MUNCIE, Ind. — Ball State softball's final series is, fittingly, it's most important of the season.
The Cardinals (25-23, 15-11 MAC) are fighting for the fourth and final spot in the Mid-American Conference tournament. They came just one game shy of qualifying last year, so the pressure is on to avoid enduring another heartbreaking finish to a campaign.
Luckily, they can control their own fate. BSU, uniquely, ends its regular season on April 30, while other programs have an additional three-game slate during the first week of May before the tournament begins on May 11.
Ball State's final matchup is against fifth-place Akron, which is on a five-game losing streak.