President Christopher Pietruszkiewicz is slated to present a keynote address to the NAACP Evansville Branch on Thursday, March 28, from 6 to 8 p.m. in Eykamp Hall.

The Evansville Freedom Fund Banquet, themed "Thriving Together," serves as the key fundraising initiative to bolster programs, activism, and outreach efforts of the organization. For registration, kindly visit the provided link.

The University of Evansville will be closed on Friday, March 29, for the observance of Good Friday. all administrative and academic offices will be closed.

Dr. David Green, professor of History at Harlaxton College, was presented the Exemplary Teacher Award at the Spring Faculty Meeting on Thursday, February 29. The award recognizes exceptional achievements in the classroom by creating distinctive opportunities and promoting intellectual, moral, social, and emotional growth of our students.  Dr. Green teaches British Studies and medieval history at Harlaxton and exemplifies these traits through his student interaction and teaching.

Congratulations, Dr. Green!

The Melvin Peterson Gallery will host the 62nd Annual Undergraduate Student Art Exhibition from 3/18/24 - 4/6/24.

Please support our UE students and attend the reception in their honor on Thursday, March 21 from 5:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.  Award presentations will begin at 5:30.

CDEI is offering Safe Zone training for employees on Friday, March 22nd from 12:00 - 2:15 pm. Safe Zone training provides the opportunity to learn about sexuality, gender, and LGBTQ+ identities. The program is designed to increase knowledge and awareness and to create a network of visible allies across campus. Space is limited. To register, please email Dr. Valerie Stein at vs9@evansville.edu.

Help us celebrate National Disability Awareness Month!

• Are you a senior looking for full-time employment? 
• Not a senior, and looking for a summer internship or part-time position? 
• Could you use practice with your interviewing skills?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then this event is for you! 

You will have the opportunity to interview with multiple employers AND receive feedback to help you perfect your skills. Following interviews, there will be time for networking.

All majors and classes are welcome to attend.

Space is limited, so register in Handshake today! 

Speed Networking Event

Tuesday, March 19th

6:00pm-8:30pm

Eykamp Hall, RUC

Questions? Want to update your resume ahead of this event? Contact the Center for Career Development at 812-488-1083 or career@evansville.edu

The 2024 UE Student Research and Honors Symposium is scheduled for Wednesday, April 17. This event will showcase the scholarly activities of students of diverse disciplines across UE’s campus, including the graduating seniors of the Honors Program.

All students are invited to apply to participate by submitting an abstract for their papers. For more information or to submit an abstract, please visit: https://www.evansville.edu/undergraduateresearch/student-research-symposium.cfm

The deadline for submitting an abstract is Friday, March 22.

Contact Jayme Williams at jw504@evansville.edu with any questions.

Please support our mission to better understand infant mortality in Vanderburgh County. We cannot change what we do not understand. Join us on March 18th for a stimulating conversation and meet local community partners.

Welcome to Bracket Busters Team Step Challenge! Here’s how it works:

- Create your own teams (teams of 4 please!). This is not an individual challenge.

• Each team should designate a team leader & choose a team name.

• Each participant is required to sign up!

• Team leaders are responsible for submitting their team’s total weekly steps (a separate link will be provided at the start of the challenge)

- Each participant should track their steps (Monday-Sunday) and submit to their team leader by the following Monday.

• Track your steps using your favorite step counter such as an Apple Watch, Fitbit, or pedometer

• Each team’s total steps are due by the end of the day every Monday. An updated bracket with each team’s steps will be sent out every Tuesday!

• The number of rounds and eliminations will depend on the number of teams that participate.

The teams with the highest weekly steps will move on to the next round! We will have 4 x $50 gift cards for the overall team!!

SIGN UP HERE: https://forms.gle/cVVkJZRECqXuw5Cb9

In conjunction with the Office of Public Safety, the University of Evansville was able to donate a dozen abadoned bicycles to Patchwork Central. Patchwork is a non-profit that is dedicated to repairing and servicing bikes in an effort to give bikes to people in need across the Tri-state.

