Screaming Eagles host Little Rock this weekend
USI resumes rivalry with NKU Tuesday
EVANSVILLE, Ind. — University of Southern Indiana Baseball starts a seven-game homestand this weekend when it hosts the University of Arkansas at Little Rock for a three-game series at the USI Baseball Field. The USI-Little Rock series starts Friday, continues Saturday at 3 p.m., and concludes Sunday at 1 p.m.
Saturday’s game is Jersey Day at the USI Baseball Field. Fans wearing a jersey to the game will receive a free popcorn and will have a chance to win St. Louis Cardinals tickets in a sixth-inning drawing.
Following the USI-Little Rock series, the homestand continues next week with the Screaming Eagles hosting Northern Kentucky University April 1 and concludes with a three-game series against Morehead State University April 4-6.
With the ever-changing weather in March, USI encourages fans to watch for potential schedule changes on USIScreamingEagles.com, X, and Facebook.
Links to follow the Eagles all season can be found on USIScreamingEagles.com and the USI Baseball Schedule.
USI Baseball Notes:
USI falls late at Ball State. The USI Screaming Eagles lost a lead late and fell at Ball State University, 5-4, Tuesday afternoon in Muncie, Illinois. USI scored all four of its runs in the third inning, three coming on a three-run blast by junior designated hitter Cole Kitchens. The Cardinals rallied from the 4-1 deficit with one in the seventh and three in the eighth to get the win.
USI wins opening OVC series. The Eagles opened the 2025 OVC schedule with a 2-1 series win over Western Illinois University last weekend. USI lost the opening game, 15-5, but bounced back to win 8-6 and 6-4 in the final two games. Junior first baseman Kannon Coakley led the Eagles at the plate with a .571 mark (4-7) in the first two games, while junior designated hitter Cole Kitchens hit .400 (6-15) with two RBIs and two doubles. Sophomore outfielder Cameron Boyd drove in a team-high four RBIs during the series.
Kitchens, Coakley have hot sticks. Junior designated hitter Cole Kitchens has had the big bat for USI the last 10 games, hitting .488 (21-43) with eight runs scored, four doubles, a triple, two home runs, and 10 RBIs. Junior first baseman Kannon Coakley is batting .444 (12-27) with four runs scored, three doubles, and seven RBIs.
Overall Eagle leader at the plate. USI junior designated hitter Cole Kitchens is the top hitter at USI and the OVC with a .451 batting average (37-82). The OVC batting average leader also leads in home runs (4) and RBIs (20); and second in doubles (9).
On the mound: Junior right-hander Blake Kimball led the USI starters in the opening weeks with a 2-3 record and a team-best 4.36 ERA. Junior right-hander Andres Gonzalez has a team-best 22 strikeouts this season. Kimball is sixth in the OVC in ERA through March 23.
USI in the OVC. USI ranks second in the OVC with a .305 team batting average. On the bump, the Eagles are eighth in the league with a 7.54 ERA.
Eagles in the OVC. Junior designated hitter Cole Kitchens and junior first baseman Kannon Coakley are one-two in the OVC in batting average, boosting a .451 and .405 average, respectively.
USI starts homestand with the Little Rock series. USI opens a seven-game homestand Friday when the University of Arkansas at Little Rock visits the USI Baseball Field. Little Rock is 9-16 overall this season and started OVC play by going 0-3 versus Tennessee Tech University. The Trojans lead the all-time series with USI, 5-1, after taking three of four last spring. Little Rock swept the regular season series in 2024, while USI won the meeting in the 2024 OVC Tournament, 2-0, in Marion, Illinois.
USI hosts NKU. USI hosts Northern Kentucky University for the first time since 2011 next week. NKU, which will enter the weekend at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Friday, has a 14-9 record. USI leads the all-time series with NKU, 48-45, after losing all four of a GLVC series in Highland Heights, Kentucky, in 2012. The last time NKU was at the USI Baseball Field, the Eagles took three of four from the Norse.
