UE opens MVC Championship on Thursday
 NORMAL, Ill. – Brittany Hay, Morgan Lambert and Morgan Florey each earned Missouri Valley Conference awards at a banquet on the eve of the conference championship in Normal, Ill.
Hay was recognized as the league’s Newcomer of the Year while Florey and Lambert earned All-Conference Second Team honors. Lambert was also named to the All-Defensive Team.  A junior out of Georgetown, Ill., Hay led the Aces with a .372 average in conference play while scoring 22 runs over that span. She batted .306 for the season and was the conference Newcomer of the Week on April 10.
This is such a tremendous honor for Brittany! She has had such a great year at the plate for our team,†UE head coach Mat Mundell said. “She is a dynamic weapon out of the lead-off spot.”
Morgan Lambert had another nice season at the plate and in the field. The first baseman finished with an unbelievable .997 fielding percentage this season and improved her career tally to .989. That is third on the all-time program list. She finished second on the squad with eight home runs and 27 RBI.  “I could not be any happier for Morgan. She has been such a clutch player for us in conference play the last three years,” Mundell said. “It has been awesome to see her grow as a player this is a nice recognition for her senior year.”
Another player who does it all for the Purple Aces has been Morgan Florey. UE’s leader with 9 homers and 31 RBI was even better in the circle. Her 188 strikeouts paced the MVC this season while her 1.95 ERA was third in the league. She is the defending league Freshman of the Year.  “I am excited for Morgan to earn this recognition,†Mundell explained. “She continues to improve in the circle. She is without a doubt one of the best pitchers in the MVC.”
Evansville’s award-winning trio and their teammates are set to open the league championship on Thursday at 11 a.m. versus Loyola.
