Please join us on Monday, May 2 at 2:00 p.m. in Neu Chapel for the investiture ceremony of Dr. Todsapon Thananatthanachon and Dr. Andrew Lampkins.

Dr. Thananatthanachon is the recipient of the Wargel Endowed Chair in Chemistry for the Wargel Department of Chemistry in the William L. Ridgway College of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Lampkins is the recipient of the Wargel Endowed Chair in Physician Assistant Science for the Physician Assistant Program in the College of Education and Health Sciences.

Following the ceremony, the unveiling of the Robert and Judy Decker Wargel Department of Chemistry will take place on the third floor of the Koch Center for Engineering and Science.  A reception will follow in the Koch Center foyer.

For any questions, please call University Advancement at 812-488-1094.
 

As there are fewer submissions to AceNotes during the summer, AceNotes will only be published on Wednesdays starting the week of Monday, May 9. AceNotes Extras will still be published whenever needed. The regular AceNotes publication schedule of every Monday through Friday will resume when school begins again in August.

Please join us in the Koch Center Atrium on Wednesday, May 4 at 3:00-5:00 pm to say farewell to Adam Salminen, PhD, Professor and Co-chair of Mathematics.  After 16 years of service to the University, he will be joining the mathematics faculty of Kettering University in Flint, Michigan, as their new department head.

Faculty, Staff, and Administrators

Join us under the tent!

PrezP, Siobhan, Ryan, and John invite you to an end of year celebration with food, fun, and UE friends.

Date/Time: Wednesday, May 11, 2022 at 5:30 P.M.
Location: The May House | 654 S. Lombard Avenue

Look FORWARD>> to seeing you there!

Please RSVP by May 6.

Commencement

Everyone is invited to attend the 164th Commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 7 to honor the class of 2022. The ceremony will begin at 1:30 p.m. at the Ford Center. No tickets are required. For those who cannot attend in-person, the ceremony can also be live streamed at evansville.edu/live.

Cap and gown orders will be available from the bookstore beginning April 25 through May 6. Seniors should also complete the 2022 Graduation Survey.

Baccalaureate Service

The Interfaith Baccalaureate Service will be held Saturday, May 7 at 9:00 a.m. in Neu Chapel. This is a religious service that honors the graduating class. All graduates and their families are invited to attend. The service provides time to reflect and give thanks to God in the context of high University ceremony.

Baccalaureate will include music, prayer, and readings. Music will be provided by the UE Music Conservatory and University Choir.

If you are a senior in need of information for Commencement, Baccalaureate, regalia pick-up, arrival information, and more, please visit Commencement Central.

The Department of Art is pleased to present the Senior Exhibition 2022 in the Melvin Peterson Gallery starting, April 21- May 6, 2022. Please come see the artwork of Hannah Girten, Ashley Gray, Greg King, Paige Kirkey, Bailey Korschgen, Autumn Owens, Makayla Stewart, and Jane Tafolla. The gallery hours are Monday, Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday 12-3 pm and Wednesday and Thursday 12-6 pm. A closing reception is on May 6, 5-6:30 pm.

Sign up

Please watch the recording of the Faculty Retirement Tree Planting Ceremony honoring Dr. Sharon Gieselmann, Dr. Don Rodd, and Dr. David Unger.

As spring and summer showers arrive, slips, trips, and falls are a major cause of injury that occurs to both visitors, students and employees. They can occur anywhere, but are of particular concern to our campus community.

What can you do to make a positive impact?

1) Be aware of your immediate surroundings
2) Wear comfortable, properly fitting non-slip shoes. Avoid wearing flip flops when it is raining as they can be extremely slippery on wet surfaces.
3) Be aware of the type of surface you are walking on and its condition
4) Adjust to environmental and walking surface conditions
5) Pay attention to “Wet Floor” warning signs to warn of known hazards
6) Practice Good Housekeeping
7) Keep walkways and hallways free of debris, clutter and obstacles
8) Only carry items that allow you to see clearly where you are going
9) Use handrails when going up or down stairs and not skip steps
10) Eliminate or minimize distractions while walking, such as looking at your cell phone

Report unsafe conditions to Office of Public Safety at 812-488-2051.

Be Safe With Each Step!

The University of Evansville established a chapter of the SALUTE Veterans National Honor Society on January 12, 2022.  SALUTE recognizes the academic achievements among undergraduate and graduate veterans, active-duty military, National Guard, and reservists.

