MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – After dropping a heartbreaker in 17 innings on Wednesday night at #7 Vanderbilt, the University of Evansville baseball team will try to bounce back this weekend in a three-game series against the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders at Reese Smith Jr. Field in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.  The series will begin Friday afternoon at 3 p.m. in a contest that can be seen live on ESPN+.
Wednesday’s 2-1 loss in 17 innings snapped a seven-game winning streak for Evansville.  It was the longest game at UE since another 17-inning game at Wichita State in May, 2017 (a game UE won, 8-7), and was just four innings shy of tying the school record for longest game, set in a 4-4, 21-inning tie against Memphis in 1999.  Ironically, head coach Wes Carroll participated in all three contests, with the two 17-inning games coming as head coach, and the 21-inning game against Memphis coming as a player.
Friday will be a special day for the 15-year dugout boss of the Purple Aces, as it will be Carroll’s 750th career game as head coach at his alma mater.  Carroll ranks second all-time at UE with 359 career victories as head coach, and his Purple Aces will bring a 7-6 overall record into the series.
Evansville features an offense led by two-time Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week Chase Hug, who will bring a .426 batting average and .578 on-base percentage into the series.  His .578 on-base percentage ranks 25th-best in Division I baseball.  Junior shortstop Simon Scherry (.365/0/7) and fifth-year outfielders Danny Borgstrom (.348/1/12) and Eric Roberts (.313/2/17) also boast batting averages above .300 entering the weekend.
On the mound, Evansville will turn to junior RHP Nick Smith (1-2, 7.02 ERA) to start Friday’s opener.  Smith is coming off of a complete-game win over Bowling Green last weekend in which he struck out a career-high 12 men.  He will try to shut down a MTSU lineup which ranks among the nation’s best with a team .310 batting average.  The Blue Raiders (6-6) boast two regular starters with batting averages above .400 in senior infielder JT Mabry (.455/1/9) and graduate transfer catcher Jeremiah Boyd (.409/4/12).
After Friday’s opener, the series will continue on both Saturday and Sunday with 1 p.m. contests.  Senior LHP Tyler Denu (1-0, 3.45 ERA) and junior LHP Donovan Schultz (1-1, 5.14 ERA) are expected to start those contests for UE.  All three games of the series can be seen live on ESPN+.
