The highly anticipated solar eclipse on Monday, April 8, is quickly approaching and the University has several events planned to mark the occasion and we are asking for your help. Among the UEclipse events include the presentation by Maria Weber, PhD on Sunday, April 7, at 2:00 p.m. in Eykamp Hall. Activities will continue Monday, April 8, across campus. Volunteers are needed to ensure safe and memorable events.

Volunteer information sessions will be held on the following dates:

• Wednesday, April 3, 2024, at 2:00 p.m. in LI 203 – J. Henry Schroeder Boardroom.
• Thursday, April 4, 2024, at 3:00 p.m. – by Zoom.

April 7, UEclipse Volunteer Sign-up:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A044BABAE22A5F49-48588483-april

April 8, UEclipse Volunteer Sign-up:

April 8, volunteer locations are across campus.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A044BABAE22A5F49-48588646-48ueeclipse

Thank you for helping to make this once in a lifetime event at UE spectacular by volunteering! Please contact ueclipse@evansville.edu with any questions.

Need service hours???? Want to help make a difference? Please join Alumni and Engagement for our annual purple Pep and Vim flag distribution. Snacks and drinks provided.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0D4EACAC22A4FA7-47992890-pepand#/

We hope you can join us for a fun-filled week beginning April 7 with UEclipse activities. Help us welcome our alumni back to campus, celebrate our Alumni Awards recipients, play in our kickball tournament, and stop in for our alumni reunions!

For a full list of Reunion Weekend events, visit www.uealumnionline.com/2024Reunion.

Schedule of Events

Sunday, April 7, 2024

Presentation by Astrophysicist and UE Alumna Maria Weber ’08 PhD

Monday, April 8, 2024

Pep and Vim Virtual 5K (All week)
UEclipse

Wednesday, April 10, 2024

Patricia H. Snyder Concert and Lecture Series presents Sarah Frey

Thursday, April 11, 2024

Campus Kickball Tournament
Creative Writing Coffee Hour
English & Creative Writing LitFest Banquet

Friday, April 12, 2024

Pep and Vim, UE’s Annual Day of Giving

Harlaxton Society Board Meeting
Board of Visitors Meeting
UEAAA Annual Meeting
Baseball vs. Illinois State
Class of 1974 Cocktail Hour
UET Production: Waiting for Lefty
English & Creative Writing Hemminger-Brown Lecture
Environmental Science
Earth Day Celebration, Natural Sciences Poster Session, Guy Banta Distinguished Lecture Series featuring ES Alumnus Dr. Zac Cheviron ’00, ES Alumni Panel Discussion, ES Mixer

Saturday, April 13, 2024

Music Reunion Breakfast
Giving Event with Pat Barner
Bike Race
50th Reunion Lunch - Class of 1974
UEAAA Zerah Priestly Carter Scholarship Luncheon
Football Alumni Golf Outing
Class of 1974 House Tour
Class of 1974 Campus Tour
Baseball vs. Illinois State
Class of 1974 Emily M. Young Assessment Center Tour
Alumni Awards Cocktail Hour
Alumni Awards Dinner  
UET Production: Waiting for Lefty
English & Creative Writing Student Literary Conference with student panels

Sunday, April 14, 2024

Alumni Breakfast
Campus Tour
Baseball vs. Illinois State

The Eykamp String Quartet will be performing two great works written behind the Iron Curtain at Wheeler Hall on Tuesday, April 2nd at 7:30 PM. The performance is free and open to the public, and will be livestreamed on the UE Conservatory YouTube Channel.

The Spring History Lecture for 2024 on April 4 will feature award-winning educator, Jon Carl of Reitz High School in Evansville. Mr. Carl has been active in the local history community for decades, conducting research, delivering lectures, and mentoring hundreds of students who have participated in the Reitz Feel the History Program, making local history documentaries. His lecture will focus on one of the most controversial moments in Evansville's postwar history and is entitled “Labor Showdown: the United Electrical Local 813 vs. Bucyrus-Erie, the Government, and the American Federation of Labor.”

The lecture is in SOBA 170, and begins at 4pm.

The Department of History, Politics, and Social Change acknowledges the gracious assistance of the Dean of the College of Arts and Science in making this lecture possible.

Please join us on Friday, April 5^th to celebrate and congratulate Andy Bullock, Lead Groundskeeper in the Facilities department on his last day before retirement. After over 40 years of service to the University community Andy will be sorely missed. We wish him nothing but good times and lots of golf in his retirement! Feel free to stop by the Library room 209 (Robert Z. Morris Conference Room) between 9:30 and 11:30 am on that day to wish Andy well!

Maria Weber '08, PhD, a distinguished alumna of UE and a leading astrophysicist, will be delivering a captivating presentation on the mysteries of solar magnetism titled "From Eclipses to Magnetism: The Secret Life of the Sun" on Sunday, April 7, at 2:00 p.m. in Eykamp Hall.

The presentation is funded by the Dr. Guy Banta Distinguished Lecture Series in the Natural Sciences and Mathematics. It is free and open to the public.

You may register at evansville.edu/ueclipse/ , however you are welcome to attend if you are not registered.

Active and retired employees (staff, administrators, and faculty) as well as trustees are invited to submit their work for the Hanns Pieper UE Photo Exhibition. The exhibit is open from Wednesday April 10 through Wednesday May 15 in the Krannert Gallery.

Items will be accepted between now and Thursday April 4 in the Department of Art office (FA 212).