Patchwork Central provides free servicing for students. If you have a bike and would like for it to be repaired, please visit their shop on Tuesday or Thursday between 8am and 10:30am to drop off your bike. Their building is located at 100 Washington Ave, Evansville, IN.

Dr. William Stroube, Professor of Health Service Administration, and Dr. Erik Brown, Assistant Professor of Health Science, were recently in India, in early March, presenting to faculty and students at various institutions (Jaipur National University, Jaipuria Institute of Management, Jagan Institute of Management Studies, etc.) on numerous healthcare topics along with faculty development workshops. Erik also held a distinguished lecture on concussion management at Sharda University in Agra.

Grab a friend and join us for a whimsical weekend brunch because Dr. Seuss is taking over the Eatery on Saturday, March 23! Featuring fun foods and vivacious vibes!

Ramadan Mubarak! Chartwells is offering snack bags and meal requests via Chattback or email. All options will be available in Aces Place after 7pm.

Come celebrate St. Patrick's Day with shamrock cookies! Featured in the Eatery at lunch on March 21.

Information on ordering your cap and gown can be found at the link below.

https://www.evansville.edu/commencement/central.cfm

Please contact the UE Bookstore with any questions related to your order.

Order deadline: March 18

We are looking for volunteers to come to our prom for special needs programs in Evansville!  It is April 5th, 2024 from 7-9pm! It is a fun filled night of dancing!  Sign up with the link below!

https://forms.gle/As1s2h13vsRoNNga8

Volunteers are needed for Bike Race 2024! Needs include: setting up for for the race, serving food, cleaning up after the race, and general crowd assistance.

If you have a preference in which role/area you would like to assist with, please sign up for a slot here: Student Affairs: Bike Race Volunteers (signupgenius.com)

Date: April 15th

Shifts range from 7:30am-3pm

All Bike Race 2024 volunteers will recevie a shirt and complementary meal!

For further information or questions, please contact Will McDonner at wm99@evansville.edu

Interested in working over the summer break? Want a place to stay for free?

Come to the Summer Resident Assistant Interest Meeting on Monday, March 18th at 8pm in SOBA 170! Information about the Summer Resident Assistant position will provided as well as time for Q&A.

Applications will open on UEngage on Wednesday, March 20th.

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 2024-25 academic year may apply. An essay of about 300 words must accompany the application along with two to five faculty recommendation letters.

View the application and faculty recommendation information.

Completed applications and recommendation letters should be returned to the Office of Student Financial Services by MAY 10, 2024.

Questions may be directed to the Office of Student Financial Services at 812-488-2364 or studentfinancialservices@evansville.edu.

March 2024

New Issue Available!

The second issue of Foundations, the newsletter for the Office of Facilities Management and Planning, is now available to read. Click the link below to learn more about what has been going on around campus.

Read the Latest Issue

The February issue of the Crescent Magazine is available online and in print. The Crescent Magazine is produced by Student Media is a student organization at the University of Evansville. The Crescent Magazine published online and in print three times a semester. Student Media utilizes design, photography, video, and sound towards experiential and academic learning in journalistic endeavors and engaging storytelling. Student Media elevates the voice of the student body and connects the campus and community to important information and points of view.

The print issues can be found all over campus be sure to pick up your copy. Student Media produces over a dozen podcasts available on Apple Podcast, Spotify, and RSS. And don’t forget about Fireside Aces Radio

To learn more visit https://crescent.evansville.edu or https://fireside.evansville.edu

College Mentors for Kids provides UE students valuable opportunities to make a difference in a young child's life. Students come to UE's campus on Wednesday afternoons to meet one-on-one with a college mentor.

Here at UE, we mentor 1st-5th graders from a local elementary school. Our program initiates character development, gives little buddies a role model and a friend, and exposes them to the possibility of going to college. In addition to promoting higher education, 81% of all little buddies report working harder in school, 75% attend college or trade school, and 95% avoid the criminal justice system.

College Mentors for Kids is accepting applications for leadership positions with the program for next year. Working with CMFK is a great way to complete volunteer hours while possibly changing the life and future of a young child. Meet new friends at UE and join College Mentors. We need you!

