VINCENNES, Ind. – The Vincennes University baseball closed out the weekend Sunday afternoon at Jerry Blemker Field with the final two games of their four game Mid-West Athletic Conference (MWAC) series with the Cougars of Illinois Central College.

The Trailblazers unfortunately came up on the wrong end of a 7-0 game one and an 11-5 final in game two Sunday.

VU did not get off to a great start at Jerry Blemker Field, with the Cougars quickly taking control of game one with a pair of runs in the first and second innings to take an early 4-0 lead.

Vincennes would get a couple of runners on in the fourth on a two-out double by sophomore Jack Robinson (Mooresville, Ind.) and a single by Holden Clifton (Louisville, Ill.) but were unable to push across a run in the inning.

Illinois Central continued to add on with a run in the fifth and two more runs in the sixth.

Vincennes again looked to be in striking distance in the seventh after a double by sophomore Brandon Juarez (Evansville, Ind.) but were again held off the scoreboard as ICC closed out the 7-0 victory in game one of the day.

Freshman Alex Wandersee (Centerville, Ind.) got the start in game one for Vincennes, throwing five and one-third innings, allowing six runs on seven hits and striking out four.

Wandersee then turned it over to freshman Bryce Gross (Bridgeport, Ill.) who came in to throw the final one and two-thirds innings, allowing one unearned run on two hits and striking out one in his outing.

“Game one was the pitching,” VU Head Baseball Coach Chris Barney said. “We gave up four runs in the first two innings and their guy stepped up and did a great job. You have to tip your cap to him. We got three hits off of him in seven innings and he didn’t walk anybody. He threw strikes and really did a good job against us.”

“Offensively it was hard to get it going,” Barney added. “It was 4-0 after two, the tacked on a couple more later on. We battled, but at the same time came up short, so not a very good outing for us in that one.”

Vincennes looked to turn things around and close out the weekend strong in game two of the day and got on the scoreboard in the second inning in a big way.

VU’s first six batters of the inning reached base safely, led off by sophomore Blake Heyerly (Monroe, Ind.) being hit by a pitch, followed by back-to-back walks for sophomores Jace Parnin (Fort Wayne, Ind.) and Trevor Newman (Fort Wayne, Ind.) to load the bases.

Sophomore Bryton Griffy would drive in the first two runs of the game on a fielding error, giving VU an early 2-0 lead.

The Blazers weren’t done there though, as freshman Bradyn Douglas (Frankton, Ind.) followed that with a single to load the bases a second time in the inning, which was then followed by a big two-RBI double by Jack Robinson.

Douglas would come in to score the fifth Vincennes run in the inning on a groundout put in play by sophomore Kade Hinton (Fort Wayne, Ind.), giving the Blazers a big 5-0 early lead over the Cougars.

Illinois Central would answer back in their next inning however, scoring three runs in the third and three more in the fourth to rally back to take a 6-5 lead.

ICC would add another run in the fifth and tack on a few late insurance runs in the eighth and ninth.

Illinois Central closed out the ninth and picked up the 11-5 victory over the Trailblazers to end the weekend series.

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Men’s Golf heads to Sevierville, Tennessee to compete in the Bobby Nichols Intercollegiate. The host of the Intercollegiate is OVC conference rival Tennessee Tech University at the Sevierville Golf Club. The course is 6,891 yards with a par of 72 featuring three rounds on March 17-19.

The format of the event includes five golfers, counting four. 15 teams will compete including: Alabama A&M University, Bellarmine University, Belmont University, Chicago State University, Christian Brothers University, Cleveland State University, Delta State University, University of Detroit Mercy, University of Evansville, Lee University, Morehead State University, Northern Kentucky University, Tennessee State University, Tennessee Tech, and USI.

The Intercollegiate features multiple OVC squads including Morehead State (projected to finish fourth), USI (projected to finish fifth), Tennessee Tech (projected to finish sixth), and Tennessee State (projected to finish tenth) in the OVC, respectively. Therefore, USI looks to make an early statement to the conference rivals ahead of the OVC Championship in late April. The Eagles are familiar with this event as they placed an impressive third in the intercollegiate at last season with a final team score of +15.

