Everyone is invited for Mass tonight in Neu Chapel at 9:30 pm. This week's celebrant is Fr. Jeff Read, associate pastor of Holy Rosary Catholic Church. He will be available for the Sacrament of Reconciliation before Mass at 9:00 p.m., and the Rosary will be prayed at that time as well. Contact Newman Center director Mike Roesch at mr201 for more information.

All members of the campus and local community are encouraged to attend I-House: Saudi Arabia. Attendees will learn about another culture, lifestyle, food, and so much more. Bring your friends to enjoy the presentation and complimentary cookies this Wednesday at 7 pm. on the second floor of Ridgway University Center in the Class of 1959 Gallery.

All registration forms must be completed and submitted to csi@evansville.edu by March 22, 2013 so sign up today for UE Gives Back!   This year UE Gives Back will be held on Saturday April 6 from 10 am to 12 pm.  Please visit our website (http://www.evansville.edu/studentengagement/annualDays.cfm)  to download the excel file and register yourself and/or your student organization.

The Department of Theatre opens Crimes of the Heart, by Beth Henley, on Friday, March 15, at 7:30 p.m. in the May Studio Theatre. The show will continue with performances at 7:30 p.m. on March 16, 18, 19, and 20, and at 2:00 p.m. on March 17. This 1981 Pulitzer Prize-winning play is a poignant snapshot of sibling rivalry set in a small Southern town. The three eccentric Magrath sisters humorously tackle issues of abandonment, adultery, and racial injustice in this dark comedy.

Collin Matthew Jones, a senior theatre generalist from New Albany, Ind., directs the play. The Magrath sisters are played by juniors Kelsey Miller; Olivia Shrum; and sophomore Logan Elizabeth Hardy. The cast also features performances from senior Aaron Fentress; juniors Ross DeWitt; and Katherine Nykanen.

The all-student creative team for Crimes of the Heart includes scenic design by junior Sarah Dory; lighting design by junior Jenna Dabkowski; costume design by junior Moriah James; and sound design by sophomore Alexis Richards. The play’s Technical Director is senior Mollie Hamilton and the Stage Manager is junior Rebekah Carriere.

Tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for senior adults, students and UE faculty and staff. UE students may pick up their free student rush ticket beginning at 12 pm on the day of the performance they wish to attend. Seating is limited. For reservations, call the ticket office at 812/488-2031.

Today is day three of Philanthropy Week. Be sure to stop by the table in the Ridgway University Center to write a quick “Thank You” note for your scholarship donor. You can write one or many even if you don’t specifically know your donor.
You can also tweet or post a “thank you” on Facebook using the hashtag #DoGood4UE.

Alcoa Warrick Operations has challenged UE, USI and Ivy Tech in a local Recyclemania contest and will provide a cash prize of $1,500 to whichever school improves the most in the second half of the challenge (March 3–30).  In addition to the local grant, the winner in the competition will also get a traveling trophy, created by a local artist from crushed aluminum cans.  UE, we can do this!  There are 18 days left - let’s make sure we are recycling the following items:
• Office paper
• Cardboard
• Newspapers
• Magazines
• Cereal boxes, beverage and soda cases
• Books
• Aluminum cans (rinsed out, empty)
• Plastic: (rinsed out, empty) with #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7 in the recycle symbol on the container, such as:  Milk containers; Water bottles; Shampoo bottles; Laundry detergent containers; and Margarine containers

If you’ve got questions, call ext. 2697 or email js652.

Adventist Campus Ministries will be having Bible study on Thursday night from 7-8 pm in Room 70 in the Schroeder Family School of Business Building.

Was Jesus a Democrat or a Republican? What does the Bible have to say about topics like the national debt, helping the poor, gun control, labor and management issues, abortion, etc.

"I think you will find Jesus was very much middle of the road," says Bible study member Alexandra Statham. "On certain topics he seems to lean towards the right while with other topics he leans towards the left."

Anyone is welcome to attend and you can contact: Alexandra Statham (as509@evansville.edu) for more details.
 