In preparation for Pep and Vim, UE's Day of Giving, we are looking for students to film Thank You videos to send to donors and alumni for making their gifts to UE. Videos will be 1-2 minutes and we will help you prepare your script. Please come dressed in your best Purple to show your love for UE!

Videos will be filmed in the Igleheart Building (corner of Lincoln and Rotherwood) on the 2nd floor. Upon completing your video, you will receive an entry to win an iPad to be awarded in April.

Sign up today at http://tinyurl.com/24ThankView

Each student, staff member, faculty, and employee will be provided with a pair of eclipse glasses, to be distributed one week prior to the occurrence of the eclipse.

Employee glasses will be distributed by campus mail to the employee’s department. Students will have the option to pick up glasses in Ridgway a week before the Eclipse.

View the UE campus eclipse map.

It's that time! Be sure to apply now to graduate via Self-Service.

Congratulations to the Criminal Justice and Sociology senior students who presented their senior research projects. Each student conducted individual research in the areas below and presented their findings to program students and faculty. Congratulations on a job well done!

The research projects included:

The Effects of Family Support on Levels of Anxiety and Depression in LGBTQ+ Young Adults by Lexi Albin

College Students’ Beliefs about Drug and Alcohol Addiction by Parker Andresen

Is Greek Life Worth It? by Logan Lampert

Parental Pressure on Student Athletes by Connor Pfau

College Students and Stress by Sean Stevens

Perception of Stress in College by Majestica Weatherford

Student Stress While in College by McKenzie White

Perceptions of College Students with Disabilities by Haley Worland

Makayla Gomperts ('24, Biology) presented her research at the Genetics Society of America's "The Allied Genetics Conference" (TAGC) in National Harbor, MD, March 6-10, 2024. Makayla's poster was titled "Sar1, a GTPase involved in COPII vesicle trafficking, is critical for Drosophila oogenesis". Makayla was awarded a competitive Victoria Finnerty Travel Award to support her attendance at the conference. Makayla has worked on this research since Summer 2021 and is mentored by Dr. Julie Merkle (Biology). This work was funded by a Guy Banta Summer Research Fellowship and the UExplore Undergraduate Research Program.

Dr. Julie Merkle (Biology) also presented research at TAGC 2024. Dr. Merkle's poster, "Fly-CURE and connecting curriculum: multi-institutional course-based undergraduate research experiences in genetics and beyond", describes the learning and confidence gains made by students in Genetics lab courses at UE and other institutions across the US. This research is funded by two National Science Foundation (NSF) awards.

University of Evansville professor Dr. Cindy Crowe was selected to present the keynote speech along with Emory University professor Dr. Yun Kim at the 2024 Phi Sigma Iota Conference in February.

Phi Sigma Iota, founded in 1922, is the International Foreign Language Honor Society and the highest academic honor in the field of foreign languages. UE's Epsilon Beta Chapter was installed on April 8, 2000.

Dr. Kim, Associate Professor of Linguistics at Emory, presented her research on the neurological and cognitive benefits of multilingualism. Dr. Crowe, Assistant Professor of Spanish, presented from her research on the individual and societal advantages of foreign language learning, factors that influence students’ choice of major, and initiatives to strengthen world language programs.

“It was a privilege to speak on the importance of language study to an audience comprised of university foreign language professors and students," said Dr. Crowe. "I am hopeful that some of the research I shared might be useful as we collectively strive to enhance our world language programs at a time when the challenges of our contemporary global society necessitate an understanding of languages and cultures.”

“To meet these global challenges, we strongly encourage our UE students to continue their foreign language studies past the required level so they may obtain all the benefits of language study and connect with cultures other than their own in order to build bridges and intercultural harmony."

University of Evansville senior diver Madison Rollett (Evansville, Ind./Reitz) wrapped up her 2024 season on Thursday, as she competed in the women’s one-meter diving competition at the NCAA Zone C Diving Championships in Louisville, Kentucky.

