With a chance to avoid the single elimination opening round of the upcoming Missouri Valley Conference baseball championships, the University of Evansville baseball team makes the trip to Normal, Illinois this week for a three game series against first place Illinois State.
The Aces (23-25, 8-7) are coming off a successful final home weekend. One which saw them take 2-of-3 from longtime conference rival Missouri State. It was their ninth winning weekend of the 2019 campaign. Last year, Evansville only won one series all season, an early three game sweep of Western Illinois.
The Aces’ closed out their non-conference schedule on the road at Belmont, falling to the Bruins 6-4 in Nashville.
THE OPPOSITION:  • After dropping five of six contests, the Redbirds (30-21, 12-6) bounced back to take two of three this past weekend from Missouri Valley Conference in-state rival Bradley in Peoria. ISU outscored the Braves 15-1 in the first two games of the series, both victories. Bradley took the final game of the series, 7-2.
Illinois State’s non-conference finale against SIU-Edwardsville was canceled due to poor field conditions in Edwardsville.
THE STARTING ROTATION:  •  The Aces will open the weekend with junior right-hander Adam Lukas (5-4, 4.96 ERA) to face the Bears. Lukas sat for the first time all season this past weekend against Missouri State. Last time out, the highly-touted Grafton, Wisconsin native tossed his shortest outing of the season, going just 2.1 innings against Southern Illinois, allowing six runs on five hits, while striking out three, in taking the loss in Evansville’s 8-2 set back. Illinois State will counter with LHP Brent Headrick (6-3, 4.11 ERA).
On Friday, the Aces will send out senior right-hander Justin Hayden (2-2, 4.47 ERA) for his eighth start of the season. Last time out, Hayden went 5.2 innings, giving up four runs runs on five hits, while striking out five, but got a no-decision as UE blew a four run lead and fell 10-9 defeat to Missouri State. The Redbirds will counter with LHP Matt Walker (3-7, 5.27 ERA).
On Saturday, Evansville will close out the series with senior left-hander Alex Weigand (2-5, 5.01 ERA) on the bump. The sometimes starter-sometimes reliever got the start against Missouri State last Sunday, going five innings, allowing just two runs, while scattering six hits and striking out five, but got a no-decision in the Aces 4-3 come-from behind series-sealing victory over the Bears. Illinois State will counter with RHP Brett Wicklund (4-3, 4.19 ERA).
ALL-TIME SERIES:  • The Aces and Redbirds have met 116 times through the years, with Illinois State holding the series edge 63-52-1, dating back to 1948. The last time the two crossed paths on the diamond, Illinois State took 2-of-3 from UE in the regular series finale at Braun Stadium last season.
