Returning Seniors in 2016
Nicole Steinbach - Pitcher
Kelsey Schifferdecker - Pitcher
Selena Reyna - Shortstop
Kirsten O'Conner - Infield
Emily Dabkowski - Second Base
Sammi Cowger - Utility
Through all the ups and downs, the Ball State softball team made history in 2015.
The Cardinals earned the first NCAA Regional victory in school history with a win over No. 16 Notre Dame in the South Bend Regional. Ball State got there with its first Mid-American Conference Tournament title since 2010, capping a 29-23 regular season.
"It was incredible to see the amount that these girls worked all year, and to be there with them when it all came together," Jenny Gilbert, volunteer assistant coach and former All-American, said. "It was just really inspiring for me and I'm so proud of each and every one of them."
Ball State began the season with one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the MAC. The team played in five different tournaments, taking on some of the top teams in the nation.
After a 10-13 finish, the Cardinals had their sights set on a fourth straight MAC regular season title.
Ball State won nine of its first 11 conference games to propel toward the top of the league standings, but it had to settle for second, as it finished 14-5 in league play only behind Kent State.
The Cardinals swept through the MAC Tournament as the No. 2 seed. They won four straight games — outscoring their opponents 32-12 on their way to a title.
"In all of my four years, I've never experienced something like that before," senior Loren Cihlar said. "We've always won conference and we've never been able to make it through the tournament and win it and go to regionals. It is a completely different feeling, and it just all pays off to finally show your talent to your team and compete with different teams."
Cihlar, along with fellow seniors Hanne Stuedemann and Jessica Craft, set the standard and served as leaders for this season's team.
She said the success of the program has trickled down through her class and to the others below.
"[The seniors] really did the work to lead the team in the right direction, and to lead us to our success," head coach Tyra Perry said.
That success culminated in a 6-3 win over the Fighting Irish in the first round of regional play.
Ball State couldn't keep the momentum going, however, and fell to Kentucky in the second game before losing an elimination game in a rematch with host Notre Dame.
Perry said it meant everything to be able to make it that far with this group.
The Cardinals will look to build on their success in the 2016 season, as they return several key contributors. And it all starts on the mound.
Nicole Steinbach and Kelsey Schifferdecker — who missed much of this season due to a head injury — will be seniors and look to be a dangerous 1-2 punch in the circle.
"It doesn't matter who you are or how you look at it, those two complement each other," Perry said. "We especially saw the impact that those two have on our program when Kelsey was out and once she returned, it definitely elevated our level."
Ball State will be built around six seniors next season. The younger players that will return, paired with the newcomers, will look to contribute to the team's success.
Perry said she wants the team to work on its emotional stability — the ability to be able to stay focused on the team's goals through adversity.
And if all goes as planned for Perry and her staff, Ball State will take the next step into the Super Regionals and the Women's College World Series.
"I think it will be in their heads every day to know that they were that close to going to super [regionals]," Gilbert said. "I think it will push them to go even farther and get to the World Series ... As their coach, I will say to them 'You were this close to winning and going to super [regionals], but it didn't happen. So what are you going to do about it this year?'
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