COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – University of Southern Indiana Softball displayed its extra-base power on Monday when the Screaming Eagles notched five extra-base hits toward a 6-3 series finale road win at Tennessee Tech University.
Southern Indiana (7-11, 1-2) came out swinging right in the first inning Monday. Following a double by sophomore outfielder Caroline Stapleton (Shirley, Indiana), senior first baseman Lexi Fair (Greenwood, Indiana) brought Stapleton home on a double to centerfield. Three batters later, junior infielder Hailey Gotshall (Lucerne, Indiana) drove in two more runs with a double down the left field line, giving USI a 3-0 advantage through the first inning.
Tennessee Tech (9-7) chipped away with a run in the third and another in the fourth inning to draw within one run of the Screaming Eagles, 3-2. Southern Indiana responded in the top of the fifth inning, grabbing a 5-2 lead with a pair of runs. Senior catcher Sammie Kihega (Greenfield, Indiana) led off the fifth with a solo home run, her second of the season.
USI added an insurance run in the top of the sixth inning when Gotshall recorded her second double and third RBI of the contest. With the Screaming Eagles ahead 6-2, Tennessee Tech threatened with the potential tying run at the plate in the bottom of the sixth, but USI junior pitcher Josie Newman (Indianapolis, Indiana) pitched out of the jam. The Golden Eagles scored their last run in the bottom of the seventh.
Southern Indiana scored its six runs off 10 hits, five of which went for extra bases. Gotshall finished with three RBIs on a pair of doubles. Kihega went 2-2 with a home run, and Stapleton also registered a two-hit game. Newman earned the pitching win, going to 6-5 this season. Newman struck out three and allowed three runs – two earned – in the complete game.
Tennessee Tech’s three runs came off six hits. Freshman pitcher Faith Rush dropped 1-3 after surrendering three runs in two innings of work.
Next, USI Softball will make its home debut at USI Softball Field Saturday and Sunday against Morehead State University in an OVC showdown. Saturday is a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m., and Sunday’s series finale is scheduled for Noon. There will also be a 2024 USI Softball magnet schedule giveaway throughout the weekend series.
USI downs Tennessee Tech in Monday series finale
EPD Introduces New Public Information Officer
EPD Introduces New Public Information Officer
Starting today a new face will begin sharing information regarding the Evansville Police Department with our community. We first would like to thank Sergeant Anna Gray for her last three years as the Public Information Officer (PIO) and wish her the best as she begins a new role as a Supervisor in the Adult Investigations Unit. Numerous times she was complimented on her grace, passion, and character as our PIO. It did not go unnoticed the great work she did detailing the information, and being a liaison, to the media and the community. Sergeant Gray says “It has been a pleasure working with the media and community in the capacity of my PIO position. I will still be around to help when needed, and I will likely be assisting with PIO duties when Sergeant Day and Officer Merriss are unavailable.”
We would like to take the time to introduce our new PIO, Sergeant Trudy Day. Sergeant Day has been with the Evansville Police Department for 24 years. During those years, she was a detective in both the Juvenile Investigations Unit and the Financial Crimes Unit. She received a promotion to the rank of Sergeant in 2012. As Sergeant, she has spent time in the Records Department, was EPD’s Grant Writer, and a Motor Patrol Supervisor. For the last three years, she thoroughly enjoyed supervising 3rd Shift Motor Patrol and will be missed by her peers.
The Public Information Office will now consist of Sergeant Day and Special Projects Coordinator Officer Taylor Merriss. The first point of contact for media purposes should be Sergeant Day, in her absence, Officer Merriss will be available.
Aces open MVC schedule on Tuesday
UE welcomes Indiana State at 5 p.m.
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Missouri Valley Conference action begins on Tuesday and Wednesday for the University of Evansville softball team, who welcomes Indiana State to Tri-State Orthopaedics Field at James & Dorothy Cooper Stadium. First pitch for both games will be 5 p.m.
Evansville enters its MVC slate having won four of its last five games. In its 4-1 finish to the last week, UE hit .357 as a team while outscoring the opposition by a 49-31 margin. UE also slugged .593 as a team with its runners reaching base 43.1% of the time.
