Michigan State Weekend Preview: Ball State

I’m not gonna lie: This should be a wood-shedding. The Cardinals are 0-8 in official games this year, with losses to a number of really bad teams. They “postponed” and/or forfeited their game against Central Michigan last Sunday because they didn’t have enough players to field a team. Against a team of State’s caliber, things might get ugly.

Ball State

Saturday 3PM, Grosse Ile High School.
Record: 0-5 (0-1 CCLA West).
Rankings: 95 (Computer) – out of 97.
Common Opponents: Western Michigan (L 9-21).

Schedule

The teams have only one common opponent, and it really tells the whole story. Ball State was run off the field by Western Michigan, whereas Michigan State pasted the Broncos. I say it again: Ball State is not a good lacrosse team.

In MCLA Division-1 games, the Cardinals also have losses to Indiana (one of two Hoosier wins on the year), 1st-year team Toledo (the only Rocket win this season), Purdue (The Boilermakers are 4-9 on the season), and a respectable Miami University squad. That is not a murderer’s row that is, well, murdering them.

In other contests, the Cardinals got their only two “wins” of the season over non-MCLA opponents DePauw and IUPUI, the latter coming by an impressive 21-2 score. However, BSU is also so bad that they have been beaten by 3 MCLA Division-2 teams, only one of them by a respectable score. They only lost to Taylor University 9-12, which only does a little to east the sting of a 5-12 loss to Butler and a 3-34(!!!!!) pasting at the hands of Indiana Tech.

Personnel

Ball State hasn’t reached double-digits in an official game yet this year, so it’s no surprise that they are loaded with big scorers. They do have hope for the future, however, as redshirt freshmen Ethan Sweat and Phil Beckman are the Cardinals averaging more than 2 points per game. Sophomores Craig Sink and Isaiah Sweat are also over 1 point per game.

Defensively, junior Rich Bray leads the team in ground balls, and his classmate Andrew Herron isn’t far behind. Senior keeper John Towle probably hasn’t gotten much help from the unit, and he’s allowing nearly 17 points per game with a .410 save%.

I shall say it again: this team is not good.

Predictions

Don’t even need to preface this too much. State takes it easy on an overmatched opponent, running up a big lead before getting some bench players time in the game. Spartans win 29-1.

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