For years, Ball State baseball has competed for championships behind a few standout arms but mostly a powerful brand of offensive baseball. In 2014, the Cardinals slugged 44 home runs (no other MAC team had more than 27) en route to a division championship. In 2016, Ball State led the conference with 193 extra-base hits.
You have to go back to the early parts of the century – two Cardinal pitchers were first round draft picks in 2002 – to find the time when Ball State's primary strength was pitching. This year's squad has the pitching potential to rival those days when high-end arms won the day in Muncie.