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MUNICIE, Ind - As a senior in high school, Payton Sparks was averaging a double-double and was the 24th best player in Indiana. This earned him a two-star ranking and an offer from the local Ball State Cardinals.
CLEVELAND — Ball State finished with a 16-2 MAC record — 24-7 on the season — and are entering the MAC tournament as the No. 1 seed. Ball State has played all but three Mid-American Conference (MAC) teams twice. Miami (OH), Akron and Bowling Green were all one-time matchups for the Cardinals.The last two seasons have ended in losses before winning the sought-after MAC Championship. Can this be the year head coach Brady Sallee and his team come out on top in Cleveland and make an NCAA tournament berth? Here is a scouting report on each of the eight teams competing in the 25th annual MAC Women’s Basketball Tournament from Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio.No. 2 ToledoToledo (22-7, 13-5) was last season’s MAC Tournament No. 1 team and is coming off a heartbreaking 77-74 overtime loss to Buffalo in the 2024 semi-finals. The Rockets were one of two MAC teams to top the Cardinals this season, beating them 66-70 on their home floor.Both teams are annually near the top of the MAC and are consistently dominant programs. The rivalry roared again this season with Ball State and Toledo splitting the season series. In game one at Worthen Arena, Ball State came out on top with a 77-63 victory. The Cardinals were led by Ally Becki who scored 26 points on 78% from the field (11-for-14). The game was nationally televised on CBS Sports Network and the Cardinals stepped up on the national stage. Senior Lachelle Austin eclipsed 1,000 career points, Becki was one rebound away from a double-double and Alex Richard scored 12 points with eight rebounds.It was a defensive battle throughout the contest. Ball State found itself down 10-2 at the first timeout, but used a 16-4 run to closeout the quarter and take the lead for the remainder of the game. Both teams played strong games, but Ball State came out on top behind 43% from deep and 90% shooting from the charity stripe.Toledo got the better of Ball State in the second matchup on its home court. The Rockets handed the Cardinals their first loss of MAC play by a slim margin. Ball State fell 66-70 in a game the Cardinals led for a good amount of time.Richard had a career night with 33 points, but it was not enough. Austin had 10 and senior Madelyn Bischoff also had 10 points. In one of her lowest scoring totals on the season, Becki had just seven points. Toledo and Ball State come from opposite sides of the bracket, being the top two teams. A potential championship game would be an incredible matchup. Toledo has one of the best players in the MAC in guard Sammi Mikonwicz. Mikonwicz vs. Becki in the championship game would be a marquee battle of two of the most talented players in the conference.If Ball State wants to beat Toledo for a second time, it needs to limit turnovers, control the paint, and be able to knock down shots from deep. The Cardinals do not need to shoot 20+ three-pointers, but knocking down the 10 they do take will be important. Focusing on the inside-out style they have been successful with can lead them to a win over Toledo.No. 3 BuffaloBuffalo (24-6) finished the MAC slate 13-5, with two losses to Ball State. The first came on the Bulls’ home court Jan. 11. The Cardinals came into Alumni Arena after flight delays and travel problems and beat Buffalo 78-56.In that contest, graduate student Elise Stuck had one of her best games donning the red and white. Stuck finished with a double-double with 20 points and 15 rebounds — a career high. It was a full team effort with senior Alex Richard scoring 17 points and senior Maliyah Johnson putting up double-double efforts with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Senior Ally Becki had 11 points on 3-for-4 shooting from deep.In that win, Ball State out-rebounded Buffalo 47-26. In the majority of the Cardinals’ wins, the rebounding category and turnover battle often sway in favor of Ball State. The rebounds did, but Ball State turned the ball over 16 times to Buffalo’s 14. The Bulls are the best team in the conference in turnover margin, and top-40 in the nation.In the second installment of Ball State vs. Buffalo, the offense was slow out of the gates. The game was tied at nine each with three minutes to go in the opening frame. Ball State had made just three field goals in the first quarter, and Buffalo led 16-11 after one.Buffalo led 27-25 at the halftime break. That lead quickly diminished though, as the Cardinals used a major third quarter to take a lead and win the contest. Ball State outscored Buffalo 27-13 in the third quarter behind 53.2 percent shooting from the field.Ball State built a 19-point buffer in the fourth, highlighted by a three-ball from Ball State big Marie Kiefer. Alex Richard led with 20 points and Kiefer had 19 points and 13 rebounds for the double-double.In yet another game, Ball State’s bigs proved to be the difference as its size dominated. The length of Kiefer and the strength of Richard in the paint controls the game against smaller teams. Buffalo is one of those smaller teams, and plays at a quick pace and it likes to get out in transition.If a Buffalo vs. Ball State rematch came up in Cleveland, expect the Cardinals to try to slow down the tempo and get back on defense quick after buckets. In the matchup in Worthen, just about every Ball State coach was yelling for the players to get back on defense after scoring. Buffalo plays fast and small, if Ball State plays into its size like Sallee had them March 5, the Cardinals can come out on top of the Bulls for a third time.No. 4 Kent StateKent State (20-11, 