"We'll be ready."
The new motto for the Ball State baseball team says as much about the future as it does the past.
"What that means to us is not only that we'll be ready on opening day or for a game," second-year head coach Greg Beals said, "but that we'll be ready for any situation, to take advantage of every opportunity that comes to us. The thing I like about that slogan is that it has to do with the next play, not the last play."
The Cardinals have been good in the past, though, amassing a 260-145 record in the previous seven seasons including three Mid-American Conference regular season championships and seven MAC Tournament appearances.
This year the Cards are without a significant chunk of their offensive production, though, losing right fielder Brad Snyder, left fielder Ben Schroeder and designated hitter Adam Metzler to graduation.
In 2003, Snyder hit .405, fourth in the conference, and was named MAC Player of the Year while leading the team in home runs (14), RBIs (61), runs (68) and stolen bases (20). Snyder also led the league in doubles, walks, total bases and slugging percentage.
Schroeder, the leadoff hitter in 2003, hit .340, while Metzler cranked out nine homers, 60 RBIs and a .332 average.
"You don't really replace them; you go about things a little differently," Beals said. "We're going to run a little more and use our runners in motion. All the little stuff we didn't do last year, not because we couldn't, but with the power in our lineup you didn't want to run the risk."
Much of the offensive production will come from Mike Sullivan, Brad Miller and Kyle Dygert, three sophomores who combined for 102 runs, 86 RBI and 239 total bases last season as freshmen. All three are slated as starters for opening day with Miller at first base, Dygert at second and Sullivan in center field.
"They're going to make a much bigger contribution offensively this year because they're not freshmen anymore," Beals said. "They've been around the block once, and they're going to be able to put up a lot better numbers this year."
Overcoming an offensive barrier will be even tougher for Ball State given the competitiveness and equality of talent throughout the conference.
Eastern Michigan won the MAC Tournament last year as the fourth of six seeds. The Cardinals came out on top in the West Division in the regular season after a preseason ranking of fourth.
Heading into the 2004 season, the Cardinals are slated as No. 1 in the West Division with Miami projected as the MAC Tournament champions.
"It's an honor to have that respect of your opponents, but it's a preseason prediction," Beals said. "It doesn't really mean a whole lot."
Senior co-captain Lucas Fry, starting catcher, had elbow surgery this offseason but is expected to be available for opening day. Fry, who had a .329 batting average with 27 runs and 26 RBI in 2003, plans to use his past experience to help in being a team leader on the collegiate level.
"I was a captain in high school, and the one thing I learned is not to be too vocal early on in the season," Fry said. "Once we start playing, I'm going to try to be a bit louder, but I want to make sure we're focused. I want to make sure everybody has their mind on what's at hand."
Fry will share time as catcher with sophomore Matt Singleton, who will also platoon at right field with classmate Brian Meyer. Filling out the infield will be Jason Bucholtz at shortstop while junior Marc Franz and senior James Nowicki alternate between third base and designated hitter. Senior Kiel Holman will start in right field to complete the lineup.
Franz is the MAC's top returning hitter after batting .410 in 2003.
The two short outdoor practices the team has gotten in this offseason are two more than last year's team got before its first series at Alabama-Birmingham. The team lost all three games in that series, due in part to Alabama's warmer climate allowing UAB to practice outside for weeks before opening day.
BSU typically opens its season against southern teams, giving them a slight disadvantage, but this year their first competition will come against northern schools such as Valparaiso in the Governor's Cup.
"When we step out on Friday, it's going to be our first time out on the field," Fry said. "But this year we're starting off some teams from the north so we're starting in the same predicament that they are."
Friday's game begins at 2 p.m. in Evansville.
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