EVANSVILLE, Ind. — University of Southern Indiana Baseball travels to Tennessee Tech University this weekend for a three-game Ohio Valley Conference series. The series starts Friday at 6 p.m.; continues Saturday at 3 p.m.; and concludes Sunday at 1 p.m.
 
The Screaming Eagles reach the midway point of their nine-game road swing Tuesday when they visit Northern Kentucky University for the second game of a home-and-home series. The first pitch is slated for 2 p.m. (CDT).
 
With the ever-changing weather in April, USI encourages fans to watch for potential schedule changes on USIScreamingEagles.com, X, and Facebook.
 
Links to follow the Eagles all season can be found on USIScreamingEagles.com and the USI Baseball Schedule.    
 
USI Baseball Notes:
Martin named OVC Player of the Week. Sophomore infielder Parker Martin was named the OVC Player of the Week after leading USI to a 4-0 week, including a sweep of Morehead State University in conference play. Martin hit .538 (7-13) with two runs scored, two doubles, two home runs and nine RBIs. He also had a slugging percentage of 1.154.
 
USI tries to rally, falls short at WKU. USI fell behind 12-0 after five innings, only to have its rally fall short 13-9. Junior designated hitter Cole Kitchens led the way at the plate, going two-for-four with a home run and four RBIs.
 
USI swept Morehead State. The USI Screaming Eagles swept a three-game series from Morehead State to move into first in the OVC standings. USI had to rally in two of the three victories, coming back from a 5-0 deficit in the opening game to win 9-5 and a 4-3 deficit to win 6-4 in game three. The Screaming Eagles won the second game of the series in big fashion, 14-6.
 
Third walk off of the season. Junior utility player Patrick McLellan provided the fireworks on Monday, hitting a walk-off, three-run bomb over the scoreboard to give the Screaming Eagles a 6-4 win. The walk-off win was the third of the season for the Screaming Eagles.
 
USI leaders last week. Senior centerfielder Khi Holiday and senior leftfielder BJ Banyon led USI by batting .600 for the four games last week, while junior utility player Patrick McLellan had a team-high 10 RBIs. Sophomore infielder Parker Martin also hit a team-high two home runs.
 
USI wins first three OVC series. The USI Eagles have opened the OVC slate with back-to-back-to-back series wins. USI won four OVC series all of last season.
 
Screaming Eagles won six straight. USI had won a season-best six-straight games prior to the loss to WKU. This was the longest winning streak since 2021 (eight games).
 
Kitchens’ hitting streak ended at 17. USI junior designated hitter Cole Kitchens saw his hitting streak come to an end at 17 on Sunday. The streak was the longest since the 21-game streak by Logan Brown in 2018. In the streak, Kitchens hit .521 (37-71) with a team-high eight doubles, three home runs, and 16 RBIs. He also has a .789 slugging percentage and a .532 on-base percentage.
 
Kimball leads USI and is in top five of OVC. Junior right-hander Blake Kimball leads the Eagles with a 3.56 ERA in eight games and 48 innings in 2025. The 3.56 ERA ranks third in the OVC.
 
USI pitching improves over last 10 games. USI pitching has seen a distinct improvement over the last 10 games. The Eagle pitchers have a combined 3.62 ERA over the last 10 games, compared to the season ERA of 6.40.
 
USI in the OVC. USI leads the OVC with a .310 team batting average. On the bump, the Eagles are sixth in the league with a 6.29 ERA. In the first six games of league action, USI is third in batting (.304) and second in pitching (4.16 ERA). 
 
Eagles in the OVC. Junior designated hitter Cole Kitchens and junior first baseman Kannon Coakley are one-two in the OVC in batting average overall, boosting a .416 and .396 average, respectively. Coakley and junior shortstop Clayton Slack are sixth and eighth in OVC-only games.
USI visit Tennessee Tech this weekend. USI is slated to visit Tennessee Tech University this weekend. TTU, which lost Lipscomb University, 11-2, Wednesday, is 21-13 overall and 6-3 in the OVC.  The Golden Eagles are 3-7 in their last 10 games. The Screaming Eagles lead the all-time series with the Golden Eagles, 4-2, after winning two of three at home last year.
 
USI visits NKU. USI visits Northern Kentucky University Tuesday after the Norse visit Youngstown State University this weekend for a three-game series. NKU starts this weekend’s action with a 16-15 record. USI leads the all-time series, 49-45, after winning the first meeting of the season, 10-0, at the USI Baseball Field on April 1.

Aces open on Friday at 5 p.m.

 EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Another home Missouri Valley Conference series is on the schedule this weekend when the University of Evansville softball team welcomes Drake to Tri-State Orthopaedics Field at James & Dorothy Cooper Stadium.  Friday’s opener is set for a 5 p.m. first pitch with Saturday beginning at 2 p.m. and Sunday’s finale starting at 12 p.m. with all three contests set to be carried on ESPN+.

