Description: In 2002, Ball State pitcher Bryan Bullington became the No. 1 selection in the Major League Baseball draft, elevating the Cardinals baseball program into the national limelight. But Ball State baseball has drawn national attention in the past, enjoying some outstanding teams, such as Coach Ray Louthens 1969 squad, which defeated both the Big Ten and the Mid-American Conference champions on the same day at the NCAA Regional, Coach Rick Maloneys powerhouse teams that won four division titles and three league crowns from 1998 to 2001. Through the more than eight decades of baseball at Ball State, the Cardinals diamond exploits have steadily lifted the BSU program toward becoming one of the most respected in the Midwest. With over 180 images, John Ginter chronicles how baseball at Ball State began in 1919, when the institutions fledgling sports teams were known as the Hoosieroons, through the 2002 season, by which time the Cardinals were known as a rich source of professional baseball talent.
