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Conference positioning on the line as UE hosts Southern Illinois
With just six games remaining in the regular season and the Missouri Valley Conference tournament inching ever closer, the University of Evansville baseball team will be looking to improve its league positioning this weekend as Southern Illinois is slated to pay a visit to Charles H. Braun Stadium.
The Aces, who were swept in conference play for the first time this season a week ago at Dallas Baptist, enter the weekend with a 7-8 league mark and a 25-21 overall record. The three losses saw UE drop from second in the standings down into a tie with Wichita State for fifth.
However, the Aces do have a number of things working in their favor, beginning with holding a tiebreaker over both Wichita State (18-31, 7-8 MVC) and fourth-place Bradley (23-17, 7-7 MVC). The two teams currently tied for second, Indiana State (30-17, 9-6 MVC) and Southern Illinois (28-19, 9-6 MVC), represent the final two opponents on UE’s schedule this season.
Dallas Baptist (32-15, 11-3 MVC) currently holds a 2.5 game lead at the top of the standings.
If Evansville is to make a push up the standings, chances are that its hot-hitting line-up will play a major role. With six players hitting better than .280 and 46 home runs on the year, the team is enjoying one of its best offensive seasons. Trey Hair and Boomer Synek lead the group with .361 and .344 averages, respectively, combining for 74 scores and 72 runs batted in to go along with 30 doubles and 13 round-trippers.
Josh Jyawook and his .306 average as well as Korbin Williams and his team-leading 10 homers have also impressed, and UE has really depended on contributions from all over the line-up as 12 different players have left the park this season.
Synek, who has played behind the plate virtually all season, also help leads a defensive effort that ranks among the top of the MVC. The senior, who is playing in his first-ever collegiate campaign at catcher, has picked off 13 runners this season, which is a total better than every other MVC team. He’s also caught another 16 stealing.
As a team, the Aces have really helped out their pitching staff, committing the second-fewest errors in the league and posting a .974 fielding percentage.
On the mound, UE will once again turn to Patrick Schnieders on Friday night. The junior out of Westphailia, Mo., will be looking for his first win since April 22, and he enters the weekend with a 4-4 record with a 4.50 earned run average.
Starters for Saturday and Sunday have yet to be determined.
First pitch on Friday is slated for 6 p.m., and Sunday’s 1 p.m. contest will represent the final home game of the year for the Aces. A special pregame ceremony will take place to honor the UE senior class.
TROPICANA EVANSVILLE ANNOUNCES PROJECT 21â PROGRAM SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS
The Project 21â Scholarship Program at Tropicana Evansville is part of an industry-wide initiative to stop casino gambling by people under the age of 21. Tropicana Evansville achieves this objective by using one of the best tools available – education. Students between the ages of 17 and 21 are given the chance to design and submit a poster, a video or a written essay to educate other young people that it is not permissible in Indiana to gamble in a casino under the age of 21. Tri-state area high schools, technical schools, and colleges have participated in this scholarship program over the past several years. Each year $6,000 in scholarship money is awarded to the best entries. Tropicana Evansville has awarded over $52,000 in scholarships to area students since the Evansville program began.
The 2016 Project 21â Scholarship winners are
Best Poster – Makenzie Harrison of Vincennes Lincoln High School, Vincennes, IN
Makenzie plans to attend Butler University to study Pharmacy.
Best Video – Harrison Higgs of North High School in Evansville, IN
Harrison plans to attend IUPUI to study Business and Photography.
Best Essay – Holly Bittner of Gibson Southern High School, Fort Branch, IN
Holly plans to attend Vincennes University to study Public Relations.
Photos attached:
(1)   Makenzie Harrison of Vincennes Lincoln High School
(2)   Harrison Higgs of North High School in Evansville, IN
(3)   Holly Bittner of Gibson Southern High School
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THURSDAYS “READERS FORUM”
WHAT ON YOUR MIND TODAY?
