EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Southern Indiana has accepted an invitation from The Summit League for conference affiliation in NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Swimming & Diving and Men’s Soccer beginning in 2022-23. The affiliate conference membership for these varsity programs follows USI being accepted as a full member of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) in February as the University transitions to Division I athletics.

USI will begin competing in the OVC and The Summit this fall. In the Summit, USI Men’s Soccer will not be eligible for the post-season (conference and national tournament) until 2026 and the completion of the Division I certification. USI Swimming & Diving will be eligible to compete at The Summit conference championships immediately.

In addition to USI Swimming & Diving being eligible for The Summit post-season, USI varsity programs also are being permitted to compete for OVC conference championships during the reclassification.

The Summit League was founded in 1982 and spans from Indiana to the Rockies. Full-time members include University of Denver, University of Missouri Kansas City, University of Nebraska Omaha, University of North Dakota, North Dakota State University, Oral Roberts University, University of St. Thomas, University of South Dakota, South Dakota State University, and Western Illinois University. The conference affiliate members are Drake University, Eastern Illinois University, Illinois State University, Lindenwood University (new in 2022-23) and USI.

USI was a founding member of the GLVC and began competing in 1979 with a substantial history of athletic success including 190 NCAA Tournament appearances and 231 athletes earning All-American honors. USI has 12 NCAA II individual National Championships in Cross Country and Track & Field, and 16 NCAA II Regional Championships in Baseball, Men’s Basketball, Women’ Basketball, Men’s Cross Country, Women’s Cross Country and Softball.

“We are very appreciative of the opportunity to compete in The Summit League in Men’s Soccer and Men’s/Women’s Swimming and Diving,” said Jon Mark Hall, USI Athletic Director. “All student-athletes want a chance to compete in a conference, especially one with outstanding programs.

“USI also will be aligned with other Ohio Valley Conference institutions that compete in these sports. The Summit League’s commissioner Josh Fenton has been very helpful during this process and our student-athletes appreciate his efforts.”

The USI Men’s Soccer program has had a long and proud history of success in the GLVC, winning 11 conference championships and appearing in the NCAA Division II Tournament three times, hosting regionals twice. The USI Men’s and Women’s Swimming & Diving will be in its inaugural season in 2022-23.

“We’re excited to be part of The Summit League,” said Mat Santoro, USI Men’s Soccer Head Coach. “They have an excellent men’s soccer league led by some of the nation’s best coaches. It’ll be a challenge, but one we are looking forward to.”

“We see it as a great landing spot for our team moving from Division II to Division I competition and believe the conference gives us a solid opportunity at being competitive early on,” said Cameron Kainer, USI Swimming & Diving Head Coach. “Our team is already beginning to set the culture and tone for the future of USI Swimming & Diving and we are looking forward to The Summit League being a part of that process.”

VINCENNES, Ind. – The Vincennes University Trailblazer baseball team opened their final Mid-West Athletic Conference (MWAC) series of the regular season Friday afternoon at Jerry Blemker Field against John Wood Community College.

Vincennes earned a spot in the MWAC Conference postseason tournament next week with a game one 7-2 win and continued to better their chances of getting a higher seed with a 5-1 game two win.

John Wood got on the board first in game one in the third inning, taking an early 1-0 lead over the host Trailblazers.

VU responded back in the fourth when freshman Ethan Burdette (Linton, Ind.) hit a sacrifice fly to deep center field that allowed two runs to score and Vincennes to grab a 2-1 lead.

The Trailblazers added to their lead in the fifth with an RBI single by freshman Jordan Roth (Delphi, Ind.), a sacrifice fly by sophomore Dale Coy (Evansville, Ind.) and a two RBI single by freshman Mahkai Pelzer (Douglasville, Ind.) as VU held a 6-1 advantage.

John Wood would et a run back in the sixth before VU would score on a pinch-hit RBI single by freshman Nick Williams (Alexandria, Ind.).

The Trailblazers would hold on to this lead as VU picked up the game one win and clinched a spot in the MWAC Conference baseball tournament with a 7-2 win.

Sophomore Kestler Harbuck (Brooksville, Fla.) got the start in game one and had a really impressive day on the hill throwing six innings, allowing two runs on four hits and striking out six.

Sophomore Braedon Nichols (Sullivan, Ind.) entered out of the pen to close out the final three innings, only allowing two hits and striking out a pair in the process.

Vincennes continued to stay hot into game two, with the first two batters for VU reaching base and later scoring on RBI singles by Connor VanLannen (Clinton, Ind.) and Dale Coy.

