MUNCIE, Ind. — The hope Ball State coach Rich Maloney had as he took his baseball team to Arizona, and as he took it to Kentucky, was to put the Cardinals in a position where they could win at least one game in each of those series.
The Pac-12 Conference’s preseason coaches poll predicted that Arizona (14-6) would finish second. The Southeastern Conference’s preseason coaches poll predicted that Kentucky would finish nowhere near the top of the SEC’s Eastern Division, yet UK (14-4) has shown so far this season it’s not bereft of potential and it’s still a member of a major conference.