After a shortened season last spring, University of Evansville head baseball coach Wes Carroll has announced the 2021 slate for the Aces.
The schedule features 56 games with exactly half of the season slate being played in Missouri Valley Conference competition with 28 games coming in Valley play. German American Bank Field at Charles H. Braun Stadium will truly be home sweet home for the Aces in 2021 as 35 of the 56 games on the schedule are slated to be played at Evansville’s newly renovated confines.
“I am thrilled to finally be able to release our 2021 schedule,” said Aces head baseball coach Wes Carroll. “Obviously there have been significant changes throughout the last couple of months but we have been fortunate to put together a very competitive schedule. We look forward to playing on German American Bank Field at Charles H Braun Stadium for a full year.”
The Aces ended last season on a high note, defeating in-state foe Indiana, 5-4, in the first game following renovations at German American Bank Field. Just days later, the season was ended due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
Evansville will look to utilize the momentum built at the end of last season when they open the 2021 campaign against SEC powerhouse Georgia in Athens on February 19, 20, and 21. The Aces and Bulldogs will match-up for the first time since 1996.
On February 26-28, the Aces mark their home opener, welcoming NIU to German American Bank Field for a three-game set, beginning a stretch of five of six weekends at home.
A midweek contest against another SEC foe in Kentucky on March 2, splits a pair of weekends at home. Evansville comes back home for the weekend of March 5-7 for a four-game set against Western Illinois, a team the Aces swept when they last met in 2018.
The MVC slate will look slightly different this season with the Conference increasing weekend series in The Valley to four game sets as opposed to the three-game series played in previous seasons. Conference play begins March 12-14 as Evansville travels to face Southern Illinois on the road in Carbondale.
Beginning a set of three-straight home weekends, the Aces take on Butler for a four-game series on March 19-21. Last season, Evansville took all three contests from the Bulldogs in a series played at Bosse Field.
For a second-straight weekend, Evansville is challenged by a team from the Big East as Xavier comes to the River City for four games from March 26 to 28. Closing-out its homestand, the Aces face South Dakota State on April 2-4, a team Evansville has faced just twice, capturing a pair of wins over the Jackrabbits in 2005.
The stretch of MVC weekends begins on April 9-11 as the Aces head to Peoria, Ill. to face Bradley. After the weekend series against the Braves, the Aces bring Missouri State into German American Bank Field from April 16 to 18.
Back on the road, Evansville challenges Illinois State on April 23-25 before returning home for back-to-back home series. Preseason 24th-ranked Dallas Baptist represents the next hill for the Aces on April 30-May 2 as the calendar flips to May.
As the regular season wanes, Evansville and Southern Illinois meet for the second time this season, this time in a non-conference series from May 7 to 9 in Evansville.
The final road weekend of the season takes place from May 14-16 as Evansville makes the trip to Valparaiso.
Evansville closes the regular season and celebrates senior weekend on May 20 through 22 when Indiana State comes to German American Bank Field for four games.
The 2021 MVC Baseball Championship takes place in Carbondale, Ill., hosted by SIU, beginning on May 26 and ending with a champion crowned on May 29.
