USI opens Division I play versus WIU Eagles & Leathernecks play 4-game set in Tennessee

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EVANSVILLE, Ind. — University of Southern Indiana Baseball opens NCAA Division I action by playing a neutral-site four-game series with Western Illinois University February 17-19 at USA Stadium in Millington, Tennessee. The series opens Friday with a 2 p.m. single game; followed by a noon doubleheader Saturday; and conclude with a noon single game Sunday.
 
Links to follow the Eagles during the opening weekend of 2023 can be found on USIScreamingEagles.com.   
 
USI Baseball Notes:

USI vs. WIU: The Screaming Eagles play the Leathernecks for the first time since 1977 when WIU took a two-game set, 6-5 and 4-3.
 
Eagles in 2022: USI was 21-28 in 2022 and during the final season in the NCAA Division II, placing fifth in the Great Lakes Valley Conference Blue Division with a 10-14 record.
 
USI predicted eighth in OVC: USI was predicted to place eighth in the Ohio Valley Conference during 2023.  
 
McNew named preseason All-OVC: Senior catcher Lucas McNew was named Preseason All-OVC by the conference and by Perfect Game. The preseason honors were the first of McNew’s career.
 
Leading Returning Hitters: Senior catcher Lucas McNew was second on the team in 2022 with a .321 batting average, while driving in a team-high and career-high 57 RBIs and hitting a team-best eight home runs last spring. He also is a .306 career hitter with 126 RBIs and 20 home runs.
 
In addition to McNew, the USI lineup returns senior outfielders Ren Tachioka and Evan Kahre. Tachioka, USI’s leadoff hitter in 2022, batted .295 in his first season and ranked second on the team with 45 runs scored and 21 stolen bases. Kahre batted .290 with 18 runs scored and 22 RBIs in his first season as an Eagle last spring.
 
McNew climbing the USI All-Time charts: Senior catcher Lucas McNew enters the season tied for sixth all-time at USI in home runs (20); 13th in RBIs (126); and 14th in doubles (40).
 
Top Returning Pitcher: USI is led into 2023 by sophomore lefthander Tyler Hutson. Hutson was 2-2 in 20 appearances out of the pen last season with three saves and a 4.83 ERA.
 
Under Tracy Archuleta: The Eagles enter their 17th season under Head Coach Tracy Archuleta, who has led the Eagles to two NCAA Division II national championships (2010, 2014) in his 16 years at the helm. He also has been recognized as the Division II ABCA National Coach of the Year twice (2010, 2014); the ABCA Midwest Region Coach of the Year five times (2007, 2010, 2014, 2016, 2018) and the GLVC Coach of the Year twice (2011, 2014) since taking over the program in 2007. He also is the winningest coach in the history of the program with 527 victories in 16 years.
 

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