USI last competed on February 19-20 at the World Golf Village Collegiate in St. Augustine, Florida. The Eagles placed 11^th place at the highly competitive 18-team invite. Senior Jace Day (Bloomington, Indiana) shattered the 18-hole school record with a score of 64 (-8) in the second round. Day finished the round with an incredible eight birdies. Junior Jason Bannister (Laguna Niguel, California) led the way with a tied at 13^th place with a three-round score of 216 (67, 75, 74).

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – University of Southern Indiana Baseball built a 6-0 lead early before getting an 8-3 win over the University of Illinois Sunday afternoon in Champaign, Illinois. USI is 9-10 in the non-conference season, while Illinois goes to 7-11.
 
The Screaming Eagles grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first, scoring on a ground out by senior designated hitter Jack Ellis (Jeffersonville, Indiana). The 1-0 lead would stand until the sixth when USI increased the lead to 4-0 with a trio of runs.
 
USI’s first two runs of the three-run sixth were the result of Illinois miscues. USI sophomore shortstop Caleb Niehaus (Newburgh, Indiana) crossed the plate with run number two when junior second baseman/first baseman Thomas Emerich (Ava, Missouri) reached on an error, while Ellis scored to put USI up 3-0 when junior catcher Logan Mock (Livingston, California) reached on second Illini error of the frame.
 
The Eagles pushed the fourth run of the game and third of the inning when sophomore first baseman Jacob Winzenread (McCordsville, Indiana) used a bunt single to drive in Emerich for a 4-0 lead.
 
Ellis would strike again for USI to increase the lead to 6-0 when he blasted his third-round tripper of the series and the season. The junior designated hitter’s two-run shot would give him three RBI in the game.
 
The Illini got onto the scoreboard in the bottom of the sixth, driving three runs to cut the USI advantage in half. The Eagle re-extended the lead to four runs when senior rightfielder Ren Tachioka (Japan) gave USI a 7-3 advantage with an RBI single.
 
USI sealed the 8-3 victory with another tally in the ninth when Niehaus scored after Emerich reached on a ground out.
 
USI junior right-hander Gavin Morris (Brazil, Indiana) started and picked up the win. Morris (2-1) allowed three runs on three hits and three walks, while striking out five in 6.2 innings of work.

EAST LANSING, Mich. –  The Michigan State baseball team rallied for two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning on Sunday to knock off the visiting University of Evansville Purple Aces, 6-5, at McLane Stadium at Kobs Field in East Lansing, Michigan.

“This is a tough one,” said UE head coach Wes Carroll.  “After we rallied to take the lead with some great at-bats in the middle innings, to lose this late is really tough.

“We have to find a way to put this game behind us and bounce back quickly though.  This week is a very important week for us, especially with MVC play starting on Friday.”

After Evansville rallied for three runs in the sixth inning to take a 5-4 lead on home runs by senior first baseman Kip Fougerousse and graduate catcher Brendan Hord, the Spartans mounted a rally of its own in the eighth inning to win the game and the series.  Outfielder Nick Williams and second baseman Ryan McKay knocked back-to-back one-out doubles to tie the game at 5-5.  Then, the Spartans worked back-to-back walks to load the bases, and after a strikeout, catcher Noah Bright worked another walk to give Michigan State a 6-5 lead.

After a brief delay for snow going into the ninth inning, Michigan State closer Tommy Szczepanski worked a perfect ninth inning with a pair of strikeouts to earn his second save of the year.

Michigan State took an early 3-0 lead in the contest with two runs in the first inning, and one more in the third inning, before Evansville would begin to chip away.  A lead-off double by senior shortstop Simon Scherry and an RBI single by junior second baseman Cal McGinnis in the fourth inning plated UE’s first run of the contest.

