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HOT JOBS
Schaumburg comes from behind to take middle game from Otters
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – For the second night in a row, the Evansville Otters gave up a late lead to the Schaumburg Boomers and dropped the series with a 4-3 defeat at Bosse Field on Wednesday night.
The Otters (13-22) allowed just two hits and no runs going into the eighth inning but the Boomers (22-12) found late life to steal another victory.
In the third inning, Giovanni DiGiacomo picked up his first base hit in an Otters uniform with a single. Mason White later brought him in with a double to left-center field.
DiGiacomo notched another hit in the infield to lead off the fifth frame and David Mendham plated him, roping a ball to left field to make it a 2-0 game.
Evansville scored their final run in the seventh inning. Logan Brown reached on an error and later, White tallied his third hit of the game to bring home the run and make it 3-0.
Schaumburg then went on to score four unanswered runs in the eighth and ninth innings, with a trio coming in the final frame.
The first three pitchers for the Otters showed exemplary work on the rubber. Starter Ryan Wiltse, Chip Korbacher and Leoni De La Cruz all threw multiple innings of scoreless baseball, silencing the Boomers bats.
Michael McAvene struck out the only batter he saw in the eighth inning to strand two runners in scoring position, after Grif Hughes surrendered one to begin the frame. McAvene (0-3) took the loss when he allowed Schaumburg to take the lead in the ninth. Mitch White (2-1) earned the win after pitching a scoreless eighth for the Boomers.
White led the Otters offense with three hits and two RBI. Mendham and DiGiacomo also nabbed multi-hit games.
Looking to avoid the sweep, the Otters will conclude the three-game series tomorrow against the Boomers at 6:35 p.m. CT. Coverage is available on the Otters Digital Network and FloBaseball.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 19 SWIMMING FINALS
Josh Matheny finished second in the men’s 200-meter breaststroke, all but punching his ticket to Paris Wednesday night in Lucas Oil Stadium.
- Matheny touched in 2:08.86 behind Penn’s Matt Fallon (2:06.54). With the result, Matheny is eligible for selection to the U.S. Olympic Team and will likely receive that selection later this week.
- Lilly King reached the final of the women’s 200-meter breaststroke in 2:22.45, looking to lock up her second event in Paris. King fell behind Alex Walsh at the 150-meter mark but closed in 36.28 to come from behind and touch in first by 36 hundredths.
- King will be the No. 2 seed in Thursday’s final, only behind Kate Douglass (2:21.23).
- Mariah Denigan was honored at Lucas Oil Stadium as a member of the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team with two other open water swimmers.
- A swimming-meet-record 22,209 spectators attended Wednesday night’s session in Indianapolis.
- Next session: Ten Hoosiers will swim in three preliminary events on Thursday. The morning session kicks off at 11 a.m. ET.
Results
Women’s 1,500-meter freestyle final
- 8. Mariah Denigan – 16:34.19
Women’s 200-meter breaststroke semifinal
- 2. Lilly King – 2:22.45 (Qualified for Final)
Men’s 200-meter breaststroke final
- 2. Josh Matheny – 2:08.86
Otters sign UE’s Shane Harris
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The Evansville Otters have signed former University of Evansville pitcher Shane Harris ahead of tonight’s game.
“Shane proved he was ready for professional baseball during the Aces’ postseason run,” Otters field manager Andy McCauley said. “We are excited to see him make the jump to professional baseball.”
Harris grew up in Poseyville, IN and attended North Posey High School. He was the No. 4 prospect in Indiana according to Perfect Game and set the single-season and career strikeouts record at North Posey. He was a class 2A All-State selection as a senior and signed with Louisville for his first year of college baseball.
He did not play because of injury and transferred to Evansville where he would spend the next four seasons with the Aces.
The right-hander strung together his best season in his final year, boasting a 3.82 ERA in 27 appearances this spring. He wore many hats as a pitcher, taking on roles of starting, middle relief, long relief and closing. He garnered 75.1 innings as a senior while striking out 72.
Recently, he saw action in three games during the regionals against East Carolina and pitched in the ninth inning to send the club to the NCAA Super Regionals against Tennessee. Harris saw the Volunteers in the series opener and surrendered three runs in as many innings.
In his final collegiate appearances, he tossed a scoreless inning against the No. 1 team in the country in the Aces’ lone win during the series.
The Otters continue a three-game set with the Schaumburg Boomers at 6:35 p.m. CT and coverage is available on the Otters Digital Network and FloBaseball.
Blackwell and Van Grieken selected among OVC Community Service Award recipients
BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – The recipients of the 2023-24 Ohio Valley Conference Community Service Awards have been announced. University of Southern Indiana was represented by women’s basketball senior Addy Blackwell (Bloomington, Indiana) and baseball senior Ricardo Van Grieken (Merida, Venezuela).
