Evansville, IN – February 16, 2024 – The IHSAA Wrestling State Finals are set to showcase the pinnacle of high school wrestling talent. To provide media with an exclusive opportunity to capture pre-event footage, Explore Evansville will be hosting a preview event on Friday, February 16, from 11 AM – 12:30 PM. 

Media personnel are invited to visit the Ford Center anytime within this window to capture shots of the arena, athletes warming up beginning at 11:30 AM, and conduct interviews with local officials. 

What: 2024 IHSAA Wrestling State Finals Media Preview 

When: Friday, February 16, 11 AM – 12:30 PM 

Where: Ford Center, 1 SE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, Evansville, IN 47708 

Please contact Kate Reibel at 812-598-6751 or Alexis Berggren at 812-893-8232 for any further inquiries. 

The Purple Aces had their first consecutive Missouri Valley Conference wins since the 2016-2017 season on Thursday night

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – For the first time in seven years, the University of Evansville women’s basketball team earned two straight MVC wins on Thursday evening.

A career night for guards Lexie Sinclair and Tené Smith highlighted the overtime win for the Aces over Southern Illinois. UE pulled away early in the extra frame to earn the 93-89 win, outscoring the Salukis 10 to six over five minutes. It was also Evansville’s best offensive game, going 30-56 from the floor for 53.6% and 8-15 from three-point range for 53.3%.

“It feels awesome to get back-to-back MVC wins,” said Head Coach Robyn Scherr-Wells following the game. “It was one of the first things I thought of after the game, it’s a good milestone in our building of the program. We’re pretty pumped about it.

“We also took good shots today with good looks. Lexie made our first three out of the gate. And when you make the first couple you gain some confidence. Overall, without getting too three happy, we continued to take good shots throughout the game.”

It was a slow start for UE as Southern Illinois broke out to a six-point run. Forward Maggie Hartwig was able to turn things around, adding Evansville’s first four points to break up the run. Midway through the quarter the two teams went shot for shot until the break with under four minutes on the clock. Out of the timeout, the Aces tied the game at 13 as guard Tene Smith hit a bucket following a Saluki turnover. But a layup right after Smith’s spurred a six-point SIU run to put UE behind. In the final minute of the quarter, Evansville was able to find its offense again as Hartwig hit a three-point buzzer-beater to tie the game at 20 all.

Hartwig wasn’t done behind the arc there as she made another trey to give the Aces their first lead of the game. The lead changed hands nine times in the second quarter as UE evenly matched the Salukis. It was Evansville’s play behind the arc that gave the team the upper hand, shooting a blistering 80% in the second quarter. Every time SIU took the lead back, the Aces found a three to either tie or regain the lead. A seven-to-three run in the final two minutes of the first half had UE on top 45-42 going into the second half.

The Salukis made the first basket of the second half, but a three-point play for Hartwig kept Evansville on top for the first two minutes. The game was tied twice by SIU but fouls drawn from the Aces kept them ahead through the first four minutes. The lead changed ten more times through the third quarter as neither team had more than a one-point lead. With UE in the for the final four minutes, shots at the line kept Evansville close. The Aces headed into the fourth quarter with the lead as guard Kynidi Mason Striverson made her first field goal of the night with 46 seconds left.

UE kept its strong night behind the arc going as guard Julia Palomo hit an early three to give Evansville a four-point lead.  The Salukis got a bucket at the line just moments after. But the Aces broke out on a five-point run for their largest lead of the game up by eight. SIU responded with a three-point play, but Smith answered with a three behind the line to regain the eight-point lead. The Salukis top player, Laniah Randle made seven straight points to get the game down to only three.  UE was able to keep answering Randle from the floor. But SIU tied the game on a three with two minutes left on the clock, shortly taking the lead right after at the line. Evansville was able to answer in the final 30 seconds, tying the game up to go into the teams second overtime game of the season.

The Aces offense was firing early in overtime, scoring eight points in the first three minutes. UE particularly benefited from drawing fouls while in the bonus, making all six of its free throws in overtime. The Salukis made the last two shots of the game, but Evansville grew its lead far enough early in the extra period to stay on top. The Aces earned their second straight Valley win in the 93-89 victory.

 Four UE players ended the game in double figures with Hartwig leading the way at 22 points. She also led Evansville in rebounds with 12 for her fifth double-double of the season. Sinclair was right behind Hartwig with a career-high 20 points and a career-high six assists. Forward Neveah Thomas pushed her double-figure scoring streak to ten games with 17 points in 31 minutes while Smith had a career-high 16 points.

The Aces will have one day off before their next game on Saturday, Feb. 17. UE will host the Missouri State Lady Bears for its annual Play For Kay game, to support breast cancer awareness. Tip-off for Saturday’s game is set for 2 p.m. from Meeks Family Fieldhouse.

VINCENNES, Ind. – The Vincennes University Trailblazer baseball team opened Jerry Blemker Field for the first time during this Spring 2024 season Thursday afternoon for a single nine-inning contest against Frontier Community College from Fairfield, Ill.

The Trailblazers looked to be rolling early before a big six run fifth inning by the Bobcats completely shifted momentum.

VU fought hard throughout but were unable to regain the lead as Frontier came away with the 8-7 victory.

The starting pitchers were dealing early Thursday afternoon, with VU being the first ones to break onto the scoreboard in the bottom of the third after a leadoff double by sophomore Carter Whitehead (Huntingburg, Ind.) followed by a walk by freshman Brody Fessel (DePauw, Ind.) was followed by a sacrifice bunt by sophomore Jack Robinson (Mooresville, Ind.) which resulted in a throwing error allowing Whitehead to score the first run of the game.

