Division I · Mid-American Conference
Ball State University Softball
Muncie, IN · the Cardinals · Ball State University overview
25
Roster
at the D-I cap of 25
$1.1M
Team budget
53rd percentile in Division I
$44,023
Per roster spot
median $46,727
3
Coaches
1 head · 2 assistant
994
APR
99% of players retained
72%
Admitted
upper half for selectivity
Ball State University fields a softball team in the Mid-American Conference (NCAA Division I). In 2024–25 the roster carried 25 players, about the median of 23, with 1 head coach and 2 assistants. Team expenses were $1,100,597, about the median of $1.1M — $44,023 per roster spot, lower half of Division I softball programs. That is exactly the Division I roster cap of 25 in force from 2025-26. The team's multi-year Academic Progress Rate is 994, about the median of 989, with 99% of players retained year to year. The school gave $4,039,187 in athletic aid across its women's teams, about $14,477 per roster spot.
Among Division I softball programs
Where this program sits against its 305 peers (percentile; the tick is the median).
#144Team budgetof 305 · Division I#171Spend per playerof 305 · Division I#66Roster sizeof 305 · Division I#75APRof 305 · Division I
Team budgets across the division
this programevery Division I softball program
Roster sizes (cap 25)
this programevery Division I roster
The program
- Roster25 2024–25 season
- Division I roster cap25 at the cap
- Coaching staff1 head, 2 assistant
- Team expenses$1,100,597 for the year
- Operating expenses$239,931 game-day and travel
- Spend per roster spot$44,023 division median $46,727
- Academic Progress Rate994 multi-year; 1000 latest
- Players retained99% year to year
- Eligible99% of player-terms
- Athletic aid, women's teams$4,039,187 school-wide
- Aid per roster spot$14,477 across women's teams
- Recruiting spend, women's$293,629 school-wide
Coaching staff
| Name | Title | |
|---|---|---|
| Helen Peña | Head Coach | On file · sign in |
| Aaron Longenecker | Assistant Coach | On file · sign in |
Put Ball State University on a target list, address the whole staff at once, and send each email yourself from Gmail — nothing goes out without you pressing Send.Start your board
Recruiting timing
- Coaches may first contact youSeptember 1 of junior year
- Your own emailsAny time the rule limits what coaches send back
- High-school softball players338,315 2024-25
- Division I roster spots7,038 305 programs
- Odds of a spot1 in 48 2.1% of high-school players hold a Division I roster spot
General NCAA rule for Division I; the softball recruiting guide has the date for each grad year, the eligibility checklist and what to put in a first email.
About the school
What an athlete asks first — each panel opens the full picture.Campus
Full picture →14,874undergraduates · 20,440 students in all
Women 65% Men 35%
- Setting
- City
- Type
- Public · Research university
- Affiliation
- None
Getting in
Full picture →72%admitted · of 28,668 applicants
SAT middle 50%1080 – 1250
ACT middle 50%25 – 30
- Test scores
- Test-optional
- Graduate in 6 yrs
- 63%
Softball
Full picture →25on the roster · 2024–25 season
Roster vs the D-I cap of 2525
exactly at the cap
Academic Progress Rate994
99% of players kept year to year
- Team expenses
- $1,100,597 $44,024 per roster spot · upper half of Division I
- Coaches
- 1 head · 2 assistant
- Athletic aid, women's teams
- $4,039,187
- Recruiting spend, women's
- $293,629
Cost
Full picture →$13,017net price · after grants, aided first-years
Net price by family income
- Tuition & fees
- $10,758 in-state · $28,766 out
Campus safety
Full picture →0.74violent offences per 1,000 · students a year, 2022–2024
- In residence halls
- 4 burglaries · 37 sex offences over 2022–2024
- Residence-hall fires
- 1 over 2022–2024
Majors
Full picture →17%of bachelor's degrees in business · 28 fields · Associate's, Bachelor's, Doctorate, Master's
Research Ball State University
School pages built around what an athlete needs to know — the program's money and roster room, admissions fit, what a family really pays, majors, campus life and safety.
Softball program25 on the rosterPeers, percentiles, nearby programs, comparisonsRankingsWhere it standsEvery list this school is on, nationally and in its divisionAdmissions72% admittedSAT/ACT ladders, test policy, graduationCost & aid$13,017 net priceSticker vs net price by family income, athletic aidMajorsBusiness · 17%Every field and program with degrees awardedCampusCity · 14,874Setting, who is on campus, housing costs, servicesCampus safety0.74 violent / 1,000Three years of reported offences against the divisionAthleticsEvery teamThe whole department: every team, staff and aid
Softball programs within 150 miles
| School | Miles | Roster | Budget | APR | Admitted | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anderson University (Indiana) Division III · Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference | 15 | 29 | $103k | — | 53% | |
| Earlham College Division III · Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference | 37 | 24 | $203k | — | 74% | |
| Butler University Division I · BIG EAST Conference | 48 | 21 | $1.2M | 991 | 86% | |
| Indiana University Indianapolis Division I · Horizon League | 50 | 24 | $562k | 989 | 81% | |
| University of Indianapolis Division II · Great Lakes Valley Conference | 51 | 23 | $671k | — | 73% | |
| Manchester University Division III · Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference | 59 | 34 | $139k | — | 91% | |
| Franklin College Division III · Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference | 60 | 24 | $117k | — | 71% | |
| Miami University (Ohio) Division I · Mid-American Conference | 73 | — | — | — | — | |
| University of Dayton Division I · Atlantic 10 Conference | 73 | 19 | $1.1M | 1000 | 62% | |
| Purdue University Division I · Big Ten Conference | 81 | 24 | $2.3M | 969 | 50% | |
| DePauw University Division III · North Coast Athletic Conference | 86 | 24 | $276k | — | 54% | |
| Wittenberg University Division III · North Coast Athletic Conference | 86 | 25 | $174k | — | 91% |
Other softball programs in the Mid-American Conference
| School | Roster | Budget | Per player | APR | Compare | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Massachusetts, Amherst room for 7 | 18 | $1.2M | $67,765 | 984 | vs | |
| Ball State University at cap | 25 | $1.1M | $44,023 | 994 | vs | |
| University of Toledo room for 1 | 24 | $1.1M | $45,426 | 976 | vs | |
| University at Buffalo, the State University of New York room for 2 | 23 | $1.1M | $47,371 | 986 | vs | |
| Western Michigan University room for 1 | 24 | $999k | $41,606 | 986 | vs | |
| Central Michigan University room for 1 | 24 | $943k | $39,297 | 997 | vs | |
| University of Akron at cap | 25 | $790k | $31,603 | 963 | vs | |
| Bowling Green State University at cap | 25 | $755k | $30,203 | 986 | vs | |
| Kent State University | — | — | — | — | vs | |
| Miami University (Ohio) | — | — | — | — | vs | |
| Ohio University | — | — | — | — | vs |
Every Mid-American Conference softball program · Softball budgets ranked