Baseball comes home for weekend series with NIU

Aces play at home for first time since March 10, 2020

After winning the season-opener at #12 Georgia last weekend, the University of Evansville baseball team makes its season debut at German American Bank Field and Charles H. Braun Stadium with a three-game set against NIU on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in Evansville, Ind.

Last Time Out: #12 Georgia 4, Evansville 1

• True freshman Donovan Schultz got his first start and appearance of his collegiate career and handled a big stage well.
• After Georgia threatened by putting three runners on in the bottom of the first, Schultz settled in and worked through the Bulldogs lineup, sitting Georgia down in order in the second.
• Evansville got on the board first in the top of the third as the Aces had senior Troy Beilsmith on second with no outs after a walk and a throwing error.
• Beilsmith moved to third following a fly out from Shepherd and was brought home on a RBI sacrifice fly by junior Tanner Craig to give the Aces a 1-0 lead.
• The Bulldogs answered immediately in the bottom half of the third, scoring twice, once on an error and another coming unearned on a sacrifice fly.
• Schultz’s day came to an end following the fourth inning as the Wisconsin native closed his debut allowing three hits, one earned run, and striking-out two.
• Schultz was replaced by newcomer Zac Cummins, who pitched a strong fifth and sixth innings, allowing just two hits and keeping the Bulldogs from adding to their lead.

Previewing the Matchup: NIU

• Evansville and NIU are meeting for the eighth time in series history with the Aces owning a 4-3 advantage in the all-time series.
• The two sides last met during the 2017 season as the Huskies captured both games, 5-2, 1-0, on April 21 and 23 in Evansville.
• NIU’s season-opening series against Memphis was cancelled last weekend, so the Huskies will open their season this weekend at UE.
• In 2020, NIU compiled a 7-10 record, including wins over Boston College and SEMO.
• Evansville returns to German American Bank Field at Charles H. Braun Stadium after playing just one game at the renovated field in 2020. The Aces opened the newly minted turf field on March 10 with a 5-4 victory over Indiana before the season ended just days later due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Clean ERAs

• A pair of Aces finished the weekend series with ERAs of 0.00 after facing the 12th-ranked team in the nation.
• Freshman Jakob Meyer and sophomore Eric Roberts each pitched more than two innings in the series and did not allow a run.
• Meyer played in two games, pitching a total of 2.2 innings of scoreless baseball’s striking out one.
• Roberts pitched two innings in Saturday’s first game of the doubleheader, striking out one and not allowing a hit.

SEC Win for Evansville

• Friday’s season opening win for Evansville over #12 Georgia was the first of its kind in more than six seasons for the Aces.
• It marked the Aces first win over an SEC opponent since Feb. 26, 2014 when the Aces defeated Vanderbilt on the road, 8-3.

Gray Named MVC Pitcher of the Week

• After a stellar performance on Friday, University of Evansville baseball sophomore right-handed pitcher Shane Gray was named Missouri Vally Conference Pitcher of the Week, it was announced in a release by the Conference office on Monday morning.
• Leading Evansville to a season opening win over #12 Georgia, sophomore Shane Gray turned in an impressive performance on the mound Friday.
• Against the nationally-ranked Bulldogs, Gray pitched six innings, allowing just one earned run and four hits, while striking-out four.
• Gray’s pitcher of the week honor is the first an Aces pitcher since Nathan Croner and Adam Lukas went back-to-back winning the award on March 11 and 18, 2019.