Preseason polls don't always turn out to be correct, and if this weekend was any indication, this year's Mid-American Conference preseason favorites poll won't be.
Ball State University began its 2008 MAC season with a three-game sweep at preseason favorite Kent State University.
The Cardinals (12-9, 3-0 MAC) followed a 10-2 win Friday with back-to-back 6-5 victories Saturday and Sunday.
"Anywhere in the MAC, it's never easy to win on the road," senior pitcher Tyler Pritchard said. " ... It's an enormous confidence booster for us, and obviously everybody is riding high right now. It can't be understated how big it was for us to start the MAC like this."
Pritchard started the first game of the series and limited the Golden Flashes' hitters for seven innings. Kent State was unable to muster a run while Pritchard was on the mound and collected five hits in his seven innings.
"I think when he threw the ball in our first conference game on Friday and was outstanding, he set the tempo for our team," Ball State coach Greg Beals said.
The Cardinals' offense averaged more than seven runs per game during the weekend and scored 22 runs on 24 hits. Beals said he issued a challenge to his team to not only get hits but get hits in key situations.
"Baseball players make plays when the game is on the line," he said. "I feel like this weekend our team did a great job of that."
In the ninth inning of a 5-5 game Sunday, T.J. Baumet dug in at the plate and belted a two-out pitch over the left field wall for the eventual game winning run.
It was Baumet's first home run in a Ball State uniform. He said with being ahead in the count 2-0, he was waiting for a pitch right down the middle, so when he got it he just swung hard.
"I knew I hit it pretty good, but since it was my first one of the year I wasn't sure if it was gone," he said. "I just knew I hit it good."
The Cardinals were selected to finish last in the MAC West Division in the preseason favorites poll, but sit in first place thanks to the sweep. The Cardinals have two non-conference midweek games before resuming their MAC season by playing host to the University at Buffalo this weekend.
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