EVANSVILLE, Ind. — University of Southern Indiana Baseball continues a seven-game homestand this weekend when it hosts the Northern Kentucky State University Tuesday at the USI Baseball Field. The first pitch is slated for 6 p.m.
The USI-NKU game is an “812 Taco Tuesday Game” for the Screaming Eagles. Tickets are $8 Tuesday, while popcorn is $1 and tacos are $2. The promotion is sponsored by Sodexo.
The Screaming Eagle complete their seven-game homestand this weekend when it hosts Morehead State University for a three-game set. The series, which is Alumni Weekend, begins Friday at 6 p.m.; continues Saturday at 3 p.m. for USI Faculty Appreciation Day; and concludes Sunday at 1 p.m.
USI Alumni tickets are $5 each day, while the USI faculty receive free admission Saturday.
With the ever-changing weather in April, 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 wins back-to-back OVC series. The USI Screaming Eagles has opened OVC slate with back-to-back series wins after taking two of three from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. USI was led versus the Trojans by junior shortstop Clayton Slack, who batted .600 (6-10) with two runs scored, three RBIs, and a double. Sophomore infielder Parker Martin posted a team-high four RBIs in the series.
USI last week. USI was 2-2 last week and was led by junior designated hitter Cole Kitchens, who batted .471 with five RBIs, while junior shortstop Clayton Slack followed with a .462 mark and drove in three runs. Junior outfielder Hunter Miller batted .714 (5-7) in limited action, including a five-for-five performance versus Little Rock last Saturday.
Overall Eagle leader at the plate. USI junior designated hitter Cole Kitchens is the top hitter at USI and the OVC with a .453 batting average (43-95). The OVC batting average leader also leads USi in home runs (4) and RBIs (22); and second in doubles (11).
Kitchens’ 16-game hitting streak. USI junior designated hitter Cole Kitchens has a team-high 16-game hitting streak, the most since the 21-game streak by Logan Brown in 2018. In the streak, Kitchens is hitting .522 (35-67) with a team-high eight doubles, three home runs, and 15 RBIs. He also has a .806 slugging percentage and a .534 on-base percentage.
Kimball dominates on the mound. Junior right-hander Blake Kimball dominated Little Rock on the mound Saturday, throwing eight scoreless innings and striking out a season-high five. The eight-shutout innings were the most by an Eagles hurler since Sam Barnett threw a nine-inning shutout of McKendree University in 2019.
Kimball leads USI and in top five of OVC. Junior right-hander Blake Kimball leads the Eagles with a 3.51 ERA in seven games and 41 appearances in 2025. The 3.51 ERA ranks fourth in the OVC.
USI pitching improves over last five games. USI pitching has seen a distinct improvement over the last five games. The Eagle pitchers have a combined 3.07 ERA over the last five games, compared to the season ERA of 6.82.
USI in the OVC. USI ranks second in the OVC with a .307 team batting average. On the bump, the Eagles are sixth in the league with a 6.82 ERA. In the first six games of league action, USI is second in batting (.308) and pitching (4.42).
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 .453 and .398 average, respectively. Junior shortstop Clayton Slack is sixth in OVC-only games with a .455 mark (10-22).
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 15-11 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.
USI finishes homestand with Morehead State series. USI is slated to finish its seven-game homestand with a three-game set versus Morehead State University this weekend. MSU, which visits Ohio University Tuesday before coming to Evansville, is 9-16 overall and 1-5 in the OVC. The MSU Eagles lead the all-time series with USI, 6-1, after taking three of four last spring. MSU took two of three in the regular season series in Morehead, Kentucky, before eliminating USI from the OVC Tournament last May in Marion, Illinois.