FOOTNOTES: Our next “IS IT TRUE” will be posted on this coming FRIDAY?
Todays “Readers Poll” question is: Who would you vote for If the election was held today for District 77 State Representative seat?
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MARRIAGE TRENDS AND MY MOTHER
By Tom Purcell
My mother is in an enviable place in life as she nears the beginning of her eighth decade. She’s lost her filter, and that doesn’t bode well for me, her only son.
“You have six months to get married or else,†she said to me recently.
I can’t fault her for her concern. Single men can be knuckleheads. We don’t take care of ourselves as we should. We don’t live as long (though some of my married friends tell me marriage only makes life seem longer).
The fact is, marriage is good. Married people have lower rates of depression. Married men earn more — partly because they need to but mostly because they desire to — and married couples are much less likely to experience poverty.
A recent study by the National Bureau of Economic Research found that married people are generally happier than single people. It found that the “happiness bonus†from marriage is greatest during middle age, when people, struggling to pay college tuitions and save for retirement, benefit most from the support of a lifelong partner.
My mother knows this. Thus, the regular phone calls.
“You have five months, one week, four days, two hours and 27 minutes to get married!â€
“But, Ma,†I try to explain, “the world has changed. It’s not like the old days when people married just out of high school or college. A Pew study found that the share of never-married Americans has risen dramatically in the past five decades. It found that 1-in-5 Americans aged 25 and older have never been married, compared with just 1 in 10 in 1960.â€
“You have four months, two weeks, six days, 12 hours and 48 minutes to get married!â€
“But, Ma,†I say, “more and more people are marrying and starting families in their 40s and 50s. Maybe I’m fooling myself, but I still have some time. Tony Randall had his first kid to a young woman when he was 78. Novelist Saul Bellow sired his fourth child at the age of 84. Author George Plimpton had twins at 68. Sure, all three are dead, but I think I made my point.â€
“You have three months, one week, five days, 18 hours and 12 minutes to get married!â€
“But, Ma,†I say, “it’s not that I don’t want to marry. I always wanted to have a marriage like you have with my dad. I had my opportunities over the years, but couldn’t do it when I was younger. I made some bonehead decisions, no doubt. I can’t imagine how different my life will be when you and dad are no longer in it, and I know as I go into the last third of my life, that I’d be incredibly blessed to have a wife to share my life with. But then again I’m awfully set in my ways and maybe marriage just isn’t in the cards for me.â€
“You have two months, two weeks, six days, seven hours and 18 minutes to get married!â€
“But, Ma,†I say, “part of the challenge is to find a woman who is as honest, caring and compassionate as you. You taught me what really matters in life: family, laughter, honesty, beauty. Surely, you don’t want me to marry just anyone — I could have done that a dozen times. Don’t you want me to hold out until I find a woman who is as sweet and fun and funny as you?â€
“Nice try, but you have one month, three weeks, two days and 11 minutes to get married!â€
Congressman Bucshon’s Opioid Addiction Treatment Bill Passes House
| WASHINGTON, D.C.) – Legislation authored by Reps. Larry Bucshon, M.D. (R-IN) and Paul Tonko (D-NY) to improve and reform the treatment for opioid use disorder passed the House floor on Wednesday.