Rollett posted a six-dive score of 194.35 to place 52nd overall at the Zone C Diving Championships, which included competitors from schools from the Big Ten, Southeastern Conference, Atlantic Coast Conference, Missouri Valley Conference and Mid-American Conference, among others.  Rollett is the first UE diver to compete at the NCAA Zone Diving Championships since former MVC Diver of the Year Courtney Coverdale did so in 2017.

Rollett is joined at the NCAA Zone Diving Championships by sophomore male teammate Levi McKinney (Boonville, Ind./Boonville), who will compete in the men’s one-meter diving competition on Friday afternoon beginning at 12 p.m. central time.

The University of Evansville women’s basketball team couldn’t overcome the Illinois State Redbirds in the first round of Hoops in the Heartland.

The Purple Aces saw their season come to an end in the first round of the MVC Hoops in the Heartland postseason tournament. UE struggled to stop Illinois State’s offense and find consistent offense in the loss. But three Evansville players found their way into double figures while freshman forward Nevaeh Thomas led the team with 23 points and a season-high four steals.

“I’m really proud of my team,” said Head Coach Robyn Scherr-Wells following the loss. “We fought really hard. We didn’t always execute everything exactly how we hoped for going into this game. But it’s been a tough season with a lot of different injuries and a lot of different lineups for us.

“I think our team showed an amount of toughness throughout the season as they fought to get better. And I think they have. It doesn’t always show up in the win’s column. But this is a really young team and I’m so proud of them. I think we’re laying a really good foundation for our future,”.

Freshman forward Maggie Hartwig kicked off the game with a bang for the Aces, sinking a three-pointer in the first minute and a half. But UE’s offense struggled to get going after a three-minute cold spell. Evansville wasn’t able to string a run together in the first quarter, falling behind by 12 points following the first 10 minutes of play.

The Aces started clicking in the second frame as they opened the quarter going shot-for-shot with the Redbirds. UE strung together a four-point run early that Illinois State responded to with a five-point run. But a big three from guard Lexie Sinclair with under five to go cut Evansville’s deficit into single digits. The Redbirds tore off on a seven-point run to put the Aces down by 16 points.

A foul got UE back into the game on offense as guard Kynidi Mason Striverson hit two at the line. She hit an open three just over a minute later to end Evansville’s scoring in the first half. The Aces headed into the locker room down by 18 after the second.

UE put up the first five points of the second half as Sinclair hit a second three in the first minute thirty. Illinois State put together two small scoring runs but Evansville continued to break up the runs with field goals. But five straight points over 30 seconds for the Redbirds had the Aces trailing by 22. UE broke out onto one of their largest runs of the day with six straight points to get back within 16. But only two free throws over the final two minutes of the third quarter had Evansville facing a 23-point deficit with only 10 minutes to play.

It was a back-and-forth pace early in the fourth but down by over 20 matching shots didn’t get the Aces within striking distance of Illinois State. Midway through the quarter, neither team was able to make a basket for almost three minutes. The Redbirds broke the scoreless streak but UE had four straight points from Thomas at the free throw line. But a late three from Illinois State ended Evansville’s brief run, stopping any potential comeback in the 85-64 loss.

Thomas led the Aces on offense while Hartwig added 16 points and graduate center Barbora Tomancova had 10 before fouling out early in the fourth. Thomas and Hartwig also led UE on defense with five rebounds each. Thomas also had Evansville’s only block of the game.

The Aces end the season with a 4-28 record while going 2-18 during Missouri Valley Conference play. UE says goodbye to Tomancova and Sinclair as the seniors graduate from the University of Evansville in the spring.

Looking to keep the momentum rolling after an extra inning walk-off win on Wednesday, the University of Evansville softball team plays host to Valparaiso for a 3-game weekend series at Tri-State Orthopaedics Field and James and Dorothy Cooper Stadium.  The teams will play a 3-game series Friday through Sunday.

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Evansville opened its Missouri Valley Conference slate against Indiana State earlier this week, splitting a pair of games.  After the Sycamores won the opener, the Purple Aces staged a furious rally to take Wednesday’s game by a 6-5 final.  Lacy Smith had a pair of clutch RBI hits that sealed the win.  Her single in the bottom of the 6th tied the game at 3-3.