The University of Evansville Acettes invites all eligible students to audition for the 2013-2014 season. Auditions will be held in two sessions on April 7 from 11:30 am to 2:30 pm and 3:30 pm to 8:30 pm in the Carson Center. Please visit the Acettes Webpage for additional details as well as team requirements. Alternate auditions may be arranged through Coach Arata. Contact Coach Arata at ma112@evansville.edu or 812-488-1145 with questions. We look forward to seeing you on the 7th. Go Aces!

Douglas Reed, University Organist, will continue the NEU CHAPEL ORGAN @ NOON series on Thursday, March 21, Johann Sebastian Bach's birthday.  Dr. Reed will be joined by organ students, Henry Maurer, Joe Luegers, and Rachel Bennett in presenting organ music by the great composer.  Sponsored by the Neu Chapel Society and the University of Evansville chapter of the American Guild of Organists, the 45 minute informal recital will begin at 12:10 p.m.

Refreshments will be served following the program which is free and open to the public.

The series will continue on April 18 with music for the Easter season.
 

Kappa Kappa Iota is pleased to bring 2002 UE Alum Bernie Salazar to campus Thursday, March 21.  Bernie's presentation “Start making the positive changes to lead the life you deserve” will take place in Room 251, Ridgway University Center at 7:00 p.m. Bernie will share his experiences while on "The Biggest Loser" as well as talk about his new mission - finding ways to get school children up and moving so they can lead a healthy lifestyle.  His sense of humor and willingness to share personal experiences always make Bernie Salazar a popular speaker on campus.

The UE Community is invited to 2013 MESCON (Math, Engineering, Science Conference) on Saturday, March 23, in Koch Center. This annual conference celebrates undergraduate scientific research and engineering design from excellent colleges and universities in the Midwestern region. Starting at 8:00 am, students will give oral and poster presentations from areas ranging in biology, chemistry, mathematics, computer science, and engineering.  Please come hear student presentations and see poster presentations. MESCON Committee members Dr. Dick Blandford (MESCON Co-Chair), Dr. Deborah Hwang (MESCON Co-Chair), Dr. Cris Hochwender, Dr. Chris Tweddle, Dr .John Stamm, Dr. Arlen Kaufman, Dr. Lora Becker, Dr. Todsapon Thananatthanachon, and Dr. James Doane.

Special thanks to CIHOLAS,Inc and Mead Johnson.

The ladies of Phi Mu are holding their annual pancake breakfast to benefit Children's Miracle Network this Saturday. It will be held at St. Benedict's Cathedral School in the cafeteria. Tickets will be sold at the door for $5 from 8-11am. Raffle tickets are $1. There will be music, games, and unlimited breakfast! Please come and support a great cause.

Ace Advocates is sponsoring a competition between different organizations to see who can raise the most money as a donation to the organization KIVA. KIVA is an online microfinance loan program, and by everyone donating just a dollar, we can help provide economic opportunities to entrepreneurs and people in need in countries all over the world.
The competition is already on and runs to March 22.  Ace Advocates will be collecting money at a Ridgway University Center table on March 19 and 21 during lunch and dinner.  Any club or organization at the University of Evansville may compete. The team to raise the most money will receive campus-wide recognition and a trophy for their organization, as a token for their efforts to help people around the world.  After the first week, a total of $69 has been raised.  Tied for first place is both Powell Hall and College Democrats with $16 while DOZ is in third with $9.35 so far.
For more information, email Nick Joyner (nj35).

Please join us Thursday, March 21 at 11:00 a.m. in the lobby of Olmsted Hall for a dedication of art donated by Virginia Schroeder H’92. Ginny is a long-time supporter of UE and has made this donation in honor of President Tom and Dr. Sharon Kazee. The painting depicts Harlaxton College and the artist is Kathryn Waters. Please come out and thank Ginny Schroeder for her gift and support of UE.

This year’s History Department Spring Lecture will feature Dr. David Green, Lecturer in History and British Studies at Harlaxton College. The event is free and open to the public, and faculty, staff, students and the campus community are invited to attend. The lecture, titled "The English Empire in the Later Middle Ages," will take place from 4-5:30 p.m. Thursday, March 21 in Eykamp Hall, Room 251A. 

