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• Live Game Audio (Friday & Saturday)
• Friday's Live Stats (Courtesy of ETSU)
• Saturday's Live Stats (Courtesy of ETSU)
• Sunday's Live Stats (Courtesy of ETSU)

The 2009 University of Evansville baseball team will open up the spring season on Friday afternoon, as UE will travel to Johnson City, Tennessee to take on the East Tennessee State Buccaneers in a three-game series.  First-pitch for the 2009 season is set for 2:00 p.m. central time.

“I am really anxious to get outside this year, and see how our players respond,” said first-year head coach Wes Carroll.  “Right now, there are still a lot of heated battles going on to nail down starting spots on this year’s team, and this weekend will be good to see which players step up in game situations.

“We have preached to our players about executing the small things and staying fundamentally sound both offensively and defensively, and hopefully, we will see that work pay off this weekend.  We have been working hard in practice for the last three weeks, but the guys are getting a little tired of practicing against one another, and it will be good to see us compete against another team.”

Evansville returns 26 players including eight position starters and eight pitchers from last year’s squad this spring.  UE will also get the services of 2007 first-team all-Missouri Valley Conference outfielder Jim Viscomi back this spring, after he missed almost the entire 2008 season due to injury.  Viscomi ranked third in the MVC in batting with a .374 average as a junior in 2007.  Viscomi will team with 2008 Freshman All-American Greg Wallace (.317, 17 doubles, 29 RBI in 2008) to help anchor the Purple Aces’ lineup this spring.

On the mound, senior RHP John Foley (5-5, 4.66 ERA in 2008) will get the starting nod in Friday’s season opener.  Sophomore RHP Zach Taylor (2-6, 4.15 ERA in 2008) and junior RHP Wade Kapteyn (1-4, 9.38 ERA in 2008) will likely get the starting nods in the final two games in the three-game set on Saturday (12:00 p.m. central) and Sunday (12:00 p.m. central).

ETSU returns 18 players, including eight position starters and seven pitchers from an 18-38 squad a year ago.  The Buccaneer attack will be anchored in 2009 by reigning Freshman All-American and All-Atlantic Sun Conference pick Paul Hoilman.  Hoilman ranked tenth in the A-Sun in batting average last year at .353, while also ranking fifth in doubles (18), eighth in home runs (nine), and ninth in RBI (47).  Sophomore catcher/outfielder Derek Trent is the top returning power threat from an ETSU lineup which launched 78 home runs a season ago, as Trent hit an ETSU freshman single-season record 15 home runs a year ago.

This weekend’s series will mark the first ever meeting between UE and ETSU on the baseball diamond.  The 2009 season at UE is dedicated to injured senior first baseman Derek Melton, who will miss the spring season while working on his rehabilitation from a neck injury suffered this past August.