FROM CBD NEWS SOURCE
MUNCIE, Ind. – Ball State baseball first-year head coach Alex Marconi announced a 52-game schedule for the 2011 season Tuesday afternoon, including 21 games at Ball Diamond. The Cardinals return 18 letterwinners from last season’s team that posted a 19-8 record in Mid-American Conference play.
The Cardinals open the season February 18 as they begin a three-game series at Kennesaw State in Georgia, marking the first ever games against the Owls. Ball State continues its season-opening 14-game road stretch February 25 with a three-game series at Southeast Missouri.
The Cardinals return to the Carolinas for their annual spring break trip and will once again take part in the Coastal Carolina Tournament (March 4-7) in Conway, S.C., for the second straight season and fourth time in the past five years. Ball State will also play a midweek game at the College of Charleston (March 9) before wrapping up the spring break trip with a three-game series at Charlotte (March 11-13).
The Cardinals open the home portion of the 2011 season March 16 as they host regional foe Dayton. After a three-game series at Belmont (March 18-20), Ball State will wrap up the pre-conference slate March 23 as it hosts Big Ten foe Indiana, marking the first visit to Muncie by the Hoosiers since the 2005 season.
Ball State opens the MAC slate at home March 25 as it hosts Ohio for three games. The Cardinals will also host league foes Bowling Green (April 8-10), Central Michigan (April 22-24), Western Michigan (May 6-8) and Toledo (May 19-21) while travelling to conference opponents Miami (April 1-3), Buffalo (April 15-17), Eastern Michigan (April 29-May 1) and Northern Illinois (May 13-15).
In addition, the Cardinals will play midweek games at Indiana State (April 6), Purdue (April 12), Indiana Tech (April 13), Butler (April 19), Northwestern Ohio (April 20) and at Purdue (May 11).
The top eight teams from the MAC regular season advance to the 2011 MAC Tournament, which will be held May 25-28 at VA Memorial Stadium in Chillicothe, Ohio for the fourth straight year.
