The University of Southern Indiana baseball team finishes its stretch of six non-conference games Wednesday when it visits the University of Evansville for a 6 p.m. “Battle at the Braun.” USI finishes the week by returning to Great Lakes Valley Conference action this weekend when its hosts McKendree University for a four-game series Saturday and Sunday.

The first pitch for USI-McKendree is 2 p.m. Saturday and noon on Sunday for Senior Day. Game coverage of the Screaming Eagles’ baseball games this season can be found on GoUSIEagles.com. Watch Twitter, Facebook, and GoUSIEagles.com for any schedule changes due to weather.

SCREAMING EAGLES BASEBALL NOTES:

USI takes series from  #4 Tampa; goes 3-1 overall last week. USI took a series from fourth-ranked University of Tampa and one from Kentucky Wesleyan College last week to win three-of-four. The Eagles started the week with a 10-2 win over KWC before winning two of three in the series with Tampa. USI took the opening game with Tampa, 4-3, on a walk-off RBI-single by freshman centerfielder Bryce Krizan (Mt. Vernon, Indiana); lost the middle game 6-3; and rallied with five unanswered runs to win the rubber game, 6-3.

USI leaders last week. USI freshman centerfielder Bryce Krizan (Mt. Vernon, Indiana) led the Eagles with a .375 batting average versus KWC and Tampa, while senior first baseman/leftfielder Drake McNamara(Mt. Vernon, Indiana) had a team-high six RBIs.

USI at the plate this season. Senior first baseman/leftfielder Drake McNamara leads USI hitters in 2018 with a .376 batting average and a team-high 43 RBIs, 16 doubles, and seven home runs. Senior utility player Nick Gobert (Jasper, Indiana), who has seen action at first base, third base, right field, and senior rightfielder Buddy Johnson (Shelbyville, Kentucky) are second and third on the team with .356 and .355 batting averages, respectively. Gobert and Johnson are tied for second on the team with 36 RBIs each.

Among the national leaders. USI freshman centerfielder Bryce Krizan (Mt. Washington, Kentucky) has a team-high 28 stolen bases that ranks first in the GLVC and seventh in the NCAA II.

USI on the mound this season. Senior utility player Nick Gobert leads the team with four wins, while senior right-hander Devin Williams (Evansville, Indiana), senior right-hander Kyle Griffin (Morganfield, Kentucky), and sophomore right-hander Tyler Hagedorn have three wins each. Griffin also has a team-best 55 strikeouts.

Moving up the charts. Senior first baseman/leftfielder Drake McNamara and senior third baseman/shortstop Sam Griggs (Evansville, Indiana) are moving up the USI all-time record book.

Aces host Indiana State on Wednesday

The final week of the home schedule is on tap for the University of Evansville softball team, beginning on Wednesday when the Purple Aces welcome Indiana State to Cooper Stadium for a 6 p.m. game.

This weekend, UE will take on Southern Illinois in a 3-game set.  Several promotions are on tap on Saturday as t-shirts and cups will be given out; it is also Senior Day and Alumni Weekend.

UE picked up the series win at Valparaiso, taking two out of three games.  Morgan Florey led the squad to a 2-0 shutout in the series opener before finishing with a 3-2 win on Sunday; she had 26 strikeouts in the two contests.  She also got it going at the plate, batting .44 (4/9) in the 3-game set while Eryn Gould and Toni Galas each checked in hitting .400.

It was just another week at the office for Evansville junior Morgan Florey, who picked up two victories in the circle while tossing three complete games.  Her unbelievable season continued as she finished her 20 innings of work with 31 strikeouts and just one walk.  After taking the loss in the opener at Indiana State, Florey brought her “A” game at Valpo; in 14 innings of work, she gave up 10 hits, two runs and struck out 26 batters while earning two victories.

In five games of action last week, UE freshman Eryn Gould batted .471 with eight hits in 17 at-bats while leading the Purple Aces to a 3-2 mark.  She opened the week in style, going 3-4 with a run scored at Indiana State; game two against the Sycamores saw her go 1-3 while adding two runs and a walk.  Her momentum continued into the series at Valparaiso as she posted two more hits in three trips to the plate while scoring her fourth run of the week in game one and wrapped up the week with a hit apiece in the final two contests against the Crusaders.

Last Wednesday, the Aces halted an 8-game losing streak as they defeated Indiana State by a 6-2 final in the second game of a doubleheader in Terre Haute.  Evansville plated two runs in the first inning before two more scored in the top half of the sixth when pitcher Jaime Nurrenbern hit a 2-RBI single.  After Indiana State plated two in the bottom of the sixth, UE put the icing on the cake with a pair of runs coming from a Morgan Florey single that made it the final of 6-2.

Nurrenbern earned the second win of her career, going the distance while allowing seven hits and just two runs, one of which was earned.  In the opener against the Sycamores, the Aces received solo home runs from Lindsay Renneisen and McKenzie Johnson, but a 4-spot by ISU in the bottom of the 5th was the difference in a 6-3 win.

Indiana State stands at 22-22 and 9-10 in MVC action.  Leslie Sims continues to lead ISU with a .421 batting average while tying for the team high with 22 runs scored.  Bella Peterson, who is batting .364, leads the team with 25 RBI.

The Evansville Otters signed left-handed pitcher Nathan Foriest, shortstop Toby Thomas and outfielder and third baseman Travis Harrison.

Foriest, a Kingston Springs, Tenn. native, arrives in Evansville after playing affiliated baseball in the San Diego Padres organization from 2015-16.

“He has been throwing in some affiliated team tryouts and we’ve heard good things about him,” Otters manager Andy McCauley said. “Nathan will be competing for a starting job but he could also be an effective left-handed option out of the bullpen.”

Splitting time between Fort Wayne and Tri-City in 2016, Foriest went 1-1 with a 3.67 ERA in 25 games and 34 1/3 innings. He also struck out 45 batters.

In two seasons playing affiliated baseball, Foriest was 3-1 with a 2.91 ERA.

Foriest played for Middle Tennessee State University before being drafted in the 35th round of the MLB Amateur Draft by the Padres in 2015.

Thomas, a Mobile, Ala. native, played in the Chicago White Sox organization from 2013-17 after being drafted in the 21st round out of Pensacola Junior College.

He saw time in Bristol, Kannapolis, Great Falls, Winston-Salem and Birmingham during his five seasons. In his professional career, Thomas has appeared in 413 games and he batted .263 with 21 home runs and 165 RBIs.

“Toby is coming off two really good seasons with the White Sox,” McCauley said. “I believe if he is given the chance to play everyday again he can get another shot at organizational ball.

“Toby will be starting in our middle infield and I expect him to be hitting at the top of the order.”

Harrison, a Tustin, Calif. native, was drafted in the first round of the 2011 draft by the Minnesota Twins organization out of Tustin High School.

In six seasons with the Twins, Harrison batted .245 with 38 home runs and 277 RBIs. He appeared in 636 games, splitting time between Elizabethton, Cedar Rapids, Fort Myers and Chattanooga from 2012-17.

“I’m really excited to see Travis in Evansville because he came highly recommended by a scout I trust,” McCauley said. “Travis has worked with Rob Watson previously in his career and that relationship was crucial to his signing.”

Evansville will celebrate Bosse Field’s Opening Night May 11 against the Washington Wild Things at 6:35 p.m.