This speaking engagement represents in integral part of Dr. Green’s on-going research program which explores ‘colonial’ practices and attitudes at work in the dominions of the later medieval English monarchy (England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Gascony, and Normandy).

By March 2013 Dr. Green will have published four articles in international peer-reviewed journals and essay collections, including the Journal of British Studies and the Journal of Historical Sociology. Another important element in this project is a major international conference (the Harlaxton Medieval Symposium) which Dr. Green will convene alongside colleagues from the universities of York and East Anglia (both in the U.K.). Together these scholarly activities form an innovative research program which examines, through a comparative and interdisciplinary approach, a period of fundamental change in the construction of the English nation.

Dr. Green’s research trajectory and findings have been shaped, in part, by the core course in British Studies required of all students at Harlaxton College with its focus on the construction of the British nation, its identity, and the relationships between its component parts. Accordingly, research from this program will be used to inform the teaching of this course, particularly the recently developed Honors section, which will sustain and enrich the curricular and co-curricular experience of UE students at Harlaxton in accordance with the university’s Strategic Plan Core Goal 1.

This is a reminder to all faculty that adoptions for the summer and fall terms are now due in the UE Bookstore.  Please submit your adoptions to the Bookstore as soon as possible.  If you have any questions please contact the Bookstore.  Remember timely adoptions affect the price students get for their books in some cases during Buyback at the end of the term.

We’ve recently had some recycle bags in the plastics bins contaminated with a significant amount of liquid.  Unfortunately, this causes us to trash the entire bag, as we cannot take this to our recycling facility.  Please help UE and the environment by emptying bottles and cans of liquid before placing them in the recycle bins!

Searching for a Summer Job?  Residence Life hires students for its Summer Conference Program.  Applications are available on March 20th and are due back on March 26.  A session with more info will be held on March 20th at 9:30 pm in Graves 100.

Compensation is free summer housing (value of $2,410) plus $975 pay.

Summer Staff are a primary support system during the summer, and are responsible for providing assistance to conference guests and summer school students.  Summer Staff will be involved in all phases of the conference program so applicants should be hard working, have a dedication to excellence, be customer service orientated, have good communication skills, and be knowledgeable about UE.

Summer Staff Selection Timeline:
• March 20 – Summer Staff Info Session:  9:30 pm in Graves 100
• March 26 – Applications and recommendations due – all recommendations and completed applications must be received by 5:00 pm in the Office of Residence Life
• April 11 – Hiring decisions and notifications will be made.

Please note: selection timeline is subject to change.  Question about the process?  Contact Calvin Wertman at 488-2214 / cw81@evansville.edu or Anna Jessen at 488-1115 / jj82@evansville.edu.
 

UE Libraries will observe the following schedule of hours during the Easter Recess which begins on March 29 and concludes on March 31.  Contact William Louden, University Librarian, with questions at 488.2376  or wflouden@evansville.edu.
                  
• Thursday, March 28:     7:45 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
• Friday, March 29:          CLOSED
• Saturday, March 30:      CLOSED
• Sunday, March 31:         CLOSED
• Monday, April 1:            Resume Regular Hours

Sodexo is currently running our Spring Semester Customer Satisfaction Survey. The survey is open to all members of campus and should only take about 5 minutes to complete. In exchange for your time, you will be entered to win an Outdoor Fun Prize Pack consisting of 2 folding camp chairs, t-shirts, beverages from Pepsi & Coke, and a portable MP3 player speaker. To access the survey visit http://vcil.cc/8sx1grp. The link will be open through March 20.

The Department of Foreign Languages would like to invite students who studied abroad on a language immersion program for their major/minor requirement to submit photos to enter the Annual Foreign Language Department Photo Contest.  If you participated in a foreign language study abroad program for your major/minor requirement in Spring 2012, Summer 2012 or Fall 2012, you may submit up to three photos (one in each category) from your study abroad experience for the contest. 

Printed photos should be no larger than 4 x 6, or photos may be submitted by email to foreignlanguages@evansville.edu. The photos can be of any trips, campuses or cities that you were in during your foreign language study abroad and must be submitted in one of the following categories:  Art; Landscape; or Cultural Interaction.

