BASEBALL ACES WIN MVC TOURNAMENT TITLE
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Evansville baseball team capped its undefeated run through the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament on Saturday night, as the Purple Aces held off the top-seeded Indiana State Sycamores, 8-6, to win the tournament title at German American Bank Field at Charles H. Braun Stadium in Evansville. Evansville will now represent the MVC in the 2024 NCAA Tournament field, which will be announced on Monday at 11 a.m.
The Purple Aces advanced to the tournament championship game with a resounding 17-7 run-rule victory over Illinois State earlier on Saturday afternoon. The Redbirds actually jumped out to an early 6-1 lead through two innings, before Evansville exploded for seven runs in the third inning thanks to five doubles in the inning to grab a lead it would never lose. Senior designated hitter Kip Fougerousse led the offense against the Redbirds, going 3-for-4 with a home run and three RBI. Junior outfielder Harrison Taubert also had two hits and drove in four runs for UE.
In the nightcap against Indiana State, the top-seeded Sycamores scored three runs in the first inning to grab an early lead, before the Purple Aces came roaring back thanks to a six-run second inning. The first seven Purple Aces to bat in the second inning reached base, with senior shortstop Simon Scherry kick-starting the scoring with a two-run single, before graduate outfielder Mark Shallenberger tied the game at 3-3 on an RBI single to chase Indiana State starter Cam Edmonson (5-2). Fougerousse then greeted reliever Brennyn Cutts with a long three-run home run to right-center field to give UE a 6-3 lead.
Freshman starter Kenton Deverman (8-1) and reliever Max Hansmann would limit the Sycamores to just single runs in the seventh and eighth innings, as UE took a 6-5 lead to the ninth inning. Evansville then loaded the bases against the Indiana State bullpen, and scored two insurance runs on a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch and walk to grab an 8-5 lead. The Sycamores would get a run back in the ninth inning, but UE closer Jakob Meyer got Indiana State catcher Grant Magill to bounce into a game-ending 5-4-3 double play to give UE it’s first MVC Tournament title since 2006.
Shallenberger went 3-for-4 with two runs scored against Indiana State, while junior second baseman Cal McGinnis went 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI. McGinnis earned MVC Tournament Most Outstanding Player honors after hitting .714 in UE’s four games by going 10-for-14, with three doubles, seven runs scored and six RBI. Fougerousse, Taubert and graduate catcher Brendan Hord also made the MVC All-Tournament Team.
Evansville will now take a 35-23 overall record into the 2024 NCAA Tournament.
