strikeouts per nine innings, ranking No. 43 nationally, and stands at fourth in the league in ERA (6.12). The Cardinals' bats lead the league in doubles (91) and rank second in home runs (78, No. 38 nationally) and slugging percentage (.502, No. 53), third in hits (466) and fourth in batting average (.289) as a team.
Junior left-handed pitcher Merritt Beeker is tops in the MAC in strikeouts (92) and strikeouts per nine (14.1), ranking No. 15 and No. 9 nationally in those categories, respectively. Hallquist is near the top of the MAC leaderboards in total bases (132, No. 2), slugging (.673, No. 5) and hits (64, No. 7). Dobbins is second in slugging percentage (.719) and eighth in total bases (115), while the duo of Hallquist and Dobbins are tied for third in the league in homers and doubles (15 each).
SCHEFF COOKING UP HITS: Senior outfielder Decker Scheffler went 5-for-5 at the dish with two doubles, a home run, four RBI and three runs scored in Tuesday's romp of the Bulldogs.
It was the second five-hit day of the year for Scheffler after he went 5-for-6 on March 30 against Ohio in what was the first five-hit performance by a Ball State player since 2018 (Jeff Reidel on March 9 vs Western Carolina).
Up Next
Ball State is scheduled to host nationally-ranked Indiana State at 3 p.m. on Tuesday.
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