One winner will be awarded for each category, and one of those photos will be awarded the Best Overall photo.  The Best Overall photo will be enlarged, framed and displayed in the Foreign Language Office.  Please note that all photos may be shared and/or published with the Office of Study Abroad and University Relations.

Feel free to stop by OH 350 and see the winners from the past, if you like.

The deadline for submissions has been extended. You can now submit your photos to Foreign Languages at OH 350 by WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27. Put your name and the place on the back of the photo or on a separate sheet.  We would love to display all of them on one of our bulletin boards.

If you have any questions, please contact Kimberly at kh209@evansville.edu.

Nominations are now being accepted for consideration of The Howard S. Rosenblatt “Dean of Students Leadership Awards”.  These awards will be presented at the 20th Annual Leadership Awards Reception scheduled for April 18, 2013 at 7:00 p.m.  Awards are presented in the following categories:
• Student Organization Advisor of the Year
• Student Organization of the Year
• Student Leader of the Year

Over 80% of UE students participate in at least one student organization or program.  These organizations are successful because of the commitment of the student leaders and the advisors who give freely of their time and support.  The recipients of these awards are selected based on their commitment to the University of Evansville as well as the development and success of their efforts within their chosen student organization.

The deadline for nominations is March 29, 2013.  Please click here to download a nomination form or stop by Room 230 in the Ridgway University Center to pick up a nomination form from the Dean of Students Office.  If you have any questions, please contact the Vice President of Student Affairs/Dean of Students at extension 2500 or by e-mail at km306@evansville.edu. 

Thank you in advance for celebrating our student leaders’ achievements. 

Faculty and administrators are encouraged to nominate one or more seniors for the Guthrie May and Mabel Dillingham Nenneker Outstanding Senior Service Awards.  One male and one female will be recognized at commencement.  There will be 10 finalists selected to attend a luncheon on May 1, 2013.  To nominate someone, please print a nomination/application form which can be found here or by contacting km306@evansville.edu.  Attach your signature to the bottom of the form and have the senior attach it to a summary of their contributions to the University.  Please turn nominations into the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs/Dean of Students by Wednesday, March 27, 2013.  

Congratulations to all who received awards in the 51st annual Student Art Exhibition, currently on display in the Melvin Peterson Gallery. The following awards were presented Monday, March 18 at the opening reception:

Best in Show Purchase Award: Mary Lana Rice, "Koi Box"

Gumberts' Award: Miranda Amey

Awards of Excellence: First place, D'Vaughn Agu, "My Tree! (Piper)"; second place, Emily Lowe, "Cliche Verre"; third place, Erin Cary, "Gotham's Reckoning"

Awards of Recognition: Dorothea Schlecte Award, Erin Sparling; Pund Awards, Travis Hasenour for "Don't Look Inside" and Erin Cary for "Gotham's Reckoning"; Dean Long Award, Amanda Squire, "Apple"; Les Miley Award, Rachael Kohout, "Rockport"; Emeriti Faculty Award, Maria Smith, "Textured Fall"

Merit Awards: Reagan Verhoestra, "Whale"; Amanda Gauthier, "Knowledge"; Rachael Kohout, "Reflection"; Chelsea Allen, "Virago Series"; Gavin Chura, "Flatiron Building NYC"; Travis Hasenour, "Don't Look Inside"

Blick's Art Award: Sam Wathen, "Cimetiere de Pere-Lachaise"

Program Cover Design Award: Travis Hasenour

Don't forget to stop by the gallery and cast your vote for the People's Choice Award, which will be announced after the exhibit closes on April 5!

Heidi Strobel, associate professor of art history, will be giving a lecture tonight on the Evansville-area Rosie the Riveters at 6:30 pm in the Browning Room of the Evansville Public Library's Central Branch.

UE psychology major alum Katlyn Farnum (previously Sorenson), recently published her senior thesis in a peer-reviewed journal. (Farnum, K. S. & Stevenson, M. C. (in press).  Economically Disadvantaged Juvenile Offenders Tried in Adult Court Are Perceived as Less Able to Understand Their Actions, But More Guilty. To appear in Psychology, Crime, and Law.)
 

