Entering Tuesday's games against Eastern Illinois University, the Ball State University softball team is already among the top teams in program history.
Ball State (30-24, 6-8 Mid-American Conference) picked up its 30th win of the season Sunday at the University at Buffalo to become the fifth team in the program's 34-year history to reach the 30-win plateau. The Cardinals last reached the mark in 2001 with 32 wins and have failed to reach the 20-win plateau in four of the past six seasons.
"We're having a really good year right now, especially if you look at where we came from last year and the year before," coach Craig Nicholson said.
Prior to the 2001 season, the last time Ball State reached 30 wins was in 1998, when it went 39-17 and won the Mid-American Conference tournament. The other two times the Cardinals reached the milestone were in 1988 and 1989 with 32 and 34 wins.
"I think it's a really good accomplishment for us," catcher Abby Gross said. "A lot of us didn't know about it, and when we found out what we did we were really proud of it."
This year's squad is also in the top 10 in program history in winning percentage at .556, the best since the 2001 championship team.
With the completion of Tuesday's doubleheader, the Cardinals will have played 56 games this season. Ball State played more than 56 games once in program history, when it played 60 games in the 1999 season.
Ball State is scheduled to reach the 60-game mark this weekend after two-game series with Eastern Illinois, Ohio State University and Eastern Michigan University. The Cardinals will then eclipse the mark against Central Michigan University on Saturday. Overall, Ball State has 12 regular season games remaining, plus possible Mid-American Conference tournament games.
"I don't think we're worn out at all," Nicholson said. "There are times when I think we're emotionally drained."
Gross said the mental and emotional aspects of the game are tougher than the physical toll of the season. The team is at its worst when it plays flat and does not have the mental edge, she said.
Nicholson said to keep players fresh he tries to give them days off and has not had many tough practices during the season.
Gross said Tuesday's game against Eastern Illinois (15-20, 8-6 Ohio Valley Conference) will be a good warm-up for later in the week when the team resumes MAC play.
Nicholson said the team will try to get in rhythm against the non-conference opponent.
"I feel like we play better out of conference a lot of times this year," he said.
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