“Most of us know someone – a family member, friend, or neighbor – who has been impacted by this epidemic in some way. Unfortunately, opioid abuse and addiction are on the rise in Indiana and around the country. That’s why it’s so important we work together on a comprehensive solution to improve our efforts on all fronts – treatment practices, prevention measures, and law enforcement,â€Â said Bucshon. “As a physician, I’ve focused on improving access to treatment for Americans battling opioid use disorder. Our bill helps expand access to wide-ranging treatment options and reduce improper use and abuse of treatment medications. I’m proud of the bipartisan support for our efforts and will continue working to see this measure become law.â€Â H.R. 4981, the Opioid Use Disorder Treatment Expansion and Modernization Act, was introduced by Reps. Larry Bucshon, M.D. (R-IN) and Paul Tonko (D-NY) and passed the House Energy and Commerce Committee on April 27, 2016. H.R. 4981 amends the Controlled Substances Act to expand access to medication-assisted opioid addiction treatment, ensures patients have access to a wider range of comprehensive, evidence-based treatment options, and helps minimize the potential for drug diversion. The legislation is the product of months of stakeholder engagement, expert input and bipartisan negotiation. H.R. 4981 passed the House floor and was a part of a comprehensive effort by the House to address opioid abuse and addiction this week. During debate, Dr. Bucshon spoke on the House floor urging support of legislation he authored to update and reform the treatment of opioid use disorder. Video of his speech can be accessed here: https://youtu.be/EK_Q4xMrtvk. |
Court Orders More Proceedings On Waiver Moves
Scott Roberts for www.theindianalawyer.com
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals reversed summary judgment for state defendants in a lawsuit brought by Medicaid patients who claimed their move to a new waiver with a cap on expenses violates the Americans with Disabilities Act. The court said the way the patients spent their expenses constitutes an issue of material fact, and they may have been able to receive more services had they spent their money differently.
The case combined two appeals from the Southern District of Indiana where Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson granted summary judgment the defendants on plaintiffs’ claims their transfer from the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration’s Aged and Disabled Medicaid Waiver Program, where there is no limit on services, to the Family Supports Medicaid Waiver Program, where there is a cap, violated the ADA’s integration mandate. That mandate says “shall administer services, programs, and activities in the most integrated setting appropriate to the needs of qualified individuals with disabilities.â€
There are seven people who constitute the plaintiffs in the two cases. They claim that before their transition to the FS waiver they were able to enjoy 40 hours a week in community activities such as eating in restaurants, window shopping and visiting flea markets, but since their transfer that has to be cut to 10 to 12 hours per week due to the cap. Some plaintiffs have been moved back to waivers without a cap, but others remain.
Chief Judge Diane Wood wrote that the plaintiffs’ claims fall within the scope of the integration mandate under the Department of Justice’s interpretation. The FSSA’s action to switch waivers separates disabled and non-disabled persons and is a violation. The state argued the mandate only applies to people who have actually been institutionalized, but the 7th Circuit said that interpretation is too narrow. The state also argued that availability of another waiver is a safeguard against gaps in the care the patients now receive, but since the patients are ineligible for those other waivers, it makes no difference, the 7th Circuit ruled.
The plaintiffs argued for changes in the requirements for the A&D waiver and the Community Integration and Habilitation Medicaid Waiver to allow them to be placed on either of those, since those have no caps. The 7th Circuit said Indiana offered no evidence that changing these requirements would fundamentally alter their programs. “The state has made no showing that its criteria are ‘necessary for the provision’ of the relevant services in this case,†Wood wrote. “It cannot avoid the integration mandate by binding its hands in its own red tape.â€
However, Wood wrote that patients do have a choice in how they spend their money under the waivers, and this creates a genuine issue of fact as to whether the policy has caused their isolation from the community.
The plaintiffs also were seeking class certification for all people who were moved from the A&D waiver to the FS waiver and are not on the other capless waiver who also require more services than the FS waiver provides. However, the 7th Circuit agreed with the District Court that this definition was too vague, despite “serious reservations.†Wood wrote the court did not know what the word “require†meant: if that was for medical purposes, community interaction or some other purpose.
The 7th Circuit remanded the case for further proceedings to determine if the waiver move violated the mandate.
Indiana Homeland Security Foundation Awards More Than $175,000 in Grants to Local Public Safety Agencies
Indianapolis – Governor Mike Pence today announced the Indiana Homeland Security Foundation has approved more than $175,000 in grants to aid local public safety agencies statewide.
