Friday, April 4
Ypsilanti, Mich.
11 AM
Ball State University
at
Eastern Michigan
Photo by: Mya Cataline, Ball State Athletics
Baseball Starting Series at EMU with 11 AM Doubleheader Friday
April 03, 2025 | Baseball
Series Finale Set for 2 PM on Saturday
The Ball State baseball team is set to begin a three-game series at Eastern Michigan with an 11 a.m. doubleheader on Friday.
The Cardinals (20-10, 7-2 Mid-American Conference) and Eagles (13-12, 8-4 MAC) are scheduled to conclude the set at 2 p.m. on Saturday. Game times were adjusted due to projected inclement weather later on in the weekend.
Links to the video streams and live stats can be found above and on the schedule page.
Ball State is coming off a 14-1 run-rule win over Bellarmine on Tuesday afternoon in seven innings after taking two of three at Akron last weekend for the third straight series win to begin MAC play.
Eastern Michigan most recently fell 13-2 to Michigan on Tuesday, but the Eagles took the final two games of a series at Ohio over the weekend to pick up their eighth conference win of the year. Head coach Robbie Britt is one win away from equaling his MAC wins from his first season in 2024 already, as the Eagles went 9-21 in conference play last year.
Ball State and Eastern have both played series with Akron and Western Michigan, who the Eagles swept and took two of three games from, respectively.
The Eagles lead the league and rank No. 27 nationally in both batting average (.313) and being hit by a pitch (55), while their scoring offense (9.0 runs per game, No. 28 in NCAA Division I) and on base percentage (.420) are both second among MAC teams.
Senior outfielder Logan Hugo paces EMU in OPS (1.116), doubles (11, No. 2 in the MAC) and homers (seven), while junior infielder Devan Zirwas is the team leader in batting average (.378), runs scored (26) and RBI (32) so far this year. Senior right-handed pitcher Tyler Kapa's 11.7 strikeout per nine innings pitched is tops in the conference.
After the trip to Ypsilanti, the next game for the Cardinals is set for 6 p.m. on Tuesday at Indiana.
DUAL ACES: The duo of Keegan Johnson and Jacob Hartlaub have solidified their status as two of the top starting pitchers in the Mid-American Conference as they stand at or near the top of the MAC leaderboards in multiple categories.
Johnson is second in the league in ERA (2.95), WHIP (1.13) and fewest hits allowed per nine innings (6.13) while Hartlaub is second in strikeouts (40) and third in ERA (3.20) among qualifiers so far this year. Johnson's five wins are the most in the league and tied for eighth nationally, while Hartlaub's four winning decisions slot him at 3rd in the MAC.
GREGO HITTING HIS STRIDE: Junior Dylan Grego was named the MAC Co-Player of the Week on Monday after having multiple hits, including a home run, and at least three RBI in each game of the series last weekend at Akron.
The everyday shortstop is the league leader with 45 hits while batting .388 with an 1.103 OPS through 30 games.
PICKING UP THE POWER: Ball State is the conference leader with 43 home runs which ranks No. 29 nationally.
Blake Bevis leads the team with eight home runs as Grego and Alex Richter follow in second at seven each.
CLEAN FIELDING AND TURNING TWO: The Cardinals enter the weekend ranking fifth in the country with a .986 fielding percentage.
Ball State has committed 14 errors in 1,041 opportunities this year through the first 30 games. Ball State is sixth nationally in double plays turned at 28.
BIG DEBUT FOR BRAYDEN: True freshman Brayden Huebner made a splash in his collegiate debut, tripling home a run in the second inning and finishing 3-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored in Tuesday afternoon's 14-1 win over Bellarmine.
The infielder played second base in his first action with the Cardinals. Huebner is now tied with John Colligan for hits by a Ball State freshman this season.
RICHTER REACHES BASE: Senior Alex Richter has been hit by a pitch 15 times this year, which leads the MAC and ranks No. 8 in NCAA Division I.
The third baseman is third in the conference with 23 walks and reaches base at a .452 clip.
SITTING DOWN THE KNIGHTS: The Ball State pitching staff surrendered just one run for the third time this season when the Cardinals limited Bellarmine to the single tally and only two hits in Tuesday's win.
Evan Shapiro struck out four in back-to-back perfect innings to be credited with the win, while Garrett Harker, Will Jacobson and Brendan Garza followed that up with shutout frames to close out the midweek win.
CLOSE SERIES BETWEEN THE CARDINALS AND EAGLES: Eastern Michigan took two of three games last March in Muncie to get within a game of the Cardinals in the all-time series between the MAC foes.
