Ball State University
Butler
Softball Heads To Butler For Tuesday Showdown
March 17, 2025 | Softball
| Ball State (15-7; 2-1 MAC) at Butler (16-7; 5-1 BIG EAST) | |
| Game 23 at Butler | Tuesday, March 18 at 4 p.m. ET Live Stats |
| Tickets Info | FREE ADMISSION |
| Notes | Ball State | Butler |
| Social Media | Twitter  |  Instagram |
MUNCIE, Ind. - - The Ball State softball team will take a quick break from Mid-American Conference play Tuesday, when it heads to Butler for a 4 p.m. first pitch at the Butler Softball Field.
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The Cardinals enter the midweek match up with a 15-7 (2-1 MAC) record after winning two of three games at Akron last weekend.
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The Bulldogs have put together just as solid of a season to date, earning the showdown with a 16-7 (5-1 Big East) record after winning two of three games at Providence over the weekend.
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BALL STATE QUICK HITS:
- Redshirt senior McKayla Timmons enters the contest ranked second in the nation with a 1.121 slugging percentage … The mark is helped by her MAC-leading 10 home runs so far this season, which ranks 21st nationally.
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- Timmons has hit at least one home run in each of Ball State's last five games, as well as seven of the last nine outings … The effort has helped her amass 30 RBIs which ranks first in the MAC and 58th nationally.
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- Timmons also enters Tuesday's game at Butler ranked third in the nation with a .646 on base percentage … Along with her team-leading 29 hits, Timmons has walked 15 times and been hit by a pitch nine … The nine times being hit by a pitch rank eighth nationally and have helped her break to program record for times being hit by a pitch at 38.
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- Led by Timmons' MAC-leading .500 batting average, the Cardinals as a whole rank 90th nationally with a .297 average … The effort has helped Ball State rank 25th among all 300 ranked NCAA Division I programs with a 7.00 scoring average.
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- In the circle, junior Ella Whitney leads the MAC and ranks 21st nationally with her 10 pitching victories … Over 74.2 innings of work, the two-time MAC Pitcher of the Week honoree has compiled a 1.59 ERA which ranks 42nd in the country.
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- Whitney has also limited opposing batters to a MAC-best .205 average against and ranks 97th nationally by allowing just 5.44 hits per seven innings.
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- A two-way player for the Cardinals, Whitney is also a big offensive threat, boasting a .314 average and ranking second on the team in home runs (4) and RBIs (24) … She recorded Ball State's first triple of the season and leads the squad with five doubles.
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- Aiding Whitney in the field is one of the Mid-American Conference's best defenses, with Ball State ranking second in the MAC with a .975 fielding percentage … Ball State has committed just 15 errors in its first 22 games, with its fielding percentage also ranking 20th nationally.
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- Ball State has also proven to be one of the nations' craftiest teams on the base paths, ranking first in the MAC and 34th nationally with a 1.82 stolen-bases per game average … The Cardinals have successfully stolen 40 of the 43 bases it has attempted to steal this season, led by an 11-for-12 rate of success for Timmons … Overall, 10 different Cardinals have stolen at least one base, with redshirt junior second baseman McKenna Mulholland ranking second on the squad with nine.
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- Conversely, Ball State has limited opposing squads to 10 stolen bases in 16 attempts, with Timmons having thrown out six of the 15 runners attempting to steal on her … The six runners caught stealing rank fourth in the MAC and 55th nationally.
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- Senior outfielder Kara Gunter enters the weekend as one of the nation's toughest batters to strike out, with just one strikeout in 63 official at bats … The total has her ranked first in the MAC and 13th among all NCAA Division I players … Not far behind is sophomore shortstop Maia Pietrzak, who is sixth in the MAC 76th nationally at one strikeout per every 23.3 at bats.