The two teams traded runs in the fifth inning, before Fougerousse and Hord powered Evansville to a 5-4 lead in the sixth inning.  With one out, Fougerousse wrapped a solo home run around the right-field foul pole for his team-leading fifth home run of the year.  Then, after a single by junior outfielder Harrison Taubert, Hord launched his second home run of the series over the wall in right field to give UE a 5-4 lead with a two-run blast.

Evansville out-hit Michigan State, 11-7, in the contest, as graduate third baseman Brent Widder went 3-for-4, while graduate outfielder Mark Shallenberger went 2-for-3 with a run scored to extend his on-base streak to 35-straight games dating back to last year.  Third baseman Dillon Kark led Michigan State by going 3-for-4, while McKay went 2-for-4 with a run scored and three RBI.

With the victory, Michigan State improves to 7-10 overall.  Evansville, meanwhile, falls to 9-10 on the 2024 season.  Evansville will be back in action on Tuesday night at 5:30 p.m. central time with a contest at the University of Kentucky.  Tuesday’s game can be heard live on 107.1 FM-WJPS and seen on the SEC Network+ streaming service.

UE is in 12^th place with two rounds remaining

SEVIERVILLE, Tenn. – Opening day of the spring season saw the University of Evansville men’s golf team compete at the Bobby Nichols Intercollegiate at the River Course of the Sevierville Golf Club.

Leading the way for the Purple Aces was Caleb Wassmer.  He opened the tournament with a 4-over 76 and stands in a tie for 35^thplace with two rounds remaining.  Carson Parker and Andres Rodriguez were just behind him with rounds of 77.  Both are in a tie for 47^th with their 5-over-par rounds.

Isaac Rohleder was fourth for the Aces with a 79 while Daniil Romashkin carded an 81.  Rohleder and Romashkin are tied for 68^th and 80^th, respectively.

Evansville wrapped up Sunday with a team score of 309 to stand in the 12^th position.  They are four behind Tennessee State and trail 10^th place Northern Kentucky by seven strokes.

Belmont holds the team and individual lead following day one.  The Bruins’ 282 has them 10 shots in front of their nearest competition with Morehead state in second.  Michael Senn of Belmont leads the individuals with a 68.  His 4-under opening round is one in front of Nolan Piazza from MSU.

Round two begins on Monday morning.

UE takes 9-7 win on Saturday

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Trailing by a 1-0 score in the bottom of the sixth, Jess Willsey hit a game-tying home run before Lacy Smith walked it off in a 2-1 win by the University of Evansville softball team over Valparaiso at Tri-State Orthopaedics Field and James and Dorothy Cooper Stadium.

The win gave UE the series sweep over the Beacons.  Starting pitcher Sydney Weatherford scattered five hits and an unearned run over the 7-inning contest.  Evansville recorded six hits on the day with Lacy Smith picking up three.

It was the Beacons taking the early 1-0 lead with the run crossing the plate on an error.  Jess Willsey had a big defensive play at second to end the inning.  Brooke Voss picked up Evansville’s first hit of the contest in the bottom of the second while the defense limited further damage in the top of the third.

Alexa Davis made diving catch with a runner on second to end the inning and keep it a 1-0 game.  The Purple Aces had two baserunners on in the bottom of the third as a Lacy Smith single was followed later by a walk from Marah Wood.  Valpo starter Anna Wilming pitched out of the jam to preserve the 1-0 lead.

Lacy Smith hit a leadoff single in the bottom of the fifth and with two outs, Marah Wood drove a ball deep into center field, however, a nice catch against the wall secured the third out.

Evansville’s tenacity paid off when Jess Willsey put the Aces on the board in the bottom of the sixth.  Her 2-out solo home run knotted the game at 1-1.  After Weatherford sat down the side in the top of the 7^th, UE walked it off in the bottom of the frame.  Taylor Howe hit a leadoff double to right with Dori Brown coming in to pinch run.  That brough Smith to the plate, who recorded an infield single that scored Brown to give the Aces the win.

Next up for UE is a home non-conference game on Tuesday against SIUE.  First pitch is at 5 p.m.

 BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Twenty-eight Indiana swimming and diving student-athletes have qualified for the 2024 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships.