The criteria for undergraduate induction include: 

• Honorably Discharged from military service
• Minimum of 45 course credits hours earned at UE.
• GPA  based on a 4.00 scale and off cumulative GPA at UE.
  Alpha 3.75 – 4.00
  Bravo 3.50 – 3.74
  Charlie 3.25– 3.49
  Delta  3.00 – 3.24

The criteria for graduate induction include:

• Honorably Discharged from military service
• Minimum of 12 credit hours earned at UE
• GPA based on a 4.0 scale and off cumulative GPA at UE.
  Gold 3.50 – 4.00

The Spring 2022 SALUTE Veterans National Honor Society Undergraduate Honorees include:

• Mr. Dakota Blankenship,  Army Veteran, Nursing Major Graduation: Spring 2022
• Mr. Robert "Neal" Quick, Air Force Veteran, Accounting Major Graduation: Fall 2022
• Ms. Megan Yoder, Navy Veteran, Student Veterans Organization President, Accounting Major Graduation: Spring 2022

Direct questions concerning the SALUTE Veterans National Honor Society to Dr. Tracey Y. Folden, Academic Affairs tf91@evansville.edu or 812-488-2509.

On-campus jobs available for summer. Continuing undergraduates can apply for positions online through WebAdvisor. Students can work multiple jobs up to a combined 37.5 hours per week during summer. Summer enrollment is not required.

Please note that the Dean of Students office will not grant official excused absences during finals except for extreme circumstances (i.e.: death of an immediate family member, emergency surgery, etc.). Students who feel they are unable to take a scheduled final exam should work directly with their professors to discuss other possible options.

It was the desire of the donor, Margery Florence Kahn, that her scholarship be awarded to "dedicated and conscientious students who exhibit a true passion for their chosen fields of study, and who, in the opinion of the members of the University of Evansville faculty, are likely to bring the same enthusiasm into the performance of their jobs or the practice of the professions which they will pursue following graduation."

All University of Evansville full-time undergraduate students who will be juniors or seniors in the 2022-23 academic year may apply. An essay of about 300 words must accompany the application along with two to five faculty recommendation letters.

The application and faculty recommendation information can be found here.

Completed applications and recommendation letters should be returned to the Office of Student Financial Services by MAY 10, 2022.

Questions may be directed to the Office of Student Financial Services via email or by phone at (812) 488-2364.

Family, friends and loved ones of the late Dr. Marvin E. Hartig are pleased to announce the application process for the Dr. Marvin E. Hartig Memorial Scholarship. This scholarship is dedicated to the loving memory of Dr. Hartig, Dean of Evansville College’s Evening College in 1967, and administrator for the Center for Advanced Study, director of the Evansville chapter of the American Institute of Banking (AIB), and the international student advisor. In 1974, Dr. Hartig was appointed Dean of Academic Services. He retired in 1984 after serving his alma mater for thirty-five years and passed away in 2007.

This scholarship will be awarded annually to a deserving sophomore student. Preference will be given to a student working while being enrolled as a full-time student. International students are encouraged to apply.

Eligible students for the 2022-2023 Hartig Memorial Scholarship will be sophomores in the 2022-2023 academic year.

Apply for the 2022-2023 Hartig Memorial Scholarship

Deadline: Please return all materials to the Office of Student Financial Services by April 22, 2022. The decision will be announced by May 27, 2022.

Questions: Amber Chandler, Administrative Assistant to the Office of Student Financial Services, at ac547@evansville.edu or 812-488-2364

The Center for Career Development is pleased to announce that Ms. Dianna Cundiff has been named Director, Center for Career Development to replace Gene Wells, whose retirement is effective May 31, 2022. Please join us in congratulating Dianna in her promotion. She joined the career center in 2008, was named associate director in 2012 and will be presenting at the annual Career Development Professionals of Indiana (CDPI) conference this May. Best wishes Dianna.

The Annual Biology Awards honoring the outstanding achievements of UE biology students during the 2021-2022 academic year were announced during the Biology Senior Picnic on April 28th.

The recipient of the Jerry T. Seng Freshmen Biology Award was Josie Pagano.

The David and Jennifer Pollock Sophomore Biology Award was granted to Brad Schulte.
Charlie Watts received the P. “Louie” Winternheimer Junior Biology Award.

