EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Evansville baseball team will begin its final homestand of the 2023 season on Tuesday night, as the Purple Aces will try to complete a season-series sweep of the Bellarmine Knights at German American Bank Field at Charles H. Braun Stadium. First-pitch is set for 6 p.m. and Tuesday’s game can be seen live on ESPN+.
The Purple Aces (28-19 overall) won the first meeting of the season against Bellarmine, 14-2, on March 15 in Louisville, Kentucky on the strength of home runs from senior infielder Brent Widder, sophomore outfielder Ty Rumsey, graduate utility player Eric Roberts and fifth-year first baseman Chase Hug. The home run has been a big part of UE’s attack this year, as Evansville has launched 62 home runs on the season. The Purple Aces have gone back-to-back games without a home run for just the fourth time this year entering Tuesday’s contest, and UE has not gone three game without a home run so far this season.
Leading Evansville’s home run parade this year is Roberts, who still leads the Missouri Valley Conference with 17 home runs. Roberts’ 17 home runs rank fifth-best all-time at UE in a single-season, and he has closed to within three home runs of Ed Kothera’s 1987 school record of 20 home runs.
Overall, Hug leads UE in hitting with a .332 average, with junior second baseman Kip Fougerousse second on the squad with a .298 average. Fougerousse has been UE’s hottest hitter over the last month, hitting .404 (23-for-57) with three doubles, four home runs, and 17 RBI over the last 16 contests. He has hit safely in five-straight games and in 15 of the last 16 games overall entering Tuesday night’s contest.
Bellarmine will enter Tuesday’s game at 11-37 overall. The Knights are trying to snap a 10-game losing streak, as Bellarmine’s last win was a 5-4 win at Lipscomb on April 21. Senior infielder Dylan Byerly is the Knights’ top hitter on the year with a .341 average this season. Two-way player Casey Sorg is second on the team with a .288 average, five home runs and 18 RBI, while also posting a 1.50 ERA on the mound.
Evansville will send graduate RHP John MacCauley (1-1, 7.58 ERA) to the mound on Tuesday night in his second start of the year. MacCauley has not allowed a run in his last 6.2 innings of work over his last two appearances. He tossed three perfect innings last Wednesday in UE’s 4-1 win over Butler to open the month of May.
Tuesday’s game will open up the final homestand of the year for UE, as the Purple Aces will also host Bradley this weekend in a three-game Valley series to wrap up the 2023 home schedule.
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