12-6) is the reigning MAC Tournament Champions and were the second team to top the Cardinals this season in MAC play. The Golden Flashes caught the Cardinals during a skid where they had lost three of four games, beating them 54-60.The loss to Kent State came just three days after the loss to Toledo in a home contest for Ball State. The first installation was an 11-point victory in favor of Ball State Jan. 15. In that game, Ball State committed just seven turnovers while forcing 17 from Kent State.With those turnovers, Ball State capitalized scoring 18 points off them. Freshman Grace Kingery knocked down two free throws to cap off the first half, taking a 33-31 Ball State lead into the break. Ball State outscored Kent State 18-7 in the quarter to take a 13-point lead into the final frame.Kent State made it a game, going on a 12-2 run to start the fourth quarter, cutting the Cardinals’ lead to two. Ball State used a 5-0 run to close out the game and earn its fifth straight MAC win at the time.In game two, Kent State led at the end of the opening frame, 20-16, and still trailed at the halftime break, 35-29. Like most losses, Ball State struggled on the boards against Kent State, out-rebounding them 42-29. Ball State got it as close as eight points, but the Golden Flashes prevailed, taking back a 12-point lead in the fourth quarter. Kent State held and took a six-point win back home with them from Muncie. If Ball State wants to avenge that home loss for a second win over Kent State this season, the Cardinals have to take care of the ball the way they did in the win. Limiting turnovers, and forcing their opponents into coughing it up, has been a common denominator in Ball State’s wins over talented teams.There is a chance for a second-round rematch for the two teams if they can overcome their opening round games. Kent State has had Ball State’s number in Cleveland before. Ball State’s season ended at the hands of the Golden Flashes last spring in the MAC semi-finals where Kent State won 65-50 before beating Buffalo in the championship.No. 5 Miami (OH)Miami (19-10, 11-7) was a team the Cardinals played just once this season. That game happened to be the MAC opener Jan. 1, and Ball State came out on top 68-55 in a shaky game for both sides.Being the opening game of the conference slate, both teams came out with shaky starts. The Cardinals came out with a 13-point road victory to get MACtion rolling while Ally Becki led the way with 22 points. Breakout freshman Grace Kingery had 18 points and Elise Stuck had 10 rebounds.Miami is another lineup that struggles in the size category, but averages 34 rebounds a game and gives up the same number. If the Redhawks were to beat Kent State in the opening round, the Cardinals would find themselves playing Miami in the semi-finals with a shot at the MAC title game.In the contest Jan. 1, Ball State scored 31 points off 24 turnovers by the Redhawks. Ball State won the rebounding battle 34-29 as well, and if those stats sway towards the Cardinals in a potential semi-final game, Ball State will find itself heading to the MAC title game.No. 6 Bowling GreenBowling Green (18-12, 11-7) and Ball State played just once this season with the Cardinals coming out on top 71-51. At the time, Ball State was on a 13-game win streak and won its 11th-straight MAC game in the win over the Falcons. In the contest, Madelyn Bischoff had 20 points on 6-for-10 shooting from deep. Becki and Richard both had 17 points in the 20-point victory. Becki also had 10 assists for the double-double. A rematch is unlikely, as Bowling Green would have to beat Buffalo in its opener and Toledo or Central Michigan in its semi-final. Not to mention the Cardinals having to overcome a challenge itself with Kent State or Miami. Bowling Green is led by Amy Velasco who is averaging 16.1 points per game in MAC play, good for sixth in the conference. No. 7 Central MichiganCentral Michigan (14-16, 9-9) and Ball State played Jan. 4 at Worthen Arena in a game that saw the Cardinals come out on top 72-61. Central Michigan turned the ball over 31 times to Ball State’s 18 while the Cardinals shot 40.4 percent from the field. Ball State led by 19 at one point in the third quarter and remained ahead for the entire contest. In game two, Central Michigan forced overtime against a struggling Ball State team at the time. The Cardinals had just lost two straight MAC games and needed an extra frame to beat the Chippewas 60-58. Senior Lachelle Austin led the way in that contest with 17 points while Kiefer had 10 to aid the efforts.If a Central Michigan rematch came for the Cardinals, they would need to keep it simple and stick to who they are on the floor. It would be important to not overlook a contest against the Chippewas, as a game against hungry lower seeds can be dangerous for a top seeded team.Central Michigan is led by leading scorer Madi Morson who is averaging 16.4 points per game, which is fifth in the conference.No. 8 Western MichiganBall State will open the MAC Tournament against the bottom seed Broncos. Western Michigan (12-17, 8-10) is a team that competed against Ball State in its home contest. The Broncos fought on their Senior Day home contest, but the Cardinals left Kalamazoo with a 55-45 victory.Western Michigan battled throughout the contest behind 19 points from Hannah Spitzley and a strong defensive performance. Ball State led just 8-4 after the opening frame. Richard led all scorers with 29 points and controlled the paint with 32 points to Western Michigan’s 20. In the home contest, Ball State won again by 10 points, 61-51. Richard again had a stellar performance with 23 points. 