Requirements for submission are:

• Photos should be matted, framed, and suitable for hanging in the Krannert Gallery.
• Photos may be no larger than 16 x 20”.
• Provide your name, current/former department, email address, and a title for your image (date and location if appropriate) on the back of each submission.
• Must be work not previously submitted.

The campus and local community are invited to join us at a reception on Thursday, April 11 at 4:30 PM in the Krannert Gallery.

If you have questions, please contact Carol McCraney at cm177@evansville.edu.

The Vanderburgh Co. Health Department mobile testing unit will be on campus, April 16th from 10-2 outside of the health center for free STI testing! Education, incentives, and condoms available!

The Snyder Concert and Lecture Series presents: Sarah Frey
Wednesday, April 10
7:00 - 8:00 p.m. (Meet and greet/reception after)
Eykamp Hall

This event is free and open to both the UE campus and public!

Prior to the 7:00 p.m. event, Sarah will speak and hold a Q&A session with Schroeder School of Business students at 4:00 p.m. in SOBA 170 (Smythe Lecture Hall). Schroeder students should contact Megan Conapinski at mt263@evansville.edu to register.

Sarah Frey is the founder and CEO of Frey Farms, a Certified Woman-Owned Agribusiness headquartered in southern Illinois. Frey Farms is a leading US grower, shipper and marketer of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Sarah has been described by the New York Times as America’s Pumpkin Queen. Frey Farms is best known as being America’s largest producer of fresh pumpkins; but watermelons are, in fact, their top commodity. Sarah founded Tsamma (sah-mah) watermelon juice, which was the first watermelon juice distributed nationally.

She is also the author of the best-selling book, The Growing Season: How I Built a New Life – and Saved an American Farm. Guests are invited to bring their copy to have signed after the event. Sarah will also have 25 copies of her book for free, available on a first-come, first-served basis. 

Sarah’s entrepreneurial spirit was nurtured at the young age of eight, while accompanying her mother on a summer produce route selling direct to grocery retailers in southern Illinois. The summer she turned 16, Sarah took over the produce route and expanded it from 12 independent grocery stores to over 150 - then purchased her family’s small 100-acre farm. She ran her full-time business while attending high school and college simultaneously. At 19, Sarah negotiated with Wal-Mart, the nation’s largest retailer, turning her vision into reality with an expansive growth into retail grocery that enabled her to bring her four older brothers back to the family farm and into a now-flourishing business.

Dr. Bill Blanke, a local Evansville doctor, will be giving a lecture and Q&A about abortion, healthcare, and more in Post-Roe V Wade America. The event will take place on Monday April 1 at 6 pm in Koch 100. Bring your questions!

Event sponsored by Students for Life of America.

You are invited to join us for our Alumni Awards Dinner and Celebration on Saturday, April 13, 2024!

Our award recipients:

The Distinguished Alumnae Award -
Linda E. White ’76, M’83

The Young Alumnus Award -
Bryce Weiler ’14

Edie Bates Volunteer Service Award -
Promise Neighborhood Core Team

Samuel Orr Honorary Alumni -
Dr. Mark and Mrs. Jennifer Browning

To learn more about our award recipients and register for the event, visit www.evansville.edu/AlumniAwards.

Trivia Night is a fundraising event to help raise money for Ace CARE in hopes to bring money into our organization to allow us to continue to provide our treatments. The event is planned to run 6:00-9:00pm with teams of 6 (max) competing in trivia rounds and small mini games in between. We hope this event will be a fun and active evening while raising money for our amazing organization!

Scan the QR code or follow this link to sign your team up!

https://www.uealumnionline.com/s/1096/bp20/interior.aspx?sid=1096&gid=1&pgid=4148&cid=7135&ecid=7135

Philosophical Allusions in James Joyce’s Finnegans Wake, by Robert Baines, PhD, Associate Professor of English

Robert Baines, PhD, is an Associate Professor of English at the University of Evansville. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in English Language and Lit- erature from the University of Oxford, as well as a Master of Philosophy in Anglo-Irish Literature from Trinity College Dublin, and a PhD in English from Trinity College Dublin. He is also on track to complete a Master of Arts in Digital Humanities at Concordia University Ann Arbor this spring. He has published articles in numerous collections and journals, including the Dublin James Joyce Journal, European Joyce Studies, and the Journal of Modern Literature. His book, Philosophical Allusions in James Joyce’s Finnegans Wake, was published in 2023.

Philosophy is important in all of Joyce’s works, but it his final novel which most fully engages with that field. Finnegans Wake contains significant allusions to a whole host of philosophers, ranging from Aristotle to Confucius, Bergson to Kant. In introducing his new study of Finnegans Wake’s philosophical allusions, Baines demonstrates how we can understand those allusions individually, how we can define the relationships between them, and how we can grasp those allusions as a totality. What this largest perspective reveals is that the philosophical allusions of Joyce’s last novel form a coherent network of ideas, thinkers, and texts that is central to the conceptual structure of Finnegans Wake.

Wednesday, April 3, 2024
4:30 p.m. | Room 162 (Harkness Hall)
Schroeder Family School of Business Administration Building
For further information, call the William L. Ridgway College of Arts and Sciences at 812-488-2589.

On Thursday, April 4, 2024, at 4:30 PM, there will be a Crick Lecture by Dr. Vincent Campese of the Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences.  The lecture title is Actions, habits, and outcome value: Parallels between approach and avoidance.  The location will be Koch Center, Room 100 (Vectren Lecture Hall).

