UE has a big series ahead of them as they welcome the Bradley Braves to German American Bank Field. Evansville is currently ninth in the Missouri Valley Conference standings and a game behind Bradley for the final spot in the MVC Tournament. If the Aces win two of three games this week, they’ll clinch a spot in the postseason with the series tiebreakers over both the Braves and seventh-place Indiana State. If the playoff race comes down to a three-way tie between the teams, UE would get the highest seed at seventh while Bradley would take the eighth seed as they won their series over the Sycamores.
The Braves come into the final series of the regular season having won five of their last six Valley games, including a three-game sweep over the Valparaiso Beacons. Bradley has made quite the turnaround after losing its first 11 games of conference play to get back into the postseason race. The Braves have won 10 MVC games this season for their best conference record since 2022, when they won 11 Valley games. Bradley is currently led on the field by senior utility player Bobby Atkinson, who is one of only two Braves batting above .300 at .339 with 57 hits. Along with Atkinson, junior infielder Timmy O’Brian is a threat at the plate as he is currently fourth in the MVC in home runs with 16 in 47 games played.
After his big game on Tuesday night, Evansville is now led on offense by McGinnis with a .330 batting average in 44 games. The senior has collected 59 hits this season with nine doubles and three home runs. Along with having a team-best batting average, McGinnis is the third toughest batter to strike out in the MVC, only striking out once in ever 9.9 at-bats. He is closely followed by fellow senior Ty Rumsey, who has batted .324 while appearing in all 51 games for the Aces so far. Rumsey also leads the Valley in stolen bases with 30 and is also ranked 27th in Division I.
UE will honor seven seniors on Saturday afternoon in its annual Senior Day game to close the 2025 regular season. Before Saturday’s 2 p.m. pitch from Charles H. Braun Stadium, Evansville will recognize outfielder Ty Rumsey, infielders Cal McGinnis, Ben Stuart, and Kevin McCormick, catchers Evan Waggoner and Matt Flaherty, and pitcher Jacob Jarvis for their time with the program. All seven players have either exhausted their eligibility or have foregone an extra year of eligibility after earning a degree from the University of Evansville.