The 2023-24 campaign started with offseason hype and anticipation, and after an 0-2 start has turned into a position Bears fans and their organization have been all too familiar with.
I grew up in a family that rooted for the Colts after they packed up and fled Baltimore in the middle of the night in 1984 and moved to a city that was ruled by auto racing and basketball. But after drafting some guy named Peyton Manning and having some success, the Colts are now one of the staples of Indiana’s capital.
Ball State took down Saint Louis 2-1 to earn the Cardinals’ third win in a row and first at home. Ball State plays Central Michigan at the Briner Sports Complex Sept. 22 at 2 p.m.
Here are highlights and results from the past week’s Delaware County sporting events that those on the Daily News Sports Team were unable to attend.
Ball State rushed for a combined 288 yards in a 45-7 victory over Indiana State, nearly double the season total beforehand. The Cardinals look to continue this momentum moving forward, as Georgia Southern (2-1) comes to Muncie Sept. 23 at 2 p.m.
From Tillotson Ave to the Ball State softball field, the lot was packed with vehicles, people and in some cases, even dogs. To see the amount of people not only having a good time but doing so to support a school and a community as a whole was truly great to see.
The Cardinals defeated the Sycamores 45-7 in Ball State's home opener, backed by 15,054 fans at Scheumann Stadium. Ball State returns to action Sept. 23 at 2 p.m. when Georgia Southern (2-1) travels to Muncie.
Fast forward to today. Brown, now a senior, once again found the water on the same hole and scored a double bogey. Her mistake didn’t matter as Brown finished with a record-setting score of 66 (-6), which gave her the individual 2023 sectional title.
Indiana State traveled with the Victory Bell in their possession, but as the final whistle blew, the Victory Bell fell into the possession of the Cardinals. After snapping their 12 straight home opening wins last year, Ball State is back on track after the 45-7 win.
Prior to Ball State’s Saturday tilt with East Tennessee State, the Cardinals had dropped eight of their last ten matches. In spite of their slow start to the campaign, the red and white kicked off their final non-conference outing with their finest frame of the season.
Yorktown (2-2) defeated New Castle 34-28 to earn its first Hoosier Heritage Conference victory of the season. Yorktown travels to take on Shelbyville in the Tigers' next conference matchup Friday, Sept. 22.
Ball State finished 7th out of 11 in the Cardinals’ first 6k race of the season at the Mel Brodt Collegiate Open at Bowling Green State University. Toldeo took first place.
“It was a tough game,” head coach Caitlin Walsh said. “I am sure it was fun to watch… but it was gritty… and the match was a little frustrating to watch knowing that we were in the driver’s seat. I think we gave up too much defensively so we definitely have things we need to work on but for them to come out and bounce back after going to overtime…It shows the kind of team that we are and we never stop fighting.”
Ball State fell to 2-8 on the season following a 3-1 loss to Western Kentucky Friday in the Cardinals' first match in the Alyssa Cavanaugh Classic. They are set to face East Tennessee State at Noon Sept. 16.
In her freshman year with the Warriors girls’ golf team, she made headlines as she won the Middle-Eastern Conference (78), had the lowest nine-hole score in the county with a score of 33, and became the first Wes-Del golfer to win the Delaware County Tournament (76).
Madison is the granddaughter of two Indiana football coaches, her grandfather Mark Surface, who coached at Marion High School, and her ‘Papaw,’ Calvin Duff, who coached at Lincoln High School. Even after her Papaw’s passing from Alzheimer’s two years ago, his memory and love for the game have continued to push her and Blake to continue down that path as well.
Ball State defeated Austin Peay Sept. 10 to snap a previous four-game losing streak, but now the Cardinals find themselves back on the losing side with a 4-0 shutout against Butler.
With the season already underway, the cross-country squad is looking to carry the track and field program’s success from the winter and spring into the fall. Head coach Adrian Wheatley is entering his third year as head coach of the cross-country and track & field programs.
Ball State and Indiana State may both be winless through the first two weeks of the season, but each side remains hungry heading into a rivalry game for the Blue Key Liberty Bell Sept. 16 at 2 p.m. This contest will cap off Family Weekend at Ball State and is the Cardinals' home opener at Scheumann Stadium.
