FROM CBB NEWS SOURCE
MUNCIE, Ind. – Ball State baseball head coach Greg Beals officially released a 56-game schedule for the 2010 season, including 16 games at Ball Diamond. The Cardinals return 16 letterwinners, including six starters and eight pitchers, from the reigning Mid-American Conference West Division championship team.
The Cardinals’ rigorous 29-game non-conference schedule features five NCAA Tournament teams, including one College World Series participant (Arkansas) and one Super Regional participant (Louisville). Ball State’s 19 non-conference foes combined for a .570 (611-461) winning percentage last spring as 15-of-19 posted records above .500.
"We have put together a very demanding 2010 schedule," Beals said. "The national caliber of competition that we will be playing early in the season will more than prepare us for our conference schedule. We feel that our ball club is up for this challenge."
The Cardinals will open the 2010 season in impressive fashion with a three-game series at Southeastern Conference foe Arkansas February 19-21. The Razorbacks finished last season ranked No. 4 in the country as they tied for third in the College World Series with a 41-24 overall record. Ball State continues its season-opening 23-game road stretch with a four-game series at Alabama-Birmingham.
The Cardinals’ spring break trip runs March 5-14 and will entail nine games in the Carolinas. Ball State will take part in the Caravelle Resort Invitational hosted by Coastal Carolina March 5-7 with games against Pittsburgh, Albany and the host Chanticleers. After single games at UNC-Wilmington and College of Charleston, the Cardinals return to Coastal Carolina for the Caravelle Resort Classic where they will play Illinois (twice), Michigan and Lipscomb.
Ball State returns north for a three-game series at Louisville March 19-21 before a game at Notre Dame. The Cardinals begin MAC play March 26 with a three-game series at Ohio. Ball State finally opens the home portion of its schedule April 2 as it hosts league rival Miami for a three-game set.
The Cardinals will play home MAC series against Buffalo, Eastern Michigan and Northern Illinois while they will face Bowling Green, Central Michigan, Western Michigan and Toledo on the road.
In addition, Ball State will play non-conference midweek games at Indiana, at Purdue, Indiana Tech, Indiana State, at Butler, Huntington, Purdue, at Ohio State and at Michigan.
The top eight teams from the MAC regular season advance to the 2010 MAC Tournament, which will be held May 26-29 at VA Memorial Stadium in Chillicothe, Ohio for the third straight year.
