LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — After a historic season the University of Evansville baseball team will look to run it back in 2025.
After a record season, Aces Baseball is back and hungry for more success in 2025. UE appeared in the program’s first Super Regional in the 2024 NCAA Tournament, forcing eventual 2024 Champions #1 Tennessee to an “as necessary” third game. While Evansville has enjoyed its success from the 2024 NCAA Tournament the program turns the page on a new chapter this weekend. The Aces begin the 2025 season with their first visit to Little Rock in six years on Friday afternoon.
It will be a new-look team for UE in 2025 as six consistent 2024 starters graduated from the program. Evansville returns 39.7% of its at-bats from the prior season and only 38.1% of its hits. The Aces do welcome a large incoming class in 2025 with 11 freshmen and 4 transfer players. Most notably UE brings in graduate catcher Matt Flaherty who spent the prior season with ASUN Bellarmine.
Evansville will have several familiar faces on the mound in 2025. The Aces return 2024 MVC Freshman of the Year and 2025 D1Baseball Preseason Third Team All-American left-hander Kenton Deverman. UE will also rotate in redshirt junior right-hander Max Hansmann for his first full season as a starter and sophomore left-hander Kevin Reed. At the plate the Aces return a trio of seniors in second baseman Cal McGinnis, right fielder Harrison Taubert, and center fielder Ty Rumsey. Of the three McGinnis saw the most production in 2024 with a .348 average, 69 hits, 38 runs, two triples, and six home runs.
UE makes its return to face the Little Rock Trojans after six seasons away. The two teams have only ever met on the Trojans turf with Evansville holding the 7-4 advantage. In the two teams’ last meeting in 2019, the Aces picked up two of three wins including the team’s first double-figure win of the season in the final game at 10-5.
The Little Rock Trojans are replacing the majority of their everyday players in the lineup from 2024 to 2025. After capturing the Ohio Valley Conference regular season in 2024, the Trojans will have a much different look compared to last year’s roster, which finished 32-24 overall. However, Little Rock does return Jackson Wells, the 2023 OVC Pitcher of the Year, who will face off with UE right-hander Max Hansmann to start the series on Friday afternoon