Following a scoreless 7th frame, Indiana State plated two runs to take the lead in the top of the 8th.  Marah Wood led the bottom half of the 8th with a home run to left field.  Brooke Voss reached on a walk before moving to third on a double by Abby Bode.  Smith came to the plate and delivered once again, sending Evansville to the 6-5 walk-off win.

Sydney Weatherford made the start, allowing three runs in four innings.  Megan Brenton earned the win, tossing the final four frames with two runs, one earned, crossing the plate.

Valparaiso comes to Evansville with a 6-15 record.  Last Saturday, the Beacons earned a -5 win over Rider.  This will mark the first MVC game for Valpo.  They are led by Kam Utendorf, who is hitting .438 with 21 hits and eight runs scored.

Fresh off a walk-off victory over Southeast Missouri State on Wednesday night, the University of Evansville baseball team will travel north to East Lansing, Michigan this weekend to take on the Michigan State Spartans in a three-game series at McLane Stadium at Kobs Field.  The series will begin on Friday afternoon at 2:35 p.m. central time and the entire weekend series can be heard live in the Tri-State area on 107.1 FM-WJPS.

Evansville will bring an 8-8 overall record into this weekend’s series after rallying to defeat Southeast Missouri State, 6-5, in extra innings on Wednesday.  SEMO jumped to an early 4-0 lead, but UE was able to eventually tie things in the fifth inning on an RBI double by junior outfielder Ty Rumsey, and then fellow junior outfielder Harrison Taubert came through with an RBI single in the bottom of the 10th inning to help Evansville pick up the victory.

Rumsey has been UE’s hottest hitter in the month of March, as the Evansville North High School product has hit safely in all eight March contests, while compiling a .517 batting average in March with four doubles, two home runs and 14 RBI.  Not only has Rumsey hit safely in all eight March games, but he has also produced six multi-hit games in March to raise his season batting average to .400.  He currently ranks second on the team in hitting behind team-leader Mark Shallenberger and his .407 average.

As a team, Evansville is hitting .320 overall this year, and ranks 23rd nationally in batting average.  The Purple Aces also rank fifth nationally in doubles, having collected 49 doubles already this year in just 16 games.  Evansville had 94 doubles in 61 games last season.

This weekend’s series will be the first time that Michigan State has played at home this year, as the Spartans are 5-9 after spending the first 14 games of the year on the road and at neutral-site tournaments.  Despite the travels, Michigan State’s offense has hit, as the Spartans will bring a .303 team batting average into the series, which ranks second in the Big Ten so far.  Senior outfielder Jack Frank leads Michigan State offensively this year with a .368 batting average.

This weekend’s series will mark just the third series between the two teams all-time on the baseball diamond.  Evansville currently leads the all-time series, 5-1, having won two of three games over Michigan State in 2011, before sweeping a three-game series at home in 2022.

Evansville will turn to senior RHP Nick Smith (0-2, 9.42 ERA) to start Friday’s series opener.  He will be opposed by Michigan State’s LHP Joseph Dzierwa (1-1, 3.86 ERA).  The series will continue on Saturday afternoon at 2:35 p.m. as well, and conclude on Sunday at 12 p.m. central.

University of Evansville women's basketball player Nevaeh Thomas was recognized on Wednesday evening as the Missouri Valley Conference announced its postseason All-Conference awards.

After a strong freshman campaign, Thomas was named to the Valley’s All-Freshman Team along with four other first-year players. In her first season with the Purple Aces, Thomas was named MVC Freshman of the Week on February 11th after back-to-back double-double performances against UIC and Valparaiso.

Thomas led UE in the regular season in points per game, averaging 15.4 points in only 21 games while also leading Evansville in field goal percentage at 47.8%. Thomas was also top three for the Aces in rebounds per game (8.1), blocks (18), steals (19), and minutes per game (27.4). In the Valley, Thomas is in the Top 10 in scoring (7th), rebounding (9th), and defensive rebounds (6th).