The James A. Brenneman Student Service Award in Biology was given to Samantha Schmidt.

Sarah Kempf was honored with the Patricia L. Akrabawi Teaching Assistant Award in Biology.

The Charles and Patricia Robertson Senior Biology Award was presented to Kenzie Young.

During the picnic, the biology department also recognized the achievements of Dr. Noah Gordon by presenting him with The Ivory Tower Award.

Congratulations go out to all biology majors for their success over the past academic year.

The Department of English and Creative Writing is pleased to announce the winners of its annual Virginia Lowell Grabill and George Klinger academic writing awards. These awards were made possible by generous legacies from Professor George Klinger and Professor Virginia Grabill and were presented at LitFest, the annual student literary conference.

The department also recognized its winners of the Larry Caldwell Senior Award, as well as the new and graduating members of Sigma Tau Delta, its honor society.

GRABILL AWARDS

NONFICTION
Third Place: "First Movie Without You," Sam Tarter
Second Place: "An Accomplice to Failure," Audrey Theriac
First Place: "Hag Stories," Rebecca Harwood

FICTION
Third Place: "Moving On," Hollie Hoffman
Second Place: "Vicissitude," Jane Tafolla
First Place: "Gay," Sam Tarter

POETRY
Third Place: "Fetal Possum," Rebecca Harwood
Second Place: "Human Error in Five Parts," Erin Casey
First Place: "Kitchen Witchery," Alexis Carpenter

ACADEMIC ESSAY
Third Place: “Mythic and Mystic Reality in The Left Hand of Darkness,” Mitchell Matthews
Second Place: “How Jacob’s Room Examines the Notion of Communication” Alexis Carpenter
First Place: “The Double-Crossing Demon: Mephastophilis’s Manipulation in Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus,” Charlie Watts

KLINGER WRITING AWARD
Katherine Fox, “Exploring the Conception and Expression of Manhood in England Throughout the Middle Ages”

THE LARRY CALDWELL SENIOR AWARD, for departmental service and spirit was given to Maddie Johnson and Rebecca Harwood.

SIGMA TAU DELTA,
New inductees:
Olivia Brames
Alexis Carpenter
Trix Gebele
Gabrielle Hardoin
Hollie Hoffman
Michael Ikejiani
Emma Jones (Harlaxton)
Willow Kruggel
Elizabeth McCook
Jordan McKinney
Emily Schwartz
John Sutter
Audrey Theriac
Maddy Webb
Ashton Wilson

Graduating Seniors:
Olivia Brames
Katherine Fox
Rebecca Harwood
Hollie Hoffman
Emma Jones (Harlaxton)
Avery Pereboom
Lindsey Phillips
Jane Tafolla
Gabriela Mancuso

Congratulations to the faculty members who received a Dean's Teaching Award from their Academic Dean for 2021-2022. Their dedication to our students through their teaching and support is exceptional and deserving of this award. The faculty members being recognized are:

Erin Davis, associate professor of mathematics from the William L. Ridgway College of Arts and Sciences,

Patrick Thomas, associate professor of archeology from the William L. Ridgway College of Arts and Sciences,

Josh Fenton, clinical assistant professor of business law from the College of Business and Engineering,

Brian Swenty, professor of mechanical and civil engineering from the College of Business and Engineering,

Alison Jones, clinical assistant professor of education from the College of Education and Health Sciences,

Katie Thomas, clinical assistant professor of nursing from the College of Education and Health Sciences.

The Honors Program congratulates Pranav Haran and Connor Luebbehusen on receiving the Outstanding Honors Program Senior Award for this academic year.

Pranav and Connor have been active in the Honors Program throughout their time at UE. This year, they served as co-presidents of the Honors Activity Board, leading the group in organizing and running events such as Nerd Wars, game nights, community service activities, and the honors freshman retreat.

Connor is graduating with a degree in Computer Engineering and minors in Mathematics and Computer Science. His honors project involved his work on the IEEE SoutheastCon 2022 Mardi Gras Robot. After graduation, he will be working as a software engineer at LifeOmic in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Pranav is graduating with a degree in Chemistry. His honors project was entitled, “Catalytic Dehydrogenative Coupling of Alcohols using POCOP and PNCNP Nickel and Ruthenium Catalysts”. He will be attending the IU School of Medicine in Evansville this fall.

