FOOTNOTE: EPD DAILY ACTIVITY REPORT information was provided by the EPD and posted by the City-County-County Observer without opinion, bias, or editing.
Track and field to participate in the Outdoor Music City Challenge
The Purple Aces head to their second-to-last meet of the regular season
NASHVILLE – The University of Evansville track and field team will look to take down more program records over the weekend at the Outdoor Music City Challenge.
The Purple Aces will go to Nashville for the first time during the outdoor season over the weekend for the Outdoor Music City Challenge meet hosted by Vanderbilt. UE had a small group participate in the Indoor Music City Challenge back in February. Evansville will bring its full team to the outdoor season version of the meet on Friday and Saturday.
The meet that begins the month of May is being held at the Vanderbilt Outdoor Track Complex and will feature 25 college teams along with a state track club. The Aces will compete against 17 other Division I teams, including fellow Missouri Valley Conference opponents Belmont and Murray State. The other Division I teams competing in Nashville include Alabama A&M, Austin Peay, Central Arkansas, Furman, Jacksonville State, Lindenwood, Lipscomb, MTSU, SIUE, Tennessee, Tennessee State, Tennessee Tech, UT-Martin, Vanderbilt, and Xavier.
At UE’s last meet, Evansville set three new program records with two on the women’s side and one on the men’s side. Sophomore Taylor Johnson (Evansville, Ind. / Reitz HS) reset the 400-meter record by more than two tenths of a second, along with her 200-meter record at the 2025 Gibson Invitational. The men’s 4×400 relay team also set a record with the team of freshman Myles Terry (Evansville, Ind. / North HS), sophomores Connor Shin (Bloomington, Ind. / Bloomington North HS), Raymond Felton III (Houston / Clear Brook HS), and Cedrik Flipo (Beloeil, Quebec) with a time of 3:18.93. The relay team broke a record that was set over 40 years ago back in 1979.
The Outdoor Music Challenge begins on Friday morning at 10 a.m. with field events, while the track events begin at 5 p.m. On Saturday, field events again begin at 10 a.m. while track events begin at 1:30 p.m. Aces fans can follow along with this weekend’s meet through live timing.
Baseball hosts Belmont for first series of May
The Purple Aces get three games at home before traveling across the city to USI next week
EVANSVILLE, Ind. — The University of Evansville baseball team welcomes the Belmont Bruins to the River City to begin the final month of the regular season.
The Purple Aces returned to the River City for a full week of games on Wednesday night. UE kept things close with Indiana for a second game this season, but a big ninth inning for the Hoosiers decided the 14-6 result at German American Bank Field. After a tough weekend at the plate in Missouri, senior Ty Rumsey (Evansville, Ind. / North HS) bounced back against IU on Wednesday. Rumsey led Evansville with three hits in consecutive at-bats. Senior Harrison Taubert (Casper, Wyo. / Northeast CC) also had a strong game for the Aces with a hit, two walks, and a run scored without striking out.
UE has a big conference series on tap this weekend. After taking a game from Missouri State in Springfield, Evansville needs two more conference wins to climb the conference standings and move out of the eighth seed for the MVC Tournament. The Aces will have a good chance with the Belmont Bruins coming to town, as Belmont is only a game ahead of UE in the standings. But the Bruins are currently riding a four-game win streak coming into Friday night’s game after they swept the Valparaiso Beacons at home and got a road non-conference win at UT Martin. Belmont has the current MVC Pitcher of the Week in right-hander Zane Brown, who threw the Bruins’ first no-hitter since 2014 against the Beacons, where he set a new career high in strikeouts with nine and earned his second win.
With only three teams left to play in Missouri Valley Conference play, Evansville’s younger players have been stepping up in the batter’s box. Through 18 games, freshman Jake McGhee (Fenton, Mo. / Christian Brothers Academy) leads the Aces with a .357 batting average in 12 games played. McGhee is closely followed by sophomore Charlie Longmeier (Seymour, Ind. / Seymour HS), who has had a breakout season for UE with a .353 batting average in 18. Rumsey is also batting above .350 in conference action for Evansville with a .351 average in 18 appearances.
Sophomore left-hander Kenton Deverman had a career performance last week against the Bears. Through 6.2 innings of work, Deverman threw out a career-high 10 batters in the Aces’ 4-2 loss to Missouri State. Deverman became the first UE pitcher to have a 10+ strikeout performance in two seasons since Tyler Denu had 10 also in Springfield. He also had his second straight game not allowing a walk on the mound, to continue leading the Valley in strikeout-to-walk ratio and walks allowed per nine innings. Deverman has also jumped up in the national rankings in both categories, at 13th and 5th.
