Craig breaks 40-year old home run record as Aces capture 11-1 win over Butler

EVANSVILLE – Surpassing mark that stood for 40 years, University of Evansville baseball first baseman Tanner Craig smashed a fourth-inning home run, the 41st of his career, setting a new program record for home runs in a career as the Aces captured an 11-1 win in seven innings over Butler on Tuesday afternoon in Indianapolis.

“Skip’s (head coach Wes Carroll) has believed in me since I walked on campus and for him to give me that opportunity as a freshman to where I’m at now, it means a lot to me,” said Craig on what breaking the record means to him. “Especially after this summer, I battled some sickness, lost a bunch of weight, and was out all fall and to come back and have my teammates believe in me the way that they do it just means a lot to me.”

Craig’s 41st homer surpasses the mark set by the late Jeff Starks from 1979-82, the longest standing record in program history.

Along with Craig’s homer, Evansville’s offense was stellar, especially in the third inning, where the Aces launched three home runs en route to an eight-run frame. Offensively, the Aces added two more runs in the fourth on Craig’s long drive to left and finished it off with a single run in the top of the seventh.

On the mound, left-hander Donovan Schultz was nearly flawless. Schultz led Evansville to another win, the third-in-a-row for the Aces when Schultz starts. Schultz went the distance, pitching a complete seven-inning game, allowing just two hits and not allowing an earned run, while tallying four punchouts. The complete game is the first for an Ace since Shane Gray tallied a complete game shutout against Illinois State on April 23.

At the plate, UE tallied 10 hits with Craig, Mark Shallenberger, Evan Berkey and Chase Hug all recording two and each going yard in the midweek contest.

Evansville continues its road trip with a three-game series at Missouri State on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in Springifield, Mo.