EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Evansville baseball team will look to extend its winning streak to three games on Wednesday afternoon, as the Purple Aces will travel to Cape Girardeau, Missouri to battle preseason Ohio Valley Conference favorite Southeast Missouri State in a mid-week contest. First-pitch is set for 3 p.m.
Wednesday’s game will feature the respective Players of the Week in the Missouri Valley Conference and OVC. Evansville fifth-year first baseman Chase Hug earned MVC Player of the Week honors on Monday after slashing .667/1.083/.778 in UE’s four games last week, while helping power the Purple Aces to a series victory over Eastern Michigan. Meanwhile, SEMO outfielder Josh Cameron was named OVC Player of the Week on Monday after hitting .471 with three home runs, two triples, a double and six RBI in five starts for the Redhawks.
Evansville will enter Wednesday’s game at 2-5 overall after winning the last two games of a weekend series against Eastern Michigan. The Purple Aces rallied for nine runs in the eighth inning on Saturday to pick up its first win of 2023, 9-7, over Eastern Michigan. Junior catcher Brendan Hord then hit a go-ahead home run in the seventh inning on Sunday to help UE to a 5-3 victory over the Eagles.
SEMO, meanwhile, will bring a 2-6 overall record into the Redhawks’ home-opener. The Redhawks exploded for a 23-2 seven-inning victory in game two of a Saturday doubleheader at Abilene Christian to snap a four-game skid, but ACU swept a Sunday twinbill by scores of 7-4 and 5-4 to win the series. Southeast Missouri State is the reigning OVC Tournament champions and the Redhawks posted a 23-2 overall record at home last season.
Evansville will start freshman RHP Max Hansmann (1-0, 10.80 ERA) on Wednesday. SEMO has not announced a starter yet.
