The February 2025 meetings of the University of Evansville Board of Trustees will be held on campus Friday, February 21, and Saturday, February 22, 2025. Parking in front of Olmsted Administration Hall and the Schroeder Family School of Business Administration will be reserved for University Trustees. Employee parking on the front oval will be limited on both days.

February 18, 2025 Wheeler Concert Hall 7:30 p.m. A Chicago native, Melanie Bacaling is currently on the “Stage Directing Staff” at the Metropolitan Opera, and the House Assistant Director at Santa Fe Opera. Most recently her Met productions include Il Trovatore and Aida, and this Spring she will be making her directing debut at Lyric Opera of Chicago with La Boheme. She also has production credits with LA Opera, Boston Lyric Opera, Detroit Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, Opera Omaha, Washington Concert Opera, Aspen Opera Center, and the Sun Valley Music Festival. She holds a Bachelor of Music in Voice and Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Evansville as well as a Masters of Music in Vocal Performance and Pedagogy from the Boston Conservatory.

2nd Annual Creative Technologies Festival

Join us for an immersive evening of sound, technology, and artistry at the Creative Technologies Festival on Tuesday, February 25, at 7:30 PM in Wheeler Concert Hall.

This special concert will showcase performances by UE Creative Tech faculty members Jon Robertson (sound design/theatre) and Charles du Preez (music), alongside distinguished guests from the University of Louisville:

Krzysztof Wołek – Professor of Music Composition

Chad Sloan – Associate Professor of Voice, baritone

Experience the power of an 8-channel surround sound system and the evocative poetry of Bunny Morris—a trans, queer, and disabled multimedia artist from Louisville, KY, whose work explores the interplay of pain and pleasure and the disintegration of boundaries in-between spaces.

Don’t miss this unique fusion of music, technology, and spoken word!

📍 Wheeler Concert Hall

📅 Tuesday, February 25, 7:30 PM

Free and open to the public. We hope to see you there!

Commencement Central is an event where students planning to graduate Spring or Summer 2025 will check their diploma name and degree programs and touch base with the University Bookstore, Alumni Relations, and the Center for Career Development.

This event will be held in Eykamp Hall on these dates:

March 3, 2025 : 11am-1pm

March 4, 2025 : 11am-1pm and 4pm-6pm

If you plan on graduating Spring or Summer of 2025, please use this link to sign up for a 20 minute time slot:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E4DABA822A3FCCF8-55107009-2025

It's important to come to this event even if you do not plan on attending the Commencement ceremony!

UPDATE: Dr MacLeod's Lecture on Tuesday night has been postponed to a later date due to incoming winter weather.

----

On Tuesday, February 18 at 6:30 PM in Koch Center 100, Dr. James MacLeod will present a lecture for the Southwestern Indiana Historical Society entitled "A History of Violence. Race Relations in the Evansville Area." In a lecture with over 100 powerful images, Dr. MacLeod will discuss various aspects of racial violence in this region, including 19th century lynchings, the 1903 race riot, and the turbulent 1960s and 1970s.

This event is free and open to the public.

February 18, 2025

Wheeler Concert Hall

7:30 p.m.

A Chicago native, Melanie Bacaling is currently on the “Stage Directing Staff” at the Metropolitan Opera, and the House Assistant Director at Santa Fe Opera. Most recently her Met productions include Il Trovatore and Aida, and this Spring she will be making her directing debut at Lyric Opera of Chicago with La Boheme. She also has production credits with LA Opera, Boston Lyric Opera, Detroit Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, Opera Omaha, Washington Concert Opera, Aspen Opera Center, and the Sun Valley Music Festival. She holds a Bachelor of Music in Voice and Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Evansville as well as a Masters of Music in Vocal Performance and Pedagogy from the Boston Conservatory.

Tryouts will happen soon for the Aces United Variety Show, which will take place on April 10! This is a fantastic opportunity for all employees to showcase their talents and be part of a fun, community-building event.

In addition to celebrating our amazing community, the show will serve as a benefit event to support Isaiah 117 House. For more information about this incredible charity, please visit: https://isaiah117house.com/.

