Meet the Cardinals… Winners of 13 of their last 17
Who’s the Pack playing?
Opponent: Ball State
Mascot: State bird of NC | School Location: Muncie, IN | Conference: MAC
2024 Record: 25-15-1 (12-9, T-3rd) | 2024 RPI Rank: 127
2023 Record: 36-23 (19-11, T-2nd*) | 2023 RPI Rank: 101
2022 Record: 40-19 (32-7, 1st) | 2022 RPI Rank: 72
*2023 MAC Tournament Champions
When? Where? How do I watch?
Location: Doak Field at Dail Park (Raleigh, NC)
Game Time(s): Fri, Apr 26 @ 6:00pm | Sat, Apr 27 @ 3:00pm | Sun, Apr 28 @ 1:00pm
TV: Friday (ACCNX), Saturday (ACCNX), Sunday (ACCNX)
Live Stats: Sidearm Stats
Tell me about this team
Ball State started off the year 9-4 while spending the first three weeks of the season away from campus, with three of those losses being to Iowa, Cincinnati, and Coastal Carolina. One of the preseason favorites in the MAC, the Cardinals surprisingly struggled once they got into conference play.
A 1-7 start to MAC play, coupled with Bowling Green’s 17-0 start to MAC play, put a regular season title out of the picture, but also took some of the pressure of the Cardinals. Since then, they’ve gone 11-2 in conference games to put themselves into a tie for 3rd in the MAC, and just secured a series win last weekend over 2nd place Western Michigan.
The lineup has some punch and features five dangerous bats (see below), but after those 1-5 hitters the rest of the lineup has holes. Don’t take that to mean it falls completely off a cliff, but there’s a big drop in production in 6-9. SS Mike Hallquist is having a MAC Player-of-the-Year type of season, both with the bat and the glove, leading an offense that has averaged 7.8 runs/game over their last 17 games after averaging 6.5 runs/game before that.
Three MLB Draft picks decimated the pitching staff after last year, but so far the rebuild has gone as well as could be expected. The team ERA currently sits at 5.84, actually lower than the 6.16 figure that last year’s NCAA Regional squad posted. Finding great production from ECU transfer Merritt Beeker (the Cardinal’s Friday starter) and freshman Keegan Johnson (Saturday starter) is a great start. They’ve been unable to nail down the Sunday starter, and it shows with those most recent two conference losses coming on Sundays.
There are some talented relief arms, but control has kept a few of them from taking on more prominent roles. There are three solid and reliable bullpen arms, but the shuffling of arms through the Sunday starter gig has put a dent into getting more guys into predictable roles. The defense has been solid enough and much better since the team turned the corner after that rough conference start.
Ball State’s not going to win the regular season MAC title, but this is a team that is plenty capable of capturing their second straight conference tournament title and reaching a Regional for the second straight year, and just the third time since 1969.
(Probable) Pitching Matchups
Friday: RHP Sam Highfill (SR) — LHP Merritt Beeker (JR)
Saturday: LHP Dominic Fritton (SO) — LHP Keegan Johnson (FR)
Sunday: RHP Logan Whitaker (SR) or LHP Cooper Consiglio (FR) — TBD
Key Players:
Offense
SS Mike Hallquist (SR) – .359/.420/.707, 6.9 BB%, 19.7 K%, 6-10 SB. The Fargo native is a former JUCO transfer who played last year at D2 Minnesota-Crookston where he mashed (.406/.520/.883, 16.2 BB%, 22.1 K%, 8-10 SB). More surprising than the seamless transition with the bat from D2 to D1 is that the defense has improved tremendously (.899 fielding percentage last year, .975 this year).
C Hunter Dobbins (JR) – .293/.384/.669, 12.0 BB%, 21.4 K%, 1-1 SB. The right-handed hitting backstop was ranked as the MAC’s top 2024 MLB Draft prospect by D1 Baseball. Has multiple hits in five of his last eight games. Has thrown out 6-of-18 (33.3%) of attempted base stealers.
CF Nick Gregory (SR) – .263/.405/.467, 15.2 BB%, 9.0 K%, 6-9 SB. The lefty hitting former JUCO transfer is an on-base machine, sporting a .422 OBP last year while topping .400 again this year. Patient hitter, as you’d expect a leadoff guy to be, who isn’t afraid to get into disadvantaged counts due to his excellent contact skills.
