EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Evansville baseball team opens the 2012 season this weekend in Nashville, facing Belmont, Lipscomb, and Middle Tennessee as a part of the Music City Classic.
 
First pitch of the season will be Friday at 4:00 p.m. CT vs. the Bruins. The Aces will then play Lipscomb at noon Saturday and MTSU at 1:00 p.m. Sunday.

CATCH THE ACTION

Friday	Evansville	at Belmont	4:00 p.m. CT Nashville, Tenn./ E.S. Rose Park	Live Stats
Saturday	Evansville	at Lipscomb	12:00 p.m. CT Nashville, Tenn./Dugan Field	Live Stats
Sunday	Evansville	at MTSU	1:00 p.m. CT Murfreesboro, Tenn./ Reese Smith Jr. Field	Live Stats

 
PROJECTED PITCHING ROTATION
Fri. LHP Cole Isom (5-6, 4.67 ERA) vs. LHP Chase Brookshire (6-4, 3.33 ERA)
Sat. RHP Sam Johns (2011 RS) vs. TBA
Sun. TBA vs. RHP Jonathan Sisco (Jr. TR)
 
Graduating three 2011 All-Missouri Valley Conference selections and seven starting position players, including utility man Cody Fick, a two-time All-American and 23rd round draft pick by the Philadelphia Phillies, the UE baseball team will look to their experienced pitching staff and veteran middle infield to lead the way in 2012. 
 
“We have a solid pitching staff this season,” said head coach Wes Carroll. “It will be a matter of getting runs on the board to support them. I’m excited to see what we can do this opening weekend and look forward to seeing them compete.”
 
Entering his fourth season at the helm, Carroll has led his team to back-to-back above .500 years with an 85-82 overall career record, including 2011’s 28-25 mark and 7-13 record in the MVC. Carroll will have the task this season of developing bats after graduating three of UE’s top four offensive threats.
 
Headlining Evansville’s returning cast are senior second baseman Trentt Copeland and junior shortstop Eric Stamets. Copeland was a second team All-MVC selection and MVC first team Scholar Athlete last spring, hitting .308 with 17 doubles and had a .985 fielding percentage, while Stamets turned heads in the summer as a Cape Cod League All-Star and projects to be one of the best shortstops in the nation this year. The Copeland-Stamets duo turned a Valley-high 58 double plays in 2011. Both were named to College Sports Madness’ Preseason All-Conference team, while Stamets was selected to the Missouri Valley Conference preseason all-conference team, voted on by the league’s eight head coaches.
 
The Aces return a full pitching staff and also add three freshman hurlers, including southpaw Kyle Freeland, a 35th round pick by the Phillies. Sam Johns, who is back after suffering a season-ending elbow injury in his first start last year, lefty Cole Isom, who had a solid rookie season as UE’s number two, and Freeland are likely to be Evansville’s starting rotation.
 
Senior Zach Taylor also returns after a medical redshirt last year and is projected to be UE’s ace out of the bullpen. In addition to nine returning relievers, junior Kyle Lloyd will add experience and depth on the mound, starting 15 games in 2011.
 
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
BELMONT (38-26, 17-13 A-Sun) – The Bruins come off their best season in program history in 2011. Belmont won a school record 38 games en route to their first ever Atlantic-Sun Championship and a berth into the NCAA Regional. Belmont returns five starters in the field led by senior outfielder Dylan Craig, a first-team All-A-Sun selection with a .311 batting average. The Bruins also welcome back a full pitching staff. UE is projected to face southpaw Chase Brookshire, an NCAA Regional All-Tournament Team selection last year.
 
LIPSCOMB (19-36, 10-20 A-Sun) – The Bison were picked to finish ninth out of 10 teams in the Atlantic-Sun Conference Baseball Preseason Poll. Senior M.L. Williams is Lipsombs’ returning offensive threat, recording a .354 average last season with a .489 slugging percentage and .394 on-base percentage. He also swiped 24 bases.
 
MIDDLE TENNESSEE (18-37, 9-21 Sun Belt) – MTSU finished 10th in the Sun Belt last season, but were picked to finish fifth this season by Baseball America, retuning 20 letterwinners, including six position players and two starting pitchers. The Blue Raiders return two of their top-three hitters from last season in outfielder Justin Guidry (.349, 32 RBI, 39 R) and Hank LaRue (.306, 34 RBI, 33 R). Both were chosen to the All-Sun Belt Preseason Team.