Tryouts will be held on:

• February 20 from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
• February 21 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

To sign up for a time slot, please use the following link:

Sign Up for Talent Show Tryouts

We encourage all employees to participate, whether you're a performer, musician, dancer, comedian, or have a unique talent to share. We look forward to seeing the many talents of our campus community on display!

The Department of Art presents CREATING A MYTH by ceramic artisit John Reynolds.  The exhibit is open from 01/21/2025 through 03/01/25.  Please join us at the public reception in the Peterson Gallery on Thursday, February 13 at 6:30 pm.

Gallery hours are MTFS: 12 - 3 p.m. and WTH: 12 - 6 p.m.

2025 - 2026 Tuition Remission forms are now available in the Office of Human Resources.  You may also access the forms on the Human Resources page on MyUE at https://ueliveevansville.sharepoint.com/sites/MyUEHumanResources, under the benefits tab.

Please contact the Office of Human Resources at 5045 if you have any questions.

The University of Evansville African American Alumni Association is pleased to announce the 2025 Zerah Priestly Carter Endowed Scholarship in honor of Zerah Priestly Carter, the first African American graduate of the University.

This scholarship is awarded annually to deserving African American students pursuing a Bachelor’s degree at UE. These scholarship funds of at least $1,000 annually, are in addition to other financial aid/scholarships awarded to the recipient and are renewable, dependent on academic progress and annual community service. Eligible students are encouraged to apply at this time.

Applications will be accepted until March 14, 2025.

Please apply at https://www.uealumnionline.com/ZPC2025

UE Reads is a paid work-study position. If you qualify for federal work-study positions and are available on Monday and Tuesday from 3:30 to 5:30, we have positions for two students to work with young students at a community daycare. This position is to encourage reading for enjoyment.

If you are available two afternoons a week, Monday through Thursday, we have openings in area elementary schools to help students with homework and reading. Please contact Kendra Pennington at kp283@evansville.edu for more information.  The pay is good and minimal preparation is required.

Harlaxton College is excited to invite you to the inaugural Mini Olympics at Harlaxton, an unforgettable summer experience in an enchanting English manor house. This unique program is designed to provide you with a valuable opportunity to inspire, elevate, and empower children through the power of sports while enjoying a beautiful, historic setting.

Inspire+ is Harlaxton College's sponsored charity of the year. They are an independent sports and education charity that changes young people's lives by leading healthier lifestyles through physical and well-being activities. They work with local Olympians and Paralympians to host a three-day Mini Olympics for over 2800 school children from the Grantham area where Harlaxton is located.

This fun event brings children together in non-competitive sports. There are 17 stations, each with a unique activity, and opening and closing ceremonies sponsored by the Royal Opera House. Harlaxton College will have one station, Cheerleading, and participants will teach the children a cheer to perform at the closing ceremonies.

If you choose to join this exciting adventure, you'll fly to London's Heathrow Airport for a June 6 arrival and spend time planning and organizing for the Mini Olympics before the big three-day event that will be followed by an elegant dinner in one of the grand State Rooms at Harlaxton. You'll also have time to tour Harlaxton Manor; explore Grantham's nightlife; enjoy dinner at the Gregory Arms, a traditional British pub; tour local schools, including a prestigious boarding school; spend time in London; and go on a backstage tour of the Royal Opera House before flying back to the USA on June 14.

Your room and meals at Harlaxton are included in the cost of this $2350 trip. This unique experience has limited capacity so please reserve your spot as soon as possible. For more information, please contact Lisa Hale at lh241@evansville.edu.

Call for Applications to Teach at Harlaxton
Fall 2026, and Spring 2027

Harlaxton College is pleased to be accepting applications to teach at the Manor in Fall 2026, and Spring 2027.   These applications are online and can be found by clicking https://pursueharlaxton.evansville.edu/register/teach-with-harlaxton.

Applications for Fall 2026 and Spring 2027 are due on April 1, 2025

Semester applicants will be informed of the status of their application in July 2025.