Congratulations to freshman Kyle Abraham who wrote the winning philanthropy week essay “What does philanthropy mean to you?” 

Kyle wrote, “philanthropy is the act of helping people in need without the expectation of receiving anything in return. There is a common misconception that only wealthy people can participate in philanthropy; that is simply not true. Although donating money is surely important, donating time, effort, and labor can be just as important if not more so. Even sharing a kind word with someone can be considered philanthropy. People who assist others often feel better in the process. Therefore, philanthropy benefits all parties involved.”

Condolences to the family and friends of UE retiree John “Jack” Thompson who passed away in his sleep on Sunday at the age of 81.  Jack worked for the University of Evansville for 14 years, including 9 years as the director of the Physical Plant.  A kind and gentle man, Jack gave freely of his time and talents to his Church, his family, and to the community.  He will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved him.

Jack was an active member of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Newburgh.  He was a member of St. John’s Men’s Club and the Knights of Columbus.  He served on the Building Boards of both St. John the Baptist Church and the Diocese of Evansville.  Deeply involved in his church, he focused his passion for vocations through the Serra Club, was in the first class of The Bruté Society, was a driving force in both Source + Summit and Cursillo, and was the Spiritual Director of his CHRP team.

Jack was active in Boy Scouts for over 40 years, serving as a Scoutmaster, Cubmaster, Camp Director of the Outpost, Chaplain for Scouting for the Diocese of Evansville, and a board member of the National Catholic Committee of Scouting.  Through Scouting he was able to share his great love of Christ and nature, and to instill solid values in countless young people.  He was also a past member of the Kiwanis Club and the American Legion.  He held a BLS degree from the University of Evansville.

Visitation will be held 3:00–8:00 pm today, with a memorial service and prayer service at 7:30 pm at Titzer Family Funeral Homes/Simpson Chapel, 510 W. Jennings Street, Newburgh, IN.  A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Thursday at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, 625 Frame Rd. Newburgh, Indiana with additional visitation tomorrow morning from 9:00 am to service time at the church.  Sympathy wishes to the family may be made at www.titzerfuneralhomes.com.  In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. John the Baptist Church or to the Buffalo Trace Council, Boy Scouts of America.

On behalf of the Admission Office, a huge THANK YOU to the campus community for making this past Saturday’s Open House a tremendous success.  We had 156 students in attendance including 44 seniors and 9 transfers for this fall 2013!  Thank you to the faculty, maintenance staff, financial aid, and food service for your part in the day.  We truly couldn’t do it without you!  Our next open house is April 6. 

Sincerely,

Dr. Shane Davidson, VP for Enrollment Services. 

Quinn Vilneff tied for third place as the Purple Aces men’s golf team registered a fifth place finish on Tuesday at the Bobby Nichols Intercollegiate.

Vilneff was tied for the lead with a 3-under 69 following the first round of play before tallying a 77 en route to a 146.  He finished three off of the win.

Will Knights recorded a 155 to tie for 33rd as he posted rounds of 77 and 78.  Freshmen Alex Turner and Rick Voyvodic tied for 38th with a 156 while Parker Hensley carded a 160 to tie for 46th place. 

Evansville was tied for the lead following round one after shooting a tournament-low 295, but a 318 in round two pushed the Aces into fifth place.  UT Martin rallied from a two-stroke deficit to finish with the win.  The Skyhawks posted rounds of 297 and 296 to defeat Newberry College and Eastern Kentucky by ten.

Northern Kentucky placed third while UE took fifth.  The University of Tennessee had four players participating as individuals, posting four of the top eight spots led by Brandon Rodgers, who took medalist honors with a 143.  Ben Reeves of UTM finished a stroke behind with a 144 while Vilneff tied Taylor Riggs of EKU for third.

Next up for the Aces is a trip to the Indiana Invitational on April 6 and 7 in Bloomington, Ind.
 

The University of Evansville softball team was defeated by conference opponent Drake in a doubleheader as the Aces fell in the first game, 2-1, before the Bulldogs swept the second game, 3-2.