The forward’s breakout performance came at Valparaiso in UE’s first conference win of the season. Thomas put up her third double-double performance against the Beacons with 23 points and a season-high 14 rebounds. The freshman also went 10 of 15 on the floor for 62.5% shooting in 33 minutes of action.

Belmont’s Jailyn Banks was named the MVC Freshman of the Year while Thomas finished fourth in voting among league coaches, media, and sports information directors. Also on the All-Freshman Team were Halli Poock of Bradley, Shannon Dowell of Illinois State, and Haven Ford of Murray State.

Sophomore Lacy Smith came through with two clutch hits, including the game-winner as the University of Evansville softball team defeated Indiana State by a 6-5 final in eight innings on Wednesday inside Tri-State Orthopaedics Field at James and Dorothy Cooper Stadium.

Smith helped UE tie the game with a single in the bottom of the 6th before coming through once again in the 8th.  After the Sycamores plated a pair to take a 5-3 lead, Marah Wood hit a solo shot to cut the deficit in half.  With runners on second and third, Smith was at the plate once again and hit the game-winning double.

Just as they had done in Tuesday’s game, Indiana State plated two runs in the top half of the first.  ISU got on the board with a fielder’s choice before a bases loaded walk scored the second.

Evansville cut the Sycamore lead in half in the bottom of the second.  Brooke Voss reached on a stand up double and would cross the plate on Jenna Nink’s 2-out RBI single.  In the third, ISU got the run right back but the damage could have been worse.  The Sycamores recorded four hits in the frame but Purple Aces catcher Taylor Howe threw out the leadoff baserunner at third base as Indiana State was able to tack on just one.

UE attempted a 2-out rally in the bottom half of the third.  After Zoe Frossard was hit by a pitch, Hannah Hood doubled to left, but ISU pitcher Hailey Griffin was able to strike out the final batter to preserve the 3-1 lead.  Excellent baserunning by Lacy Smith saw UE get back within a run.  After reaching on a walk, she advanced to second on a ground out, third on a wild pitch, and scored on a sacrifice fly from Hannah Hood.

Hood’s defense played a pivotal role in the top of the 6th.  With the lead runner on first, she caught a liner and threw the baserunner out for the double play to keep it at a 1-run game. That would pay off in the bottom of the 6th as Lacy Smith delivered the game-tying RBI single.  UE looked for the go-ahead run but a close play at the plate proved to be the third out to end the inning.  The teams battled it out into extra innings where the Sycamores got the jump.  After putting runners on second and third with no outs, ISU picked up the go-ahead hit.

In the bottom of the 8th, the Aces worked their way back.  Marah Wood hit a leadoff solo home run while Brooke Voss and Abby Bode reached base.  Voss walked and advanced to third on Bode’s double.  Smith came through in the clutch once again, doubling to left center to seal the walk-off win.  Smith accounted for two of the Aces’ seven hits.  ISU had 12 hits with Abi Chipps recording three.

Aces starter Sydney Weatherford threw four innings and allowed three runs on six hits.  She did a nice job with runners in scoring position, limiting the ISU offense in multiple innings.  Megan Brenton earned the win, going the final four innings with two runs, one earned, crossing the plate.  It was her fourth win of the year.

Up next for UE is a home series this weekend against Valparaiso.

University of Evansville junior outfielder Harrison Taubert laced a one-out RBI single down the left-field line in the bottom of the 10th inning on Wednesday night to help the Purple Aces walk off with a 6-5 victory over visiting Southeast Missouri State at German American Bank Field at Charles H. Braun Stadium in Evansville.

“Overall, I am just really pleased with the gritty effort that we got tonight from our ballclub,” said UE head coach Wes Carroll.  “We had a lot of different guys step up and deliver big at-bats for us after we got behind early, and I thought that our bullpen was electric tonight.

“I am also really proud of Harrison Taubert for battling and working the count like he did tonight in that 10th inning.  Hopefully, a win like this will really spark us and we can carry that momentum over to this weekend’s series at Michigan State.”

