Aces face Salukis Friday through Sunday
 EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Another home series is on tap for the Purple Aces with Southern Illinois coming to Tri-State Orthpopaedics Field at James and Dorothy Cooper Stadium this weekend. Friday’s opener is set for a 5 p.m. start time with Saturday beginning at 2 p.m. and Sunday’s finale starting at 12 p.m.. ESPN3 and ESPN+ will have coverage of the three games.
 Looking at the Match-up
– Since 2017, the Salukis have had the upper hand in the series, going 13-2 against the Purple Aces
– Evansville’s last series win came in 2016 when UE took both games in Carbondale before SIU grabbed a single 3-2 win in nine innings
 Last Time Out
– Evansville split its four MVC games over the last week with a series win over Belmont before an extra inning loss at Indiana State
– The Aces opened the series versus the Bruins last weekend with a 3-2 win as Zoe Frossard picked up the game-winning hit in the 11th inning
– After dropping a 6-5 decision in game two, UE responded with a 3-1 win in the finale to clinch the weekend series
– On Tuesday at Indiana State, Jess Willsey gave UE a 2-1 lead in the 9th before the Sycamores hit a walk-off 2-run home run to win by a 3-2 final
Getting back on Track
– Marah Wood enters this weekend on a 6-game hit streak that has seen her average rise from .195 to .236
– The recent streak has seen her record nine hits in 23 at-bats
– In the April 1 opener against Belmont, she went 3-4 with two RBI and two doubles while adding a walk, run and steal
– She followed that up with her second home run of the season and two more RBI in the second game of the series
Starters Excelling in the Circle
– Over the last 13 games, the starting pitching for the Purple Aces has been outstanding
– As a whole, the starters have tossed a total of 49 2/3 innings while allowing just 15 earned runs over that time
– That translates to a 2.11 ERA
Finding her Rhythm
– Sophomore Sydney Weatherford is on an absolute roll in the circle
– Over her last 30 1/3 innings of work, Weatherford has allowed just five earned runs while lowering her season ERA to 2.92
– Her ERA is 14th in the MVC
– After allowing five runs in 2/3 inning against Indiana on March 11, her ERA rose to 5.33
