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Fresh off of Wednesday night’s impressive 11-7 victory over Kentucky, the University of Evansville baseball team will return home this weekend to host one of the nation’s hottest teams in the No. 30 Missouri State University Bears in a three-game Missouri Valley Conference series. The series will begin Friday night at 6:00 p.m. in a game that can be heard live on 91.5 F.M.-WUEV.
Evansville will bring a 19-20 overall record and 6-9 conference mark into this weekend’s series after racing past Kentucky, 11-7, on Wednesday night. Sophomore infielder Cody Fick powered a seven-run fourth inning which gave UE the lead for good with his seventh home run of the year Wednesday night, a grand slam to left field. Fick, who currently leads the Purple Aces in batting average (.335), doubles (13), home runs (seven) and RBI (34), finished the night going 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles as well, as UE pounded out 15 base hits in the win.
Now, Evansville will return home to Charles H. Braun Stadium to begin an eight-game homestand against a red-hot Missouri State squad which has won 19 of its last 24 games. Overall, the Bears, ranked 30th in the most recent Collegiate Baseball poll, stand at 23-15 overall and 9-2 in the MVC after dropping a tough 10-7 decision at No. 25 Oklahoma State on Wednesday night. Missouri State is currently in first place in the Valley standings, anchored by three of the league’s top pitchers and the Valley’s top home run threat.
Weekend starters Tim Clubb (4-2, 4.29 ERA), Buddy Baumann (7-0, 1.62 ERA) and Aaron Meade (6-2, 2.75 ERA) provide Missouri State with one of the nation’s top starting rotations. Clubb, a junior right-hander, is the reigning MVC Pitcher of the Year, while Baumann, a junior left-hander, is the odds-on favorite to win the award this year, after leading the Valley in mound victories (7), earned run average (1.62), and opponents batting average (.169), while also ranking second in strikeouts (63). Meade, meanwhile, is coming off a one-hit effort against Wichita State last weekend.
Offensively, the Bears are led by senior third baseman Brayden Drake, who ranks third in the MVC in hitting this year with a .380 average. Junior outfielder Ben Carlson, meanwhile, provides the power for the Bears’ attack, as he leads the MVC in home runs with 11. Overall, the Bears are the Valley’s top home run attack, with 38 home runs in 38 games so far this season.
“Missouri State is going to be one of the best teams we have faced this year,” said UE head coach Wes Carroll. “On the mound, they have three outstanding arms in the starting rotation in Clubb, Baumann, and Meade. Both Clubb and Baumann will likely be high draft picks this year, while Meade has been lights out all season long.
“Offensively, they are a very dangerous team, and Ben Carlson is a guy who can change the complexion of a game by himself with his power. They were the preseason pick to win the league for a reason, and they have been playing as well as anyone in the country right now. This will be a big challenge for our team, but I think it is one that our guys are looking forward to.”
The series will begin on Friday night at 6:00 p.m., as UE senior RHP John Foley (4-2, 4.08 ERA) will oppose Clubb in the series opener. Junior RHP Keegan Dennis (1-2, 6.96 ERA) will take the mound on Saturday to oppose Baumann in a 2:00 p.m. contest, while Kapteyn (2-6, 4.26 ERA) will battle Meade in Sunday’s 1:00 p.m. series finale. Friday’s opener and Sunday’s finale can both be heard live on 91.5 F.M.-WUEV, while live video of all three games of the series is also available on-line on AcesTV on www.gopurpleaces.com.
