FROM CBD NEWS SOURCE
MUNCIE, Ind. – Ball State baseball second-year head coach Alex Marconi announced a 52-game schedule for the 2012 season Thursday afternoon, including 16 games at Ball Diamond.
The schedule is highlighted by an April 10 matchup against Butler at Victory Field, the home of the Indianapolis Indians, the Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Victory Field, which opened in 1996, has been home to the Triple-A All-Star Game, IHSAA Baseball State Finals.
Ball State opens the 2012 season in Spartanburg, S.C., Feb. 17-19 as it plays three games against three different opponents. The Cardinals open the season against Dayton before playing at USC Upstate and Wofford.
Ball State continues its 20-game road schedule to open the season with a three-game series at UAB (Feb. 24-26) and Missouri (Mar. 2-4). The Cardinals will be facing the Blazers for the first time since 2010 and the Tigers for the first time since 2009.
Ball State will play a midweek contest at Southeastern Conference foe Tennessee (Mar. 7) before playing a three-game series at Middle Tennessee (Mar. 9-11). The Cardinals conclude their 17-game pre-conference slate with a three-game series at Big East foe Louisville (Mar. 16-18).
Ball State begins Mid-American Conference play March 23 at Akron for a three-game series. The Cardinals will host MAC weekend series against 2011 MAC Tournament Champion Kent State (Mar. 30-Apr. 1), Miami (Apr. 6-8), Eastern Michigan (Apr. 20-22) and Western Michigan (May 4-6). Ball State will travel to league foes Ohio (Apr. 13-15), Toledo (Apr. 27-29), Central Michigan (May 11-13) and Northern Illinois (May 17-19).
In addition, the Cardinals will play midweek games at Dayton (Mar. 27), Indiana State (Mar. 28), Indiana Tech (Apr. 3), at Indiana (Apr. 4), vs. Butler at Victory Field (Apr. 10), Purdue (Apr. 11), Northwestern Ohio (Apr. 17) and at Valparaiso (May 9).
The top eight teams from the MAC regular season advance to the 2012 MAC Tournament, which will be held May 23-26. The MAC Tournament will be held at the All Pro Freight Stadium in Avon, Ohio, for the first time in league history. The All Pro Freight Stadium opened in 2009 and is 5,000-seat home of the Lake Erie Crushers of the Frontier League.
2012 Ball State Schedule (PDF)