The offices of Public Safety, Title IX, and Dean of Students welcome all our students to provide anonymous feedback about safety on campus. Results will be used to inform upcoming improvements, programming, and support on campus. https://forms.office.com/r/BJf91kV73U

The Reeves Foundation was established in 1966 under the terms of the Last Will and Testament of Mrs. Isabel B. Reeves, wife of Judge Ollie C. Reeves, who both resided for many years in Vanderburgh County and firmly believed in the attainment of higher education. Through their frugal efforts and generosity, this scholarship fund has been established to perpetuate their belief.

To qualify for this scholarship, applicants must be enrolled as full-time students and be Vanderburgh County residents. An essay is also required.

Download the application.

Deadline: Please return all materials to the Office of Student Financial Services (Olmsted Hall Room 105) by May 1, 2024.

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

As a result of multiple brute force attempts on Acelink.evansville.edu, access to the site has been limited to campus connections only. To access it from off-campus, you'll need to utilize a VPN. For VPN access, please reach out to help@evansville.edu via email.

Dr. Jeff Braun, Professor of Physics and Co-Chair of UE’s Eclipse Committee, and Casey Wilkinson with Wilkinson Brothers Design pose for photos.

Come get your picture with UE’s Giant Eclipse glasses! In a collaboration with the Wilkinson Brothers Design Company, and through a sponsorship with Circular Venture Lab, UE’s Center for Innovation & Change was able to obtain these glasses to commemorate the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024. Currently placed outside the CIC on the second floor of Ridgway above the dining hall, be on the lookout for this photo opportunity as it moves around campus! For more information on UE’s activities on 4/8, visit Evansville.edu/UEclipse

UEclipse glasses are available in the UE Bookstore while supplies last for employees, students, and our guests who need additional glasses for family or friends. There is a limit of four per person.

In an era where cultural preservation meets modern innovation, we are excited to announce the launch of our newly revamped Master of Arts program in Cultural Resource Management right here at the University of Evansville. Formerly known as 'Innovative Leadership in Heritage Management,' the program has undergone a transformation to better reflect its focus and appeal to aspiring students like you.

Designed with your passions and aspirations in mind, our MA in Cultural Resource Management offers a dynamic blend of theory and practice, equipping you with the skills and expertise needed to thrive in the diverse landscape of heritage and cultural preservation.

With an emphasis on accessibility and flexibility, our online, asynchronous format allows you to pursue your degree at your own pace, seamlessly integrating your studies into your busy life. Whether you're juggling work commitments, social engagements, or other academic pursuits, our program empowers you to chart your own path to success. Even better? No expensive, standardized test scores required.

What sets our program apart is the unparalleled opportunities it offers. From internship placements in Evansville to immersive workshops at the historic Harlaxton College, you'll gain hands-on experience and invaluable insights from industry leaders and experts. Our extensive network of partners and collaborators ensures that you'll be at the forefront of cultural preservation efforts, making a tangible impact in communities near and far.

As a student in our MA program, you'll delve into a diverse range of courses, including:

• Cultural Heritage Conservation
• Cultural Landscape Management
• Archaeological Resource Management
• Cultural Policy and Advocacy
• Digital Humanities and Cultural Mapping
• Heritage Tourism and Sustainable Development

Upon graduation, you'll be equipped to pursue a wide array of rewarding career paths, including:

• Cultural Resource Manager
• Museum Curator or Director
• Heritage Conservation Specialist
• Archaeological Field Supervisor
• Cultural Policy Analyst
• Tourism Development Officer

With no standardized test results required for admission, there's never been a better time to apply and embark on your journey towards a fulfilling career in cultural resource management. Seize the opportunity to shape the future of our shared heritage and make a difference in the world.

Apply today and join us in preserving the past for generations to come. Visit our University of Evansville site to learn more and start your application process. Apply today!

Who is ready for some friendly competition? Assemble a team for our Kickball Tournament on April 11. Each team should have a minimum of 11 players. Kickball is open to all students, faculty, staff, and alumni.

Get your kickball team registered today! Student, faculty, and any alumni with access to an evansville.edu email can register via IM Leagues - https://www.imleagues.com/spa/intramural/41e40fb9627041279c7d73cd0f8ed4ac/home

The deadline to register is Friday, April 5. If you do NOT have a UE email address and would like to register, please send your information to Ted McCoart tm301@evansville.edu.

UE is pleased to announce it will host Engage Indiana Southwest, an initiative dedicated to fostering economic prosperity across the state. The upcoming event will be held in Ridgway University Center, Eykamp Hall, on Friday, April 12, 2024.

With a steadfast commitment to advancing Indiana's economy, Engage Indiana events take place in every region of the state, and the upcoming event held at UE will be the first in the region this year.

Engage Indiana Series is a year-long, statewide series of events conducted in partnership with the Indiana Economic Development Corporation and Indiana’s Secretary of Commerce. The event convenes Indiana’s business executives, education and philanthropic leaders and community leaders to discuss how communities are breaking down barriers to partner in building the state’s future.

Attendees will delve into the unique challenges and promising opportunities that define Southwest Indiana’s economic landscape, aiming to facilitate discussions on tailored programs aimed at bolstering local communities.

The event will kick off with a networking session at 11:30 a.m., providing attendees with ample opportunities to connect with key stakeholders, industry experts, and community leaders. The program will begin at 12:00 p.m., featuring engaging discussions centered around critical topics such as talent attraction, retention, education, and economic development.

