Maloney's March to 1,000 Wins, Part III: Program Architect

By Adam Altobella, Athletic Communications Assistant

MUNCIE, Ind. -- An ordinarily routine ground ball shot to second base to conclude Ball State's marathon 13-10 victory against Purdue Fort Wayne was anything but routine. The 4-3 putout did not just secure a midweek win -- it lifted Rich Maloney even higher into the rarest air in the college baseball world. The final out earned the veteran head coach the 1,000th win of his storied career, accomplishing a milestone that just 49 others have achieved at the Division I level.

The newly named Shebek Stadium, commemorating a more than $5 million contribution from Ball State baseball alumnus Michael Shebek and his family, was perhaps the most proper location for the history-making win. The ballpark is not just the Cardinals' home facility, but a testament to Maloney's development of the program's established reputation and trajectory into the future.

The videoboard that flashed the "Cards Win" graphic, the chair backs from which the Ball State faithful lifted at the game's conclusion, the turf the Cardinals' dugout joyfully spilled onto once the milestone was reached—all of these components of Ball State baseball's facility were installed as an execution of Maloney's vision.

"The facility puts us at an advantage over other schools in the northern half of the United States," Shebek said. "Rich shared with me his vision and his dream of having a complete ballpark."

Maloney is the architect of the modern Ball State baseball program, and the evidence of his work lies in Ball State's state-of-the-art facility.

"Ball State baseball's success is a result of the vision Coach Maloney has twice had for our program," said Jeff Michell, Ball State's director of athletics. "Across two different stints as the Ball State head coach, Coach Maloney has resurrected a fledgling program and built it into one that is nationally respected. From MLB draft picks, to stadium enhancements, to championship level success, Coach Maloney has built Ball State baseball to be a model program not only within the Mid-American Conference, but also across Division I baseball."

When Maloney returned to Muncie in 2013 for his second stint guiding the Cardinals, he inherited the aging Ball Diamond grandstand and playing surface. His son, Alex Maloney, joined the Cardinals' roster the following season and recalls the pitfalls of the former facility.

"We had the grass field, and because we didn't have turf, we weren't able to practice outside," Alex said. "The first time that we were able to be outside was on a game day, the first game of the year out in South Carolina."

Through a fundraising effort directed by Maloney early in his second tenure, Ball State baseball's home went from "not up to par," in his son's words, to among the best in the mid-major ranks. The 2014 renovation saw the installation of a turf playing surface, and in 2015, a complete overhaul of the grandstand took place.

"From a recruiting standpoint, the facility is everything," said Alex, who manages the program's recruiting efforts. "When we show them the beautiful home that we have, it makes a big difference in getting them. When you pair a championship program, a program which has had a lot of success for a long time with the amount of draft picks that we've had, with a beautiful facility, we have everything that the prospective athlete is looking for."

In the decade since the vast renovation effort, Maloney has not been complacent, with waves of additions coming to the ballpark. Fifteen cameras were installed around the field prior to the 2025 campaign for replay operations and player development; a videoboard was planted in left-center field last spring; the array of chair backs has expanded to now cover the entire grandstand—just to name a few of the upgrades.

As a result of the Shebek family's generosity, the ledger of additions is set to grow in the coming years. A new turf playing surface will be installed upon the conclusion of the 2025 season; an on-site clubhouse will be added; and the installation of lights is expected in the coming years.

"I watched the game [against Western Michigan] remotely because I couldn't be there, and I heard them saying, 'It's 10-9 and Ball State wins here at Shebek Stadium,' and I had to pinch myself, honestly, because it's surreal," Shebek said. "I do it in order to be an advocate, not just to have our name on there, which is a nice honor, but to be an advocate for Ball State, the school, and Ball State, the program, to become one of the elite programs of the northern half of the United States in the cold weather markets."

Alex said fundraising for facility improvements is a passion of his father's and that his legacy of program building is also on display at the University of Michigan, where he guided an effort to build the Wolverines' current Ray Fisher Stadium.

"This is actually the second stadium that he's been a part of," Alex said. "He leads the fundraising efforts. It's a passion of his. I think it's because he's so well connected. His ability to connect with all these people is how he does such a great job of it."

"I can't believe how successful he's been in finding donors who have really wanted to help him," said Fred Decker, his former coach at Western Michigan, who remains both friend and mentor. "I think that's the hardest thing to do. He has built the program's facilities that will continue after he's gone. It will be a great program for many years, because of all the work he's done to help the next guy."

"I remember when he went to Ball State for his interview," Decker continued, recalling the time when Maloney was his assistant coach. "He came back and told me, 'Ball State has more help for athletes than we do.' He recognized that and has continued building on it."

Cultivating a strong base of connected Ball State baseball alumni has been a crucial piece in not only setting the program's culture, but also for reaching fundraising goals. Shebek, who once played against Maloney during their playing days in the Mid-American Conference, was first introduced to Ball State's head coach at an alumni gathering and has not wavered in his support of him.

"Rich has built an alumni group that is growing every year," Shebek said. "He is a builder of teams, whether that be on the field or from an alumni standpoint. He puts people together, and he is just the real deal."

Jim Stanley, a 1977 alumnus of the Ball State baseball program, first met Maloney in 2018, when he was on campus to present a lecture and throw out a first pitch at a game. In the years following, he has grown close to Maloney and is among the foremost members of the program's engaged and generous alumni base. He said Maloney has made evident the imperative nature of facility improvements for Ball State baseball's long-term health, and it is his vision that makes him compelled to give.

"It used to just be a baseball field: now it's a baseball stadium and a facility for baseball," Stanley said. "It might be the same location, but it's a totally different place to be, and the feeling you get from it is totally different. It's a place you can walk into as a Ball State alumni and be proud."

With the finest facilities for player development and experience currently in place and scheduled to arrive in the future, those affiliated with the program—from the current crop of players to the alumni who help support their dreams—are bullish about the direction for Ball State baseball for decades to follow.

"We've been on the national stage, but we want to go to Omaha," Alex said. "That's our goal, so we're trying to take it one more step higher. The program has already had success. It's an expectation to win in our program, and we're just trying to get to another level."

Maloney's March to 1,000 Wins, Part III: Program Architect

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