Semester Applicants:
Semester benefits include room and board for family members at Harlaxton.   Faculty members who wish to bring children and enroll them in the local schools will be assisted in the visa process but will be required to pay any fees for the visa.  These fees are currently approx. $1000 per person and visas are required for every person in the family.   Faculty and families will also be invoiced for health and transportation fees at the Manor for each member of the family and the faculty member.  These fees are approximately $400 per person.

Teaching at Harlaxton is a wonderful experience, and we welcome faculty members for a phenomenal summer or semester abroad.  If you have questions about teaching at Harlaxton and the experience overall, please feel free to email me at hc110@evansville.edu.

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Sporting a “River City” look on Sunday at the Ford Center, the University of Evansville men’s basketball team outscored Valparaiso by a 39-25 margin in the second half to pull away for a 79-69 victory.

Connor Turnbull put together another career performance, scoring 27 points on 12-of-15 shooting.  He added six boards, three blocks, and three assists.  Tayshawn Comer picked up a double-double with 17 points and 11 assists.  He was a perfect 10-for-10 from the line.  Gabriel Pozzato added 12 points while Josh Hughes finished with 11.

“I thought we did a great job of sharing the ball; having 18 assists was great for us.  On the other side, we switched up defenses and had a good sense of urgency to keep them off balance,” UE head coach David Ragland exclaimed.  “As we go into the next two games on the road, we need to bring that same sense of urgency that we had in the second half for the entire 40 minutes.”

Valparaiso had a big start, jumping out to a 9-2 lead.  The Beacons connected on their opening five attempts on their way to a 13-6 lead in the first four minutes.  Connor Turnbull registered UE’s first four points and finished with a game-high 10 in the first half.  Evansville made it a 3-point game at 13-10 on a Josh Hughes basket, but Valpo regrouped to retake a 7-point lead, going up 19-12 with 12:30 remaining in the period.

Approaching the midway point of the period, the Aces made their move.  Trailing 24-19, Evansville scored seven in a row to take its first lead of the night at 26-24.  Tayshawn Comer got things started with a layup while Kaia Berridge followed with the tying 3-pointer.  A pair of Comer free throws finished the run to put UE in front.

It did not take long for the Beacons to counter as they scored the next six tallies to go back in front.  With 5:31 remaining the stanza, Josh Hughes drained a triple to tie the game at 32-32 while the Beacons would go up six (42-36) inside of the 3-minute mark.  A late bucket by the Aces made it a 44-40 game at halftime.

Out of the break, Valparaiso took its largest lead of the game (49-41) just over two minutes in.  The Aces fought back with Turnbull picking up another basket and three free throws while Comer followed with a steal and dunk that cut the deficit to one at 51-50 with 13:42 remaining.  Turnbull kept it going once again, scoring the next four to take a 54-51 lead entering the final 12 minutes.  The second basket gave him 21 points, eclipsing his previous mark of 20.

Entering the final seven minutes, Gabriel Pozzato knocked down all three free throws to push the lead to six points.  Just over two minutes later, a 3-pointer by Comer and another field goal by Turnbull gave the Aces their largest advantage of the game at 68-59.

A quick spurt by the Beacons got them within five before UE scored the next five to go up by double figures.  Hughes’ second triple of the night capped the run.  UE finished things off from there, earning the 79-69 win.

Four Valpo players reached double figures with All Wright leading the way with 17.  After trailing by a 44-40 margin at halftime, UE outscored the Beacons by a 39-25 margin to rally in the second half.  The Aces finished the night shooting 50% while Valpo finished at 40.4%.  UE also finished with a 32-29 rebounding advantage.

Next up for UE is a 2-game road trip beginning on Wednesday at Indiana State before heading to UIC for a Saturday matinee.

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – In their final home game in the month of February the University of Evansville women’s basketball team didn’t hang on in a 73-53 loss.