Another Evansville pitcher that has shone during conference play is senior right-hander Drew Fieger (Fort Mitchell, Ky. / Lincoln Trail CC). Through MVC action, Fieger has made eight appearances with four wins and has a team-low ERA of 3.50 through 18 innings of Valley work. The senior is currently one of the Top 10 pitchers during MVC play, ranking sixth with his 3.50 ERA, 17 hits, nine runs, seven earned runs, seven walks, and nine strikeouts. Since beginning conference games in mid-March, Fieger has lowered his season ERA from 12.34 to 7.07 in only 11 games.
UE baseball drops home contest to Indiana
The Purple Aces had their second straight game with 10+ hits
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – In the first of five straight games in the River City, the University of Evansville baseball team fell 13-3 to the Indiana Hoosiers.
The Purple Aces kept things close against in-state Power Four Indiana through eight innings on Wednesday night. But an eight-run ninth inning for the Hoosiers put the first of four games at Charles H. Braun Stadium out of reach for UE. Evansville was led on offense by center fielder Ty Rumsey (Evansville, Ind. / North HS) with three hits.
“It’s unfortunate the game got away from us in the last two innings,” said Head Coach Wes Carroll following the game. “We had some positives in what was a very close game for seven innings. [Starter Kellen] Roberts and [reliever Jack] Clevidence had good outings to build off of tonight. We have a big weekend ahead of us.”
It was a quick first inning on defense for the Aces with a three-up and three-down frame. Infielder Cal McGinnis (Kimberly, Wis. / Bradley) had the first hit of the game to left, followed by designated hitter Brodie Peart (Markham, Ontario) earning a walk. But both runners were stranded to end the first. IU took an early lead off a solo home run from first baseman Jake Hanley, but it was the only run of the inning for the Hoosiers.
Indiana quickly extended its lead in the third with three runs on two homers to make it a 4-0 game. It was an empty fourth inning for both sides while UE’s defense took down the Hoosiers in order to start the fifth. Right fielder Harrison Taubert (Casper, Wyo. / Northeast CC) hit a double down the left line in the bottom of the fifth to break the shutout and soon scored on a passed ball to give Evansville its first run.
The Aces doubled their score only two at-bats later as Rumsey had his first hit of the night with a single through the left side and stole second base. He crossed home plate on a single to the same spot from left fielder Charlie Longmeier (Seymour, Ind. / Seymour HS) to cut IU’s lead in half to make it a 4-2 contest.
It was a quiet sixth and seventh innings as UE took down the Hoosiers in order for three straight defensive frames. Evansville added a hit in both the sixth and the seventh from Peart and Rumsey, but both runners were left on base. Indiana was able to go back up to a four-run lead in the eighth as they added two runs on a triple and a wild pitch.
The Aces answered in the bottom of the inning as shortstop Drew McConnell (Blue Springs, Mo. / Blue Springs HS) hit a ground rule double to right center that scored catcher Evan Waggoner (Bedford, Ind. / Bedford North Lawrence HS). But UE left two other runners on base, including Taubert in scoring position at third.
The Hoosiers’ offense came alive in the ninth inning with six hits and eight runs to put the game away. Evansville didn’t go down without a fight, though, as Rumsey, McGinnis, Peart, and Waggoner all had hits in the ninth to score three runs. But the Aces didn’t find another eight runs to send the game into extras, falling to IU 14-6.
UE is back in action at home this weekend in Valley play. Evansville will host Belmont for a three-game series over the weekend starting on Friday night. First pitch for Friday’s game is set for 6 p.m. at Charles H. Braun Stadium.
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HENDERSON POLICE DEPARTMENT ARRESTS
Henderson Police arrested DALTON BURDEN on several charges related to an incident that happened at the Henderson City Building on April 28,2025.
Police were called to the scene after a dispute between Burden and a city employee. The employee said Burden was upset about a billing issue and used derogatory language towards them.
Burden left the office and walked out of the building. A second employee who had witnessed the incident walked out at the same time. The witness told officers Burden said he would be back and was going to bring a gun. Another witness also said they heard Burden comment about a gun.
Burden was gone when the officers arrived. After obtaining an arrest warrant, officers located Burden on the morning of April 29th at a local address.