Marah Wood put together a big week at the plate for the Purple Aces, batting .429 with two home runs, seven RBI and six runs scored while slugging .857. After going 1-3 in Wednesday’s opener against Lindenwood, Wood picked up the biggest hit of the year for the Aces in game two. With her team trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the 6th, Wood launched a 2-run home run that would prove to be the game winner while giving Evansville its first win of the season.
UE pitcher Megan Brenton won three games over the last week while striking out 12 batters and posted a 3.59 ERA. On Wednesday against Lindenwood, Brenton tossed a complete game gem to help the Purple Aces to their first win of the season.
Batting .357 and scoring eight runs on the week, freshman Brooke Voss played a large role in the Aces’ 4-1 finish to the week. Voss accumulated five hits in 14 at-bats while slugging .786 and reaching base 47.1% of the time. All five hits came in her final eight at-bats of the weekend. Voss put together her top day of collegiate softball on Sunday. In the opener against St. Bonaventure, she was a perfect 3-3 with a home run, two RBI and four runs scored. She followed that up with a 2-for-5 performance in the weekend finale versus Bellarmine. Voss added her second home run of the day while picking up two RBI and two more runs.
Indiana State comes into Tuesday’s contest with a record of 11-12. Kennedy Shade leads the Sycamores with a .413 batting average. She has recorded two home runs, 20 RBI and 10 runs scored through the opening month of the season.
EDITORAL : What Has Happened To Delivering Timely News
What Has Happened To Delivering Timely News
FEBRUARY 12, 2024
With the recent revelation that the remaining staff of the Evansville Courier and Press has voted unanimously to unionize, it is a good time to examine just what has happened to make the once widely honored and trusted industry of journalism reporting fall on a two-decade slide. What was most surprising about the recent announcement was that the Evansville Courier And Press had less than 20 people left at what was once a respected and powerful force in the Tri-State for delivering all the local news promptly and accurately. The easy answer of the internet did it, may be a major contributor to this decline but it is not the only reason for the decline.
Many other contributors are starting with a corporate consolidation of hometown newspapers under the umbrella of Gannett (GCI), a public company with a financial hangover from taking on crippling debt to expand their business. The stock of Gannett has lost 83% of its value in the last five years, making capital formation very difficult. With a market capitalization of only $336 million for the entire company, raising money in the billions is quite a hurdle. This collapse in value has caused Gannett’s excessive cost-cutting measures across the board to be necessary and this is why newsrooms across America from Evansville to every hometown paper owned by Gannett are struggling to generate enough content to be relevant. At one time the Evansville Courier and Press had over 100 plus employees at its Evansville headquarters. Today, there are around 15 full-time employees or less.
The second real issue is that the excessive but needed cost-cutting has been exacerbated by moving the print operation away from the distribution region. When the printing press was shut down and print moved several hours away, timely news reporting was disrupted to the point that the Saturday paper could not report all the local sports from Friday night games. Now the printing is moving even further away, causing a longer delay for a physical paper hurting the relevance of the local news. When a customer can use a search engine to find the news they are interested in, what good is a paper to a digitally capable potential customer? One thing is for sure and that is for a paper to be relevant the printing must be close enough to the distribution area to provide value news on time.
In response to the decline in value delivered news by Gannett-owned papers like the Evansville Courier and Press, there is a movement across the nation for small locally-owned community papers are making a serious effort in looking to create a publishing brand while making a profit with a mission to report local news on time in both print and digital form.
The City-County Observer is poised to assume a leadership role and has initiated some discussions about how to proceed. The recent vote of the staff of the Evansville Courier And Press to unionize tells us that they are not happy with the situation in the paper. A job is about much more than just a paycheck. A fulfilling job does need to pay enough for a comfortable life, but job security is also required.
It has long been on the minds of the founding group of the City-County Observer to consider taking our publication to the next publishing level. Now may be an opportunity to move forward.
Footnote Disclaimer: All data regarding the market capitalization and performance of Gannett was sourced from public information including the website of Gannett.