With only seven active players on Saturday afternoon, the Purple Aces fell behind in the second half against the Illinois State Redbirds. UE did keep things even when it came to steals, having six to Illinois State’s five while the Redbirds had one more turnover with 14. Freshman guard Logan Luebbers Palmer (Union, Ky. / Randall K. Cooper HS) led Evansville with a new career scoring high of 17 points.

It was a defensive battle early in Meeks Family Fieldhouse as the Aces forced a shot clock violation on Illinois State’s first possession. The scoring went back and forth until UE had the first run of the game with five points. The Redbirds responded with a 12-point run of their own to pull away by nine. Evansville was able to get back into the game with a long jumper from sophomore forward Claudia Clement (Barcelona, Spain) and back-to-back trips to the free throw line. After 10 minutes the Aces only trailed by three points.

The second quarter started with matching layups. Neither team had a run longer than five points throughout the second. UE’s defense kept Illinois State’s offense stifled in the back half of the second quarter. The Redbirds didn’t make a field goal in the final two and a half minutes while Evansville senior guard Júlia Palomo (La Seu d’Urgell, Spain) ended the first half with two. The Aces entered the locker room down only by eight with a 33-25 score.

Palmer scored the first point of the second half at the free throw line and followed it up with a three pointer to make it a six-point game. Illinois State responded with a four-point run that was broken by a second three for Palomo. The Redbirds scored a three of their own before breaking out on an eight-point run. Palmer again helped the UE offense with a jumper to end the scoreless drought. But Illinois State put together a seven-point run to end the third as Evansville trailed 57-36.

The Aces began the fourth quickly with two threes and a field goal in just over two minutes to get the deficit down to 14. That would be the closest UE would get to the Redbirds as they consistently pulled away on short runs. The Illinois State lead grew to 22 by the final two minutes on a six-point run. Freshman guard Camryn Runner (Cicero, Ind. / Hamilton Heights HS) made two free throws for the last points of the game with 1:43 on the clock as Evansville fell to the Redbirds 73-53.

The Aces had three players in double figures between Palmer (17), Palomo (13), and Runner (11). Sophomore forward Maggie Hartwig (Sauk City, Wis. / Sauk Prairie HS) had another double-digit rebounding game with 11 boards while Palomo led the team in steals with four.

Evansville returns to the road for the next two weeks starting with a trip to Valparaiso. The Aces will square off with the Beacons on Friday, February 21. Tip-off from the ARC on Friday is set for 6 p.m.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The University of Evansville baseball team couldn’t stop Little Rock’s red-hot offense in an 11-1 loss on Sunday afternoon.

The Purple Aces faced their first run-rule defeat as the Little Rock Trojans burst out to an early lead and didn’t surrender through eight innings. Sophomore left-hander Kevin Reed (Martinsville, Ind. / Martinsville HS) made his first start of 2025, pitching 3.2 innings with four strikeouts. Senior catcher Evan Waggoner (Bedford, Ind. / Bedford Lawrence North HS) led UE on offense going two of three at the plate with two hits, a double, and an RBI.

Evansville’s offense started Sunday with two hits to have runners in scoring position as senior second baseman Cal McGinnis (Kimberly, Wis. / Bradley) singled and went to third on a double from Waggoner. However, a strikeout to shortstop Brodie Pert (Markham, Ontario, Canada) ended the Aces' offensive threat in the first. UE began the bottom of the inning with an out but soon struggled with the Trojan offense.

Little Rock put together three hits and reached on an error in four at-bats to take a 3-0 lead early. And the Trojans weren’t done as a ground out scored another runner and a balk call on Reed scored a fifth runner in half an inning. Evansville faced a 5-0 deficit after only an inning of work at Gary Hogan Field.

It was a clean second inning for both teams with three up and three down appearances at the plate. Little Rock added another run in the bottom of the third on a single but back-to-back strikeouts from Reed kept the Trojan lead at 6-0. Waggoner connected on his second hit in the top of the fourth but was stranded on the basepaths.

Little Rock began the bottom of the fourth with two singles and made it a 7-0 game on a stolen base attempt at second. Reed added his fourth strikeout of the game after the score, but the inning was finished by freshman right-hander RJ James (Toronto, Ontario) in his collegiate debut. James stayed on the mound for the Aces for the next four innings with two strikeouts.

