EVANSVILLE, Ind. — University of Southern Indiana Baseball continues the 2022 GLVC schedule with its first league road trip Saturday and Sunday, visiting the #18 (NCBWA)/#28 (ABCA) University of Illinois Springfield for a four-game series. The series starts Saturday with a noon doubleheader and concludes Sunday with a noon twin bill.  
 
The series, which was originally slated for Friday through Sunday, was changed to Saturday/Sunday doubleheaders due to the Friday forecast of inclement weather.
 
Throughout the 2022 season, fans can follow the Screaming Eagles all season long on GoUSIEagles.com. Selected games can be heard on ESPN 97.7FM and 95.7FM The Spin, in addition to live stats, video streams, and audio broadcasts.
 
The Eagles will return to the friendly surroundings of the USI Baseball Field April 13 when they start a five-game home stand, beginning with a single game versus Oakland City (April 13) and ending with a four-game GLVC slate versus Truman State University (April 14-16).
 
USI Baseball Notes:

USI vs. Illinois Springfield: The Eagles hold a 23-15 all-time series lead over the Prairie Stars, despite dropping four of five last season (falling in three of four during the regular season; stumbling once in the GLVC Tournament).
 
Eagles in 2022: USI is .500 this spring, going 13-13 overall and 2-2 after the first weekend of the 2022 GLVC schedule. The squad was 2-3 last week after losing a non-conference match-up with Maryville University and going 2-2 in the first conference action of the year versus Quincy University. The Eagles have struggled of late, going 4-6 in the last 10 games, but are 5-3 versus ranked opponents this season.
 
Freshman catcher/designated hitter Cordell Coburn led the Eagles with a .357 batting average last week, while sophomore outfielder/designated hitter Gavin McLarty (Buckner, Kentucky) had a team-best seven RBIs, including a grand slam for his first hit of the year in the loss to Maryville.
 
Illinois Springfield in 2022: Nationally-ranked Illinois Springfield is 20-6 overall after sweeping a non-conference series with the University of Missouri-St. Louis last week. The Stars have won three of their last four but are 1-3 in the GLVC.
 
Predicted in the GLVC:  USI was predicted to place third in the GLVC Blue Division, while Illinois Springfield was forecast to win the Blue Division.             
 
Eagle Leaders: USI junior infielder/catcher Lucas McNew (Floyds Knobs, Indiana) leads the Eagles with a .363 batting average; 10 doubles; four home runs; and 33 RBIs. He also is third on the team with 20 runs scored. Senior shortstop Ethan Hunter (Terre Haute, Indiana) follows McNew with a .337 batting average, two home runs, and 20 RBIs.  
 
On the mound, senior right-hander Brice Stuteville (Rockport, Indiana) has a team-best four wins and is 4-1 overall. He also has a team-best 2.60 ERA (pitchers with 10 IP in 2022).  

Hunter all-time at USI: USI senior infielder Ethan Hunter continues to move up the all-time lists for USI. Hunter ranks first in triples (16); 11th total bases (321); 12th in RBIs (134) and tied for 13th in home runs (16); tied for eighth in runs scored (158); 13th in hits (211); and 21st in doubles (30).
 
McNew all-time at USI: Junior infielder/catcher Lucas McNew is starting his move up the all-time rankings at USI. He is tied for 19th in doubles (34); tied for 13th in home runs (16); and tied for 20th in RBIs (102).  
 
Archuleta at USI: USI Head Coach Tracy Archuleta is in his 16^th season at the helm of the Screaming Eagles. He has a USI record of 519-298 during his 16 season and has a 19-year record of 667-422 (5 years University of Wisconsin-Parkside; 16 years USI).

VINCENNES, Ind. – Vincennes University sophomore middle blocker Jamie Russell (East St. Louis, Ill.) signed her letter of intent to continue her academic and athletic careers at Stephens College in Columbia, Mo. Tuesday afternoon.

“I chose Stephens College because they have a great volleyball program and compete against some very competitive teams,” Russell said.

Russell helped guide the Trailblazer volleyball team to a record of 37-15 over the past two seasons, while averaging 7.5 kills, 2.7 blocks and 2.5 digs per match at Vincennes, including leading the Trailblazers in points and kills her freshman season with 259.5 points and 226 kills.

Russell was also part of the first VU Region 24 Volleyball Championship team at the NJCAA Division I level this past season, the first Region title in the last 15 years for Vincennes.

“Being a part of last year’s Region Championship team means a lot to me,” Russell added. “It showed all the hard work and sacrifices my teammates and I had to go through to be able to make it that far and win.”

Russell said one of the things she will miss the most about her time at Vincennes University is her teammates and the bond they have on and off the court.

Russell also said her biggest take away from these past two seasons at Vincennes is, “that nothing comes easy and to not take these two years for granted because they go by very fast.”

Russell will be joining a NAIA Stephens College squad under newly hired Head Coach Mikayla Ell, who was brought on in February to guide a Stars program that finished 12-14 last season, with a 4-5 record in the American Midwest Conference (AMC).

“I am extremely excited to have Jamie Russell joining us in the fall,” Stephens Head Volleyball Coach Mikayla Ell said. “She brings a lot of quality experience to the team and is going to make a big impact at the net. We are looking forward to welcoming her to the Stephens family.”

“Jamie is a very versatile player,” VUVB Head Coach Gary Sien said. “Her first year here she played more as an outside and she led the team in attack attempts. She actually has more experience in the past as a middle and we always knew that if we needed someone to put in the middle she could do that. Jamie was also able to play some back row and serve for us in the fall, something she did not do at all her first year. Really in every category of her game she’s improved upon and become more consistent during her time here.”

“The one thing that I would say about Jamie is that she is very active,” Sien added. “She’s really one of the more active middles I’ve ever had. One thing you are always going to get from Jamie is consistency. Her mindset is going to be the same day-in and day-out and as a coach you like that because you know what you are going to get.”

“Jamie also has a really good work ethic, which sets a great example for any of the younger players on our team,” Sien said. “She’s not going to be the most vocal of leaders but she is very vocal as a player and everybody can learn from that. She’s always calling for the ball and calling for sets, so our setters know that she’s available to hit. We always want our middles to be vocal. That’s why she was always a part of our offense. Her consistency is always something that is great to have as a coach both in her mindset and her play.”

“I just don’t think a lot of people understand how competitive the NAIA level is,” Sien said. “My personal experience comes from coaching at a couple of NAIA schools, both on the men’s and women’s side, as well as continuing to follow along with the teams at that level.”

“The NAIA is historically older than the NCAA and has some really fine athletes,” Sien added. “For where Jamie is going, it is very competitive in the Midwest at the NAIA level and specifically where she will be playing. Stephens College is in the same conference with Missouri Baptist University, who have won back-to-back NAIA National Championships, as well as several other ranked volleyball teams. So, if you want competitive volleyball at the NAIA level, that’s where you need to go.”

“I believe that Jamie will do extremely well at that level,” Sien said. “I would compare the competition level to maybe a high-level NCAA Division II or a smaller NCAA Division I level, but there are some pretty good athletes and players out there in the NAIA and it’s just that most people either don’t know about it or just ignore it. But Jamie should do extremely well out there, being as athletic as she is and drawing from my own experience of coaching at that level.”

Russell plans to major in psychology at Stephens College. The Vincennes University Athletic Department wishes Jamie Russell good luck as she continues her career at Stephens College next season.

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