19 of those came in the second half of play, propelling the Cardinals to victory. The Cardinals did lose the rebound battle, by just three boards, which could be a sign of worry ahead of the opening game March 12. Ball State was able to dominate the turnover margin at +11, an important stat to pay attention to come tournament time. The Cardinals could make a huge statement if they have a dominating opening game win over the Broncos.Ball State’s keys to successFor the Cardinals, being successful in the tournament and beyond will come back to rebounding and turnovers. When Ball State uses its size and depth of bigs, they control the glass, get a lot of boards, and score the majority of their points in the paint.Playing through the bigs allows players like Ally Becki, Madelyn Bischoff and Lachelle Austin to get open on the perimeter. Bischoff has been a solid shooter from deep and Becki is going to hit tough shots along with Austin.The true difference-maker will be the play of Becki. Being a senior, and going through four MAC tournaments as a favorite, she knows what it takes to win in Cleveland. Although she has never done it, winning the MAC would put a cherry on top of the career she has had in Muncie.She has struggled at times this season in the big games, just eight points against Ohio State, seven against North Carolina, seven at Toledo and four against Buffalo. When Becki struggles offensively, she can control the tides of the team. She has been consistent dishing out the ball, but if her assist numbers are down, along with points, there is a chance the Cardinals struggle. The added presence of Richard over the MAC slate has been important for Ball State as well and her consistency has not wavered. The two of them, along with the defense and shooting from Lachelle Austin, are three things to look out for in Cleveland this week.Contact Logan Connor via email at logan.connor@bsu.edu or via X @_loganconnor
Every year, Austin, Texas, transforms into a mecca for creativity, innovation, and entertainment as it hosts South by Southwest (SXSW).
Life moves at lightning speed, and stress? Well, it’s always trying to keep up. From endless to-do lists to unexpected twists that just says peek a boo, tension sneaks in surprising ways But here’s the good news—you don’t have to let it win. Instead of just managing it, try to find the sources and work on it.
When the time comes to select an engineering field for your graduate studies, the decision can feel overwhelming.
A March 10 announcement from Ball State University's Communications Center confirmed a water outage at the university's Letterman Building.
The Ball State women’s basketball “Core Four” has been a staple for the past couple of seasons. Now, the four have played their final game in Worthen Arena.
The 2024-25 Ball State men’s basketball season is officially over. It’s the second-straight year the Cardinals have missed the Mid-American Conference Tournament. “It's a disappointment,” Ball State head coach Michael Lewis said. After the red and white fell on the road today to Miami 79-66, the third-year Cardinals’ head coach was brutally honest about the circumstances the team went through and the state of where the program is at when it comes to funding from Ball State Athletics. “We are in a situation where our basketball program is supported in a way that ranks 10 out of 12 teams in the MAC,” Lewis said. “...The issue is the level of support from within our university from a basketball standpoint. I don't think enough people understood where we were. “I knew that when I took the job. Our women's program is supported in a way where they’re first at least second out of 12 teams, within their competitors on their side of the MAC … In today's landscape of college basketball, your commitment to your program has to match the expectations, and there's nobody on our campus at Ball State, or should there be, where the expectations are higher than the men's basketball program.” Ball State’s (14-17, 7-11 MAC) final game of the year did not start in their favor as they missed their first nine shots of the day. On the other hand, Miami had success as they jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the early going. Miami senior Dan Luers — their only senior — scored all seven points for the Redhawks. As the first half went on, the Redhawks continued to find momentum on offense while Ball State never got anything going. “We just couldn't ever get over the hump and put a complete game together,” Lewis said. “I think this is just a small sample size of what our whole season was.” After shooting 30 percent (9-for-30) in the half, the Cardinals went into halftime trailing the Redhawks 41-23. During the second half, Ball State attempted to fix things. However, that did not pan out as the Redhawks led 55-27 at the 16:36 mark, their biggest lead of the game. Throughout the rest of the game, the Cardinals cut the deficit, but it wasn’t enough. Ball State senior Payton Sparks was the lone player to appear in the post-game Zoom press conference. The Daily News requested junior Jermahri Hill — who led the Cardinals with 18 points — but did not get the chance to speak with him. Sparks reflected on his time and believes he gave it everything he had. “It's been a great ride and I'm glad I got a finish out here,” Sparks said. “To the [coaching] staff, janitors, teammates, [I thank them] for allowing me to come back and enjoy my senior year.” For the future of Ball State men’s basketball, Lewis believes the right conversations have been had the last three months. While he wants the program to shine, he knows that the community wants that as well and wants to give that to them. “Muncie deserves it, Ball State deserves it, East Central Indiana deserves [it] and the state of Indiana deserves it for Ball State to have a quality basketball program.”Contact Zach Carter via email at zachary.carter@bsu.edu or via X @ZachCarter85.