UE went three-up and three-down in the top of the fifth while the Trojans led off with a double. The double wouldn’t lead to anything as center fielder Ty Rumsey (Evansville, Ind. / North HS) turned a flyout into a double play at home with a bullseye throw to Waggoner to end the inning. Evansville quickly got a batter on base in the top of the sixth as McGinnis was hit by a pitch with one out.

With McGinnis at first right fielder Harrison Taubert (Casper, Wyo. / Northeast HS) had his second multi-base hit in as many games with a double to left center. With runners on third and second Waggoner was able to drop the ball in between first and second to score McGinnis and advance Taubert to third with two outs. Taubert would stay at third as Little Rock got the third out to keep it a 7-1 game.

The Aces made three defensive changes in the seventh inning that kept the Trojans from scoring. But Little Rock’s offense got going in the bottom of the eighth inning to end the game a half inning early with four runs for the 11-1 run rule. UE will return to action on Tuesday, February 18 at Lipscomb. First pitch from Ken Dugan Field is set for 3 p.m. next week.

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Giving a nod to the City of Evansville, the Purple Aces men’s basketball team will wear special “River City” jerseys on Sunday as they host Valparaiso inside the Ford Center at 7 p.m.  ESPN+ and the Purple Aces Radio Network will have the broadcast.

River City

- In a drastic change from its normal colors, the Aces River City uniforms sport the colors of the City of Evansville’s flag - dark blue, light blue, and gold

- The circular emblem around the jersey number is an alteration of the city flag representing the Four Freedoms monument and the Ohio River, Wabash and Erie Canals, and Pigeon Creek

Last Time Out

- Shooting 51% from the field, Missouri State pulled away for a 71-54 win over UE on Wednesday night in Springfield.

- Tayshawn Comer recorded a game-high 17 points while Connor Turnbulls scored 13 and Gabriel Pozzato finished with 12

On a Roll                                                                                                  

- Over the last 13 games, Tayshawn Comer has played as well as anyone in the MVC

- Comer is averaging 20.0 points, 4.2 assists, and 4.2 rebounds per game over that time and leads UE with his season scoring average of 15.7 PPG

- Included in that tally is a career-high 27 points in the win over Murray State, besting his mark of 26 in the road win at SIU

- Against league competition, Comer is averaging 18.7 PPG, which is second

- His assist numbers have been off the charts; over the last eight games, he is averaging 4.8 per game while his season mark of 3.85/game is 6th in the MVC

Doing It All

- For the first time in his UE career, Tanner Cuff posted a 20-point game, finishing with 22 in the road win at Valparaiso

- Over the last five games, Cuff is averaging 8.8 rebounds and has moved to 4th in the MVC with his average of 6.85 per game and ranks second in the league with 5.46 defensive caroms per contest

- He posted his second double-double of the season in the win over Murray State, registering 12 points and 12 boards

- Cuff had a career-high 11 assists against Belmont and is 9th in the league with his average of 3.50 per contest

Scouting the Opponent

- Valparaiso halted a 9-game skid on Wednesday as they picked up a 101-86 home victory over Belmont

- Cooper Schwieger scored 27 points and hauled in 13 rebounds to lead the Beacons in the victory while All Wright finished with 20

- Prior to the losing streak, Valpo recorded three wins in its first five MVC games

- Schwieger paces the Beacons in scoring (14.9 PPG), rebounding (7.6 RPG) and his season total of 42 blocked shots

- All Wright is averaging 13.1 PPG while Tyler Schmidt and Jefferson De La Cruz Monegro chip in 11.3 and 11.2 PPG, respectively

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Morgan Adams recorded a home run and three RBI on Friday as the University of Evansville softball team dropped both ends of a doubleheader to Butler at Tri-State Orthopaedics Field at Cooper Stadium.

