The 2009 Ball State Cardinals are 12-12 through April 1st. While that may seem like a decent record, they should be 18-6 if the defense was anywhere near average. Un-earned runs have cost them 6 games so far this year. With 55 errors in 24 games, they have a .940 fielding percentage, the worst in the past ten seasons at least.
The pitching staff has an ERA of 3.99, which ranks 40th in all of college baseball. Their opponents have a 6.19 ERA, which would rank 196th in the NCAA. That's a difference of over 2 runs a game and yet the team is 12-12.
This atrocious fielding has affected the RPI for the Cards. Their current RPI rank is 233rd, but with those 6 extra wins their RPI rank would be 122nd, a jump of 111 places. In a normally one-bid conference, every little bit of RPI helps. This year, it looks like they will have to win the MAC tourney to go to the NCAA tourney.
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