The awards, first bestowed in 2022-23, are based on activities that took place during the 2023-24 academic year and recognize outstanding student-athletes for the contributions they make away from the playing surface, both on campus and in the community.
OVC member institutions who competed in the League during the 2023-24 academic year were able to select a maximum of one male and one female student-athlete from their institution to be honored. In total 20 individuals were bestowed the awards this year.
“The OVC has always been about a sense of community,” said OVC Commissioner Beth DeBauche. “We are delighted to continue to bestow these awards to these outstanding student-athletes who are giving back to their communities.”
Blackwell during her years at USI has been involved with numerous community service activities in the tri-state area, including Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure the last five years and the Challenger League for four years.
Van Grieken was a part of the Global Leader Retreat and Education USA events the last two years, making presentations about USI in Venezuela.
The 2023-24 recipients are:
- Addy Blackwell (women’s basketball), Southern Indiana
- Ricardo Van Grieken (baseball), Southern Indiana
- Joel Allen (track and field), Little Rock
- Abbie Smith (soccer), Little Rock
- Brooklyn Bender (cross country), Southeast Missouri
- Dony’e Taylor (football), Southeast Missouri
- Justin Biggs (track and field), Tennessee State
- Alondrah Santana-Rodriguez (volleyball), Tennessee State
- Daniel Egbuniwe (basketball), Tennessee Tech
- Reagan Smiley (soccer), Tennessee Tech
- Elizabeth Galvin (soccer), Eastern Illinois
- Chad Smith (soccer), Eastern Illinois
- M.E. Hargan, Morehead State
- Bryce Ward, Morehead State
- Nadia Kessling (track and field), Western Illinois
- Nathan Tillman (golf), Western Illinois
- Lily Sutter (soccer), Lindenwood
- River Lakey (football), Lindenwood
- Sofie Lowis (basketball), SIUE
- Natalie Marques (equestrian), UT Martin
GABBY BARRETT: COUNTRY MUSIC’S NEXT SUPERSTAR PLAYS THE EVENTS PLAZA STAGE THIS FALL
TICKETS GO ON SALE THIS FRIDAY, JUNE 21, AT 10AM
Evansville, IN – June 19, 2024 – Warner Music Nashville’s multi-platinum star Gabby Barrett continues to rise in the country music scene with the release of her highly anticipated sophomore album, Chapter & Verse. Brought to Evansville by Hometown Jams, the American Idol alum will hit the stage at Old National Events Plaza on September 6, 2024. Fans can pick up tickets now with code PLAZA24, during the venue pre-sale on Ticketmaster.
Barrett first captured America’s heart as the third-place finalist on the sixteenth season of American Idol. Her debut single “I Hope” was a groundbreaking success, becoming the first top 10 Hot Country Songs debut by an unaccompanied woman since 2017. The single not only became a top three hit on the Billboard Hot 100 but has also been certified 7 times platinum by the RIAA.
Chapter & Verse builds on this success with new, deeply personal tracks that highlight Barrett’s evolution as an artist and storyteller. The album includes collaborations and showcases her versatile range, cementing her status as a force in the music industry. With over 3 billion global career streams, Barrett’s powerful vocals and authentic storytelling make this her most autobiographical work to date.
Barrett has been honored with the Billboard Women in Music 2022’s Rising Star Award, 2021 CMT Artists of the Year, and the iHeartRadio Titanium Award. She has also received nominations from ACM, AMA, Billboard, CMA, CMT, and iHeartRadio. Country Now has named Gabby Barrett “country music’s next female superstar,” and with the release of Chapter & Verse, she continues to prove her staying power in the industry.
For more information on Gabby Barrett, please visit www.Gabbybarrett.com.
Ticket Information:
What: Hometown Jams: Gabby Barrett
When: Friday, September 6, 2024, at 6:00 PM
Where: Old National Events Plaza | 715 Locust Street | Evansville, IN 47708
Tickets: Tickets start at $25.00 plus applicable fees and tax.
Tickets are available at Ticketmaster.com or the Old National Events Plaza Box Office.
LUNCH WITH GOVERNOR HOLCOMB TODAY AT FORD CENTER
2024 Lunch with the Governor
Thursday, June 20, 2024 (11:30 AM – 1:00 PM) (CDT
The Evansville Regional Economic Partnership (E-REP) is excited to welcome the Governor of Indiana, Eric Holcomb, to the regional business community for its annual “Lunch with the Governor” signature event.
Join the region’s business and community leaders in a discussion with Governor Holcomb as he outlines his 2024 ideas, plans, projects, and priorities for Hoosiers; and how to make Indiana the best place to live, work, study, play and stay.
*For more information regarding sponsorship opportunities for this historically sold-out event, please contact Jen Kerns at jkerns@evvregion.com.
EDITORIAL: IT’S TIME FOR A CHANGE OF LEADERSHIP IN THE LOCAL GOP
IT’S TIME FOR A CHANGE OF THE LEADERSHIP IN THE LOCAL GOP
by City-County Observer Staff
JUNE 20, 2024
On the surface, it might look like a clash of egos, but to understand what is happening in the once-powerful GOP, of Vanderburgh County we need to look at the root causes.