The lunch event will feature Indiana Secretary of Commerce David Rosenberg. A panel of regional leaders moderated by Gerry Dick, host of IBJ Media’s Inside INdiana Business television program, will also provide insight on relevant topics. Panelists include: Tim Hollander, President, Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Indiana, Inc., Christopher Pietruszkiewicz, President, University of Evansville,  Ron Romain, Executive Chairman, United Companies, Roland Shelton, Executive Vice President, Chief Strategic Business Partnership Officer, Old National Bank, Mayor Stephanie Terry, City of Evansville and Lloyd Winnecke, CEO of Evansville Regional Economic Partnership.

For more information and to register for the event, please visit https://www.ibj.com/events/2024/engage-southwest-indiana-evansville

Summer housing applications are available.  If you will be staying in Evansville for the summer for classes, work, research, or other reasons, you can live in a townhouse.  Additional information and applications are available on the Residence Life website and are due April 19.

https://www.evansville.edu/residencelife/campushousing/summerhousing.cfm

UE students seeking financial aid or intending to use loan funds for summer courses at UE should complete a Summer Financial Aid Application and return it to the Office of Student Financial Services (Olmsted 105) however is most convenient by April 25, 2024. The application will allow our office to assess your financial aid and loan eligibility.

Work-Study:

On-campus jobs are available for continuing UE students during the summer. You do not need to be eligible for need-based Federal Work-Study during the academic year in order to apply. You may also apply regardless of your enrollment in summer courses. Applications will be available within the Student Employment area of Self-Service.

Free, confidential HIV and Hepatitis C testing at the Student Health Center, first Wednesday of every month, from 9-11am. No appointment necessary. All students and faculty welcome!

Walmart giftcards available while supplies last!

Dr. Hector Will, Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering has had his most recent paper accepted for publication in Computer Applications in Engineering Education published by Wiley Periodicals.  The article "Undergraduate and graduate students' conceptual understanding of model classification outcomes under the lens of scientific argumentation" can be read here:

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/cae.2273

The School of Engineering and Computer Science would like to congratulate Dr. Will on this accompishment!

UE is excited to announce Purple Pack, a new course material delivery program that provides undergraduate students access to your required course materials in a convenient package before the first day of class. With this new program, your course materials are included in a flat-rate fee at a savings of 35-50%, compared to traditional book purchases. This program will begin with the Fall 2024 term.

For more information about the program and semester cost visit Evansville.edu/PurplePack

The University of Evansville baseball team rallied for a run in the bottom of the ninth inning, and then rallied again for three more in the tenth to rally past the visiting Southern Illinois Salukis, 11-10, at German American Bank Field at Charles H. Braun Stadium in Evansville.

“What a gritty win by our ballclub today,” said UE head coach Wes Carroll.  “We found a way to win today, and at the end of the day, that’s all that matters.

“I was really proud of the fight that we showed today, especially in the ninth and the tenth innings.  Evan Waggoner did a great job of getting a job done in the ninth with the sacrifice fly, and then after they scored two in the tenth inning, Mark Shallenberger and Kevin McCormick stepped up big time to help get us this win.  We had a lot of different guys step up today, and hopefully, a win like this will be a spark to get us going again!”

Evansville jumped out early to a 7-1 lead, as the Purple Aces got a run in the second inning on an RBI single by junior outfielder Harrison Taubert before exploding for six runs in the second inning.  After senior designated hitter Kip Fougerousse brought home the first run with a run-scoring fielder’s choice, graduate first baseman Chase Hug followed two batters later with a two-run double to left-center field to give UE a 4-1 lead.

Freshman second baseman Brodie Peart then scored Hug from second base two batters later with an RBI single up the middle to move the score to 5-1.  Graduate catcher Brendan Hord then knocked a two-run double into the left-field corner to give UE a 7-1 cushion.

UE graduate starter Donovan Schultz would keep things at 7-1 until the fifth inning, when SIU started to chip away at the UE lead.  The Salukis scored single runs in both the fifth and sixth innings, before getting three more in the seventh inning to crawl back within a run at 7-6 and chase Schultz from the game.

SIU pinch-hitter Justin Keuss tied the game at 7-7 in the eighth inning with a bad-hop double to left field.  Then, the Salukis got a two-out RBI single by outfielder Mathieu Vallee in the ninth inning to take an 8-7 lead.  SIU would load the bases in the ninth inning, but UE reliever Jakob Meyer got out of the jam with a strikeout.

Evansville was able to put the lead-off batter on base in the ninth inning, as graduate third baseman Brent Widder was hit by a pitch.  After a one-out Simon Scherry single through the right side put men on the corners for UE, junior Evan Waggoner delivered a pinch-hit sacrifice fly to left field to score Widder and tie the game at 8-8.  Evansville threatened to win the game in the ninth inning, but junior pinch-hitter Cal McGinnis lined out to right field with two men on base to end the threat.

In the tenth, SIU catcher Cole Christman launched a solo home run with two-outs to give the Salukis a 9-8 lead.  A walk, a single and a run-scoring wild pitch would plate SIU’s second run, but UE was not done yet.

After a lead-off walk by junior outfielder Ty Rumsey, Shallenberger crushed a two-run home run to right-center field to tie the game at 10-10.  Back-to-back hit-by-pitches then put two men on base with no one out.  Redshirt sophomore Kevin McCormick then came to the plate as a pinch-hitter, and originally showed bunt, but pulled the bat back and slashed a ground ball through the left side of the infield and into left field for a base hit.  Fougerousse was able to easily come around to score on the play, as Evansville earned the series victory.

