Friday, February 28
Jacksonville, Fla.
6:30 PM
Ball State University
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North Florida
Photo by: Sacramento State Athletics
Baseball Begins Three-Game Series at North Florida Friday Night
February 27, 2025 | Baseball
The Ball State baseball team is set to play a three-game series at North Florida beginning at 6 p.m. on Friday in Jacksonville.
The Cardinals (4-4) will also face the Ospreys (6-3) at 3 p.m. on Saturday and 1 p.m. on Sunday. There will be no broadcast, but live stats are available at the link above and on the schedule page.
Ball State fell 11-1 to Illinois State in the home opener on Tuesday afternoon after splitting a series with Sacramento State last weekend.
North Florida dropped a 7-6 decision at No. 8 Florida on Wednesday evening to snap a six-game winning streak. The Ospreys swept Brown in a four-game set over the weekend.
Joe Mercadante is in his second season leading a program that finished 21-30-1 (11-17-1 ASUN) in 2024. The Ospreys were voted to finish seventh in the 12-team Atlantic Sun Conference preseason poll.
Senior infielder Connor Moore paces the North Florida offense with a .483 batting average including three doubles, two triples and nine RBI. Right-handed pitchers Bryson Treichel (9.0 innings, 10 strikeouts, 0.00 ERA), Jackson Bellhorn (7.0 innings, five strikeouts, 0.00 ERA) and Will Ross (9.1 innings, eight strikeouts, 2.89 ERA) have posted strong performances early in the year for the Ospreys.
The Cardinals will next head over to Tallahassee to play games at Florida A&M on Tuesday and Wednesday to wrap up the five-game Florida trip.
BEATING THE BIG BOYS: The Cardinals beat Maryland 5-3 on Feb. 15 at the Swig & Swine Classic in Charleston, S.C., to extend the Ball State baseball program's streak of winning against at least one Power Four conference opponent to 14 seasons in a row.
Ball State has notched such a triumph in every season since 2012, with nine of those seasons featuring wins against multiple opponents from the Power Four.
HARTLAUB HEATERS: Senior right-handed pitcher Jacob Hartlaub backed up a strong Opening Day start with nine strikeouts in 5.0 innings of 2-run ball on Friday night at Sacramento State.
Hartlaub has struck out 17 and allowed only three hits in 10.2 innings of work with a 1.69 ERA in his first two appearances of the year.
CLOSING IN ON NO. 1,000: Head coach Rich Maloney is currently eight wins away from 1,000 in his career as a collegiate head coach, which is in the early stages of his 30th season.
Maloney (992) is 10th on the career wins leaderboard among active NCAA Division I coaches. The group consists of Paul Mainieri (South Carolina, 1,514 wins), Danny Hall (Georgia Tech, 1,418), Elliott Avent (NC State, 1,263), Dave Van Horn (Arkansas, 1,261), Rich Hill (Hawaii, 1,180), Steve Owens (Rutgers, 1,050), Rick Heller (Iowa, 1,044), Tim Corbin (Vanderbilt, 1,035), and Mike Bianco (Ole Miss, 1,013). Of the nine ahead of Maloney, only Hall, Mainieri, Avent, Van Horn and Bianco have more wins at the Division I level.
HIGH EXPECTATIONS: The 2025 Cardinals were picked to finish first in the recently released Mid-American Conference preseason poll. Ball State got six first place votes for the regular season and five to win the MAC Tournament.
The Ball State baseball program boasts the best winning percentage both overall (.636) and in conference play (.647) among MAC teams since 2019 entering the 2025 campaign.
HARKER HOLDING IT DOWN: Senior Garrett Harker has solidified the closer role for the Cardinals, beginning the year with 11 strikeouts in 8.0 innings pitched, a 2.25 ERA, 1.13 WHIP.
The right-hander has three saves, which ranks in a tie for second place among NCAA Division I pitchers.
COMEBACK CARDS: Ball State rallied back from a 7-0 deficit to claim a 13-10 win over Sacramento State in last Saturday's series finale.
Down seven runs after the second inning, the Cardinals fought back with two tallies in the third, four in the third and three in the fourth to gain a 9-7 lead which they wouldn't relinquish. Ty Davis hit a three-run home run in the fourth before Blake Bevis drove a go-ahead three-run shot in the fifth for the visitors to take the edge.
HOT START FOR HUTCHINSON: Sophomore pitcher Connor Hutchinson tossed 5.0 shutout frames with six strikeouts in last Thursday's 4-3 winning in the series opener at Sacramento State.
The right-hander allowed only two hits in his first appearance of the year and first career start.
