Aces Back Home For Weekend Series With Butler

After opening MVC play at SIU last weekend, the University of Evansville baseball trip comes back home to open an 11-game homestand beginning with a weekend series against Butler on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at German American Bank Field at Charles H. Braun Stadium in Evansville.

Last Time Out: Evansville 7, SIU 3

• In the series finale, the University of Evansville baseball team snapped a 19-game winning streak for No. 25 SIU with a 7-3 win over the Salukis on Sunday afternoon at Itchy Jones Stadium in Carbondale, Ill.
• Great team win today. SIU was one of the hottest team I’ve ever ran into so it was great to see us show up and play at a high level,” said Evansville head baseball coach Wes Carroll. “Great to see our offense get hits and execute when needed. Bullpen came up big to close out the game.”
• For the first time this series, Evansville scored first, pushing across a run as redshirt senior Troy Beilsmith scored on a groundout by junior Tanner Craig in the top of the first. In the bottom half of the first, freshman pitcher Donovan Schultz got off to a strong start with a pair of strikeouts.
• SIU took the lead in the bottom of the third inning as the Salukis put together a three-run inning to open up a two run advantage on the Aces. Evansville responded in the top of the next inning, inching closer with a run on freshman Simon Scherry’s fielder’s choice that scored freshman Brent Widder.
• The sixth inning was key for Evansville on both the offensive and defensive fronts. In the top half, the Aces opened the inning with a Widder walk.
• Senior Ben Komonosky came to the plate next and delivered a double, advancing to third on an error, that scored Widder to tie the game at three.
• Evansville was not finished in the inning as the next at bat saw Beilsmith drive a sacrifice fly to center that scored Komonosky and gave the Aces a 4-3 lead.
• After Komonosky scored, Evansville scored two more runs in the inning on a double by freshman Mark Shallenberger and another sacrifice fly, this one coming from junior Mason Brinkley as UE took a 6-3 lead to the bottom of the sixth.
• SIU threatened in the bottom half of the inning, placing runners on first and second with no outs.
• Junior Erif Roberts responded, getting the Salukis to ground into a fielder’s choice and striking-out a batter for the second out.
• Roberts was replaced by Parks for what would be the final at-bat of the inning as Parks struck-out Ian Walters to end the inning.
• Evansville padded-on an insurance run in the seventh as Widder opened the inning with a single and found his way home with an RBI single from Scherry.
• Leading into the ninth, sophomore Michael Parks pitched valiantly, going 2.1 innings with just one hit and striking-out two.
• In the bottom of the ninth, Evansville brought in closer Jakob Meyer, who continued his spectacular spring by sitting the Salukis down in order including an inning opening strikeout to secure the 7-3 win for Evansville.
• The win for the Aces was the first for UE over SIU since May 27, 2016, snapping a 13-game win streak in the series for the Salukis.

Previewing the Matchup: Butler

• Evansville and Southern Illinois are meeting 111th time when the two sides meet on Friday for the series opener with the Aces owning a 73-37 advantage in the all-time series.
• Evansville has won 13-straight games over the Bulldogs, dating back to an 8-3 loss to Butler on March 7, 1997.
• The Aces swept a three-game series from the Bulldogs a season ago, taking 8-3, 4-1, and 4-3 wins over Butler on Feb. 28, 29, & March 1, 2020 at Bosse Field.
• Butler enters the weekend series with a 2-2 record after taking a game from Purdue Fort Wayne (2-0) and Depauw (16-4) so far this season.
• Evansville has won both of its home series to start the season after taking 2-of-3 from NIU and 3-of-4 from Western Illinois.
• The Aces look to make it back-to-back seasons winning three-straight home series with a series win this weekend.

Back on Track

• After three losses to open the weekend at SIU, Evansville got back on track in its Sunday win over the Salukis.
• On Sunday, Evansville recorded seven runs on 13 hits.
• The 13 hits were tied for second-most on the season and the seven runs were the most for Evansville on the road this season.
• The Aces did all this without generating many free bases, receiving only two walks and being hit by a pitch just twice.

Strong Debut for Roberts

• Making his first start of the season for the Aces, Eric Roberts impressed with a strong day at the plate.
• Roberts went 1-for-2 at the dish, recording a double and a RBI, while also scoring two runs and earning two walks in Friday’s series opener at SIU.