RF Decker Scheffler (SR) – .325/.400/.488, 7.4 BB%, 11.6 K%, 10-14 SB. A 2023 1st Team All-MAC selection and the 2024 MAC Preseason Player-of-the-Year, he isn’t quite having the year he had last year (.378/.453/.597, 9.9 BB%, 9.9 K%, 5-6 SB), but he’s still having a great year. Currently riding a 10-game hitting streak. Has reached base safely in 33 of last 34 games.
1B Blake Bevis (SO) – .301/.364/.526, 4.6 BB%, 23.9 K%, 1-1 SB. The 6’3 Tennessee native was ranked by D1 Baseball as the #2 MAC prospect for the 2025 MLB Draft. Has multiple hits in four of the last five games. He’s got some pop in the bat (19 career HR), but can be overly aggressive leading to strikeout issues.
Pitching
LHP Merritt Beeker (JR) – 6-2, 4.83 ERA, 50.1 IP, 9.3 BB%, 36.4 K%. Lefty from Lexington, NC, who spent his first two years at East Carolina before heading to Muncie this season. Outside of two bad outings (8 ER over 2.1 IP vs Coastal Carolina, 7 ER over 3.0 IP vs Bowling Green), he’s sporting a 2.40 ERA over 45.0 IP. Has double-digit strikeouts in five of ten starts.
LHP Keegan Johnson (FR) – 6-0, 4.15 ERA, 43.1 IP, 12.9 BB%, 30.4 K%. The MAC Preseason Freshman-of-the-Year is living up to the hype. He’s been an excellent Saturday man for the Cardinals all year, including two double-digit strikeout games. He’s a workhorse with 90+ pitches in four of the last five outings.
RHP Nate Blain (JR) – 1-3, 3 SV, 4.47 ERA, 46.1 IP, 13.0 BB%, 16.8 K%. The grad transfer from NAIA program Madonna University, he’s second on the team in innings pitched even with just three starts on the year. Went 23-4 with a 3.21 ERA over 221.2 IP at Madonna.
RHP Jacob Hartlaub (JR) – 1-2, 1 SV, 4.50 ERA, 32.0 IP, 9.3 BB%, 15.3 K%. Could be the Sunday starter, although he tossed 55 pitches in a Wednesday start against Indiana (4.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 2 K). He can pitch in the mid-90’s, but induces a lot more contact than you’d expect.
RHP Sam Klein (SR) – 1-0, 4 SV, 6.89 ERA, 31.1 IP, 12.0 BB%, 26.6 K%. Multi-inning reliever who has tossed 3.0+ IP in 7 of 13 outings this year. Was a true closer in 2022 when he posted 11 saves and a 3.18 ERA. When he’s locating, he’s great. When he’s not, he’s going to give up runs in bunches.
Quick! Fun Facts!
Rich Maloney is in his second stint as the head coach of Ball State, having previously led the Cardinals program from 1996-2002. From 2003-2012 he was the head coach at Michigan, leading the Wolverines to four Regionals and one Super Regional before getting canned and replaced by current Clemson head coach Erik Bakich. The timing was perfect for Maloney to return to Ball State.
Maloney played for the Durham Bulls from 1987-1990, serving as the starting shortstop for the team the year the movie ‘Bull Durham’ was released (1988).
Ball State had four alums play at the MLB level in 2023 (none so far this year): RHP Kyle Nicolas, PIT; OF Alex Call, WAS; RHP Drey Jameson, ARI; RHP Zach Plesac, CLE. Plesac is the nephew of former NC State player and 18-year MLB pitcher Dan Plesac.
NC State is 3-0 all-time against Ball State, but the two programs have not played since 2001.
The Key To A Series Win For State
Facing a pair of lefty starting pitchers on Friday and Saturday is not ideal for NC State’s lefty-heavy lineup, but behind that pair of southpaws, the Cardinals only have two more lefty arms on the team. State needs to work pitch counts for Beeker and Johnson to get the bullpen. Not only will that help give the Pack a better shot at winning each of those games, it’ll also help wear down the Ball State relief corps for later on in the series.
Prediction
Ball State can’t be taken lightly as they have a team plenty capable of taking this series. I see the two splitting the first two games before State takes the series in a slugfest Sunday showdown.
Outcome: The Pack take two of three.