The Honors Program thanks Pranav and Connor for all their contributions to the program and wishes them all the best for the future. Congratulations!

The University of Evansville Eta Lambda Chapter of Sigma International Honor Society of Nursing inducted new members in a ceremony April 24, 2022. Inductees included Juniors, Delany Herrmann, Faith Macy, Emily McMonigle, and Alexa Wheeler. Seniors, inductees included Julia Meadows, Sophie Treski and Emma Vassy. Additionally, RN to BSN Tracy Pfau and Lacey Risley along with Nurse Leader, Jamey Williams, MSN, RN, CNS, Melissa Fitch DNP, CRNA and Meghan Butcha DNP, CRNA were inducted. Katherine Goslak received the Key Award. Special thanks to 2021 Inductees Alexa Hopf, Katherine Goslak and Katelyn Sanders assisting in the ceremony. Michelle Hamblin MSN, RN gave the keynote address. The mission of Sigma International is advancing world health and celebrating nursing excellence in scholarship, leadership, and service.

A hot Aces offense helped lift the University of Evansville baseball team to a 15-4 run-rule victory in seven innings over Bradley, securing a series sweep of the Braves, on Sunday afternoon at German American Bank Field at Charles H. Braun Stadium in Evansville.

"Great offensive day when we needed it. To hit 5 home runs and everyone in the lineup contributing lead to our win," said Aces head baseball coach Wes Carroll. "Really proud of our pitchers coming in and getting outs too. "Overall great weekend for Aces Baseball."

On the mound, Nate Hardman picked-up his second win of the season, coming on in relief and throwing three innings, allowing just one run on three hits. Michael Parks and Shane Harris also recorded relief innings, combining for nine outs and allowing just four base runners and no outs.

Six Aces tallied multi-hit outings on the afternoon with Mark Shallenberger, Brendan Hord, and Chase Hug all notching three hits in the seven-inning win. Of Evansville's 15 runs, 10 were scored with the long ball as the Aces launched five home runs on the day.

What was a resounding Aces win did not begin that way as Bradley tallied three runs in the opening stanza and threatened for more, but Caleb Reinhardt and the Evansville defense limited the Braves to a 3-0 advantage. Evansville wasted little time in answering, hanging four runs on the scoreboard in the bottom of the first on an RBI groundout by Widder and three-run homer down the right field line by Eric Roberts.

Bradley responded with a solo home run from Connor O'Brien that tied the game at four again in the top of the second, but that would be the Braves last offense of the day.

The Aces launched two more home runs in the second as Hug and Widder each jolted solo shots to hand UE a 6-4 lead. Two innings later, Shallenberger smashed a three-run homer to right center field that gave the Aces some breathing room.

Despite Evansville's offense getting much of the acclaim on the day, the defense was remarkable. Evansville recorded four double plays in Sunday's series finale, adding on to its Valley-leading total to give UE 43 on the season.

UE added three more runs in the fifth and tallied two in the bottom of the sixth, including a solo home run by Danny Borgstrom that helped lift Evansville to a 15-4 run-rule victory.

Evansville returns to the field on Friday night at 6 PM as the Aces open a three-game set against Illinois State at German American Bank Field at Charles H. Braun Stadium.

On the day that the Aces retired the #23 worn by Jamey Carroll, the University of Evansville baseball team earned its 23rd win of the season, an 8-7 come-from-behind victory over Bradley on Saturday afternoon at German American Bank Field at Charles H. Braun Stadium in Evansville.

"Great to get the series win on Saturday. It was a back-and-forth game, but we were able to have a big offensive inning," said Aces head baseball coach Wes Carroll. "The bottom of our order gave us quality at bats and delivered. Drew Dominik followed up Nick (Smith) well on the mound. but Shane Harris made the big pitches to close it out. It was just an overall great day for Aces Baseball as we celebrated Jamey Carroll's number retirement and we got a series win."

A pregame ceremony honored UE Hall of Famer and Aces baseball alum Jamey Carroll (1994-96), who was presented with a commemorative sign and had his number displayed on the right center field wall before delivering a speech to the 657 fans in attendance Saturday afternoon.

On the field, Nick Smith started, spending 5.2 innings on the mound, allowing five earned runs and firing five strikeouts. Redshirt senior Drew Dominik earned the win, coming on in relief for 2.2 innings of scoreless work and striking-out a pair. To close out the game and hold off the Braves, Redshirt sophomore Shane Harris recorded two outs with just six pitches, inducing a double play to end the game and earn his first career save.

