Even though the spring semester came to a close, many Ball State athletes were still competing before the summer semester began. Here’s what you've missed since Finals Week.
Baseball clinches MAC West title
For the second time in three seasons, Ball State baseball has locked up the Mid-American Conference West Division title.
The Cardinals are 30-22 overall and finished MAC play with a 15-9 record, one game ahead of second-place Northern Illinois (21-29, 14-10 MAC). Ball State is set to play the Huskies on May 19 and 20, but the series will be considered a non-conference matchup and will not affect the MAC standings.
Leading the MAC with 356 runs scored, 120 doubles and 19 triples, hitting powered the Cardinals in 2016. On the mound, the Cardinals were second in the conference with a 4.22 ERA.
Junior first baseman Caleb Stayton is tied for second in the NCAA with 66 RBIs, and junior right fielder Alex Call is tied for second with 64 runs scored. Both marks lead the MAC.
Ball State also clinched the No. 2 seed in the MAC tournament with the second-best record in the MAC, behind only Kent State (39-12, 20-4 MAC).
Miami (23-26, 12-9 MAC) could tie the Cardinals in the standings this weekend, but Ball State earned the tiebreaker by winning two of its three games against the Redhawks earlier this season.
The MAC Tournament will begin May 25 in Avon, Ohio.
Women’s tennis makes NCAA Tournament
For the first time in school history, the women’s tennis team earned a berth in the NCAA Tournament.
Though the Cardinals were swept 4-0 by the University of Michigan, the 10th-best team in the country according to the Intercollegiate Tennis Association rankings, the Cardinals finished the season with their first-ever MAC regular-season title.
Ball State’s 22 wins were also the most in program history — and only one of head coach Max Norris’ players, Bethany Moore, is a senior.
Golfers finish in top 10 at PGA Minority Championship
Two Ball State golfers, James Blackwell and Albert Jennings, took home top-10 finishes at the Professional Golfers’ Association Minority Collegiate Championships on May 5-7.
Blackwell finished fifth with a three-round score of 234, nine strokes behind winner Siyan Liu of Palm Beach Atlantic University.
Jennings finished eighth with a 239 on the Wanamaker Course at PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Florida.
Track and field finishes last at MAC championship
The Cardinals closed out their season by finishing 12th at the MAC championship.
Ball State athletes earned 14 points at the competitions, 13 points behind 11th-place Buffalo and 138 points behind champion Eastern Michigan.
Freshman Regan Lewis was the Cardinals’ top finisher, taking third with a 1.66m high jump.
Junior Kassidy Swenson finished fifth in the 400m hurdles with a time of 1:02.06, the only other Cardinal to finish in the top 5.
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Past Ball State athletes and staff reflect about the progression of acceptance for LGBTQ+ athletics, as well as navigating their own struggles
By Kyle Smedley , Caleb Zuver and Elijah Poe / 1 hours agoBeing a member of the LGBTQ+ community comes with peaks and valleys, especially for these former Ball State athletes and staff.
Cowan baseball's offense shines in win against Wes-Del
By David Moore / 12 hours agoCowan will be on the road for another conference game against Shenandoah (5-2) April 18, with first pitch is set for 5 p.m. Wes-Del will play their fourth game in four days as the Warriors travel to Randolph Southern (1-3) to battle the Rebels in a conference game with first pitch set for 5 p.m.
Student Government Association Swears In Several New Cabinet Members
By Meghan Braddy / 14 hours agoThe Student Government Association (SGA) hosted its spring inauguration Wednesday afternoon. During the ceremony, several new members of the upcoming administration for the 2024-2025 school year were sworn in.