Game 1 – Butler 4, UE 3

Evansville got off to a quick start, scoring three runs in the top of the first inning.  Zoe Frossard was hit by a pitch while Taylor Howe followed with a single.  Next up was Brooke Voss who singled to centerfield to bring in Frossard for the first run of the game.

Jess Willsey followed up with another single while an error by the Bulldogs contributed to a pair of runs scoring.  UE completed the frame with four hits.  The Purple Aces had a chance to add more to the lead with two runners reaching in the second including Kynadee Warner, who led off with a single.  The Bulldogs were able to get out of the frame without allowing anymore runs to score.

It did not take long for Butler to take advantage, plating two runs in the top half of the third.  Looking to get back on track, Callie Meinel and Eliza Piggott each recorded hits in the bottom of the frame but would not score.  It remained 3-2 in favor of UE until the fifth when the Bulldogs scored the tying run before recording what would be the winning run in the 6th.

Gwen Baker was the winning pitcher for Butler as she tossed five innings with three runs scoring.  Sydney Weatherford suffered the loss with two runs scoring in two frames.  Kate Ridgway made the start, allowing two runs, one earned, in five frames.

Game 2 – Butler 12, UE 4

Scoring the final eight runs of the contest, Butler pulled away for a 12-4 victory in game two of the doubleheader.

After Butler plated the first two runs of the game, the Aces came through with two runs in the bottom of the second.  Morgan Adams got UE on the board with a 1-out solo home run while Taylor Howe’s sacrifice fly knotted the game at 2-2.

The Bulldogs retook the lead with a 2-run homer in the top of the third, but the Aces responded with a pair of runs to tie it back up.  It was Adams coming through once again, picking up a 2-run single.  The back-and-forth action continued as the Bulldogs retook the lead with two runs in the fourth and one in the sixth to take a 7-4 lead.

Looking to rally in the bottom of the sixth, UE loaded the bases with one out.  Niki Bode and Zoe Frossard both walked while Kynadee Warner added a single.  Unfortunately, a double play ended the threat and Butler scored five times in the 7th to seal the win.  Cassidy Gall took the loss for UE, allowing four runs in three innings of work.  Katie Petran was the winner for the Bulldogs, allowing four runs in 5 1/3 frames.

Adams was the top performer for UE, going 2-3 with a home run and three RBI.  The Aces look to get back on track with a home tournament next weekend that is set to run from Friday through Sunday.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – In the first two contests of the 2025 season the University of Evansville baseball team wasn’t able to find an extra bit of offense for a win at Little Rock.

Starting the season off with a doubleheader the Purple Aces came close to a comeback win in the first game of the day. Up 4-2 heading into the bottom of the ninth the Little Rock Trojans found three runs to take game one 5-4. UE’s offense struggled to get going in the second game of the day, recording only three hits in the 5-1 loss.

“A tough way to start the season as we didn’t earn a win,” said Head Coach Wes Carroll following Friday’s doubleheader. “Too many mistakes at the end of both games hurt our chances. [Left-handed pitcher Kenton] Deverman gave us a chance with a great performance in the second game, but we couldn’t take advantage of it. We need to salvage the weekend on Sunday playing overall better baseball.”

GAME 1

Junior right-hander Max Hansmann (Elmhurst, Ill. / York HS) got the Opening Day start for his first start since April of 2023. But a leadoff walk for the Trojans turned into a scored run as it was followed by a hit and a line out. Hansmann ended the inning with his first strike of the day as Little Rock took a 1-0 lead into the second.

Neither team had much success on offense in the second inning. In the third junior third baseman Drew Howard (Ferdinand, Ind. / Forest Park HS) led off with a walk and moved to third on a ground out. Howard stole third during center fielder Ty Rumsey’s (Evansville, Ind. / North HS) second at-bat of the game. Rumsey connected for the Aces' first hit of the day, scoring Howard to tie the game.

The game remained tied over the next three innings as a pitcher’s duel ensued. Hansmann ended his day after four innings with four hits, one run, three walks, and five strikeouts while facing 19 batters. Junior transfer Owen Byberg (Barrie, Ontario / Frontier CC) made his Division I debut in the fifth inning where he quickly struck out two batters.

