EVANSVILLE, Ind. –  The University of Evansville baseball team will open up Missouri Valley Conference play this weekend by hosting the red-hot Murray State Racers in a three-game series at UE’s German American Bank Field at Charles H. Braun Stadium beginning on Friday night at 6 p.m.  The series will continue on Saturday at 2 p.m. and conclude on Sunday at 1, with all three games being seen live on ESPN+.

Evansville enters MVC play at 9-11 overall after dropping an 11-3 decision at #21 Kentucky on Tuesday night.  The nationally-ranked Wildcats used a seven-run sixth inning to blow open a tied game and power past the Purple Aces.  Tuesday’s game capped a stretch of seven out of eight games against Power Five competition for UE.

UE will enter MVC play with a .304 team batting average, led by graduate outfielder Mark Shallenberger’s .403 batting average.  Shallenberger has reached base safely in 36-straight games dating back to last year, and he ranks 16th in the country in on-base percentage at .561.  Junior second baseman Cal McGinnis (.355) and junior outfielder Ty Rumsey (.351) both hit above .350 as well this season for UE, while senior infielder/outfielder Kip Fougerousse and graduate third baseman Brent Widder will bring .333 batting averages into this weekend’s series.  Widder currently leads the team with six home runs and 20 RBI.

Murray State, meanwhile, will bring a 14-6 overall record into Valley play after sweeping Little Rock in a three-game series at home last weekend.  The Racers are a perfect 11-0 at home so far this year, and that has helped MSU rank 37th in the RPI entering the weekend.  Murray State is hitting .298 as a team, led by junior infielder Drew Vogel’s .383 batting average.  The Racers currently lead the MVC in home runs with 36, and junior infielder Carson Garner leads the league with nine home runs already this season.

Evansville leads the all-time series against Murray State, 44-22.  Last year, Evansville won three out of four meetings against Murray State, including posting a 3-2 victory over MSU in the MVC Tournament.  Evansville will send senior RHP Nick Smith (0-3, 11.50 ERA) to the mound on Friday to begin the series.  Murray State is expected to counter with right-hander Cade Vernon (3-1, 4.08 ERA).

EVANSVILLE, Ind. — University of Southern Indiana Baseball comes home for the first time in nine games when it opens the Ohio Valley Conference 2024 schedule by hosting Tennessee Tech University this weekend. The series start Friday with a 6 p.m. first pitch before continuing Saturday at 3 p.m. and concluding Sunday at 1 p.m.
 
Links to follow the Eagles during the opening weekend of 2024 can be found on USIScreamingEagles.com and on the USI Baseball Schedule.
 
This week’s game promotions include “Jersey Day” Saturday and “Family Day” Sunday. Fans get a free ticket Saturday when they wear a baseball jersey to the game, while kids 12-and-under are admitted free on “Family Day” and run the bases after the game.
 
This weekend is the last chance to catch the Eagles at home in March before they hit the road for a game at Ball State University March 26 and visit Morehead State University March 28-30 to close out the month.
 
USI Baseball Notes:

Second season of OVC play. USI will start its second season of OVC action this weekend when it hosts Tennessee Tech University this weekend. The Screaming Eagles reached the OVC Tournament last spring, losing in the first round.
 
USI predicted 8^th in 2024 OVC. The USI Screaming Eagles are predicted to place eighth in the Ohio Valley Conference in 2024.  
 
USI finishes road swing, 5-4. The Eagles were 5-4 in the longest road swing since 2018 when USI played 11 games away from the USI Baseball Field in the GLVC Tournament, the NCAA II Midwest Regional, and the NCAA II Baseball Championship. USI was 7-4 in that run through the post-season.
 
USI falls in road trip finale. USI lost the road trip finale at Western Kentucky University, 5-3. USI sophomore shortstop Caleb Niehaus led the Eagles with two RBI in the loss.
 
USI gets one vs. Illinois. The Screaming Eagles lost a pair of heartbreakers, 2-1 and 6-5, to the University of Illinois before salvaging the series finale, 8-3. Senior designated hitter Jack Ellis led the USI hitters with a home run in each of the games.
 
USI last week. The Screaming Eagles were 4-2 last week, including a doubleheader sweep of Bellarmine University, a single-game win over Middle Tennessee State University, and losing a three-game series at Illinois. Senior designated hitter Jack Ellis led USI by hitting .476 with seven runs scored, three home runs, and eight RBI. Senior rightfielder Ren Tachioka followed with a .462 average (12-26) with five runs scored and seven RBI.
 
Screaming Eagles on the bump last week. USI junior right-hander Gavin Morris had a team-best two wins last week, while freshman right-hander Grant Parson had the best start of last week, throwing six scoreless innings in getting a no-decision at Illinois.   
 
Eagles on the road swing. The Eagles are 5-3 on the road swing, entering the final road game with Western Kentucky University Tuesday. Senior designated hitter Jack Ellis is batting .480 during the road trip (12-25) with three home runs and eight RBI in five games. Senior first baseman/designated hitter Tucker Ebest has driven in a team-best 11 RBI during the first eight games of the trip. Junior right-hander Gavin Morris leads the staff with two wins.
 
