Last weekend, Ball State's baseball series at the University of Arkansas was canceled because of freezing temperatures and eminent snowfall.
This weekend - and throughout next week - the team will have to put hot bats in Kentucky and Florida on ice in order to turn around its 1-3 start.
Ball State opens its Spring Break road trip Friday at the University of Kentucky, where the Cardinals play a three-game series ending Sunday.
The Wildcats (6-7), have a trio of streaking hitters in sophomore Spencer Graeter, junior Seth Morris and senior Robert Newton.
Graeter hit .600 this week, going 6-10 from the plate with two doubles and two runs scored. Morris is riding a six-game hitting streak and tied Newton for the team lead in home runs (4) during Kentucky's 9-5 loss to Western Michigan Wednesday. Newton is currently hitting .378 with 12 RBI and a .756 slugging percentage.
Kentucky head coach Keith Madison said that although the team has a few hot hitters right now, it has yet to face a pitching staff of Ball State's caliber.
The Wildcats, however, have an ace of their own on staff.
Junior Joseph Blanton, who is slated to start opposite Cards' ace Bryan Bullington Friday, was ranked by Baseball America as the No. 2 prospect in the Southeastern Conference for the 2002 Major League Draft. The righthander has compiled a 1.77 ERA and 30 strikeouts in 20 1/3 innings en route to a 1-1 record this season.
Cardinals head coach Rich Maloney said he expects close, low-scoring games against Kentucky.
Madison said his main concern is his bullpen - of Kentucky's seven losses this season, four have been decided in the ninth inning.
"We feel like we have solid starting pitching," Madison said, "but as far as our bullpen is concerned we have a few guys who are very young ... and inexperienced."
Maloney said Kentucky's bullpen woes are typical in college baseball.
"Most teams don't have the luxury of a good pen," he said. "If you can get into somebody's pen, usually you can win."
Ball State has not played Kentucky since 1988 and owns a 2-0 all-time advantage against the Wildcats.
From Lexington, Ky., the team heads to Florida cities Boca Raton, Coral Gables, Homestead and Miami, for games against Monmouth, Florida International, Wagner, Illinois-Chicago and the University of Miami - college baseball's defending national champions.
Maloney said he thinks his team has an excellent chance of beating Miami (9-6) when the Cardinals face them Wednesday.
He said he plans to start Bullington - second on Baseball America's Top 100 prospect list for 2002 - against Miami Wednesday.
"Good pitching nearly all the time suppresses good hitting," Maloney said.
In his only start this season, Bullington gave up one run in eight innings against Birmingham-Southern.
Bullington will face a Miami lineup that has a combined average of .328 and has hit 22 homes in 15 games this season.
Maloney said his team has an advantage going into the game as an underdog, and that he looks forward to seeing how well the Cardinals will perform.
"This part of our schedule is a learning experience," Maloney said. "We want to play the best teams we can, regardless of whether we take some on the chin or not."
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