REO SPEEDWAGON AND SPECIAL GUEST LEVON HEAT UP THE PLAZA STAGE THIS SUMMER
TICKETS GO ON SALE FRIDAY, MARCH 15, AT 10 AM
Evansville, IN – March 11, 2024 — Classic Rock hitmaker REO Speedwagon will perform at Old National Events Plaza on June 25, 2024 with special guest Levon. Hailing from the Midwest, REO Speedwagon formed in 1967 in Champaign, IL. During the 1970’s and 1980’s the band cultivated a following that has spanned generations and achieved significant commercial success.
Fronted by iconic vocalist Kevin Cronin since 1972, the group’s unrelenting drive, non-stop touring and recording jump-started the burgeoning rock movement in the Midwest. Platinum albums and radio staples soon followed, setting the stage for the release of the band’s explosive Hi Infidelity album in 1980, which contained four hit singles including ‘Keep On Loving You’ and ‘Take It On the Run.’ The landmark album spent 15 weeks at No. 1 and has since earned the RIAA’s coveted 10X Diamond Award for surpassing sales of 10 million units in the U.S.
Today, REO Speedwagon has sold more than 40 million albums around the globe. Cronin and bandmates Bruce Hall (bass), Neal Doughty (keyboards), Dave Amato (guitar), and Bryan Hitt (drums) are still electrifying audiences worldwide in concert with fan-favorites such as ‘In Your Letter,’ ‘Can’t Fight This Feeling,’ ‘Time For Me To Fly,’ ‘Roll With The Changes,’ and many more.
REO Speedwagon is touring again with Country trio Levon from Nashville, TN. Their debut album Levon was released in 2017 with the lead single, ‘Ms. Marianne.’ Levon debuted on the Grand Ole Opry in June of 2018.
For more information about REO Speedwagon, fans can visit www.reospeedwagon.com.
Ticket Information:
What: REO Speedwagon with Special Guest Levon
When: Tuesday, June 25, 2024, at 7:00 PM
Where: Old National Events Plaza | 715 Locust Street | Evansville, IN 47708
Tickets: Tickets start at $35.50 plus applicable fees and tax.
Tickets are available at Ticketmaster.com or the Old National Events Plaza Box Office. For more information about the Aiken Theatre, visit www.oldnationaleventsplaza.com
Purple Aces accept invite to 2024 College Basketball Invitational
UE set to make first postseason appearance since 2015
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The Purple Aces are headed to the postseason! On Monday, the University of Evansville men’s basketball team officially accepted an invitation to the 2024 College Basketball Invitational to mark its first postseason appearance since 2015.
“This year’s group has been committed to working extremely hard to be a better version of themselves on a daily basis,” UE head coach David Ragland said. “Through the continuous hard work, we have been able to generate a very competitive product on the court resulting in more wins than our program has had in a long time.”
“Our staff and player goals since we set foot on campus have been to revive a storied program. There are certain progressive steps to take in order to reach those goals. Receiving an invitation to play in a post-season tournament is a great honor and one that this group truly deserves.”
Running from March 23-27, the CBI will take place at the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach, Fla. Brackets and opponent information will be released on Selection Sunday. Opening round games will take place on the 23rd and 24th.
Ticket information will be available following the release of the bracket on Selection Sunday. If you are interested in attending, please reach out to Logan Belz at 812-488-2623 to be added to a distribution list for the most up-to-date information as soon as it becomes available.
Evansville earned 16 victories in 2023-24, more than tripling its win total from a season ago. UE picked up six Missouri Valley Conference victories, doubling its conference win total from the previous two seasons combined. In its trip to Arch Madness, the Aces defeated Illinois State in the opening round, picking up its first win in St. Louis since 2017.
The CBI is a single-elimination, fully-bracketed men’s basketball postseason tournament featuring 16 teams from across the country competing for a championship in Florida. The field consists of teams not selected for the NCAA Tournament.
USI events and updates for the week of 3/11/202
1 p.m. Monday, March 11
USI to honor Disability Awareness Month with SPELLERS movie screening
USI Disability Resources, in collaboration with Optimal Access, Inc., will also host a film screening of SPELLERS at 1 p.m. Monday, March 11 in Carter Hall. The screening is free, but donations are being accepted to Optimal Access, Inc.
