EVANSVILLE NOTES  |  CREIGHTON NOTES  |  LIVE VIDEO (FRI. & SUN. ONLY)  |  LIVE AUDIO (FRI. & SUN. ONLY)  |  LIVE STATS

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Evansville baseball team will open its Missouri Valley Conference schedule this weekend by hosting defending MVC Tournament champion Creighton for a three-game series at Braun Stadium.  The Purple Aces and Bluejays will open the series Friday at 6 p.m. and continue the set with a 2 p.m. game Saturday, before wrapping up the series Sunday at 1 p.m.
 
Evansville (8-12) split a pair of midweek games with Murray State and UT Martin earlier this week, as the Aces posted a 5-3 home win over Thoroughbreds Tuesday, before falling to the Skyhawks, 8-3, Wednesday in Martin, Tenn.  Redshirt junior Johnny Day led UE by going 3-for-6 in the pair of games, while senior Chris Pearson recorded a pair of hits in six at-bats, including a two-run homer in the loss to UTM.
 
Junior Tyler Miller (1-0) picked up the win out of the bullpen in Tuesday’s win over MSU, tossing 2.2 scoreless innings and striking out five.  Senior Ryan Billo (1-2) took the loss in Wednesday‘s defeat at UT Martin, as he allowed five runs, all earned, on eight hits in just 2.2 innings.
 
As a team, Evansville is hitting .267 with 29 extra-base hits and a .334 slugging percentage.  The Aces are scoring just over five runs per outing, getting on base at a .368 clip and have stolen 17 bases in 27 tries.  Defensively, UE has committed 23 errors and own a .969 fielding percentage.
 
Junior Jake Mahon leads Evansville with a .325 batting average with four doubles and two triples, and is tied for second on the team with 12 RBI.  Redshirt sophomore Kevin Kaczmarski is hitting .313 this season and leads the squad with six doubles, 25 runs scored and five stolen bases.  Day and senior Jason Hockemeyer have each driven in a team-high 13 runs this season.  Day is hitting .299 on the year, while Hockemeyer sports a .292 average with a team-best .460 on-base percentage and 19 walks.
 
The Aces’ pitching staff has combined for a 4.37 ERA, 151 strikeouts, 59 walks and a .263 opposing batting average this season.  UE is scheduled to use the rotation of sophomore Kyle Freeland, senior Kyle Lloyd and junior Cole Isom this weekend against Creighton.  Freeland is 2-3 on the year with a 2.65 ERA and ranks second in the MVC with 35 strikeouts in his 34.0 innings of work.  The southpaw is holding opponents to a .254 average and has issued just four walks.  Lloyd owns a 2.65 ERA with a 2-2 record and has recorded a league-best 41 strikeouts, while walking just seven and holding opponents to a .214 average.  Isom brings a 1-3 record and 4.57 ERA into the weekend series.  The junior lefty has tallied 17 strikeouts in 21.2 innings of work and has issued nine walks.
 
Creighton (10-4) enters its MVC-opening series having won five of its last six games and had its Tuesday game with South Dakota State postponed due to cold weather in Omaha, Neb.  The Bluejays capture two games on a three-game set in their series with Pacific last weekend in Omaha.
 
CU is hitting .304 as a Valley-best .305 as a team with 30 extra-base hits and a .397 slugging percentage.  Creighton owns a .415 on-base percentage and has stolen 13 bases on 18 attempts this season.  The Bluejays are fielding .980 as a team and have committed just 11 defensive miscues.
 
Jake Peter leads Creighton with a .433 average, .567 slugging percentage and .507 on-base percentage to go with 14 RBI.  Kevin Lamb is hitting .403 with 13 RBI and a pair of doubles, while Regan Fowler boasts a .380 average and is reaching base at a .475 clip with just one strikeout this season.  Mike Gerber has been the Bluejays’ top power threat with a team-high 15 RBI and a pair of home runs.
 
Creighton’s pitching staff owns a 4.39 ERA and a .260 opposing batting average.  Bluejay pitchers have combined for 69 strikeouts and 50 walks in 123.0 innings.  Tommy Strunc, who is slated to be Friday’s starter, is 3-0 on the season with a 3.91 ERA in his four starts.  Strunc has notched a team-best 21 strikeouts and walked 13 in his 23.0 innings on the mound.  Saturday ‘s probably starter, Nick Musec, is 0-2 with a  5.12 ERA and has six strikeouts in 19.1 innings of work.  Brett Swain has made a pair of starts for Creighton and boasts a 1.69 ERA in 5.1 innings.  Peter has tallied a pair of saves for the Blujeays and has yet to allow a run in 4.0 innings out of the bullpen.
 
CU leads the all-time series with Evansville, 40-25, but the Aces captured the series last season, by taking two of three from Creighton last season at TD Ameritrade Park, marking UE’s first series win over the Bluejays since 2006.
 
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS (EVANSIVLLE STARTER LISTED FIRST)
FRIDAY – Kyle Freeland (LHP, 2-3, 2.65 ERA) vs. Tommy Strunc (RHP, 3-0, 3.91 ERA)
SATURDAY – Kyle Lloyd (RHP, 2-2, 2.65 ERA) vs. Nick Musec (RHP, 0-2, 5.12 ERA)
SUNDAY – Cole Isom (LHP, 1-3, 4.57 ERA) vs. TBA