Ball State women’s basketball head coach Brady Sallee spoke with the 2024-25 Ball State squad and the message was clear.
For the first time since the 2003 season, the Ball State Cardinals are the Mid-American Conference (MAC) Regular Season Champions.The Cardinals topped Buffalo (23-6, 12-5) 72-60 to claim their MAC title and the No. 1 seed in the MAC Tournament next week in Cleveland. Here are three takeaways from the win.First MAC Regular Season Title in 22 seasons, what’s next?Ball State claimed its first regular season crown since 2002-’03, where they had won it for the second consecutive season.Hanging in the rafters of John E. Worthen Arena, three MAC banners are up for the Ball State women: 2002 MAC champs, 2003 MAC champs, and a lone MAC tournament title from 2009. Winning the regular season ensures the Cardinals will be the No. 1 seed in Cleveland next week. The MAC tournament takes place at Rocket Arena March 12-15, with the Cardinals opening play March 12 at 11 a.m. against the No. 8 seed.Although the full seeding has not yet shaken out fully, as of now, Ball State will take on Western Michigan. Ball State has beaten the Broncos twice already this season. The first was a 10-point 61-51 home win that the Cardinals dominated from whistle to whistle. The score did not show it, but the game felt like the Broncos were never really in it.The second contest, a road game in Kalamazoo, Western Michigan played on its senior day and gave Ball State a tough game. Although Ball State again won by a 10-point margin, the Broncos battled.If Ball State is to play Western Michigan in game one in Cleveland, the Cardinals need to do all the things they did tonight right again. Limiting turnovers is the biggest factor, and it has to be lower than the 20 they coughed up tonight. Ball State has to control the boards and clean the glass against a smaller team like Western Michigan. When Ball State plays inside out, it frees up players on the perimeter and creates opportunity. Even if they keep it low, the Ball State bigs have been leading the way the last few weeks, especially Alex Richard.Ball State is primed for a Cleveland and beyond run, and if it were to do so, it would be its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2009. Strong third quarter.Ball State came out of the halftime break quick and energetic. Ally Becki missed a layup on the offensive end, smacked the padding on the basket, and came down on the defensive end heated after the Cardinals committed a foul.Becki seemed upset in the huddle and the Cardinals came out of the half with that same energy and fire. Ball State seemed to emulate that fiery passion and energy Becki had before the break. The Cardinals lit up the scoreboard early in the half, scoring eight points in the opening two minutes and limiting the Bulls on their end.Ball State used a huge scoring effort, outscoring Buffalo 27-to-13 to take a 12-point lead into the final frame, Ball State had trailed by two at halftime. The big third quarter for the Cardinals gave them the lead with 8:35 left in the third, and they never looked back. The dominance in the final 12 minutes over what looks to be the No. 2 seed in Cleveland is a positive sight heading into tournament play.Cardinals force Buffalo into foul trouble.Ball State was in the bonus early in the game, 2:12 left on the clock in the opening period and the Cardinals were shooting one-and-one. Out of the halftime break, five Bulls were at two personal fouls, and three were starters. Getting Buffalo into foul trouble early, and often throughout, was a difference maker for Ball State.The Cardinals were able to get to the line, although not shooting it well, hit some big free throws down the stretch. Buffalo’s top player and MAC Player of the Year frontrunner Chellia Watson was one of the Bulls with two fouls heading into halftime. Getting some of the opponents' better and more utilized players in foul trouble can cause them to play timid. Getting a player of Watson’s caliber in foul trouble slowed her down, and the offense as a whole. She had just 12 points tonight, and is averaging 20.3 points per game on the season.Buffalo standout Lani Cornfield also got into foul trouble. Cornfield, along with Watson, has been a major part of the Bulls’ success. She had four fouls with under a minute to go in the third and was limited the rest of the game. She had been guarding Becki throughout the contest, and was defending her well. When the Cardinals play downhill, and through the paint, they can create trouble for opposing teams. Getting to the free throw line, and executing those shots is a characteristic of some of the better tournament teams.There is still one more contest before focusing on the MAC tournament. Ball State will play at home against Ohio March 8 for Senior Day. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. for the final regular season contest.Contact Logan Connor via email at logan.connor@bsu.edu or via X @_loganconnor.
At least twice a week, every week for almost 15 years, Debbie Roberts has found herself in a pair of roller skates. On those nights, she goes by the name “Debbie Darko.”