“These grants demonstrate Indiana’s commitment to the safety and security of its citizens,†said Governor Pence. “These funds and this program are saving Hoosier lives. They allow public safety agencies to purchase equipment that support daily operations and enhance their abilities to provide lifesaving responses. This administration is proud to continue to partner with our local safety officials to prioritize the wellbeing of Hoosiers.â€
Awards were given to 48 recipients in 36 counties. Recipients include local fire departments, emergency medical services, law enforcement and emergency management agencies in all 10 Indiana Department of Homeland Security districts.
The focus of the foundation is to support the future of public safety and to provide grant funding to local agencies for critical needs across Indiana. Grants provide up to $4,000. Eligible projects include:
- Equipping emergency responders with personal protective equipment;
- Acquiring equipment for use by emergency responders;
- Providing radios and technology equipment; and
- Training for emergency responders
In 2015, the Indiana Homeland Security Foundation awarded more than $370,000 in grants to aid local public safety agencies. The Indiana Homeland Security Foundation is funded through the purchase of “Secure Indiana†license plates. These funds provide grants to public safety agencies and scholarships to students statewide.
Softball Picks Up numerous MVC Awards
Coaches, Florey, Parr And Norris Recognized
 CARBONDALE, Ill. – A big night saw the University of Evansville softball team earn several Missouri Valley Conference awards at the pre-championship banquet on Wednesday night.
Headlining that were two specialty awards. Head coach Mat Mundell and assistants Ashley Balazs and Aubrey Watson were named the MVC Coaching Staff of the Year while Morgan Florey garnered Freshman of the Year honors.
“We are truly touched and honored to receive this recognition from our peers. The real credit goes to our players for buying in and helping us get Aces softball moving in the right direction,†Mundell said. “We can’t thank our players enough for a great season.â€
“Morgan had an unbelievable freshmen year,†Mundell continued. “She has made a tremendous impact for us in the circle and at the plate.”
The coaching staff turned around a team that went 10-45 and 2-23 in conference play in 2015 into a true league contender as the squad was 24-25 overall and 12-14 in conference play in 2016. The primary improvements have come on defense as the staff ERA went from 6.61 last year to 2.92 in 2016, which was third in the MVC. It is the first Coach of the Year honor for the program since Rita Schulz and Dee Stevens were honored by the North Star Conference in 1985.
Florey was named the 2016 MVC Freshman of the Year. In her first season with the Purple Aces, Florey was one of the top pitchers in the conference and also one of the top freshmen hurlers in the nation. Florey finished second in the MVC with 209 strikeouts, a tally that is just eight away from breaking the UE single-season mark of 216.
Her ERA of 1.95 was third in the league while the four saves she earned tied the single-season mark for the Aces. On offense, Florey batted .301 with 8 home runs and 26 RBI. Her 23 RBIs in league play was 4th overall while her tally of seven conference homers also tied her for 4th place.
Three Purple Aces players also made their way onto the All-Conference Teams. Florey along with junior Chandra Parr earned a spot on the All-MVC First Team while Susan Norris was named to the All-Defensive squad.
“It is great to see Chandra, Morgan, and Susan get recognition for the season they have had,†Mundell said. “Chandra really blossomed this season at second base for us. Her offense has always been there but she took her defense to the next level this year. Susan played the conference season at an elite level defensively. She has been a game changer for our defense especially down the stretch”.
For Parr, it marks her second such honor. As a freshman, she made the squad in 2014. She finished the regular season hitting .306 with six homers and 23 runs batted in. It is also the first honor for Florey, who was one of the top overall players in the nation, contributing in the circle and at the plate. It is the first time UE has had two 1st-team players since 2009 when Jen Stahlhut and Kylie Wagner were recognized.
A steady glove at third base saw Susan Norris finish the year with a .977 fielding percentage. That helped her earn a spot on the MVC All-Defensive Team. She made just three errors in 80 attempts while notching 49 put-outs.
UE looks forward to its opening-round matchup against Illinois State on Thursday at 1:34 p.m.