Ball State leads the head-to-head history 86-85-1 against the Eagles. The Cardinals swept a three-game set the last time the two programs met in Ypsilanti (2023).
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The Cardinals (20-10, 7-2 Mid-American Conference) and Eagles (13-12, 8-4 MAC) are scheduled to conclude the set at 2 p.m. on Saturday. Game times were adjusted due to projected inclement weather later on in the weekend.
Links to the video streams and live stats can be found above and on the schedule page.
Ball State is coming off a 14-1 run-rule win over Bellarmine on Tuesday afternoon in seven innings after taking two of three at Akron last weekend for the third straight series win to begin MAC play.
Eastern Michigan most recently fell 13-2 to Michigan on Tuesday, but the Eagles took the final two games of a series at Ohio over the weekend to pick up their eighth conference win of the year. Head coach Robbie Britt is one win away from equaling his MAC wins from his first season in 2024 already, as the Eagles went 9-21 in conference play last year.
Ball State and Eastern have both played series with Akron and Western Michigan, who the Eagles swept and took two of three games from, respectively.
The Eagles lead the league and rank No. 27 nationally in both batting average (.313) and being hit by a pitch (55), while their scoring offense (9.0 runs per game, No. 28 in NCAA Division I) and on base percentage (.420) are both second among MAC teams.
Senior outfielder Logan Hugo paces EMU in OPS (1.116), doubles (11, No. 2 in the MAC) and homers (seven), while junior infielder Devan Zirwas is the team leader in batting average (.378), runs scored (26) and RBI (32) so far this year. Senior right-handed pitcher Tyler Kapa's 11.7 strikeout per nine innings pitched is tops in the conference.
After the trip to Ypsilanti, the next game for the Cardinals is set for 6 p.m. on Tuesday at Indiana.
DUAL ACES: The duo of Keegan Johnson and Jacob Hartlaub have solidified their status as two of the top starting pitchers in the Mid-American Conference as they stand at or near the top of the MAC leaderboards in multiple categories.
Johnson is second in the league in ERA (2.95), WHIP (1.13) and fewest hits allowed per nine innings (6.13) while Hartlaub is second in strikeouts (40) and third in ERA (3.20) among qualifiers so far this year. Johnson's five wins are the most in the league and tied for eighth nationally, while Hartlaub's four winning decisions slot him at 3rd in the MAC.
GREGO HITTING HIS STRIDE: Junior Dylan Grego was named the MAC Co-Player of the Week on Monday after having multiple hits, including a home run, and at least three RBI in each game of the series last weekend at Akron.
The everyday shortstop is the league leader with 45 hits while batting .388 with an 1.103 OPS through 30 games.
PICKING UP THE POWER: Ball State is the conference leader with 43 home runs which ranks No. 29 nationally.
Blake Bevis leads the team with eight home runs as Grego and Alex Richter follow in second at seven each.
CLEAN FIELDING AND TURNING TWO: The Cardinals enter the weekend ranking fifth in the country with a .986 fielding percentage.
Ball State has committed 14 errors in 1,041 opportunities this year through the first 30 games. Ball State is sixth nationally in double plays turned at 28.
BIG DEBUT FOR BRAYDEN: True freshman Brayden Huebner made a splash in his collegiate debut, tripling home a run in the second inning and finishing 3-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored in Tuesday afternoon's 14-1 win over Bellarmine.
The infielder played second base in his first action with the Cardinals. Huebner is now tied with John Colligan for hits by a Ball State freshman this season.
RICHTER REACHES BASE: Senior Alex Richter has been hit by a pitch 15 times this year, which leads the MAC and ranks No. 8 in NCAA Division I.
The third baseman is third in the conference with 23 walks and reaches base at a .452 clip.
SITTING DOWN THE KNIGHTS: The Ball State pitching staff surrendered just one run for the third time this season when the Cardinals limited Bellarmine to the single tally and only two hits in Tuesday's win.
Evan Shapiro struck out four in back-to-back perfect innings to be credited with the win, while Garrett Harker, Will Jacobson and Brendan Garza followed that up with shutout frames to close out the midweek win.
CLOSE SERIES BETWEEN THE CARDINALS AND EAGLES: Eastern Michigan took two of three games last March in Muncie to get within a game of the Cardinals in the all-time series between the MAC foes.
Ball State leads the head-to-head history 86-85-1 against the Eagles. The Cardinals swept a three-game set the last time the two programs met in Ypsilanti (2023).
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