MIX OF NEW AND OLD: Ball State's 2025 roster features 17 returning players from last year's team, seven true freshmen and 13 incoming transfers.
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The Cardinals (4-4) will also face the Ospreys (6-3) at 3 p.m. on Saturday and 1 p.m. on Sunday. There will be no broadcast, but live stats are available at the link above and on the schedule page.
Ball State fell 11-1 to Illinois State in the home opener on Tuesday afternoon after splitting a series with Sacramento State last weekend.
North Florida dropped a 7-6 decision at No. 8 Florida on Wednesday evening to snap a six-game winning streak. The Ospreys swept Brown in a four-game set over the weekend.
Joe Mercadante is in his second season leading a program that finished 21-30-1 (11-17-1 ASUN) in 2024. The Ospreys were voted to finish seventh in the 12-team Atlantic Sun Conference preseason poll.
Senior infielder Connor Moore paces the North Florida offense with a .483 batting average including three doubles, two triples and nine RBI. Right-handed pitchers Bryson Treichel (9.0 innings, 10 strikeouts, 0.00 ERA), Jackson Bellhorn (7.0 innings, five strikeouts, 0.00 ERA) and Will Ross (9.1 innings, eight strikeouts, 2.89 ERA) have posted strong performances early in the year for the Ospreys.
The Cardinals will next head over to Tallahassee to play games at Florida A&M on Tuesday and Wednesday to wrap up the five-game Florida trip.
BEATING THE BIG BOYS: The Cardinals beat Maryland 5-3 on Feb. 15 at the Swig & Swine Classic in Charleston, S.C., to extend the Ball State baseball program's streak of winning against at least one Power Four conference opponent to 14 seasons in a row.
Ball State has notched such a triumph in every season since 2012, with nine of those seasons featuring wins against multiple opponents from the Power Four.
HARTLAUB HEATERS: Senior right-handed pitcher Jacob Hartlaub backed up a strong Opening Day start with nine strikeouts in 5.0 innings of 2-run ball on Friday night at Sacramento State.
Hartlaub has struck out 17 and allowed only three hits in 10.2 innings of work with a 1.69 ERA in his first two appearances of the year.
CLOSING IN ON NO. 1,000: Head coach Rich Maloney is currently eight wins away from 1,000 in his career as a collegiate head coach, which is in the early stages of his 30th season.
Maloney (992) is 10th on the career wins leaderboard among active NCAA Division I coaches. The group consists of Paul Mainieri (South Carolina, 1,514 wins), Danny Hall (Georgia Tech, 1,418), Elliott Avent (NC State, 1,263), Dave Van Horn (Arkansas, 1,261), Rich Hill (Hawaii, 1,180), Steve Owens (Rutgers, 1,050), Rick Heller (Iowa, 1,044), Tim Corbin (Vanderbilt, 1,035), and Mike Bianco (Ole Miss, 1,013). Of the nine ahead of Maloney, only Hall, Mainieri, Avent, Van Horn and Bianco have more wins at the Division I level.
HIGH EXPECTATIONS: The 2025 Cardinals were picked to finish first in the recently released Mid-American Conference preseason poll. Ball State got six first place votes for the regular season and five to win the MAC Tournament.
The Ball State baseball program boasts the best winning percentage both overall (.636) and in conference play (.647) among MAC teams since 2019 entering the 2025 campaign.
HARKER HOLDING IT DOWN: Senior Garrett Harker has solidified the closer role for the Cardinals, beginning the year with 11 strikeouts in 8.0 innings pitched, a 2.25 ERA, 1.13 WHIP.
The right-hander has three saves, which ranks in a tie for second place among NCAA Division I pitchers.
COMEBACK CARDS: Ball State rallied back from a 7-0 deficit to claim a 13-10 win over Sacramento State in last Saturday's series finale.
Down seven runs after the second inning, the Cardinals fought back with two tallies in the third, four in the third and three in the fourth to gain a 9-7 lead which they wouldn't relinquish. Ty Davis hit a three-run home run in the fourth before Blake Bevis drove a go-ahead three-run shot in the fifth for the visitors to take the edge.
HOT START FOR HUTCHINSON: Sophomore pitcher Connor Hutchinson tossed 5.0 shutout frames with six strikeouts in last Thursday's 4-3 winning in the series opener at Sacramento State.
The right-hander allowed only two hits in his first appearance of the year and first career start.
MIX OF NEW AND OLD: Ball State's 2025 roster features 17 returning players from last year's team, seven true freshmen and 13 incoming transfers.
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