Top of the Valley

– In Tuesday’s win at Indiana State, Morgan Adams hit her league-leading 12th home run of the season while recording a career-high four RBI

– With 32 RBI on the season, Adams is second in the league while other stat rankings include slugging (2nd – .685), walks (T-3rd – 23), hit by pitch (T-3rd – 5), and OPS (4th – 1.108)

– She hit a home run in each of the first two games of the UNI series

Last Time Out

– Gracie Hollingsworth tossed a complete game 4-hit shutout to lead the Purple Aces to a 6-0 win at Indiana State in game two of Tuesday’s doubleheader

– Hollingsworth struck out a career-high 8 batters in the win

– Offensively, Morgan Adams hit her 12th home run of the season and posted a career-high four RBI in the victory

– Kynadee Warner went 2-3 and picked up two hits in both ends of the DH

Solid in the Circle

– Gracie Hollingsworth gave the Aces a strong outing in game two of the doubleheader at Indiana State

– Her complete game 4-hit shutout was pivotal to UE taking a 6-0 win

– Hollingsworth struck out a career-high 8 batters in the winning effort and did not allow a walk

– She leads UE with six wins in 2025 and has a 3.48 ERA

Leading the Way

– With three runs in the doubleheader at Indiana State, Jess Willsey sits atop the MVC with 32 on the season

– She is tied for 2nd in the league with 11 doubles, 7th with 39 hits, 7th with a .587 slugging percentage, and tied for 2nd with 126 at-bats

– Willsey is second on the team with a .310 batting average and 26 RBI

– Her double in the 8th inning of game two at Valparaiso proved to be the game winner

VINCENNES, Ind. – Vincennes University volleyball sophomore Elisa Dalla Pozza (Vincenza, Italy) signed her letter of intent earlier this week to continue her volleyball career next season at Park University in Missouri.

“I chose Park University because it aligns with what I want for my future,” Dalla Pozza said. “I was looking for a school that could challenge me academically while also helping me grow as an athlete. After talking with the coach and seeing the team culture, I knew this was a place where I could level up in every way; mentally, physically and emotionally.”

Dalla Pozza is coming off an outstanding sophomore season with the Trailblazers where she finished the season with 350 kills, 164 blocks, 145 digs, 56 aces and 33 set assists and finished the season with a hitting percentage of .376.

Dalla Pozza finished the season as the NJCAA Division I leader in total blocks and was second in the NJCAA this season in block assists.

Dalla Pozza earned Second Team Academic All-American honors and was named to the All-Tournament teams for both the 2024 Blazer Classic and Showdown on the Wabash tournaments.

Dalla Pozza closed out her two years with the Trailblazers with a total of 566 kills, 315 blocks, 230 digs, 98 aces and 51 set assists, earning First Team All-Region 24 honors for the second year in a row.

Dalla Pozza helped guide the Trailblazers to another great season in 2024, finishing with a record of 30-13 and securing VU’s fourth consecutive NJCAA Division I Region 24 Championship.

Dalla Pozza finished her two seasons at VU with a combined record of 62-20 and a 32-3 record against Region 24 opponents.

“I have more than just one favorite memory from my time at VU,” Dalla Pozza added. “As an athlete, I achieved both team and individual goals that I am really proud of. But beyond the court, what stands out most is the people I met. So many people who helped me grow, not just as a player, but as a person.”

“When I look back at these past two years, I feel proud of how far I have come,” Dalla Pozza said. “I arrived from the other side of the world without even speaking English and despite the challenges, I pushed through every time, coming out stronger, more confident and more aware of who I am.”

Dalla Pozza will be joining her VU teammate and 2024 NJCAA All-American Isadora Dias (Rio Grande de Norte, Brazil) at Park University.

The pair are joining a Pirates squad coming off a 23-10 season last year, which saw Park University reach the Semifinals of the Heart of America Athletic Conference tournament.

Dalla Pozza and Dias will be coached at the next level by Head Coach Michael Talamantes, who has a tremendous resume coaching both Men’s and Women’s Volleyball at Park University.

Talamantes has guided the Pirates Volleyball programs to five NAIA National Championships, including two for the Women’s Volleyball program in 2014 and 2018.

“I’m not sure if I’m kidding or not but I feel like Park University should be in the running for a National Championship next season,” VUVB Head Coach Gary Sien said. “Having Elisa and Isadora coming in and they typically already have a good team with good players, they should be a Nationally ranked contender.”

“Elisa came to VU having already having quite a bit of experience training with the Junior National team in Italy,” Sien added. “She really has all of the tools, even before coming to VU. She runs a textbook slide set attack. Depending on what type of offense they run at Park, if they have her next to the setter where she can get those slide sets, she can really be effective.”

“Even when we couldn’t always run the slide set, she has gotten pretty good at hitting sets in front of the setter too,” Sien said. “Elisa has turned into a middle blocker and middle attacker that can really hit just about any set you give her.”

