Bats heat up in road trip against Ball State
CMU baseball opens conference play in series loss
Central Michigan senior infielder Greg Guzik II goes up at bat at Theunissen Stadium on Friday, Oct. 10, 2025. (CM Life | Trevor Sparks)
No leads were safe in the Mid-American Conference opening series for the Central Michigan baseball team. Each of the three road matchups against the Ball State Cardinals from Mar. 6-8 resulted in a comeback win, and the Chippewas suffered a 1-2 series loss.
CMU has been on a lengthy road trip to start its season, and after facing Ball State, now sits at a 6-7 overall record for the season.
Game one
To officially open MAC play for the season, Central Michigan found itself down early in the game, yet fought back in the eighth inning by scoring four runs and taking the victory, 8-7.
Ball State jumped out to the early lead, and every opportunity for the Chippewas to close the gap was answered by the Cardinals. After a seventh-inning home run by its infielder Brayden Huebner, the score favored Ball State 7-4.
Facing this three-run deficit, a double by CMU third baseman Bryson Webb brought the game to within one. Following this, outfielder Cole Prout hit a single for two RBIs. There were twelve hits for the Chippewas on the day, as well as two home runs from Prout and Brady Krzciock.
CMU used six pitchers this game, beginning a carousel of pitching changes when starter Hayden Bailey left the mound after two and a half innings. Max Hammond closed the game out, with no hits allowed in the ninth to seal the win.
Game two
Another competitive game eventually led to the Cardinals pulling ahead late, with nine runs in the final three innings in the 11-6 loss for CMU.
The bats were hot for both teams in this showdown, with nine hits for Central Michigan and thirteen for Ball State. Four home runs by the squad in Muncie, Indiana ultimately were the key to put them in the lead by the seventh inning.
Pitching was more stable in this game, with freshman Luke Neiswonger remaining atop the mound for just over five innings. He threw 92 pitches, allowing six runs on nine hits.
Game three
Hopes for a dominant victory by Central Michigan to close out the series were dashed in the bottom of the ninth inning, as CMU fell in an 11-10 heartbreaker.
This final matchup remained scoreless through three innings, yet the Chippewas exploded offensively in the fourth with seven runs, including three home runs for 5 RBIs. Ball State responded with four runs of its own yet would be quiet until later in the afternoon.
It seemed as if Central Michigan had things wrapped up in the final inning, sustaining a 10-5 advantage over the Cardinals. However, Ball State had life after a triple by its catcher Tommy Landsnes to close the gap.
CMU elected to swap out its pitcher, giving Gavin Moczydlowski the chance to close out the afternoon. It was not enough for the storming Cardinals, who scored an RBI before Ball State infielder Brett Griffiths hit a walk off double into deep left center field to end the day.
With a disappointing end to the conference opener, Central Michigan now sets its sights on a visit to a 1-9 Mercyhurst team on Mar. 10th. The Chippewas will play their first home series against MAC opponent Toledo on Mar. 20th at Theunissen Stadium.