10 a.m. Tuesday, March 12
USI Political Science, Public Administration and Philosophy Departments to host annual Law Day 2024
The USI College of Liberal Arts is excited to host the annual Law Day at 10 a.m. Tuesday, March 12 in Carter Hall, made possible by Appeals on Wheels. The Appeals on Wheels program takes Indiana Court of Appeals across the Hoosier state to hear cases in communities outside Indianapolis.
6 p.m. Tuesday, March 12
USI faculty to present on eclipses ahead of Solarpalooza
Begins Wednesday, March 13
USI Art and Design Department presents annual Spring 2024 Senior Seminar Exhibition
The USI Art and Design Department is excited to present the Spring 2024 Senior Seminar Exhibition from Wednesday, March 13 through Wednesday, April 24 in the Kenneth P. McCutchan Art Center/Palmina F. and Stephen S. Pace (MAC/Pace) Galleries.
Dr. Kent Scheller, Professor of Physics, will present Eclipses and Humans: Science, Shock and Awe at the Fort Branch Public Library at 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 12 ahead of USI’s Solarpalooza event, happening Sunday and Monday, April 7-8, on campus.
9 a.m. Thursday, March 14
USI World Languages and Cultures Department to host annual Academic High School Language Bowl
The USI World Languages and Cultures Department is hosting the 2024 Academic High School Language Bowl at 9 a.m. Thursday, March 14 in Carter Hall in University Center West. Thirty teams representing French, German, Japanese and Spanish languages will compete from 14 regional high schools, with 150 students and teachers estimated to be in attendance.
Friday, March 15
USI 26th annual Advanced Practice Registered Nursing Symposium happening March 15
Barb Bancroft, RN, MSN, NP will be the presenter at USI’s 26th annual Advanced Practice Registered Nursing Symposium on Friday, March 15.
March 20
USI School of Graduate Studies to hold Graduate Student Colloquium
The USI School of Graduate Studies is proud to announce the 7th annual Graduate Student Colloquium, happening Wednesday, March 20. The event is open to the public at no charge. Anyone with an interest in academia, research or higher education is encouraged to attend and participate.
THUNDERBOLTS TO PLAY DOUBLEHEADER IN MACON THIS WEEKEND
Evansville, In.: Coming off a big win on home ice against Pensacola, the Thunderbolts look to carry the momentum into this coming weekend’s road trip to Macon, where they will play against the Mayhem this Friday and Saturday night.
Week In Review:
The Thunderbolts were defeated 5-3 in Huntsville on Friday, despite an excellent performance from Scott Kirton, scoring 2 goals and assisting on a Myles Abbate goal in Kirton’s first game back from ECHL call-up. Saturday’s rematch in Huntsville resulted in a 3-0 loss to the Havoc. Back on home ice on Sunday, the Thunderbolts led 2-0 on goals by Matthew Hobbs and Brendan Harrogate before the Ice Flyers came back to tie. With only 16 seconds remaining in regulation, Vadim Vasjonkin scored the game-winning goal as the Thunderbolts emerged from their 4-game losing skid with a 3-2 victory. Brendahn Brawley started the weekend in goal on Friday, stopping 11 of 15 shots before being swapped for Ty Taylor, who stopped 24 of 25 shots in relief, followed by 30 saves on 33 shots on Saturday and 31 saves on 33 shots on Sunday.
The Week Ahead:
The Thunderbolts will be in Macon, Georgia to take on the Mayhem this Friday and Saturday night at Macon Centreplex Coliseum, Friday’s game beginning at 6:00pm CT and Saturday’s at 5:30pm CT. Fans can watch Friday and Saturday’s games on FloHockey with a paid subscription or can listen in for free on the Thunderbolts Mixlr Channel. Fans can also watch both games at the Official Thunderbolts away game watch party at Parkway Pizza on 3911 Broadway Avenue on Evansville’s West Side.
Coming Soon:
The Thunderbolts return home on Friday, March 22nd and Saturday, March 23rd to host the Peoria Rivermen. Friday the 22nd will be Princess & Pirates Night, featuring on-site inflatables once again from Legendary Inflatables, a hair tinsel station provided by B. Lanae Salon, and prizes from Deep Blue Indoor Play. Saturday the 23rd will be Hawaiian Night, featuring the final specialty game-worn jerseys of the season, which will be auctioned off after the game. Replica jerseys will also be on sale at the Thunderbolts merchandise stand.