Sunday's 9-5 series finale loss against Mid-American Conference foe Miami didn't dampen the spirits of coach Alex Marconi or junior captain Blake Beemer.
Ball State (7-21) took two of three from its rival, instilling further confidence and poise in the young team as it heads into today's non-conference game against instate foe Butler of the Horizon League.
"We'll take a series win," Marconi said.
"Overall, [it was] a pretty good weekend," Beemer said.
At 3 p.m. the Cardinals will go toe-to-toe with the Bulldogs (17-15). But this game won't have the feel of a normal mid-weed game. There will be a different atmosphere, as both teams will play at Victory Field, home of the Pittsburgh Pirates' Triple A affiliate, the Indianapolis Indians.
The $20 million venue has been coined as the "best minor league ballpark in America," by prominent publications, including Sports Illustrated and Baseball America.
The notion of playing in a minor league ballpark is thrilling for Beemer, who said he can't wait to step on the field.
"It's a gorgeous place to play," Beemer said. "And Butler, an instate rival - it's going to be a fun game."
In search of his first collegiate win, freshman right-hander Scott Baker (0-0, 6.48 ERA) will make his second-career start for the Cardinals. Baker made his starting pitching debut against Indiana Tech on April 3. Baker worked four innings against the Warriors, allowing just two earned runs off four hits and recorded a trio of strikeouts.
In his eight relief appearances this season, Baker has worked 12 2/3 innings, allowed 10 earned runs off 12 hits while tallying 14 strikeouts to nine walks. Baker's opponent's batting average of .246 is second lowest on the team, trailing junior right-hander Chris Marangan, who leads the team in that category.
Baker will need to be able to contain the Bulldogs' offensive, which could be a handful for the Cardinals' rookie starter.
The Bulldogs have a trio of players hitting over .300. Radley Haddad is batting .360, while Pat Gelwicks is hitting .371, leading the team in 29 runs scored, 39 hits and 58 total bases. Jimmy Risi rounds out the group of .300 or better batting averages for the Bulldogs. Risi leads the club with 31 RBI and six home runs on the season.
On the mound for the Bulldogs will be senior right-hander Dom Silvestri (3-1, 4.00 ERA), who will be making his team-leading sixth start of the season.
Silvestri will be looking to bounce back after his worst outing of the season in a 14-2 loss to Milwaukee on April 5. Silvestri lasted just 3 1/3 innings, allowing five runs, one earned, off eight hits. Silvestri is only expected to throw a couple of innings against the Cardinals.
Though his players are revved up about playing in such a prestigious ballpark, Marconi wants his team to be focused without any distractions.
"I think the guys are fairly excited about it," Marconi said. "It's a great place to play. It's a nice stadium [with] a nice surface. It's a chance for us to get back on the field and win a baseball game."
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