Throughout the season, we'll present a regular wrap-up of some of the biggest stories surrounding University of Evansville Baseball. Today, with the Aces eyeing their second home series, we'll size up some of the top storylines from the opening month of the season.

LEADING OFF: Evansville is picking up momentum.

After a 1-7 start to the campaign, the Aces have started to gradually gain momentum in the last two weeks. UE will be entering the Western Michigan series this weekend on the heels of wins in five of the seven games, which includes the first series victory of the season last weekend at Campbell.

The recent success can largely be attributed to improved pitching and defense. With 20 errors in the first eight games and a 7.66 earned run average on the mound, the Aces gave up 84 runs over the first 71.2 innings of the season. However, over the last seven games, the Aces own a 3.53 ERA with a .977 fielding percentage, marks that would rank second and first in the Missouri Valley Conference this season.

"It's been great to see us start to play some more balanced baseball in all facets of the game, especially this past weekend on the road against an MVC-caliber team," UE head coach Wes Carroll explained. "We've made defense a point of emphasis and stressed how important it is for us to take care of the baseball and help our pitchers instead of putting them in tough positions. We're starting to understand what it takes for our team to win ball games."

However, UE's success at the plate has taken a hit as the Aces' batting average dipped to .240 over the stretch, but despite that, the on-base mark has still improved to .362. Trey Hair (.360, 10 RBI) as well as freshmen Craig Shepherd (.421, 6 R) and Kenton Crews (.353, 4R) have led the way for the Aces over the seven-game run.

 

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ON DECK: Carroll still evaluating best line-up.

Through 15 games this season, Carroll has used 13 different line-ups as he tries to find the best combination of players before conference season begins for the Aces on March 31 at Southern Illinois.

"We're still tinkering and shifting things around, and this weekend will be another chance to do that," Carroll said. "A lot of guys have taken advantage of their opportunities. We got off to a slow start and some players weren't playing up to their capabilities, so it created opportunities for other players. We've had some new guys that have really taken hold of that chance, and they've played at a high level and put us in positions to win."

The Aces have used the exact same line-up only on two occasions, a midweek loss to then-No. 7 Vanderbilt on Feb. 22 and the series opener at Southern Miss two days later. 

 

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IN THE HOLE: Freshmen challenging returners for spots.

One of the biggest reasons for the line-up variance has been the emergence of a pair of key freshmen in Crews and Shepherd, who have each worked themselves into major playing time over the past three weeks.

Both local products, Shepherd actually leads the team in batting average this season with a .409 showing at the plate with seven runs and four RBI. He's shown impressive discipline as well, and despite playing in just 11 of UE's 15 games this season, the Jasper native is tied for third on the team in walks with six. 

Heritage Hills graduate Kenton Crews has similarly impressed, posting a .371 average with seven runs while knocking in six more. Largely playing as UE's lead-off man, he's also tallied three doubles, which is tied for third on the team, to go along with a home run while playing terrific defense in centerfield.

"Craig and Kenton have really seized their moment," Carroll said. "They've competed, done the little things, and really, played Aces Baseball. It's good to see that, and we'd be in a tough situation if they weren't playing at such a high level."

"It's very special to see two freshmen performing so well. If you look across the country, very few teams will have freshmen in their starting line-up. It's great to have so many contributing on this team, and that gives us a lot of excitement for the future."

Perhaps most impressively, both freshmen rank among UE's most difficult to strike out this season While admittedly having fewer at bats to their names, Shepherd (.227) and Crews (.229) trail only Andrew Tanous (.183) and Travis Tokarek (.224) in strikeout percentage.

 

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CLEANING UP: Opportunity knocks for Austin Allinger.

Sophomore right-handed pitcher Austin Allinger pulled off a rare feat last week, earning two victories in the span of four days on the mound. The sophomore will be rewarded for his efforts Saturday as he is set to make his first start in a three-game series against Western Michigan.

"I'm confident with Austin on the mound, whether he's starting or coming out of the bullpen," Carroll said. "What I like about him is his consistency. As a coach, you like to know what you're going to get from your players each and every time someone toes the rubber, digs into the batter's box or goes out there and plays defensively. I think with Austin, we're always going to get a great effort and he will compete for us."

Last season, the West Chester, Ohio, native enjoyed a memorable rookie season for the Aces, leading all UE starting pitchers with a 5-3 record. He finished second on the team with 68.1 innings pitched, and his 3.82 ERA was only bettered by the marks of relief pitchers Ryan Brady (1.99) and Brian Justice (.3.71). This year, he ranks third on the team in ERA (.2.63), but only one of his five appearances has been a start.

"Austin is so flexible for us," Carroll continued. "He bounces back and works extremely hard to always be prepared for whatever role we put him in. It's a little different this week with him getting a weekend start, but there's no doubt in my mind that he'll be prepared for it and give us a chance to win."

 

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FINAL OUT: Maikranz Family Indoor Facility to be dedicated Saturday.

After undergoing an extensive renovation in the fall, the Maikranz Family Indoor Facility has become the all-weather training home for Evansville athletics, and with 12,000 square feet of turf, perhaps no program has benefited more from its renovations than UE Baseball. 

The facility, which includes the Ron and Cindy Smith Baseball Practice Center and the Brett "Boomer" Synek Hitting Zone, will be dedicated in an official ceremony at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday.

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