UE Brings Momentum Back For Home Weekend Series

Having won eight of its last nine games, the University of Evansville baseball team brings momentum to a weekend series against Missouri State on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at German American Bank Field at Charles H. Braun Stadium in Evansville.

Last Time Out: Evansville 4, Bradley 2

• After weather wreaked havoc on the weekend schedule, the University of Evansville baseball team split its Sunday doubleheader with Bradley, falling 5-4 in game one and winning game two, 4-2, at Dozer Park in Peoria, Ill.
• The series win marked the Aces fourth-straight series win, its longest such streak since winning six consecutive series during the 2016 campaign.
• “We showed a lot of fight all weekend. Longest day I’ve experienced at a baseball field and just an overall long trip to Peoria for us,” said Aces head baseball coach Wes Carroll on the team’s effort. “This team showed a lot of character as they picked each other up throughout.”
• Evansville got off to a quick start in game two of the doubleheader, scoring a run in the top of the first as freshman Simon Scherry recorded a sacrifice fly that scored Crews, giving starting pitcher Jake McMahill an early lead to work with.
• Bradley was held at bay for much of the contest before equalizing in the fifth on a solo home run by Manteufel. McMahill’s excellent effort ended after the fifth as the redshirt junior concluded his day allowing just one run on two hits, striking-out a pair.
• The Braves took the lead in the sixth, but the Aces were able to limit the damage. Bradley loaded the bases with no outs, but junior Drew Dominik and Evansville’s defense saved a run, throwing-out a runner at home.
• The Braves scored on a passed ball with two outs, but Dominik stepped-up and fired a strikeout looking to end the inning. Following the strikeout, Bradley’s Dan Bolt was ejected from the game, removing a critical threat from the Braves offense.
• In the top of the seventh, Evansville looked to return the favor offensively, loading the bases with no outs. After Crews fouled out, the Braves got a crucial defensive play as Beilsmith flied-out to left and Shepherd was thrown-out at home to end the inning.
• Making up for the seventh, the Aces offense continued to be relentless in the eighth. Scherry walked to lead-off the inning, followed by a double by junior Tanner Craig. Freshman Mark Shallenberger preceded to tie the game at two with a sac fly that scored Scherry. Borgstrom then earned a walk to put runners on the corners for Evansville, which proved to be key for the Aces. With junior Mason Brinkley at the plate, Bradley threw a wild pitch, giving Evansville the 3-2 lead as Craig scored. Borgstrom would due the same, this time on a passed ball, as the Aces took a 4-2 lead.
• The Braves again loaded the bases in the bottom of the eighth with freshman Jakob Meyer on the mound. With two outs, Meyer walked Dougherty to load the bases, but the Columbus, Ind. native shut down Bradley. Meyer induced a groundout to end the inning and send the game to the ninth.
• In the bottom of the ninth, Meyer continued to look in form, allowing a base-hit, but striking-out a pair as the Aces captured the 4-2 win and earned the series victory.

Previewing the Matchup: Missouri State

• The Aces and Bears are set to meet for the 101st time on Friday night with the renewal of the conference series after a season away due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Missouri State owns a 58-42 advantage in the series, but Evansville won the last series in 2019.
• The Bears enter the weekend with an 12-10 overall record and a 2-2 mark in The Valley, coming-off a 7-5 win at Missouri on Tuesday night.
• Evansville has won eight of its last nine games, suffering its first lost in more than two weeks on Sunday at Bradley, 5-4.
• Despite seeing its win-streak end, the Aces still earned the series win over the Braves and enter the weekend having won four-straight series, the first time Evansville has accomplished the feat since the 2016 season when the Aces won six-straight series.

Best Batters Hit vs. Best Hitting Batters

• This weekend’s series pits teams that are diametrically opposed to one another in one statistical category.
• The Aces are 19th-best in the nation and tops in The Valley in batters hit-by-pitch, with Evansville batsmen drawing 48 HBPs this season.
• Missouri State enters the River City as the MVC team with the most HBPs thrown by its pitchers, recording 33 on the season, 93rd in the nation in the category.

Crews Goes for Three

• Redshirt junior Kenton Crews continued to generate extra base hits over the weekend.
• Crews recorded his fourth triple of the season on Friday night, moving the Lincoln City, Ind. native into second in the nation in the category.