First Round Regional Games in South Bend
Ball State (33-23) vs. No. 16 Notre Dame (40-13)
Northwestern (28-21) vs. Kentucky (29-24)
The Ball State softball team isn't worried about the name on the other team's jersey.
The Cardinals will travel to South Bend on May 15 to take on the No. 16 Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the first round of regional play as part of the 64-team NCAA Division I Softball Championship.
"We talk a lot about ourselves and our team," head coach Tyra Perry said. "We do film and things just to make sure we are prepared, but how we play is the most important thing ... We aren't really concerned with who we're playing."
Ball State finished 12-16 in non-conference play in what was a "roller-coaster" year. The team competed against multiple nationally-ranked teams.
A 9-2 start in Mid-American Conference play pushed the Cardinals to the top of the standings, finishing with the No. 2 seed at the end of the regular season.
Ball State then earned an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament with a 4-0 record in the MAC Tournament and its first title since 2010.
"It is incredible," senior Loren Cihlar said. "I was actually telling the team after we won how incredible it is that we can put all of our hard work to use and finally win the MAC Tournament."
Ball State had won three consecutive MAC regular season titles prior to this season, but hadn't played in the regional since 2010.
In the Tennessee Regional that season, the Cardinals (43-16) fell in their two regional games to the host Volunteers and the Louisville Cardinals.
But Cihlar said the standard of success has trickled down between classes at Ball State.
"I know when I came in as a freshman, the goal was always to win conference ... " Cihlar said. "As a senior, this class made sure we passed down that goal."
It doesn't end there, however.
Ball State is working on the little parts of the game at practice – those things that could make or break a season. Perry finds it important to push the team through adverse situations to make sure they are game ready.
"At this point in the season, the little things are everything," Perry said. "We are definitely working to strengthen our weaknesses and keep our bats hot and confidence high at the same time. Which is a tricky thing to do."
Quality work and being people of character are two major parts of the program that Perry said have served as the foundation for success.
Ball State will look to carry its momentum into the regional that also features Northwestern from the Big Ten and Kentucky from the SEC.
Cihlar and the rest of the Cardinals are looking forward to the challenge that is the in-state Irish.
"Honestly, they're just like any other team out there," Cihlar said. "We work just as hard ... We can compete with anybody. We just have to play our game and not worry about who Notre Dame is."
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