At the plate, a balanced effort up and down the lineup saw eight Aces record a hit with Simon Scherry continuing his run of strong form, going two-for-four with an RBI. The eight and nine batters in the lineup, Brendan Hord and Chase Hug were the key to the win, recording a pair of RBI each.

Evansville got off to a quick start in the bottom of the first with solo home runs off the bats of Tanner Craig and Scherry for a 2-0 lead. In the second, Bradley answered with a run on an RBI groundout, but the Aces responded as Danny Borgstrom doubled down the right field line to retake a 3-1 lead.

Both teams' bats went silent in the third and fourth innings, but Connor O'Brien tied the game for the Braves in the fifth with a two-run base hit to left that knotted the game at three. An inning later, Bradley took its first lead of the game with two home runs, a solo shot by Connor Manthey and a two-run homer from Cal McGinnis that lifted the Braves to a 6-3 advantage.

The Aces would immediately respond in the bottom half of the sixth with doubles from Eric Roberts and Hord and a two-run single from Hug that catapulted Evansville back in front, 8-6.

Bradley threatened in the ninth, pushing a run across with one out on a single by O'Brien. With the bases loaded, Evansville brought in Harris, who faced Peter Hansen and on a 2-2 count got Hansen to ground into a 5-3 double play to end the game.

Evansville and Bradley wrap-up their three-game series on Sunday with a 1 PM first pitch at German American Bank Field at Charles H. Braun Stadium in Evansville.

Six seniors who made a lasting impact on the University of Evansville softball team were honored on Sunday following the series finale against Southern Illinois.  The senior class included Elyse Hickey, Bella Coffey, Haley Woolf, Mackenzie McFeron, Izzy Vetter and Jessica Fehr.  On the field, Southern Illinois finished up Saturday’s halted game by a 6-0 score before winning the finale, 5-0.

Game Two – Southern Illinois 6, UE 0 (resumption of Saturday’s game)
Four hits in the top of the first saw SIU take the early 2-0 lead before they added a third run in the second.  In the third, Southern Illinois made it a 5-0 game as their ninth hit padded the lead.  Jenny Jansen led the fourth off with a home run off the scoreboard for the sixth run of the day.  SIU scored in each of the opening four frames.

As UE was set to bat in the bottom of the fifth, lightning halted play before rain started to fall.  The remainder of the game was played on Sunday morning.  UE picked up three hits in the remaining frames while Paige McAllister pitched two hitless innings in a strong effort.  Mackenzie McFeron and Alexa Davis recorded two hits apiece in the contest.

Game Three – Southern Illinois 5, UE 0
It was a pitcher’s duel over the first three innings before the Salukis opened the scoring with a run in the fourth on a sacrifice fly by Elisabeth Huckleberry.  SIU added another run in the fifth on an RBI single from Emma Austin.  Haley Woolf prevented the Salukis from tacking on more as a perfect strike threw out a base stealer.

Huckleberry struck again with a solo home run in the sixth before another run made it 4-0.  Evansville put up one of its top threats of the day in the bottom of the inning.  McFeron led off with a single before Marah Wood doubled to left with one out, but a pair of strikeouts ended the threat.  One more run was added by the Salukis in the top of the seventh and they would take the 5-0 victory.  UE had six hits on the way with Haley Woolf recording two.  Sydney Weatherford took the loss, allowing two runs in 4 1/3 frames. 

Next week will mark the final series of the regular season.  UE travels to Valparaiso for a 3-game set, which opens on Friday at noon.

Trailing by one run entering the bottom of the ninth, the University of Evansville baseball team struck for a pair of runs, walking-off with a 6-5 win over Bradley in the series opener on Friday night at German American Bank Field at Charles H. Braun Stadium in Evansville.

"Offense finally came through when it mattered tonight. Pitching kept us close enough for us to do something special," said Aces head baseball coach Wes Carroll on the win. "Their starter is going to be a handful for many years to come so it was great to get a win. Tomorrow is going to be a special day for our program as we honor Jamey Carroll! Can't wait to see our energy."

Starter Shane Gray threw seven innings of work on the evening, allowing five runs and striking-out eight. On in relief, Drew Dominik held the Braves in check, going two innings, not allowing a base runner and striking-out three in what would be his third win of the season.