Taubert led UE offensively by going 3-for-4 with a double, a run scored and an RBI.  Shallenberger, Scherry, Peart, and Hord all had two-hit days as well for UE.

With the victory, Evansville improves to 11-16 overall and 2-4 in the Missouri Valley Conference.  SIU, meanwhile, falls to 18-10 overall and 4-2 in the Valley with the loss.  Evansville is now off until Tuesday night when the Purple Aces host Austin Peay at German American Bank Field at Charles H. Braun Stadium at 6:05 p.m.  Tuesday’s game can be heard live in the Tri-State area on 107.1 FM-WJPS.

Trailing by a score of 2-1 entering the bottom of the seventh inning, the University of Evansville softball team rallied for two runs to take a 3-2 win over UIC in Sunday’s series finale at Tri-State Orthopaedics Field at Cooper Stadium.

Zoe Frossard scored the tying run in the 7th, coming home when Jess Willsey reached on an error.  Alexa Davis scored the winning run, coming home on a wild pitch.  As a team, the Purple Aces accumulated six hits in the game while holding the Flames to four.  Brooke Voss had two hits while scoring a run.

UE had its first scoring opportunity in the first as Willsey reached on an error and Marah Wood followed with a bunt single to put runners on second and third before a flyout kept things scoreless.  The Flames plated the first run of the day in the top of the second and were poised to add more in the third.

UIC loaded the bases with no outs as they looked to extend the lead.  Brooke Voss threw a runner out at home for the first out.  While the Flames scored their second run on a base hit, Voss limited the damage once again, turning a double play to end the top of the frame.

Evansville’s defense made numerous impressive plays to keep the Flames within striking distance and their persistence paid off as the Purple Aces got on the board in the bottom of the sixth.  With one out, Brooke Voss doubled to left center and advanced to third on the throw.  She scored on a sacrifice fly from Abby Bode.

In the bottom of the seventh, UE completed the comeback.  Frossard and Taylor Howe both reached on 1-out walks.  That brought Willsey to the plate, who forced an error that allowed Frossard to score and tie the game.  Alexa Davis reentered the game for Howe and advanced to third on the play before scoring the winning run on a wild pitch.

Sydney Weatherford picked up her third win of the season.  She allowed two runs, one earned, on four hits in the 7-inning performance.  Miranda Gomez took the loss, allowing three runs, just one earned, in 6 1/3 frames.

UE is back home Wednesday to face USI.

UIC broke a scoreless tie in the top of the 7th and defeated the University of Evansville softball team by a 1-0 final in Friday’s series opener at Tri-State Orthopaedics Field at Cooper Stadium.

UE starter Sydney Weatherford tossed the entire 7-inning contest, allowing just one run on four hits while walking one batter.  Flames pitcher Christina Toniolo was equally impressive, allowing four hits while walking three in the complete game win.  Evansville notched four hits with Zoe Frossard recording three.

After Sydney Weatherford retired the Flames in order in the top of the first, the Purple Aces had a prime scoring opportunity in the bottom of the inning.  Hits by Marah Wood and Alexa Davis were followed by a walk from Jess Willsey that loaded the bases.  The Flames were able to get the final two outs to keep things scoreless.

UIC put its first runner in scoring position with a pair of 2-out hits in the top of the fifth before a ground out to Weatherford put an end to the threat and kept the Flames off the board.  In the top of the 7th, the Flames were the first to strike, scoring on a base hit from pinch hitter Jazmyn Casas.

The Aces look to even the series on Saturday with a 2 p.m. contest.

Down to its final out, the visiting Southern Illinois Salukis rallied for five runs in the top of the ninth inning and held on for a 10-6 victory over the University of Evansville baseball team at German American Bank Field at Charles H. Braun Stadium.

The Salukis struck first with single runs in the first and third innings to grab an early 2-0 lead.  But, from there, UE freshman starter Kenton Deverman shut down the SIU offense, and his teammates gave him the lead with a three-run third inning.

Junior outfielder Harrison Taubert led off the third inning with a double off the wall in left-center field, and he eventually scored on an RBI groundout by freshman catcher Kaleb Wilkey.  Senior designated hitter Kip Fougerousse then followed two batters later with a mammoth 462-foot two-run home run over the scoreboard in left-center field to give UE a 3-2 lead.

Deverman held SIU scoreless over the next three innings, and UE added three more runs in the sixth inning to build a 6-2 lead.  Freshman second baseman Brodie Peart knocked an RBI double and Taubert added an RBI single in the frame.

SIU would finally get to Deverman in the seventh, as they scored three runs off of him and reliever Drew Fieger to get back within a run at 6-5.  Sophomore reliever Max Hansmann (0-1) came on in the eighth to strike out the side, and he got the first two outs of the ninth inning around a pair of singles, but SIU third baseman Hesston Gray was able to tie the game with a seeing-eye single to left field.  SIU outfielder Nathan Bandy then followed with a two-run single to left-center field to give the Salukis the lead for good.

Taubert went 3-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI to lead UE, while Peart and Fougerousse added two hits each.  Gray and shortstop Jake Allgeyer both had four-hit days for SIU.

With the victory, SIU improves to 18-9 overall and 4-1 in the MVC.  Evansville, meanwhile, falls to 10-16 overall and 1-4 in the league.  The series will conclude on Saturday at 1 p.m. with the rubber match.  Graduate left-hander Donovan Schultz (0-1, 8.78 ERA) will get the start for UE on the mound.  The game can be heard live on 107.1 FM-WJPS.

