MUNCIE, Ind. — Ball State baseball players gathered in the locker room to watch the NCAA selection show.
It was May 31, 2021, and the Cardinals had put together what they, and others, believed was a good enough resume to make the field of 64 and be a scary opponent for some teams if they got there. Despite finishing second in the Mid-American Conference, the Cardinals had the 48th-best RPI in the country, a 38-18 record with a series win over Kentucky and a series split against Arizona.
But as the 30-minute selection show went on, the hopes of the players dwindled until they finally saw Ball State in the "first four out" group.