Ball State senior center Payton Sparks began his college basketball career Nov. 9, 2021. Yesterday, the Winchester, Indiana native finished his final collegiate home game in Worthen Arena. “It’s a bittersweet feeling,” Sparks said. “...It’s the end of the chapter at home and I’m just glad we got to play in front of the fans.” Along with Sparks, four other players — redshirt senior forward Mickey Pearson Jr., redshirt senior Ben Hendriks, graduate student guard Ethan Britttain-Watts and graduate student forward Jeremiah Hernandez — were honored before the game against Mid-American Conference (MAC) opponent Central Michigan. “I think you have to [honor them],” Lewis said. “Some of that stuff is not looked at as important as it used to be… When you have an opportunity to honor those guys, you do so.” But after the contest, Pearson and Sparks could only muster a few words in the post-game presser as their final home game was a 69-67 loss to the Chippewas. To Lewis, it was another instance where the Cardinals couldn’t play a full game as they led by as much as 21 points in the matchup. “[It’s] our season on repeat,” Lewis said. “The inconsistency of being able to stack two halves. To play that way in the first half and then not to be able to finish it. We held them to 22 points and 32 percent [shooting] and then give up 47 points in the second half and 67 percent shooting in the second half. Our defense is just not good enough to win games at this level. Ball State’s (4-16, 7-10 MAC) final home game of the 2024-25 season began with the Cardinals catching fire offensively in the first half. At the 9:28 minute-mark, the red and white led 24-7. The solid shooting performance — Ball State shot 53.3 percent (16-for-30) in the first half — continued into the halftime break as the Cardinals led 39-22 at the halfway point. Though they led by 17 points going into the second half, things changed halfway through the period. After Ball State led 50-36 after the first 10 minutes of the half, the Chippewas fired back and cut the lead to single digits. Though the Cardinals pushed the lead back to as much as 12 points, Central Michigan (14-16, 7-10 MAC) made another run. Turnovers, missed shots and a defensive collapse all added to Ball State's list of issues as the Cardinals began to falter. With 46 seconds remaining, Central Michigan took a 67-65 lead. Though the red and white tied it up, another layup by the Chippewas gave them a two-point lead with eight seconds remaining. Though Ball State had a chance to tie the game on the other end, Pearson’s last-second shot attempt was short as the ball bounced off the front of the rim, ending the game. “There are too many other things that are important [to this team] other than winning,” Lewis said. “... I’ve been with these guys and the mentality to chip away and do the little things and not get caught up in the emotion of everything … we haven't shown the ability to tackle that.” Throughout the year, Lewis has questioned his team’s fight. It happened again tonight after the game, and with the Cardinals facing the MAC’s No. 2 team Miami on the road Friday, March 7 — the game will start at 6 p.m. — he wants to see that fight make an appearance. “I’ve done a poor job of getting my personality into this team,” Lewis said. “I’m an ultra competitor. I try to beat my kids at Candy Land. I think teams are often a reflection of their coach’s personality [and] I haven’t been able to get that into this team. Our minds wander throughout games, practices [and] the season. “Too many things that don’t matter. They don’t equate to winning and that’s a really disappointing thing.” Junior Jermahri Hill led the Cardinals with 21 points while Pearson followed with 11. The Cardinals are now tied for ninth place in the MAC with Central Michigan. According to Ball State Athletics, the Cardinals will need to beat the Redhawks (22-8, 13-4 MAC), Bowling Green (14-16, 8-9 MAC) will need to lose to Western Michigan (11-19, 8-9 MAC) and Central Michigan would have to lose to Northern Illinois (5-25, 1-16). Contact Zach Carter via email at zachary.carter@bsu.edu or via X @ZachCarter85.
Ball State (14-16, 7-10 MAC) lost its 21-point lead in its last home game Tuesday night to the Central Michigan Chippewas (14-16, 7-10 MAC). This jeopardizes the Cardinals' MAC Cleveland hopes, as a set of tiebreakers is needed for the Cardinals to make the MAC Tournament. Here are three takeaways.Trouble playing 40 hard minutes.The Cardinals held their lead for 37 out of the 40 minutes in Tuesday's game, the defensive pressure that the Cardinals played with throughout the game depleted late in the second half as the Chippewas went on an 11-point run led by senior guard Jakobi Heady who slashed through the paint with ease building momentum into the Chippewas comeback. The effort from the Cardinals frontcourt shortened in the matter of seconds as Central Michigan only had the lead for 45 seconds of the entire game. Never the less it didn't help that senior forward Mickey Pearson wasn't able to bring his defensive presence down low as he didn't play much during the Chippewas run.Getting outpaced.Central Michigan outscored the Cardinals in fastbreak points 10-2 and it simply goes to the root of Tuesday’s loss. Second half defensive matters extremely in games like this. The Chippewas were led in scoring by Heady and senior guard Anthony Pritchard, both having 18 points each, ironically, Heady and Pritchard only hit one three-point shot each, so finding ways to get the ball off in transition and cut through the lanes is what truly defeated the Cardinals Tuesday night. Once again it all goes back to that defensive frontcourt presence that the Cardinals seem to always lose track of, the whole 40 minutes in most games. Getting left behind on the backboard.Lately, the Chippewas outrebounded the Cardinals 33 to 26. it's not necessarily the fact that the Cardinals were outrebounded. It was a matter of how crucial those seven rebounds came in the duration of the second half. Attempting unnecessary perimeter shots late in the game is what truly killed the Cardinals and allowed Central Michigan's front court to take advantage of doubling down on Cardinals senior center Payton Sparks, and further leading onto outlet passes that later became faster points. Going forward this can't happen as often anymore when you get into late conference play games, every little piece to getting the win matters, yeah the Cardinals only loss by two points and the Chippewa's only led the game for 45 seconds, but stats like fast break points, second chance baskets and defensive rebounds are what truly count towards those two points. With this loss added to the Cardinals' record, they look to refocus in the next three days and do what they can to stay alive in the race for the final spot in the MAC tournament. They take on the Miami (OH) Redhawks ( 22-8, 13-4 MAC) on the road in Oxford, Ohio on March 7th. tipoff is scheduled for 2 PM.Contact Calvin Scott via email at calvin.scott@bsu.edu or X @CalvinAJScott.