The University of Evansville track and field team had runners compete at two meets on Friday afternoon and evening.

Freshman runner Nicole Prauchner (Neuhofen an der Ybbs, Austria) broke the outdoor 400-meter program meter, surpassing teammate Eilén Brenne (Skien, Norway) by under two seconds only a week later at the Raleigh Relays. Brenne also ran in the 400-meter on Friday afternoon with a time of 59.45 seconds, finishing six spots behind Prauchner.

Sprinter Raymond Felton III (Houston / Clear Brook HS) was the only men’s runner to compete in Raleigh on Friday in the 400-meter race. Felton ran a personal best of 51.32 seconds in one of the tightest races of the day. The Aces final event in Raleigh was the women’s 1500-meter race where freshman Nayla Martin (Vaudreuil-Dorion, Quebec, Canada) and Kalina Urbaniak (Suchy Las, Poland) ran personal bests. Urbaniak finished ahead with a time of 4:36.57 and Martin had a time of 4:37.01.

UE also had freshman runner Samuel Lea (Worchester, England) at the WashU Distance Carnival on Friday night in the 5,000-meter race. Lea set a new outdoor record by just over two seconds, finishing the race in 15:07.85, breaking the previous record set in 2009.

Evansville will wrap up the weekend at the Raleigh Relays on Saturday afternoon. The Aces will have runners competing in the women's 800-meter race, the men's 200-meter race, and the men's 800-meter race.

Nine runs in the first three innings launched UIC to a 10-3 win over the University of Evansville softball team on Saturday afternoon at Tri-State Orthopaedics Field at Cooper Stadium.

Evansville accumulated 10 hits in the game with Callie Meinel going a perfect 3-for-3.  Zoe Frossard continued her strong play as she went 2-3 with a walk.  UIC finished the day with 13 hits as five players registered two hits apiece.

Two runs in the first, four in the second and three in the third saw the Flames jump out to a 9-0 lead.  Alannah Cran got things started with a 2-run home run in the first before adding an RBI single in the second.  Larisa Villa added a 2-RBI hit in the second.

Evansville picked up its first two hits of the game in the bottom half of the third.  Jenna Nink had a single before Zoe Frossard added a ground rule double.  UIC was able to get through the frame unscathed.

That changed in the bottom of the fourth when five runners in a row reached base including four consecutive base hits.  Callie Meinel began with a 1-out infield single while Brooke Voss followed with a single up the middle.  Next up was Brooke McCorkle, who hit another single up the middle to bring in Meinel for the first UE run of the day.  Kaylee Lawson followed up with the fourth hit in a row to score Voss.

Abby Bode added an RBI groundout to plate the third run of the game in the bottom of the sixth.  UIC added a home run in the top of the 7th frame to extend the lead to 10-3.  Megan Brenton made the start for UE and allowed five runs in 1 2/3 innings.  Christina Toniolo threw another complete game, allowing three runs on 10 hits.

Sunday’s series finale will begin with a 12 p.m. first pitch.

University of Evansville senior starter Shane Harris tossed six strong innings on Thursday night, and the Purple Aces broke things open with nine runs in the seventh and eighth innings to post a series-opening 12-2 run-rule victory over the Southern Illinois Salukis at German American Bank Field at Charles H. Braun Stadium in Evansville.

“It’s great to get back in the win column obviously,” said UE head coach Wes Carroll.  “It really started on the mound for us tonight with the effort that we got out of Shane Harris.  He got some early swings tonight, which kept his pitch-count low, and that really helped him settle in and set the tone for us.

“Offensively, we got a lot of hits early, but also left a lot of guys on base, and it felt like we should have been up more early on.  But, the guys never wavered, and finally, in winning time, we were able to string together a lot of good at-bats and we were finally able to put up the big inning.  Overall, I really liked the energy that our guys came to the park with today and we need to carry that over to tomorrow night.”

Harris set the tone early for UE, recording a pair of strikeouts in the first inning, as he retired the first 12 men he faced.  Graduate outfielder Mark Shallenberger then led off the game with a double to left-center field and he eventually scored on an RBI ground out by graduate third baseman Brent Widder, as UE took a 1-0 lead just three batters into the game.

Shallenberger then added a two-run double off the wall in left-center field in the second inning to push the lead to 3-0.  Evansville would collect seven hits in the first three innings, but left five men stranded on base, as the lead remained 3-0.

Southern Illinois would finally get its first hit and run of the game off of Harris in the fifth inning, and tacked on another run in the sixth inning, but he buckled down and got a fly out from SIU’s clean-up batter to end the sixth inning with a 3-2 lead.  Harris (2-4) would earn the victory in just his second start of the year, giving up just two runs on five hits in 6.0 innings of work with three strikeouts against no walks.

SIU threatened to tie the game in the seventh inning, putting two men on base, but reliever Drew Fieger got a pop up to end the frame and keep Evansville in the lead.  Then, in the seventh inning, Evansville took advantage of extreme wildness from the SIU bullpen to plate six runs on a lead-off single, an error, seven walks and a pair of sacrifice flies.  UE then enacted the run-rule in the eighth inning on a run-scoring ground-rule double by junior outfielder Harrison Taubert, a run-scoring passed ball, and a walk-off RBI single by Shallenberger.

Shallenberger led UE by going 3-for-4 with two doubles and four RBI.  Taubert, graduate first baseman Chase Hug and junior catcher Evan Waggoner also had two-hit outings.

