MUNCIE, Ind. – Baseball head coach Rich Maloney always puts together a challenging schedule for the Cardinals and the 2019 spring slate is no different. Opening day is Friday, Feb. 15 against two-time NCAA champion Stanford in Tempe, Arizona.
“We are excited to compete in some great venues against so many Power Five opponents,” Maloney said. “Our early season schedule will help us in our quest to become the best that we can be in time for MAC competition and the league tournament.”
Besides facing Stanford for the first time in program history during the opening weekend, the Cardinals will also take on CSU Bakersfield and host Grand Canyon as part of the GCU Classic. All four games will be played at Tempe Diablo Stadium, the spring training home of the Los Angeles Angels.
Other early season trips include stops in Alabama, South Carolina and Florida. Opponents on those trips include Alabama (Feb. 22-24), Notre Dame (March 2-3), and UCF (March 6).
The Cardinals have four teams on the schedule that earned a spot in last year’s NCAA Baseball Championships – Stanford, Purdue, Kent State and Indiana. Purdue (March 19), Kent State (March 29-31) and Indiana (April 2) are all scheduled to visit First Merchants Ballpark Complex.
The home opener is slated for Tuesday, March 12 versus Purdue Fort Wayne. Home Mid-American Conference opponents include Kent State (March 29-31), Eastern Michigan (April 12-14), Bowling Green (April 26-28), Ohio (May 10-12) and Toledo (May 16-18). The 2019 MAC Tournament will once again be held at Sprenger Stadium in Avon, Ohio from May 22-26.
Ball State concluded the 2018 season with a 32-26 overall record and a 17-10 mark in the MAC. The Cardinals have won at least 30 games in six consecutive seasons.
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