The Aces were led by senior Tamara Robey as she went 2-for-6 at the plate with a run scored and two stolen bases. Sophomore Kayla Fortner notched her fourth home run of the season while grabbing an RBI and one run.

The Aces will take the field next on March 27 when they play Murray State in a doubleheader at Cooper Stadium.

Game 1: Drake 2, UE 1
Drake struck first in the bottom of the first inning as a single to the left side drove in a run, making it a 1-0 game.

The Aces were able to get something going in the top of the fifth frame with an RBI single by sophomore Victoria Dellorto that tied the score, 1-1.

The Bulldogs came back in the bottom of the sixth inning as a home run allowed them to once again take the lead, 2-1, over Evansville.  The Aces were unable to get anything more going in the seventh as Drake took the victory in game one, 2-1.

Drake pitcher Rebekah Schmidt (8-5) took the win for the Bulldogs as she pitched 3.0 innings and struck out five.

UE pitcher Annie Moore suffered the loss for the Aces as she moved to 0-5 on the season.

Game 2: Drake 3, UE 2
After an RBI single up the middle and a single through the right side, Drake was able to take a quick 2-0 lead over the Aces in the bottom of the first.

Evansville put one up on the board in the top of the fourth after a home run by Fortner made it a 2-1 score.

The Bulldogs answered right back as a double to center field allowed a runner to advance home and expand the score, 3-1, with Drake still in the lead.

An RBI single by senior Kendall Kautz allowed Robey to cross home plate in the top of the sixth inning, as the Aces moved in on the Bulldogs, 3-2.

Evansville fell short in the top of the seventh after a pair of strikeouts and a foul out to the catcher made the final score, 3-2, with Drake coming out on top.

Jordan Gronewold took the win for the Bulldogs as she struck out three in 5.0 innings. Rebekah Schmidt came in to pick up the save for Drake, as she pitched 2.0 innings and struck out two.

Evansville pitcher Sarah Baldwin took the loss for the Aces as she pitched 6.0 innings and struck out two. Baldwin is now 1-4 on the season.

Colt Ryan led all players with 22 points as the Purple Aces advanced to round two of the CollegeInsider.com Tournament with an 84-72 victory over Tennessee State on Tuesday evening at the Ford Center.

Ryan went 6-of-13 from the floor for Evansville (19-14, 10-8 MVC) while hitting nine out of ten from the charity stripe.  Ned Cox found his stroke from long range, registering 16 points including a 4-for-6 effort from three-point range.  Tennessee State (18-15, 11-5 OVC) was led by Kellen Thornton, who notched 20 points and 10 boards.  Robert Covington also finished with a double-double, recording 19 points and 13 caroms.

"We are thrilled to death to get the win tonight," Aces head coach Marty Simmons said.  "Our main focus right now is to get better and give ourselves more opportunities to play in the postseason."

Both teams began the game 1-for-5 from the floor before Ned Cox hit a three to give UE a 5-2 lead.  Three-point shooting made a difference early as UE was 2-3 while the Tigers hit one of their first seven.  Their offense got rolling as they fought back from an early deficit to tie the game up at nine.

With Evansville up 15-13, they scored seven of the next nine to take a 7-point lead, but the threes finally started falling for the Tigers as they notched back-to-back treys to cut the gap to one at 22-21.  Inside the final eight minutes of the opening stanza, the Aces seized control of the game.  That control came from a 10-0 run that saw UE open up its first double figure lead.  Over that stretch, the Tigers missed four shots while registering three turnovers.

That run propelled UE to a 38-29 halftime lead.  In an unselfish half, eight different Aces scored as Ned Cox led the way with eight tallies.  Jaylon Moore and Egidijus Mockevicius each hauled in six boards in the first half.  That marked a career high for Moore, who topped his previous total of four in a game.

Colt Ryan tallied just four points in the first half, but quickly surpassed that in the second as he notched five in the first four minutes of the half.  He tallied his first trey of the contest as the Aces opened up their largest lead of 14 points.  TSU got within seven at 41-34 before Ryan and Cox fueled a 7-0 run.