With the victory, Evansville improves to 10-15 overall and 1-3 in the Missouri Valley Conference.  Southern Illinois, meanwhile, falls to 17-9 overall and 3-1 in the Valley.  The series will continue on Friday night at 6 p.m. in a game that can be heard live in the Tri-State on 107.1 FM-WJPS and seen live on ESPN+.  Freshman left-hander Kenton Deverman (2-1, 4.46 ERA) will get the start for UE.

Both the University of Evansville men’s and women’s golf teams will be in action over the course of the weekend, including a match against USI on Friday.

Beginning at 11 a.m. on Friday morning, the Purple Aces men and women will face USI in a match at Fendrich Golf Club in Evansville.  There will be multiple match play matches with the programs competing for one combined trophy.  The public is invited to Fendrich to cheer on the teams.

Following Friday’s action, both teams will compete in weekend tournaments.  The men head to Indianapolis for the Don Benbow Butler Spring Invitational.  Set for Monday and Tuesday, the tournament will take place at Highland Golf and Country Club.  Par will be 70 and the yardage is set for 6,551.

Butler, Bradley, Cleveland State, DePaul, Detroit Mercy, Green Bay, Indian Hills, IUPUI, Loyola, Oakland, Purdue Fort Wayne and Youngstown State join Evansville in the field.

Evansville’s women are also back on the course on Monday where they will take part in the Golfweek Intercollegiate in Pawley’s Island, S.C.  The event is slated to run from Monday through Wednesday.

Last week, the men competed at the Bobby Nichols Intercollegiate where they came home in a tie for 11th.  Carson Parker led the way with a tie for 26th place.  His top performance was a 72 in the second round of play.  Isaac Rohleder finished three strokes behind him with a 229, tying him for 34th.

UE’s women took 10th at the Nevel Meade Invitational last Tuesday.  Another stellar performance by Kate Petrova saw her tie for second place with a 151.  Highlighting her efforts was a 73 in the first 18 holes.

Another 3-game home series is on the slate this weekend as the University of Evansville softball team welcomes UIC to Tri-State Orthopaedics Field at Cooper Stadium for a 3-game series running Friday through Sunday.  ESPN+ will have the live coverage of the final two games of the weekend.

Last Time Out

- Strong pitching by Belmont led them to a 3-game series sweep last weekend in Nashville; the Bruins allowed just two runs by the Purple Aces in the three games

- Sunday’s finale saw the Aces fall by a 2-1 final as Sydney Weatherford kept her team in it, allowing two earned runs in five frames

- Jess Willsey, who hit .444 over the weekend, had a solo home run in the final game

Providing the Offense

- Batting a team-high .444 in the Belmont series, Jess Willsey has upped her season average to .302, which is second on the team

- Willsey registered four hits in nine at-bats versus the Bruins and takes a 7-game hit streak into the weekend

- She is tied for 6th in the MVC with seven doubles and a total of 29 hits; her 96 at-bats ranks third in the conference

Solid Performances

- Brooke Voss finished the Belmont series batting .333 with three hits in nine at-bats

- Over the last 11 games, Voss has batted .344 with 11 hits in 32 at-bats; those efforts have seen her season average rise from .146 to .237

- Voss has 10 runs and six RBI during that span and has picked up a hit in 8 of the last 11 games

Making Strides

- Mid-March saw Hannah Hood posted just two hits in 16 at-bats between the 12th and 19th, but she looks to get back on track following the road trip to Belmont

- Against the Bruins, Hood registered a pair of hits in eight at-bats and has upped her average for the season to .257

- Her 15 runs is tied for third on the team while her 14 walks is second

Solid in the Circle

- Over her last four pitching appearances, Sydney Weatherford has allowed just three earned runs in 23 frames, translating to an ERA of 0.91

- In that time, Weatherford has seven strikeouts while walking just two batters

- Her MVC earned run average is 1.56 while her season ERA is just 2.43

- Weatherford was at her best in the series against Valparaiso as she allowed one unearned run in 12 innings of work on her way to a pair of victories

The University of Evansville baseball team will return to Missouri Valley Conference play this weekend beginning on Thursday, as the Purple Aces will open a three-game Valley series with Southern Illinois at German American Bank Field at Charles H. Braun Stadium in Evansville.  First-pitch for the series-opener is set for 6 p.m.

Evansville will bring a 9-15 overall record into Thursday’s opener.  The Purple Aces will be trying to snap a six-game losing streak this weekend, the longest for UE since the COVID-shortened 2020 season.  Evansville and Southern Illinois split four games last season, including a 7-3 UE victory in the 2023 MVC Tournament opener for both schools.

Evansville’s offense will be buoyed by the return to graduate first baseman Chase Hug this weekend.  Hug, who missed 20 games after straining his biceps on a swing in the second game of the year, officially returned to the UE lineup on Sunday against Murray State, and he picked up his first hit since returning Tuesday night with a three-run home run against SIUE.  Hug was a first-team all-MVC selection last year, and was a preseason all-Valley player in a vote of the league’s coaches.  Overall, Evansville is hitting .293 this year, led by graduate outfielder Mark Shallenberger’s .375 batting average.

Southern Illinois will bring a 17-8 overall record and 3-0 MVC mark into this weekend’s series after dropping an 8-7 decision to UT Martin on Tuesday night in 10 innings.  The Salukis opened Valley play by sweeping Valparaiso at home last weekend.  The Salukis will bring a .295 team batting average into the series, with senior Nathan Bandy leading the way with a .426 average in part-time action this year.  Bandy went 3-for-4 on Tuesday night against UT Martin, driving in five runs for SIU.  Outfielder Mathieu Vallee is next for the Salukis with a .333 average.