John Wood would score a run in the second to cut the lead in half but would not get any closer as the pitching held serve throughout the middle innings of game two.

Vincennes would add some insurance runs in the sixth on an RBI single by freshman Kaden Elliott (New Albany, Ind.) and a two RBI single by Ethan Burdette to give VU a 5-1 lead and needing only three outs to sweep the day.

Sophomore Luke Osborn (Perrysville, Ind.) took the mound and closed out the game with a commanding 10 pitch inning to give the Trailblazers the game two win.

Connor VanLannen got the start in game two, throwing four and one-third innings before having to exit with cramps, allowing one run on five hits and striking out four.

Luke Osborn entered to throw the final two and two-thirds innings, allowing no runs on one hit and three strikeouts.

EVANSVILLE, Ind.—University of Southern Indiana Softball racked up a combined 19 runs off 30 hits as the No. 10 Screaming Eagles survived a pair of elimination games Friday to advance to the championship round of the NCAA Division II Midwest Region #1 Tournament at the USI Softball Field.

Junior pitcher/designated player Allie Goodin (Evansville, Indiana) went a combined 5-for-7 at the plate with three home runs,  two doubles, five runs scored and six RBI as the Eagles defeated Lindenwood University, 10-1, in the opening game before defeating Drury University, 9-3, in the nightcap.

USI  (45-11) faces Saginaw Valley State University in the championship round Saturday, with an updated time of 10 a.m. due to the threat of rain in the Evansville area Saturday afternoon.

USI 10, Lindenwood (35-13) 1
USI wasted little time getting on the board as a bases loaded walk to junior shortstop Jordan Rager (Fishers, Indiana) in the top of the first put the Eagles on the board for the first time in the regional.

Rager put USI up, 2-0, with an RBI-double in the third and came around to score the Eagles’ third run on an RBI-single by junior second baseman Rachel Martinez(Chicago, Illinois)  two batters later.

Goodin’s three-run bomb, in the fourth made it, 6-0, while sophomore first baseman Lexi Fair (Greenwood, Indiana) and Goodin hit back-to-back home runs in the sixth to give the Eagles an 8-1 advantage. Fair had an RBI-double in the seventh before scoring on an error moments later to give USI a nine-run cushion.

Goodin (14-3) earned the win after giving up just one unearned run off three hits in five innings of work.

USI 9, Drury (37-17) 3
After spotting the Panthers a two-run cushion in the top of the first inning, the Eagles rallied with four tallies in the home half of the first to flip the margin in their favor.

Fair had an RBI-single to put the Eagles on the scoreboard, while a two-run double by sophomore catcher Sammie Kihega (Greenfield, Indiana) put the Eagles in front 3-2. Kihega scored USI’s fourth run moments later thanks to an RBI-double by Martinez.

Martinez gave the Eagles a three-run cushion with an RBI-single in the third, while Fair had an RBI-double in the fourth to give USI a 6-2 lead.

Drury cut into USI’s advantage with a tally in the bottom of the fifth, but a two-run triple by freshman outfielder Kennedy Nalley (Huntingburg, Indiana) gave USI a commanding 8-3 advantage. Goodin hit a solo home run in the sixth to cap off the Eagles’ monster day at the plate.

Freshman pitcher Josie Newman (Indianapolis, Indiana) got the complete-game win in the circle after giving up three runs off eight hits in seven innings of work. Newman (15-3) finished with four strikeouts in the win.

Up Next
USI takes on Saginaw Valley State Saturday in the championship round of the NCAA II Midwest Region #1 Tournament. The Eagles, who lost to the Cardinals, 1-0, Thursday afternoon, will have to win twice in order to advance to the NCAA II Midwest Super Regional, which is May 19-20.

Saginaw Valley State (36-18) got to the championship round thanks to a 2-0 victory over Drury in the opening game Friday at the USI Softball Field.

Look at the NCAA II Midwest Region #2 Tournament
No. 3-seeded Grand Valley State University will take on No. 7-seeded University of Findlay in the championship round Saturday at 8 a.m. (CDT). The Lakers defeated No. 2-seeded University of Indianapolis, 7-0, on the strength of a no-hitter in the opening game Friday, while Findlay had a perfect game in its 2-0 win over No. 6-seeded Ohio Dominican University in an elimination game before knocking out UIndy with a 5-3 win. The Oilers, like USI, will have to win twice Saturday in order to advance to Super Regionals.