Most farmers and owners of contemporary agribusinesses constantly face the demand for rapid, high-quality grain cleaning. It’s nearly impossible to ignore this requirement, because the cleanliness of the harvest affects its subsequent price and storage life. Traditional systems used by agricultural enterprises generally require significant maintenance costs. Moreover, they often need frequent screen replacements and can damage the grain in the process. In contrast, the aerodynamic grain cleaners from Metra Group can resolve these issues, thanks to their up-to-date design that relies on an adjustable airflow.
At its monthly meeting Feb. 21, the Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) announced that the organization’s executive committee had decided to change its transfer rules for high school athletes.
Ball State gymnastics went up against Northern Illinois University, another Mid-American Conference (MAC) team, March 2 at Worthen Arena. The Cardinals won with their highest score of the season with 196.900 against the Huskies’ 193.975 for the Cardinal’s senior day.Coming back from two weeks on the road and a defeat from their last away meet, Ball State head coach Joanna Saleem said the team worked hard for their win, and she was proud of the team pulling together. "We focused on having some clarity about what our goals are and what we're trying to accomplish,” she said. “Just really coming back to the core value of being connected as a team and working together and finding the joy in the here-and-now and eliminating distractions.”Individually, the Cardinals dominated with junior Zoe Middleton receiving all-around with 39.500, the highest score on vault, 9.900, and tied with fellow Ball State junior Alauna Simms on floor with 9.900. “I already knew I hit every single routine before I even did it, just because of how hard I've been working the gym this week,” Middleton said. “So it was just really fun today, just knowing that I was gonna eat down.”Sophomore Ahsley Szymanski scored 9.900, receiving the highest uneven bar score of the meet. Sophomore Delaney McMahon received the top score on the balance beam with 9.925, along with being the team's MVP. “The best part was watching your teammates get one after another, and it just was that feeling for them was a million times better than feeling it for me,” Szymanski said. “I have chills thinking back to it, like ‘guys, we did that.’”On top of being on the road, McMahon was coming back from illness while graduate student Hannah Ruthberg recovered from surgery to return to competition at their Feb. 21 away meet.Coming back mid-season, battling both physical and mental soreness, Ruthberg's teammates motivated her to return.“It was just so clear to me the entire time, after surgery, in those weeks, why I was coming back and who I was doing it for, even when people would tell me that I was being crazy or that this is insane and that I need to go sit down. I was like, ‘No, I don't. No, I don't,’” Ruthberg said. “These girls are why I'm coming back. I want to be there for them, and I know that I can give them more, so I'm going to.”Her teammates echoed her sentiment, saying, “One thing about Hannah Ruthberg is she never sits down.”To continue competing, Ruthberg is switching skills in her routine while also being aware of the pressure on her knee. Starting their first rotation with vault, the Cardinals scored 49.150 while Northern Illinois scored 48.725 on the uneven bars.For their second rotation, Northern Illinois scored 48.925 on vault and Ball State scored 49.175 on the uneven bars, maintaining their lead in the meet.After winning the top score on the uneven bars, Szymanski said Ball State’s mentality of not prioritizing the score but instead focusing on the performance helped her.“I just kind of tried to tap into what we know as Ball State gymnastics, which is fun, it's free. It's just loving what you're doing and kind of chasing that performance,” she said. “I was surprised. I didn't know, and then, that feeling was better than finding out what the score was.”On the third rotation, the Cardinals in their shining red and white leotards competed on the beam, scoring 49.350. Northern Illinois performed their floor routines in their glittering red and black leos, scoring 48.650.Like Szymanski, McMahon focused on her performance rather than the score, on top of taking everything one thing at a time and being calm.“A lot of people find this funny, but I got off the beam, and everybody was like, ‘Oh my god, you did something impressive.’ ‘What?’ I had no idea what [was] going on,” McMahon said. In the final and fourth rotation, the Cardinals ended with floor, scoring 49.225, and the Huskies ended with the balance beam, scoring 47.700. On floor, first-year Avery Kantor had to end her routine early due to receiving an injury from a bad landing. After she fell, her music cut out, and she had to be assisted as she limped off the floor. Saleem said the injury is unknown and still too early to tell. Despite this setback, both Simms and Middleton received the highest scores for the final rotation, and both echoed Szymanski's sentiments of seeing their teammates succeed.“[The score] was surprising, but it's not the same as that feeling and the performance and just how we did overall as a team is more than one of us getting the top score,” Simms said. “The team is a better feeling than being the top score of an event.”For the remainder of this season’s meets, Saleem wants to focus on the Cardinals’ mentality.“We double down on the things that matter. The connection, the why, why are we doing this, and how are we doing it, and what are the standards that we've set,” she said. “Just continuing to make sure that we don't get distracted by other things as we near the end of season and then conference.”Ruthberg cited the meet’s success was in the team's belief in themselves and each other. Staying in that mindset and belief is what she and the team will attempt to continue doing.“Our approach today, staying in our Ball State bubble and keeping our boat dry, was all we did today,” she said. “It felt like we were the only team in there, and that's when we do our best gymnastics. So focusing on that from now on, keeping it dry,”The Cardinals will take flight again and compete against Kent State University in Kent, Ohio March 9. Contact Hannah Amos via email at hannah.amos@bsu.edu or on X @Hannah_Amos_394.