All three games of the weekend series can be 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.  The games on Thursday and Friday night (both 6 p.m. starts) can be seen live on ESPN+.  The series is moved up a day to Thursday, Friday and Saturday to accommodate the Easter holiday on Sunday.  Senior RHP Shane Harris (1-4, 5.12 ERA) is expected to get the start for UE in Thursday’s opener.

A small group of runners from the University of Evansville's track and field program will compete over the weekend in two different meets.

The Purple Aces will be sending eight runners to the prestigious Raleigh Relays hosted by NC State starting on Thursday, March 28. Along with eight runners in Raleigh, two runners will participate in the WashU Distance Carnival in St. Louis on Friday, March 29. UE's runners' events will be spread out over three days in both Raleigh and St. Louis with one race on Thursday, five races on Friday, and three races on Saturday.

Evansville's lone race on Thursday is freshman Tommaso Losma (Lombardia, Italy) in the men's 1,500 meters at the Raleigh Relays at 3:40 p.m. CT. Friday kicks off for the Aces with the women's 400-meter race in Raleigh with freshmen Eilen Brenne (Skien, Norway) and Nicole Prauchner (Neuhofen an der Ybbs, Austria) at 1:40 p.m. CT followed by the men's 400-meter race with Raymond Felton III (Houston / Clear Brook HS) at 2:10 p.m.

Also competing in Raleigh on Friday for UE is freshman Nayla Martin (Vaudreuil-Dorion, Quebec, Canada) and Kalina Urbaniak (Suchy Las, Poland) at 3:20 p.m. Evansville's two runners participating in the WashU Distance Carnival, freshman Samuel Lea (Worchester, England) and Sonja Inzinger (Mautern an der Donau, Austria) will race Friday evening in the men's and women's 5K at 9:20 and 9:40 p.m. CT.

The Aces will wrap up the weekend on Saturday in Raleigh starting with the women's 800-meter race at 12:45 p.m. with Brenne, Martin, Prauchner, and Urbaniak all competing in the event. Also on Saturday, UE will have runners in the men's 200-meter race at 2:55 p.m. with Felton III. Evansville's final race of the weekend will be the men's 800-meter with Losma, Alvaro Monfort (Castile Y Leon, Spain), and Rafael Rodrigeuz (Segovia, Spain) running at 3:20 p.m.

Last weekend the Aces competed in their first meet of the outdoor season in the Margaret Simmons Invite hosted by Murray State. UE's men's team finished third out of 12 teams while the women finished sixth of 11 teams. Evansville had a strong showing with 13 podium finishes among 22 scored events including six first-place finishes.

ARC Construction Co., Inc. has once again demonstrated its commitment to excellence and community with a gift to the University of Evansville's (UE) Baseball program. The company is generously donating $77,400 worth of materials and labor to construct and upgrade additional press areas for German American Field at Charles H. Braun Stadium. The new construction will ensure top-level facilities will be available as the Purple Aces program prepares to host the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Baseball Tournament in May 2024.

The transformative project built by ARC Construction will enclose platform areas on the first and third base sides of the baseball stadium, equipped with HVAC and modern amenities to accommodate media during baseball games. Additionally, the project includes replacing the canopy on the tops of the press boxes, ensuring a comfortable and functional environment for both media personnel and spectators. This enhancement aligns with UE's commitment to providing top-tier facilities for student-athletes and the broader community.

This project was one of the decisive factors in securing a bid to host the 2024 MVC Baseball Championship with the goal of the facility being part of the permanent rotation to host the event.  Evansville’s facility now has the ability to host multiple radio, print and other media crews that will be in Evansville for the tournament.

Led by Danny Bateman ’71, former President of ARC Construction, and his son Jamie Bateman ’97, current President and COO, the company has deep ties to UE. Danny, an accounting graduate from UE, along with his wife Pat, have maintained a strong connection to the university over the years. The Bateman family's legacy at UE, coupled with their ongoing support, exemplifies their dedication to enhancing the university's facilities and programs.

The Bateman family, along with ARC Construction, have also generously contributed to enhancing campus facilities. This includes the creation of the ARC Construction Student Lounge, located in the east lounge on the upper level of the Schroeder Family School of Business Administration Building, as well as the ARC Construction Ticket Office situated on the first floor of Hyde Hall.

ARC Construction's philanthropic endeavors extend far beyond UE, with involvement in various community organizations such as Youth First, Sigma Phi Epsilon Educational Fund,
CMOE, United Way, YMCA Camp Carson, and St. Vincent Evansville. Their unwavering commitment to philanthropy underscores their vision for a better, more vibrant Evansville.

"We want to thank ARC Construction for their support of our baseball program, UE Athletics, and the institution as a whole. We had a dream to bring the MVC Baseball Tournament to our campus for the first time, and we needed support to be able to add press box space. It was without hesitation that Danny and Jamie Bateman made it clear they wanted to help. We greatly appreciate all that ARC Construction and the entire Bateman family continue to do for the program," said Kenneth “Ziggy” Siegfried, Athletic Director for UE.

The completion of the Press Box project marks another milestone in UE's ongoing FORWARD>> Campaign, thanks to the generosity and foresight of individuals like Danny and Jamie Bateman. Their legacy of giving back continues to propel UE forward, ensuring a bright future for the university and the students.