At the plate, Simon Scherry played the hero on the evening, going three-for-five and driving in half of the Aces runs in the game. Continuing a run of strong form in conference play, Brendan Hord finished the night with a pair of RBI, going one-for-three on the day, including a base-hit that helped set up the ninth inning comeback.

Bradley opened the contest with a pair of runs in the top of the first as Keaton Rice lifted a home run to left to give the Braves the early lead. One of Hord's two RBI came in the third to help halve the Braves' lead, driving in Eric Roberts on a groundout.

The Braves pushed their lead back to two with a responding RBI groundout in the top of the fourth, owning a 3-1 advantage.

Evansville's offense found a spark in the fourth as Chase Hug ripped a single through the right side to score Brent Widder and Hord reached on a fielder's choice that allowed Scherry to score and tie the game. In the next inning, Scherry gave Evansville its first lead of the night with an RBI base hit that sent Tanner Craig home and earned a 4-3 lead for the Aces.

The sixth inning saw Bradley tie the game again the back-and-forth affair as Jack Lincoln singled to center, which scored Jackson Chatterton to tie the contest at four. A solo home run that drifted out to right field in the seventh by Connor O'Brien gave the lead back to Bradley with just nine outs left for Evansville.

The Braves took their one-run lead to the bottom of the ninth where Hord opened the frame with a signle to left and was replaced by pinch runner Max Malley. Danny Borgstrom then laid down a sacrifice bunt to allow Malley to move to second. With two outs, Craig was intentionally walked and Widder stepped to the plate and was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Scherry then came up and on a 1-0 count blooped a single over the second baseman's head and into right field allowing Malley to score easily and Craig to score without a throw to walk-off with a 6-5 win.

Saturday represents a special day for Evansville baseball as the Aces will retire UE Hall of Famer Jamey Carroll's #23 in a ceremony prior to the 2 PM first pitch. The first 250 fans in German American Bank Field will receive a signed commemorative baseball as the Aces take on Bradley in game two of their series at German American Bank Field at Charles H. Braun Stadium.

Southern Illinois opened Saturday’s doubleheader with an 8-6 victory over the University of Evansville softball team before game two was halted with the Salukis holding a 6-0 lead in the bottom of the fifth.

Game One – Southern Illinois 8, UE 6
Elisabeth Huckleberry opened the scoring with a solo home run in the top of the second.  Evansville tied it up in the bottom of the third when Zoe Frossard looked to be caught in a rundown before an error on the Salukis helped her score the tying run.  Marah Wood picked up UE’s first hit of the game to score Mackenzie McFeron to put the Aces up, 2-1.

It took just one pitch in the fourth for SIU to tie it up as Rylie Hamilton hit a solo shot to center.  The top of the fifth saw the Salukis plate three runs to go up by a 5-2 score.  Capping off the scoring in the frame was an RBI triple by Aubree DePron.

Evansville refused to give up and McFeron made it happen in the bottom of the fifth.  After leading off with a triple, she scored on Wood’s second RBI hit of the game, cutting the deficit to 5-3.  Elizabeth Warwick countered in the next half inning, belting the third long ball of the day for SIU, a 3-run launch to center, to extend the lead to 8-3. 

UE made a final gasp in the seventh with the first two batters earning walks before a long single by Jenna Lis scored a pair.  Jenna Nink added an RBI groundout, but the deficit was too much to overcome with the Salukis earning an 8-6 win.  Wood had two hits and two RBI in the game while Lis matched Wood’s RBI tally.  Sarah Harness recorded the win for SIU, tossing six frames while Izzy Vetter suffered the loss.

Game Two
Four hits in the top of the first saw SIU take the early 2-0 lead before they added a third run in the second.  In the third, Southern Illinois made it a 5-0 game as their ninth hit padded the lead.  Jenny Jansen led the fourth off with a home run off the scoreboard for the sixth run of the day.  SIU scored in each of the opening four frames.

As UE was set to bat in the bottom of the fifth, lightning halted play before rain started to fall.  The remainder of the game will take place on Sunday at 11 a.m. before the third game of the series begins.  Senior Day festivities will be held following the final game on Sunday.