Archuleta gets 700^th win. USI Head Coach Tracy Archuleta reached 700 career wins after the Screaming Eagles defeated Middle Tennessee State University on Tuesday. He is the winningest coach in the history of the program with 552 victories in 17-plus years.
 
First series sweep since 2022. The Eagles three-game sweep of Bellarmine University March 10-11 was the first series sweep since USI took four from the University of Indianapolis to end the 2022 season.
 
TTU in 2024. The Golden Eagles of Tennessee Tech University are 12-9 overall this season after falling 8-4 at home to the University of North Alabama Tuesday. TTU also has won six of the last 10 games heading into the start of the OVC schedule.  
 
USI vs. TTU. The Screaming Eagles won the first ever series with the Golden Eagles, 2-1, last season and earned a spot in the OVC Tournament on the final day of the regular season. 
 
Ball State in 2024. The Cardinals head into the weekend with a 10-11 record with four games to play before facing the Eagles. Ball State is 6-8 since playing the Eagles in February.  
 
USI vs. Ball State. Ball State leads the all-time series, 3-0, after defeating USI in February, 10-4, at the USI Baseball Field. USI junior outfielder Terrick Thompson-Allen led the Eagles with two hits, a run scored, and two RBI in the loss.
 

UE looks to build on 4-1 MVC start

 EVANSVILLE, Ind. – With a 4-1 start to the Missouri Valley Conference slate under their belts, the University of Evansville softball team takes to the road for the first time in league play with a 3-game weekend series at Belmont.  ESPN+ will have the live coverage of the games on Friday and Sunday.

Last Time Out

– UE has won its last five games, including a 10-0 shutout win over SIUE on Tuesday

– Jenna Nink got things rolling in the first inning with a grand slam while Megan Brenton got the job done in the circle, tossing a 3-hit shutout in 5 innings

– Last weekend, the Purple Aces swept a 3-game series against Valparaiso as they won by scores of 8-0, 9-7 and 2-1

Turning the Corner

– After opening the season with 17 consecutive losses, the Purple Aces have turned things around going 9-2 in their last 11 games

– In its 6-game homestand, the Aces went 5-1 as they split two games against Indiana State before defeating the Beacons in three games and midweek versus the Cougars

Player of the Week

– Evansville notched its second consecutive MVC Player of the Week award on Tuesday as Lacy Smith earned the honor

– Smith batted .500 last week while picking up several huge hits for her squad

– The 3/13 win over ISU saw her record the game-tying and game-winning hits while picking up three RBI

– Sunday’s series finale against Valpo saw her add another game-winning walk-off hit in the 2-1 victory as she went a perfect 3-for-3

Hitting Her Stride

– Sydney Weatherford has been masterful in the circle since making her season debut on March 9 – in 20 2/3 innings, she has accumulated a 2.71 ERA

– Weatherford was at her best in the series against Valparaiso as she allowed one unearned run in 12 innings of work on her way to a pair of victories

All She Does is Win

– Picking up five wins in her last seven appearances, Megan Brenton has played a pivotal role in the latest success for UE

– Brenton was credited with the win in Evansville’s first victory of the year against Lindenwood before adding two wins at Bellarmine

– Her 5th win of 2024 came against SIUE on Tuesday as she tossed a 3-hit shutout against SIUE

VINCENNES, Ind. – Honors and recognitions came in big time for the 2024 Region 24 and Central District Champion Vincennes University men’s basketball team, with VU sophomores Michael Osei-Bonsu (Bolingbrook, Ill.), Kris King (Washington, D.C.) and freshman Lebron Thomas (Bishopville, S.C.) earning All-Region 24 honors.

The first Trailblazer recognized was VU leading scorer Lebron Thomas, who led the Trailblazers by averaging 16.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game.

Thomas got off to a great start to the season with 20 points, nine assist and seven rebounds in the Trailblazers win over Monroe College in November.

Thomas’s best game of the season came in a win over Olney Central, when Thomas recorded his only double-double of the season with a career-high 31 points and 10 rebounds.

Thomas has scored in double figures in 27 of VU’s 33 games this season, while also leading the Trailblazers in three-point makes and free throws made this season.

“It means a lot to me,” Thomas said. “After not playing last year and earning this was just one step closer to what I have been working on.”

“My favorite memory at VU was probably when we went to Moberly in Missouri and got to practice at Mizzou,” Thomas added. “Stuff like that was a really cool experience for me.”

“My experience at Vincennes University has been different than what I thought completely,” Thomas said. “From the coaching, I didn’t really expect a lot of things we do, like the way we pass the ball and getting in rhythm of a shot or even what we wear on and off the court. But I am grateful for it and the position I am in to be a part of it.”

The next Trailblazer honored was 2024 Region 24 tournament MVP and now two-time All-Region 24 honoree Michael Osei-Bonsu, who nearly averaged a double-double this season with 12.3 points and 9.7 rebounds per game.

Osei-Bonsu is currently third in the Nation in offensive rebounds per game, averaging 4.6 offensive rebounds per game this season.

Osei-Bonsu has scored in double figures 21 times this season, with 11 times coming in double-doubles.

Osei-Bonsu’s best game this season came in the Region 24 Semi-finals when Michael set a career high with 33 points and 15 rebounds in VU’s win over John A. Logan College.