Classical music filled Kaleb Rhea’s ears whenever he would enter his grandparents house as a young boy. Kaleb’s grandmother softly moved her hands along the keys of the piano, captivating him from a very early on. This caused Kaleb to not only enjoy her music, but made him appreciate music on a larger scale
After a win on Thursday night against Ohio State, Ball State was back in Worthen Arena Saturday evening for a conference matchup against the Lindenwood Lions. This is the Cardinals’ second matchup against Lindenwood on the season, with their first matchup in February resulting in a 3-0 sweep on the road. Ball State nearly replicated that performance, defeating Lindenwood 3-1 (25-18, 25-20, 19-25, 28-26). Earlier in the season, Ball State head coach Donan Cruz talked about the importance of conference games as the number one seed in the Midwest Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (MIVA) gets to host the conference tournament. “We have to keep playing tough, and it seems like we get everybody’s best game”, Cruz said. “I think we can keep winning games if we pass well. That has been one of our biggest things. If we don’t pass well, it becomes hard for us to win games.”Despite Lindenwood’s 0-5 conference record, they put pressure on the red and white in the opening set. They kept the set close while never giving Ball State any breathing room. They took a 10-9 lead in the set, and looked as if they would stay in control. Ball State senior opposite Raje Alleyne had other plans as he led Ball State back to take a set one victory, recording eleven kills in the set.“It felt really good to be honest,” Alleyne said. “It felt good that my teammates trusted me to get the job done.”From the middle to the end of set one, Ball State completely took over in the game. That play continued on into the second set, where the Cardinals showed why they are a top fifteen ranked team. They stayed in the driver’s seat for the entire set, and cruised to a second set victory, looking to put the cherry-on-top to a conference sweep.A big reason for the Cardinals success in the second set was largely due to the efforts from junior setter Griffin Satterfield. The setter seemed to be everywhere on the court and recorded eleven assists in the set. With the Cardinals being up 2-0 in the match, they needed one more strong set to put the Lions away. Lindenwood was not going to go out easy as they fought in the set to take a 16-10 lead. Despite a comeback attempt from Ball State, Lindenwood was able to take a set of their own and extend the game.The Lions continued their play from set three into set four and kept a solid lead throughout the beginning of the set. They had a 17-14 lead late in the set, but Ball State put together three straight points to tie it. The Lions took a 23-21 lead in the set, and it looked like they were going to force a fifth set. But the late set efforts from the Cardinals outlasted the Lions and they were able to take an exhilarating fourth set.When Ball State had their backs against the wall in the set, Cruz went to sophomore setter Peter Zurawski. It proved to be a good move as the sophomore setter played a huge role in putting Ball State over the top. “It’s just amazing playing in this environment,” Zurawski said. “I was feeling all the love from the fans, and any conference game is going to be a big game.”Ball State has two conference matches next week, with one coming against Quincy University on the road, the school that star Cardinal Raje Alleyne transferred from. Alleyne talked about what he’s most excited about for his return to Quincy.“Just seeing the guys that I practiced with everyday,” Alleyne said. “Being able to play against them in an official match will be pretty fun.”Contrary to their last matchup against Lindenwood, the Cardinals had to take out the Lions with a different attitude. “We know that every team in here is good, so I would say just come out every day fighting and be ready to see what happens,” Zurawski said. Ball State will be in action again on Tuesday, March 4th at 7 p.m. at Quincy University.Contact Kyle Stout with questions via email @kyle.stout@bsu.edu or via X @kylestoutdailyn
Ball State men’s basketball head coach Michael Lewis said this multiple times after today’s loss to Bowling Green. “The ball just didn't fall in for us today,” he said. In the contest, the Cardinals shot 33.9 percent (20-for-59) from the field and 26.1 percent (6-for-23) from 3-point range. This didn’t help the Cardinals as they fell to the Falcons 61-52 — Ball State’s lowest scoring total this season — and now both teams are tied for eighth in the Mid-American Conference (MAC). Lewis said he believed this team could make the MAC Tournament all season, but the way today’s performance was handled highlighted the issues he’s spoken about the last few games. “You're going to have those [poor shooting] days, but when you have those days, you've got to make up for it in other areas,” Lewis said. “... We get in our own minds and don't communicate about different things. But our defensive fight isn’t where it needs to be to win quality basketball games, especially this time of year.”Coming into the game, Ball State (14-15, 7-9 MAC) sat in the No. 7 spot in the MAC and a win would have put them two spots ahead of ninth place, which is the first position to miss the MAC Tournament. Though players said they had motivation after the Cardinals’ loss to Akron (23-6, 15-1 MAC) Feb. 25, Lewis said they didn’t fight today as he would have liked.