Taubert’s extra-inning single capped a rally by Evansville, as Southeast Missouri State jumped out to an early 4-0 lead after two-and-a-half innings.  Taubert actually kick-started the rally in the bottom of the third inning with a lead-off single for UE’s first hit of the contest.  Junior second baseman Cal McGinnis then followed with an RBI double to left-center field to score Taubert and trim SEMO’s lead to 4-1.

Freshman catcher Kaleb Wilkey would then reach base on a fielder’s choice, before graduate outfielder Mark Shallenberger came through with a single to put two men on base with only one out.  After a strikeout, graduate third baseman Brent Widder came through with an RBI double to cut SEMO’s lead in half, before a walk and an RBI single by graduate designated hitter Brendan Hord capped UE’s three-run third inning.

SEMO would answer with a run in the top of the fourth inning, before UE would tie the game with two runs in the fifth inning.  Shallenberger led off the frame with a triple, before scoring on an RBI ground out by senior first baseman Kip Fougerousse.  Junior outfielder Ty Rumsey then came through with a two-out, two-strike RBI double down the right-field line four batters later to tie the game at 5-5.

From there, UE’s bullpen silenced the SEMO attack, as relievers Ethan Bell, Shane Harris, Jace Kressin and Jakob Meyer combined to allow just three hits in 6.0 innings of work, while recording eight strikeouts.  SEMO threatened in the top of the 10th inning by putting the lead-off man aboard, but Meyer recorded back-to-back strikeouts before getting an infield ground out to get out of the jam.  UE senior shortstop Simon Scherry then led off the bottom of the 10th with a single, before Rumsey delivered a one-out double two batters later to put two men on base.  After a pitching change, Taubert pulled an inside slider down the left-field line for the game-winner.

Taubert, McGinnis, Shallenberger, Widder, and Rumsey all had two-hit days for UE, as the Purple Aces pounded out 12 base hits in the contest.  Outfielder Michael Mugan led SEMO by going 4-for-5 with two home runs, two runs scored and three RBI.

With the victory, Evansville improves to 8-8 overall and 5-1 at home.  SEMO, meanwhile, falls to 7-11 with the loss.  Evansville will return to action next on Friday at 2:35 p.m. central, as the Purple Aces will travel north to East Lansing, Michigan to open a three-game series with the Michigan State Spartans.  Friday’s game can be seen live on Big Ten Network Plus, and heard live in the Tri-State area on 107.1 FM-WJPS with the Voice of the Aces Jevin Redman providing the play-by-play coverage.

The Aces get a new slate with the start of Hoops in the Heartland on Thursday afternoon. UE will play the Illinois State Redbirds on March 14 as the 12th seed. This is Evansville's first time as the 12th seed since the Missouri Valley expanded to 12 teams last season. The Aces have been the 10th seed on six occasions when the tournament expanded to 10 in 2006. UE has won a game as the
final seed at Hoops in the Heartland, a 61-59 overtime win over Illinois State in 2016.

The Redbirds finished the regular season with a 20-10 overall record and a 13-7 MVC record to earn the fifth seed at Hoops in the Heartland. Illinois State is led into the postseason by three players, graduate forward DeAnna Wilson, junior forward Kate Bullman, and senior guard Maya Wong. Wilson and Wong lead the team in points per game with both in double figures while Bullman leads the team in rebounds (8.0), blocks (2.1), and minutes played (30.7).

For the fourth time in Missouri Valley Conference play, Evansville outrebounded its opponent in the team's regular-season finale against UNI. The Aces pulled down 39 rebounds to the Panthers 34. UE particularly shined under the offensive glass with 13 o-boards compared to UNI's eight. Evansville was led on defense by freshman Nevaeh Thomas with 12 rebounds. Thomas was the only Ace to score in double figures against the Panthers with 19 points for her 10th team-leading game.

In her return to action after a month away from the court, graduate center Barbora Tomancova recorded her 5th double-double of the season. Tomancova had 11 points and 10 rebounds in her return to the Aces while playing 23 minutes versus Drake. On Tuesday afternoon, Tomancova was named to the Missouri Valley Conference Scholar-Athlete First Team. Tomancova currently has a 4.0 cumulative GPA while pursuing her master's degree in health services administration.