With a spot secured at the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament next weekend, the University of Evansville softball team can play with some weight off its shoulders. However, the pressure is still on the Purple Aces (17-31, 9-14) as they face a challenging Creighton (31-20, 16-6) team in Omaha with a noon doubleheader Saturday and single noon game Sunday.

After being picked last in the MVC preseason poll, the Aces are currently eighth after taking two of three from Drake last weekend in the season finale at James and Dorothy Cooper Stadium. With the hits and runs few in the weekend, UE had to make its offense count, which is what sophomore Amy Gaertner did that earned her MVC Player of the Week honors. Gaertner had back-to-back home runs in game one, went 2-for-2 in game two, and had a two-RBI double in game three.

Pitching was also a major factor in the Drake series, as senior Jen McKee and freshman Kendall Kautz gave the team major contributions. Between the two, McKee and Kautz gave up 13 hits while striking out 12.

The Aces have no easy task with the 2010 Bluejays. Creighton was on a 13-conference game win streak before a loss to Illinois State last weekend. Reining MVC Player of the Year Renae Sinkler leads the offense, as she is hitting .431 in MVC games. Sinkler also leads the team with 55 hits, 50 RBI and 20 home runs. Amy Baker follows Sinkler with 44 hits and 13 home runs, but leads the team with 11 doubles this season.

The Bluejays’ Tara Oltman sees most of the time on the rubber, as she holds a 1.58 ERA and 27-11 mark in 2010. Oltman has pitched just over 225 innings while striking out 241. Oltman is three-time MVC Pitcher of the Year and three-time MVC Pitcher of the Week this season.