In the most recent NCAA statistical rankings released on Tuesday, five different members of the University of Evansville baseball team found themselves ranked among the nation’s top 25 at the Division I?level.

Freshman infielder Eric Stamets, junior outfielder Greg Wallace, senior outfielder Alex Acheson, senior pitcher Tom Heithoff and sophomore infielder Trentt Copeland all ranked among the nation’s top 25 in various statistical categories for the Purple Aces, who will take a 12-13 overall record and 2-1 Missouri Valley Conference mark into this weekend’s three-game conference series with nationally-ranked Wichita State (14-7 overall, 3-0 in MVC entering this week’s action).

Stamets leads UE’s contingent in the national rankings by ranking second in NCAA Division I?baseball in both stolen bases (24) and stolen bases per game (0.96).  He trails only Jackson State’s Willie Wesley in both categories, as Wesley has 26 steals so far this year.  With 24 stolen bases, Stamets has more steals than half of the teams in the MVC entering this week’s action, and he is just two steals shy of cracking Evansville’s single-season top 15.

Wallace, meanwhile, ranks fifth nationally in triples with five, 15th nationally in triples per game (0.2) and 17th nationally in total bases with 74.  He currently leads UE in hitting with a .370 average, and he leads the MVC in both hits (40)?and RBI (32)?so far this season.

Acheson enters this week’s action ranked sixth nationally with 13 hit-by-pitches, and 14th nationally in HBPs per game at 0.52.  Heithoff, meanwhile, currently ranks 18th nationally in saves with a league-best five, and he needs only one more save to tie former UE All-American Steve Obenchain for fifth place on UE’s career saves chart.  Copeland rounds out UE’s nationally-ranked contingent this week, as he currently ranks 25th at the Division I level in doubles with 11 this season.

As a team, UE also ranks eighth nationally in stolen bases with a Missouri Valley Conference-best 57 steals in 71 attempts this season.  UE had a 23-game streak of having at least one stolen base snapped on Sunday at Missouri State, but the Purple Aces have swiped at least one base in 23 of its 25 games this season.

Evansville will return home to Charles H. Braun Stadium this weekend to host nationally-ranked Wichita State in a three-game Valley series on Friday (6:00 p.m.), Saturday (2:00 p.m.) and Sunday (1:00 p.m.).  All three games can be heard live on 91.5 F.M.-WUEV.

This weekend’s series will begin a stretch in which UE will play 14 of its next 15 games at Braun Stadium.  It will also conclude the first-half of the 2010 season, and with the three games against nationally-ranked competition this weekend, UE will have played one-fourth of its 2010 schedule to date against nationally-ranked foes at the conclusion of the weekend series (seven of its first 28 games).