On a warm and windy day in Terre Haute on Saturday, University of Evansville junior Zach Dove (Princeton, Ind./Princeton Community) continued his assault on the UE throwing record book and graduate student Anna Lowry (Taylorville, Ill./Taylorville) pick up an impressive victory in the 5,000-meters to pace the Purple Aces’ track and field teams at the Sycamore Open hosted by Indiana State.

Dove, who has already broken the school record in the hammer throw three times this outdoor season, picked up the school record in the discus with a throw of 48.72 meters.  Lowry, meanwhile, lapped the field while battling 25-30 mile-per-hour winds in the 5,000-meters to pick up her first victory of the outdoor season with a time of 18:18.94.  She won by nearly a minute in the event, as the second-place runner clocked in with a time of 19:14.76.

“The winds made it really tough to compete today in a lot of events, but I was proud of how we were able to battle through and still set some PRs and even a school record,” said UE head coach Don Walters.  “Zach just continues to impress in the throwing events this year.  I am so proud of him with how hard he has worked to make him the thrower he is today.

“And, I was really proud of the effort that Anna gave today.  She looked really strong, and once she started coming up on lapped traffic, you could almost see her eyes light up, as she loves to pass people.  Overall, I was pleased with how today went, and now, it is time to focus on conference.”

Overall, Evansville set 10 personal-best marks on the afternoon.  The throwers posted four PR marks overall, including Dove’s school record throw in the discus, as senior Andrew Schuler (Ferdinand, Ind./Forest Park) set new personal-best marks in both the discus (39.51 meters) and hammer throw (45.79 meters), while fellow senior McKenna Sapp (Bloomington, Ill./University) on the women’s side set a personal-best mark in the javelin with a toss of 26.26 meters.

Senior Joey Rucinski (Ft. Wayne, Ind./Concordia Lutheran) tied his career-best jump in the long jump with a distance of 5.97 meters.  Meanwhile, on the track, the sprinters took advantage of the tail-wind to once again post some of their best times ever.  Seniors Greg King (10.91 – 100-meters) and Skylar Tucker (26.37 – 200-meters) and freshmen Denzel Lasam (11.55 – 100-meters) and Kara Yunker (13.00 – 100-meters) posted wind-aided personal-best marks in the 100- and 200-meter events.  Freshman Preston Riggs (Ft. Branch, Ind./Gibson Southern) also posted a personal-best time in the 110-meter hurdles at 17.78 (wind-aided), while senior Sam Weldon had maybe the most impressive personal-best time of the afternoon with a mark of 5:05.40 in the women’s 1,500-meters.

Overall, the UE men placed eighth out of 13 teams, while the UE women placed 10th out of 12 schools.  The Purple Aces will now set their sights on the 2022 Missouri Valley Conference Outdoor Championships May 13-15 in Des Moines, Iowa.

Senior Weekend is on tap this weekend at Cooper Stadium when the University of Evansville softball team welcomes Southern Illinois for a 3-game set.  A noon doubleheader on Saturday opens the series before a single game on Sunday at noon - both games on Saturday will be carried on ESPN3.

Senior Day
- Following Saturday’s doubleheader, six Purple Aces seniors will be recognized as the team celebrates Senior Day
- The Class of 2022 includes: Elyse Hickey, Bella Coffey, Haley Woolf, Mackenzie McFeron, Izzy Vetter and Jessica Fehr

Last Time Out
- In a single game on Wednesday, the Aces fell to Indiana State by a final of 12-4
- UE scored the opening two runs on solo homers from Marah Wood and Jenna Nink, but the Sycamores countered with 12 runs in a row to pull away for the win
- Wood added a 2-run double in the fifth to complete the scoring

Run Rule
- Over the last five games, senior Mackenzie McFeron has posted seven hits in 14 at-bats while scoring a total of eight runs
- Through the opening 21 games of the MVC slate, she leads the team with a .345 batting average and her efforts in conference have seen her season average rise to .303 following a 2-for-3 game at home versus Indiana State
- She had the first 3-hit game of her career in the April 10 finale at Illinois State
- McFeron has 12 RBI in her career with nine of them coming in 2022

Power Play
- Sophomore Marah Wood blasted her team-leading 8th home run of the season in the series finale against the Sycamores
- Wood is third in the Valley with 12 doubles, tied for 6th with eight home runs and tied for 7th in the league with 29 runs batted in
- She is batting .353 (12-for-34) since April 6 and has seen her average rise from .258 at that time to its current mark of .285