“When you talk about blocking, any middle blocker is going to have the challenge of closing the block both on the left and right side,” Sien added. “It’s very difficult, especially if the other team runs a fast set. She does a really nice job of closing the block and she has a move that is very advanced where she covers the seam with one arm. That’s a very advanced move because you have to have good timing and you have to have the length to do that because your hand and arm needs to be over the net, otherwise the ball will just go between you and the net.”

“We can talk about her back row skills too,” Sien said. “For two years she was our serving and defensive middle. She has a very effective serve and when we would get out of system she was very good at taking that second contact because she has such good hands. She sets a very good out of system ball and a lot of middle blockers don’t even come close to that. So we are talking about a player in Elisa that is very well skilled.”

“I’m really happy that Elisa is going to keep playing with Isadora,” Sien added. “They are very good friends, not just teammates and that doesn’t always happen. Similar to what I said for Isadora when she signed, it’s a great situation for them culturally. They will both be with similar people from similar backgrounds and countries. They will get to experience a big city, which is exciting for them too.”

“Elisa is also an excellent student,” Sien said. “She’s an international student who came here with some English background but she really had to learn English here. Her major is Kinesiology, which is not the simplest major. She was another one of our Academic All-American as an international student.”

“Vincennes University gave me the perfect foundation to take the next step, both on the court and in the classroom,” Dalla Pozza said. “Athletically, the level of competition and the high standards set by Coach Sien pushed me to develop discipline, resilience and a strong work ethic. I learned how to train with purpose and lead with confidence.”

“Academically, the smaller class sizes and supportive professors helped me build solid study habits and stay focused on my goals,” Dalla Pozza added. “I didn’t just improve my English and academic skills, I also learned how to manage my time and balance my responsibilities as a student-athlete. Now I feel ready for the challenges and am excited for what’s next.”

INA, Ill. – The Vincennes University baseball team returned to the field Wednesday evening for another tough road showdown with NJCAA Division I opponent Rend Lake College.

The Trailblazers were able to get an early lead but were unfortunately unable to hold onto this lead as the Warriors used a late comeback to pick up the 6-4 victory over the Blazers.

Vincennes got off to a slow start as Rend Lake was able to jump on the scoreboard first with a run in the second.

VU was able to respond in the third to take the first lead of the game after loading the bases with a walk by sophomore Canaan Miller (Indianapolis, Ind.), sophomore Bradyn Douglas (Frankton, Ind.) being hit by pitch and a walk by freshman Jevan Andrews (Hobart, Ind.).

The Blazers got their first run of the game on an RBI single by sophomore Nate Montgomery (Lexington, Ind.), which was followed by another RBI single by sophomore Corbin Napier (Indianapolis, Ind.) to give the Blazers the lead.

VU would add to their lead later in the inning when Jevan Andrews scored on a passed ball to put the Blazers on top 3-1.

Rend Lake was able to get a run back in the bottom of the third to cut the VU lead down to 3-2.

Vincennes would get their lead back to two in the sixth after a walk by sophomore Bryce Gross (Bridgeport, Ill.) followed by an RBI single by Bradyn Douglas, his fourth of five times reaching base safely in the game, to put the Blazers on top 4-2.

Rend Lake would answer back in the bottom of the 6th with four runs in the inning as the Warriors regained the lead at 6-4.

The Blazers continued to battle down the stretch but were unable to push a run across in the later innings of the game as Rend Lake closed out the 6-4 victory over the Blazers.

The Trailblazers threw a flurry of arms on the mound Wednesday in preparation for another big Mid-West Athletic Conference (MWAC) series weekend, using seven pitchers in the game.

Sophomore JD Bowser (Mt. Carmel, Ill.) got the start for the Blazers and opened the game strong with a clean first inning with two strikeouts.

Sophomore Colton Okes (Evansville, Ind.) took over in the second, allowing one run on one hit in one inning of work.

Freshman Eastin Whaley (Kokomo, Ind.) continued to ride the momentum allowing one run on three hits and striking out three in two innings.

Freshmen Ryan Rayburn (Columbus, Ind.), Jacob Allen (Vincennes, Ind.) and Ty Stultz (Terre Haute, Ind.) combined to throw the final three innings for the Trailblazers, throwing three shutout innings, allowing one hit as a group with Allen and Stultz collecting one strikeout each.

The Trailblazers will look to bounce back and get back in the win column as the Blazers head back into MWAC Conference play this weekend, heading to Springfield, Ill. to take on Lincoln Land Community College.

The four game weekend series is set to begin Saturday, April 12 at 1 p.m. eastern, with the final two games scheduled for Sunday, April 13 with first pitch also scheduled for 1 p.m. eastern.

VU will return home to Jerry Blemker Field Wednesday, April 16 when Vincennes plays host to Oakland City JV at 6 p.m. eastern.

BOX SCORE

VU (16-19, 6-10) – 003   001   000 – 4

Rend Lake – 011   004   00x – 6

VINCENNES HITTING

RBI – Douglas, Montgomery, Napier. HBP – Douglas 2, Napier 2. SB – Douglas 2, Gross, Miller, Andrews. Sac Bunt – Andrews.