The program will send 13 athletes to the 2024 NCAA Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships, March 20-23 in Athens, Georgia. Fifteen Hoosier men will compete at the NCAA Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships one week later inside the IU Natatorium in Indianapolis. Tickets are available here. Fans can also watch both meets on the ESPN+ digital platform.

Both teams come into the national meet as Big Ten Champions, securing the program’s second-ever conference double. IU is one of only two Big Ten programs to win both the men’s and women’s title in the same season. For the men, it was their third consecutive title and sixth in eight years. The women won their championship an exciting finish, outscoring Ohio State by one half of a point via the final relay.

Last season, the Indiana men finished fourth nationally – their fourth top-five finish in five seasons. In the last five years, only four men’s team have consistently finished top six nationally: Cal, Texas, Florida and Indiana. The women blew away expectations and tied their program-record finish, placing seventh in the team standings.

Two of Indiana’s three 2023 NCAA Champions will return for this year’s meet. Fifth-year senior Brendan Burns won the 200-yard butterfly in 2022 and the 100-yard backstroke one year ago and will race both again – as well as the 200-yard backstroke. Junior diver Carson Tyler is the defending platform diving champion and repeated as Big Ten Champion at the conference meet. The women had a pair of national runners-up a year ago, as Anne Fowler took second on the 1-meter springboard, joined by Ching Hwee Gan in the 1,650-yard freestyle.

Indiana’s NCAA rosters feature two Hoosiers that have already qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics. Junior Mariah Denigan will represent Team USA in open water events after her sixth-place finish in the 10K event at the 2024 World Aquatics Championships. Dutchman Kai van Westering posted Olympic Qualifying Times in the 200-meter backstroke at the same World Championships.

Indiana’s complete rosters are listed below.

INDIANA SWIMMING AND DIVING QUALIFIERS

2024 NCAA Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships

Brearna Crawford – 100 breaststroke, 200 breaststroke

Mariah Denigan – 500 freestyle, 1,650 freestyle

Anne Fowler – 1-meter, 3-meter

Anna Freed – 200 butterfly, 200 IM, 400 IM

Ching Hwee Gan – 500 freestyle, 1650 freestyle

Elyse Heiser – 200 freestyle, 500 freestyle, 1650 freestyle

Skyler Liu – 1-meter, 3-meter, platform

Kacey McKenna – 50 freestyle, 100 backstroke, 200 backstroke

Kristina Paegle – 50 freestyle, 100 freestyle

Anna Peplowski – 100 freestyle, 200 freestyle, 500 freestyle

Ella Roselli – 1-meter, 3-meter, platform

Ashley Turak – 50 freestyle, 100 freestyle, 100 breaststroke

Lily Witte – 1-meter, 3-meter, platform

200-yard freestyle relay

400-yard freestyle relay

800-yard freestyle relay

200-yard medley relay

400-yard medley relay

2024 NCAA Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships

Toby Barnett – 200 breaststroke, 200 IM, 400 IM

Luke Barr – 200 IM, 100 freestyle, 100 backstroke

Finn Brooks – 50 freestyle, 100 breaststroke, 100 butterfly

Brendan Burns – 100 backstroke, 200 backstroke, 200 butterfly

Tristan DeWitt – 500 freestyle, 1,650 freestyle

Tomer Frankel – 100 butterfly, 200 butterfly

Quinn Henninger – 1-meter, 3-meter, platform

Rafael Miroslaw – 100 freestyle, 200 freestyle, 500 freestyle

Josh Matheny – 100 breaststroke, 200 breaststroke

Maxwell Reich – 100 breaststroke, 200 breaststroke

Carson Tyler – 1-meter, 3-meter, platform

Armando Vegas – 200 butterfly

Maxwell Weinrich – 1-meter, 3-meter, platform

Kai van Westering – 100 backstroke, 200 backstroke

Jassen Yep – 100 breaststroke, 200 breaststroke

200-yard freestyle relay

400-yard freestyle relay

800-yard freestyle relay

200-yard medley relay

400-yard medley relay