The spring break trip will not only be welcome to the Ball State baseball team because of the eight-game slate, but for the opportunity of some actual outdoor practice time.
The Cardinals (2-4) will open at Greensboro, N.C., Friday with a three-game series against North Carolina A&T. North Carolina, Duke, Radford and Brown are also on the docket.
"It's not only important because of the eight games," first-year head coach Greg Beals said, "but we need to get in a couple days of practice. We need to take batting practice, hit fly balls, things we take for granted that the weather hasn't allowed us to do.
"Also, after winning two straight, we've started to climb upward, and we need to continue that."
Beals said he hopes his team will have a .500 record when finished with the eight contests.
"I'd like to see us go at least 5-3," he said. "Realistically, we could go 6-2 and be 8-6. That would be nice."
So far, Ball State has only had to use a three-man starting pitcher rotation -- senior righthanders Brian Lynch and Jason Paul, and junior southpaw Mike Johnston. Now, junior righty Andrew Anderson will be be the fourth man. He will start Sunday against the Aggies and March 15 against Radford.
The Cards yielded just seven runs in three games last weekend, including a 2-0 shutout of St. Louis. Paul earned Mid-American Conference West Pitcher of the Week honors for his six scoreless innings in that game. Lynch and Johnston are sporting ERAs of 1.50 and 2.53, respectively.
"I'm real pleased with how we've pitched," Beals said. "Everyone knows what (pitchers) we lost from last year, so that was a major concern. But guys have really responded and are stepping up."
In addition to getting in needed practice time, Beals wants establish a consistent lineup over the next week.
"We're still trying to find the right (batting) combination," he said. "and we need to have something coming out of the trip. We need to really solidify things before the home opener with Detroit (on March 22).
"A lot of it is just giving guys opportunities, and seeing what they can do."
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