There is friction in the Indiana State and Local Republican Party with warring factions of MAGA Republicans and Rinos. In Indiana, conservatives flexed their political partisan muscles two years ago by electing new convention delegates and replacing Holi Sullivan with Diego Moralis as Secretary of State.
At the end of 2023, Indiana GOP conservatives recruited like-minded people to run for precinct Committeemen and convention delegates. Record numbers of people filed to run for those party positions throughout the state, causing alarm among establishment Republican leaders.
The surge in filings was seen as a threat to the status quo, and County GOP Chairs scoured the list of candidates to use the state’s two primary laws to disqualify people who filed. At the same time, many party bosses were signing waivers for friends who did not vote Republican in their last two primaries.
Locally, one such waiver issued by Vanderburgh County Chairperson Mike Duckworth, allowed Amy Canterbury to run for County Commissioner and go on to defeat long-term incumbent County Commissioner Cheryl Musgrave in the Republican primary.
It is no secret that Duckworth has been unhappy with Musgrave since 2018 when Duckworth lost to Democrat Jeff Hartfield in his run for a seat on the Vanderburgh County Commission.
Right after Commissioner Musgrave announced her plans to run for Mayor Winneeke’s seat it immediately caused his inner circle to recruit a Republican to run against County Commissioner Musgrave.
It was widely known that members of the Mayor’s inner circle approached numerous people to run for Mayor of Evansville against Vanderburgh County Commissioner Musgrave. After many people declined to run against Musgrave, after an exhausting search Mayor Winnecke, his wife Carol, and members of his political inner circle selected Natalie Rascher to run against Musgrave for Mayor.
Duckworth did not support Musgrave in the Republican Mayoral primary, instead, he supported the candidate recruited by then-Mayor Lloyd Winnecke. and his wife Carol.
After the Mayoral election, one of the people who had his filing for PC and delegate status challenged by Chairman Duckworth was Libertarian Mayoral candidate Michael Daugherty. In the hearing that heard over a dozen challenges, Duckworth prevailed in winning all but Michael Dauhrty’s complaint.
After the Election Board meeting, Duckworth abruptly removed the well-respected Republican lawyer and President of the Election Board Joe Harrison who rightly sided with Daugherty at the election board hearing.
Daugherty publicly joined County Commissioner Musgrave in calling for Duckworth’s resignation and stated that he would run for chair. Ken Colbert and Cheryl Batteiger-Smith also criticized Duckworth and called for his resignation.
After the election and vote certification by the Vanderburgh County election board, everyone in the local GOP breathed a sigh of relief that they were duly elected. But Duckworth had one more trick up his sleeve. He filed complaints to the 8th Congressional District Republican Committee to remove Daugherty, Colbert, and Batteiger-Smith from their elected positions as PCs. The hearings resulted in an unprecedented ban on all three delegates from the party until 2030.
The charges against Daugherty focused on his run for mayor as a libertarian. The witness against Daugherty was none other than Natalie Rascher, the former hand-picked mayoral candidate. Rascher told the hearing committee members that Michael Daugherty was the reason she was defeated for Mayor..
It’s a well-known fact that outgoing Mayor Winnecke hurt Rascher’s election chances because he controlled Ms. Rashner’s campaign message which in turn caused her problems during the campaign. The voters wanted to hear what Natalie stood for and not Winnecke. We like Natalie. She’s smart, friendly and hardworking. We hope the next time she runs for public office she and Zach will run her campaign.
We wonder how the local GOP leadership could believe that Mr. Daugherty was the reason Natalie Rashner lost the Mayoral election. The Republicans lost all but one City Council seat in the last city election. Rascher had a huge war chest of over $1 million compared to the $40,000 spent by the Daugherty campaign. Oh, Rascher also had the full support of a mayor who has served for 12 years and the full backing of the Vanderburgh County GOP.
Could the real reason for the losses by the local Republican Party in the city elections be because the voters were not excited by the candidates? Could the loss be because Republicans failed to get the voters to the polls? Should the GOP leadership have spent less time politicking at the Country Club and more time campaigning with the common folks in city neighborhoods? Could Rascher have received bad advice from her main backers?
The bottom line is that it would have been better if the local GOP had invested in local resources and built a team to run in the city elections.
In less than a year, Mike Duckworth has led his party to a humiliating loss in the city elections, alienated new volunteers, dished out outrageous punishments to members of his party,
We hope that the local Republican Party can survive until March 2025 when Duckworth’s term ends. or maybe Mr. Duckworth will man up and decide to start putting out the olive branch of peace and start rebuilding the party
FOOTNOTE: “The City-County Observer does not promote or condone discrimination of any kind including preference based on race, gender identity, or political preference”.