Ball State University opens its 2006 baseball season with a trip to the south to play Alabama-Birmingham for the third meeting between the two teams.
The Cardinals swept the series last year, 3-0, but the overall series is tied at three games a piece.
The sweep should serve as extra motivation for UAB," Ball State coach Greg Beals said.
"They're going to come out gunning for us," Beals said.
The Blazers are predicted to finish seventh in Conference-USA after finishing eighth last season. UAB compiled a 31-27 overall record last year, including 22-10 at home.
With the weather's unpredictable behavior, Ball State practices indoors in the Field Sports Building. As a result, the opening series will be the first time the Cardinals takes the field outdoors. Beals said that could prove to be a disadvantage, but he wants to see the team perform with enthusiasm nonetheless.
"I want us to go out and play good Ball State baseball," Beals said. "I just want the guys to go out and do the things they're capable of doing."
In the preseason polls, Ball State was predicted to finish second in the Mid-American Conference West Division behind last year's runner-up, Central Michigan. In the East Division, defending conference tournament champion Miami was picked to repeat as division champions as well as to defend its tournament title.
"That's fair," Beals said. "Central Michigan has a good ball club. It's going to be a very competitive conference. That's what the (conference) coach's expectations are."
Ball State was also predicted to finish second behind the Chippewas last season, but won the division and won the head-to-head match-up, winning two of three games at home.
Louisville Slugger Freshman All-America 2005 member Ben Snyder will take the mound in the season's first game. He'll be joined in the rotation by junior Ryan DeGeeter and sophomore Tyler Pritchard. DeGeeter and Pritchard shared starting roles last season, and Snyder pitched behind Joe Ness, who is now a member of the Mahoning Valley Scrappers, a single-A minor league team for the Cleveland Indians.
The weekend will also give Beals a chance to see Kyle Heyne take over at closer. Heyne replaces 2005 MAC Pitcher of the Year Erik Morrison, who signed a free agent contract with the New York Yankees' farm system and is with the Staten Island Yankees.
"We didn't expect [Morrison] to have those kinds of numbers he had last year," Beals said. "You can't expect Heyne to have those numbers."
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