Jack Robinson had an outstanding game at the plate, reaching base in all five plate appearances Thursday afternoon, including a pair of doubles.

Fessel would later come around to score on a wild pitch to give the Trailblazers an early 2-0 lead.

VU would add to the lead in the fourth after a double by sophomore Jace Parnin (Fort Wayne, Ind.) who would score on an RBI groundout by Whitehead giving VU a 3-0 advantage.

Frontier answered back in a big way in the top of the fifth, having the first seven batters of the inning reach base safely and scoring six runs in the inning to take a 6-3 lead.

Vincennes would then answer back to even the score after a bases loaded walk by redshirt freshman Holden Clifton (Louisville, Ill.) and an RBI single by Jace Parnin, followed by sophomore Kade Hinton (Fort Wayne, Ind.) scoring on a wild pitch to even the game at 6-6.

Frontier would regain the lead with a run in the sixth and an insurance run in the seventh before VU cut into the deficit with a run in the bottom of the eighth by executing a double steal, allowing freshman Bryce Gross (Bridgeport, Ill.) to score.

This would be as close as the Blazers would get unfortunately as VU left the winning run on first in the ninth as Frontier closed out the 8-7 victory over VU.

“Frontier had the timely hitting today and we didn’t,” VU Head Baseball Coach Chris Barney said. “Unfortunately we couldn’t put the hits together back-to-back. We had one inning where we did that but the other eight innings, it was sporadic. Jack Robinson had a great day for us going three for three with two doubles and some other guys stepped up with some big RBIs. Other guys came off the bench and executed, got on base and did what they were supposed to.”

“We’ve just got to come up with bigger hits,” Barney added. “To out hit Frontier today like we did and end up losing 8-7 is disappointing. We’ve got to come up with big hits in key situations and make plays defensively. Those are the differences in the game.”

Sophomore Logan Medsker (Marshall, Ill.) got the start on the mound for the Trailblazers Thursday and was rolling early, finishing four and one-third innings, allowing six runs, three earned, on two hits and striking out seven.

Freshman Alex Wandersee (Centerville, Ind.) entered to finish out the fifth inning, allowing one hit in two-thirds of an inning.

Sophomore Jace Parnin pitched an inning plus, while also starting the game at second base and later finishing the game at shortstop. Parnin allowed two runs on two hits and struck out one on the mound.

Freshman Yancey Edlin (Pekin, Ind.) pitched two innings, allowing two hits and striking out one.

Sophomore Christian Pinson (Elizabethtown, Ky.) began the ninth inning on the mound, getting the first guy he faced to fly out before turning it over to freshman Noah Dearmitt (Franklin, Ind.) who closed out the final two-thirds of the ninth inning.

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Evansville baseball team will kick off the 2024 season on Friday, as the Purple Aces will travel to Tulsa, Oklahoma to take on reigning Summit League champion and 2023 College World Series participant Oral Roberts in a three-game series.  The season begins Friday at 3 p.m.

Evansville is coming off a 2023 season in which the Purple Aces went 37-24 overall and advanced to the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament final game.  UE returns seven position starters, including five who have earned all-MVC honors during the course of their UE careers, as well as 10 pitchers.

Headlining UE’s returning cast is preseason all-MVC first baseman Chase Hug (Indianapolis, Ind./Pike/Olney Central).  Hug earned first-team all-MVC honors a year ago after leading UE with a .311 average and ranking in the Valley’s top 15 in 11 different offensive categories.  Senior Kip Fougerousse (Linton, Ind./Indiana Univ.) also garnered first-team all-MVC honors a year ago on the infield, but will switch to the outfield this season, as he is expected to play right field after hitting .288 last year with 13 home runs and 47 RBI.  Senior shortstop Simon Scherry (Santa Claus, Ind./Heritage Hills) also earned honorable mention all-Valley honors last season, and he led all collegiate infielders in Defensive Runs Saved at 12.7, per 643 Charts and Synergy.

Pitching-wise, UE returns its top two weekend starters from a year ago in senior RHP Nick Smith (Boonville, Ind./Boonville) and senior LHP Donovan Schultz (Kimberly, Wis./Kimberly).  Smith is the 2022 MVC Pitcher of the Year, and earned honorable mention all-MVC honors a year ago.  Smith did not lose after March 10 last season, and Evansville went 10-1 in the 11 games he pitched after March 10.  Schultz, meanwhile, led the MVC in both fewest hits allowed per nine innings and opponents’ batting average last season, while leading UE with six victories on the mound.

Oral Roberts will enter the 2024 season off of a magical 2023 campaign in which the Golden Eagles went 52-14 overall and advanced to the College World Series.  ORU ranked among the NCAA’s Top 100 in all but two statistical categories a year ago, while leading the nation in fielding percentage at .984, and ranking seventh in the country in both batting average (.321) and team earned run average (4.03).  While the Golden Eagles return only two position starters from last year’s team, Oral Roberts does return eight pitchers from last year’s staff, including weekend stalwarts Brooks Fowler (9-2, 3.26 ERA) and Jakob Hall (8-3, 3.56).  The Golden Eagles are ranked 26th nationally in the NCBWA preseason poll, and ORU is receiving votes in the USA Today/Coaches Preseason Poll as well.

This weekend’s series will renew a rivalry between the two schools, as UE and Oral Roberts used to compete against one another in the old Midwestern Collegiate Conference in the 1980s.  ORU currently leads the series 26-4 all-time, with the last meeting coming in the 1987 MCC Tournament final.