Cox dialed it up from downtown for the fourth time to give the Aces a 15-point lead with 13 minutes remaining.  A quick 5-0 spurt cut into the gap before Jordan Nelson got on the board with his first three of the evening.  That was the beginning of a 10-0 stretch that saw UE take a 20-point advantage at 61-41. 

Facing a large deficit, Tennessee State quickly made its way back in the game.  Utilizing a full-court press for most of the night, the Tigers forced UE to go 0-4 with a turnover as they scored eight points in a row to get within 12 points at 64-52.

Down by 14 with three minutes left, the Tigers still showed fight, hitting two more treys as the gap was cut to eight (76-68) with 1:44 left.  Evansville held off the charge, going a perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line over the remainder of the game to take the 84-72 victory.

Mockevicius had a solid night, notching 8 points and 8 boards while Nelson and D.J. Balentine scored nine apiece.  UE shot 47.6% on the night while holding TSU to 39.7%.  Three-point shooting made a big difference as Evansville as 9-18 while the Tigers hit just 7 out of 32 attempts.

Evansville is now 1-1 in CIT play after playing in the inaugural event in 2009.  The Aces will wait until tomorrow evening to find out who their next opponent is and when that game will be played.  Follow GoPurpleAces.com for full information.
 

Redshirt sophomore Michael Eckstein squeezed home the game-winning run with a well-executed bunt and senior Chris Pearson added an insurance run with an RBI single in the eighth, before fellow senior Jake Naumann shut the door on Murray State in the ninth to earn his fourth save of the year and give the University of Evansville a 5-3 win over the visiting Thoroughbreds Tuesday night at Braun Stadium.

“It is great to see us get a close win,” head coach Wes Carroll said.  “In the winning innings, we were able to execute at the plate with Michael Eckstein getting a great bunt down, but it started earlier in the inning with Jason Hockemeyer getting a bunt down.  We haven’t been executing in the later innings, so it was great to see us finally play some situational baseball.”

Evansville (8-11) managed just six hits in the ballgame, but drew five walks to account for its five runs.  Redshirt junior Johnny Day was the only UE player to record multiple hits, as he finished the evening 2-for-3 at the plate with an RBI.  Pearson drove in two runs, going 1-for-2 with a run-scoring single and a bases-loaded walk.

Tyler Miller (1-1) picked up his first win of the year out of the bullpen, tossing 2.2 scoreless innings of relief.  Miller allowed just one hit and issued a walk, while striking out five.

“We had a great pitching performance from Tyler Miller out of the pen,” Carroll said.  “He put goose eggs on the board and gave us a chance, and then Jake Naumann was able to come in and close it out.”

The Aces wasted no time getting on the scoreboard, as they strung together three hits and a pair of walks to plate three runs in the bottom of the first.  Redshirt sophomore Kevin Kaczmarski led off the game with a single to c enter to extend his on-base streak to 37 games, Hockemeyer singled to right and sophomore Kyle Pollock drew a one-out walk to load the bases, before Day drove in the game’s first run with a single to left.  Pearson coaxed a bases-loaded walk for UE’s second run and senior Andy Lasher plated Pollock with a sacrifice fly to left to give Evansville a 3-0 lead.

After stranding six baserunners through the first four innings, Murray State (10-11) finally broke through in its half of the fifth.  Mike Kozlowski drove in the Thoroughbreds’ first two runs with a single to center, before Dylan Wheeler followed with an RBI single to left off of UE starter Sam Johns that tied the game at 3-3.

Junior Jake Mahon singled through the left side and moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt by Hockemeyer to set the table for Evansville’s two-run eighth.  Mahon took third on a wild pitch and was able to scamper home on Eckstein’s squeeze bunt for the eventual game-winning run. 

Ty Stetson, Taylor Mathews, Brandon Eggenschwiler and Wheeler each tallied a pair of hits to lead MSU.  John Rafferty (0-1) suffered the loss on the mound for Murray State, allowing one run on a hit in his inning of work.

The Aces will play another midweek game Wednesday night at 6 p.m. against UT Martin in Martin, Tenn., before opening Missouri Valley Conference play with a three-game set with Creighton at Braun Stadium, beginning Friday night at 6 p.m.