“March is all about toughness, grit and fighting and figuring out a way to win the games,” Lewis said. “It's not about how many points you score or how esthetically pleasing it is. It's just whether or not you win or lose the game. We just didn't have enough tools.” Ball State’s shooting issues started when the game began as the red and white missed their first four shots. Though Lewis said they had good looks, nothing could fall. On the other hand, the Falcons (13-16, 7-9 MAC) didn’t do much better on offense, shooting 36.7 percent (11-for-30) in the first half. At halftime, the Falcons led the Cardinals 25-24. The rest of the way was similar as Ball State could not get the ball to drop in the hoop. But it was their effort on defense that also held them back. While it was a two-point game (45-43) at the 8:45 mark, the Cardinals struggled with momentum while the Falcons found an offensive rhythm and finished the game on a 16-9 run. Lewis has talked about this roster being unable to play a full 40-minute game. “I really couldn't tell you [why that is],” senior center Payton Sparks said. “We've had plenty of opportunities to come out and fight and bring a lot of energy. As a team, we just haven't shown that.”Redshirt senior forward Mickey Pearson Jr. led Ball State with 15 points while Sparks followed with 14. Junior guard Jermahri Hill — Ball State’s leading scorer this season — did not score. “I wouldn't say we struggled to find motivation [today],” Pearson said. “I feel like we had two good days of practice. Came out, played and had a good half of basketball. Second half, we just didn't get stops when we needed to … Didn't hit some shots we normally hit and lost the game.” Ball State will play its final home game at Worthen Arena Tuesday, March 4 at 7 p.m. against Western Michigan (10-18, 7-8 MAC). With two games left of the regular season, Lewis only knows one way for the Cardinals to improve. “You continue to pound it for what it is,” he said. “A Tiger doesn't change his stripes.” Contact Zach Carter via email at zachary.carter@bsu.edu or via X @ZachCarter85.
Editor’s note: This story will be updated after interviews with Ball State women's basketball.KALAMAZOO, Mich. — For the first time in 22 seasons, Ball State women’s basketball has earned the Mid-American Conference (MAC) Regular Season Championship. As of now, the Cardinals have at least a share of the title, but a win over Buffalo March 5 will give them the outright championship.The Cardinals earned their win today over Western Michigan in a low-scoring affair. The first quarter buzzer sounded and the scoreboard read 8-4 in favor of Ball State. One of the lowest scoring quarter totals of the season, and the lowest first quarter overall.Outside of that slow start, it was all Ball State for the remaining 30 minutes. Ball State led 23-10 heading into the halftime break, and never let Western Michigan get within five points. The lead got as large as 16 around the five minute mark in the third. Ball State got a win in a stretch where they have been tough to come by. Ball State lost to James Madison Feb. 8 to break a 14-game win streak and then lost two of its next three MAC games before needing overtime to beat Central Michigan. During this stretch — and most of MAC play — senior Alex Richard has been Ball State’s most consistent player. Averaging 15.2 points per game since Jan. 1, Richard has scored over that points per game average 10 times. Sallee is in season 13 at Ball State and has become the program’s winningest head coach. He has won 20+ regular season games many times, has broken records, but had not yet won a MAC title. Although the regular season goes the Cardinals' way, they know their bigger goal still looms near in Cleveland in two weeks.Ball State dominated the boards the entire game, out-rebounding Western Michigan 45-30. When Ball State has been successful and dominant, it is out-rebounding teams and forcing more turnovers than it gives up. Although they excelled on the boards, the Cardinals coughed up 18 turnovers to the Broncos’ 13. For Ball State to continue this run into the NCAA tournament, look for it to dominate the glass and force turnovers by speeding teams up. When Ball State plays games at its tempo — it is usually a fast one — opponents get off their game and play fast, creating turnovers. Ball State thrives off turnovers and has created separation with points off turnovers.The outright title can be won in the next contest against Buffalo. Ball State has already beaten the Bulls in a road game Jan. 11. In that contest, the Cardinals got out of the gates quick and limited their mistakes. For a season sweep of Buffalo, Ball State will have to do the same things it did at Alumni Arena in the first win.Ball State and Buffalo will tip-off at 6:30 p.m. from John E. Worthen Arena March 5 for the outright MAC Regular Season title.Contact Logan Connor via email at logan.connor@bsu.edu or via X @_loganconnor