UE added two hits in the fourth and the sixth innings from sophomore left fielder Charlie Longmeier (Seymour, Ind. / Seymour HS) and senior second baseman Cal McGinnis (Kimberly, Wis. / Bradley). But it was Little Rock who found home plate next in the bottom of the seventh. The Trojans' first two batters made it on base and scored on a double play as Evansville took the outs at second and first over going for home.

The Aces responded immediately in the top of the eighth with back-to-back singles from first baseman Kevin McCormick (Orland Park, Ill. / St. Laurence HS) and Rumsey. Freshman pinch runner Ryan Seddon (Joliet, Ill. / St. Laurence HS) scored on a sacrifice fly from senior right fielder Harrison Taubert (Casper, Wyo. / Northeast CC) to tie the game while Rumsey made it to third.

Rumsey then quickly gave UE its only lead of the day when he scored on a passed ball during the next at-bat. Evansville’s next two batters were retired but not before taking advantage to grab a late-game lead. The Aces made two defensive changes in the bottom of the eighth as senior Ben Stuart (Mason, Ohio / William Mason HS) took over at first and senior right-hander Drew Fieger (Fort Mitchell, Ky. / Lincoln Trail CC) stepped onto the mound.

UE ended the inning with the one-run lead as Little Rock stranded a runner on third. Evansville added an insurance run in the top of the ninth as sophomore pinch runner Aaron Nehls (Evansville, Ind. / North HS) scored on an RBI single from Howard. But the insurance run wasn’t enough as the Trojans loaded the bases with one out.

After three walks to start the bottom of the ninth, Little Rock added a hit and a fielder’s choice against sophomore right-hander Kellen Roberts (Monroe, Mich. / Monroe HS) to tie the game. With two runners in scoring position a wild pitch from Roberts sent the walk-off Trojan run home in the 5-4 loss.

GAME 2

While the first game had a smattering of offense throughout, it was a pitcher’s duel almost from start to finish in the second game. 2024 MVC Freshman of the Year Kenton Deverman (Dardenne Prairie, Mo. / Fort Zumwalt West HS) began the game on the mound for the Aces and had all three putouts in the first inning. UE’s offense had a slightly better start as Rumsey began the game with a single.

But Evansville’s offense would grow cold not connecting on another hit until the final inning of the game. Deverman had a strong performance to keep the Aces in the game, not allowing a run in the first four innings with five strikeouts, three hits, and only one walk. The shutout was broken in the bottom of the fifth by Little Rock as their center fielder hit a two-run homer to right center.

Deverman pitched two more innings for UE, picking up two more strikeouts while retiring the Trojans in order both times. Evansville used two pitchers in the eighth inning as redshirt junior Parker MacCauley (Paducah, Ky. / Tennessee Tech) allowed two hits and a run. The Aces then put senior left-hander Jacob Jarvis (Farmington, Mo. / Jefferson College) in for the rest of the game. Little Rock added two more runs in the bottom of the eighth to take a commanding 5-0 lead.

UE would spoil the shutout in the top of the ninth as Taubert had Evansville’s only multi-base hit of the day. The right fielder launched a solo home run out of left field to score the Aces' lone run of the second game. McGinnis followed up Taubert’s homer with a single to get on base and sophomore shortstop Brodie Peart (Markham, Ontario, Canada) walked. But a flyout followed by a double play ended the day for UE as they dropped the second game 5-1.

Rumsey led Evansville on Friday with three hits, a run, an RBI, and two stolen bases. McGinnis was the only other Ace with multiple hits as he connected on two in eight at-bats. Four other UE players had a hit each while Taubert had two RBIs in five at-bats. Evansville did steal four bases on Friday as Howard stole two along with Rumsey in six appearances at the plate.

Due to projected weather on Saturday in the Little Rock area, the Aces have the day off before returning to action. UE will try to bring a win back to Evansville on Sunday afternoon as first pitch from Gary Hogan Field is set for 1 p.m.