Burden was booked into the Henderson County Detention Center on the following
charges:
Terroristic Threatening 2nd Degree (Felony)
Disorderly Conduct 2nd Degree (Misdemeanor)
Meet USI Dr. Edith Hardcastle General Expertise: Biology
Dr. Edith Hardcastle
General Expertise:
- Biology
Specialized Expertise:
- Native plants in the home garden
- Conservation of native plants
- Updating weed laws to allow for native plants in the garden
- Landscaping for conservation of native plants and pollinators
- Invasive plant species and the damage they cause in natural areas
About the Expert
Edith Hardcastle holds a doctorate in biological sciences from the University of Arkansas and has taught for two decades at USI. Her research focuses on leveraging native plants in garden settings to address pressing environmental challenges. She champions the importance of utilizing native flora to bolster urban resilience against climate change, enhances ecosystem vitality and promotes biodiversity.
Beyond her research, Hardcastle collaborates with local communities and stakeholders to implement sustainable gardening practices. Through her work, she seeks to bridge the gap between scientific research and real-world solutions, empowering communities to take proactive steps towards environmental stewardship.
Articles Featuring Edith Hardcastle
Gardner qualifies for Nationals, Trailblazers take fifth at Region 24 Championship
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Vincennes University freshman Landon Gardner (Danville, Ind.) qualified for the 2025 NJCAA Division I Golf National Championships earlier this week at the 2025 Region 24 Championships at Panther Creek Country Club in Springfield, Ill.
Gardner led the Trailblazers at the Region 24 Championships in the 54-hole, two-day tournament, finishing day one with a 77 in round one and an 80 in round two.
Gardner closed out his tournament strong Tuesday, posting a round of 77, including four birdies to come away with a tournament total of 234 and 10 birdies in the tournament.
Freshman Kadin Gibson (Franklin, Ind.) matched Gardner’s start Monday, shooting a three-over par 75 in round one before ending the day with an 80 in round two.
Gibson closed out his tournament Tuesday with a final round 79 ending in a tie with Gardner, forcing a one-hole playoff.
Gardner came away with the win in the playoff, punching his ticket to the National Championships as an individual qualifier.
Freshman Brock Naile (Trico, Ill.) was the next VU scorer, finishing day one with a first round 78 and a 79 in round two.
Naile closed out his tournament with a final round 83, finishing with a total of 240 and placing 20th overall.
Sophomore Alex Nealis (Olney, Ill.) and freshman Parker Steininger (Vincennes, Ind.) rounded out the VU results in the tournament, with Nealis shooting an 81 and 86 Monday before closing out the tournament strong with a final round 82 to place 28th overall.
Steininger opened the tournament with a first round 81 before finishing with an 85 in round two and an 86 in the final round to place 31st overall.
The Trailblazers as a team shot 311 in round one, 324 in round two and came in with a team score of 321 in round three for a tournament team score of 956, finishing fifth overall.
Heartland Community College came away as the Region 24 Champions this season, finishing with a team score of 892, with Parkland College and Illinois Central College qualifying for the NJCAA National tournament.
Gardner joins Blake Arnold from Danville Area Community College as the two individual qualifier representing Region 24 at the 2025 NJCAA Division II National Championships.
Gardner will head to the National Championships, beginning Tuesday, May 20 and running through Friday, May 23 at Swan Lake Resort in Plymouth, Ind.
Brad Williams returns to the Victory Theatre on Feb 11th,2026!
TICKETS GO ON SALE FRIDAY, MAY 2ND @10AM!
Evansville, IN– One of the most in-demand comedians working today, Brad has appeared on “The Tonight Show,” “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” and in the films “Little Evil,” “Mascots,” and “Reno 911: It’s A Wonderful Heist.”
His first one-hour special, “Fun Size,” was the highest rated special on Showtime. His second, “Daddy Issues,” prompted The New York Times to write “No one is doing stand-up comedy more hilariously than Brad Williams.”
His other special on Netflix “The Degenerates,” garnered huge ratings and rave reviews. Recently, he became the first comedian in the history of Cirque du Soleil to headline and sell out their newest show, “Mad Apple,” in a brand new 1200 seat theater at the New York New York Hotel in Las Vegas.
This year he has continued to sell out (and add multiple shows of) every size of venue on his calendar at mock speed. No wonder the late Robin Williams called him “Prozac with a head.”
Tickets may be purchased at Ford Center Ticket Office or www.Ticketmaster.com