With the season winding down and the Mid-American Conference tournament nearing, every game becomes vital for Ball State's quest to the NCAA tournament.
Ball State hosts Indiana Wednesday in one of its final opportunities to add a quality win to its resume. Ball State currently ranks 80th in the country in RPI and coach Craig Nicholson said needs to get to at least 38 or 39 wins for a realistic shot at qualifying for an at-large big in the NCAA tournament.
"Our goal is still 35-40 [wins]," Nicholson said. "If we can get in that range it's a heck of a good year. If we're at 35-40 we have a great chance of winning the MAC championship regular season too."
Nicholson said that at this point in the season every game is important in keeping the team sharp and ready for the MAC tournament.
Senior catcher Amanda Montalto said the amount of wins they may need doesn't play a factor for the players.
"We try to instill in all our minds that we should win the tournament no matter what," Montalto said.
After coming off a doubleheader split with Purdue and a two-game series sweep of Miami, Montalto said the team must take its momentum from the weekend and carry it into Wednesday.
The success Ball State has had this season has stemmed from its offense. It ranks 22nd in the nation in batting average with a .316 mark and has totaled 6.44 runs per game this season.
Lately, the team's offense has been even more dominant than its averages show.
The Cardinals haven't scored less than five runs in a game since March 25. Much of the offense has come from Ball State's homerun power and is something that should continue Wednesday. The Indiana staff has struggled to keep the ball in the ballpark, allowing 40 home runs on the year.
"If we can keep swinging the bats the way we're swinging them I think we're going to be in pretty good shape," Nicholson said.
Nicholson said he wasn't sure which pitcher would start against Indiana.
In its last midweek single game, Ball State used both starters to keep them sharp and ready for the weekend series. Nicholson said he isn't worried about splitting innings this week.
Wednesday's game will be at the Ball State Softball Complex at 4 p.m. The weekend has Ball State hosting Eastern Michigan for a doubleheader Friday and Central Michigan for a game Saturday and Sunday.
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