EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Evansville baseball team will take on a pair of Ohio Valley Conference opponents this week, welcoming UT Martin to Braun Stadium Tuesday. UE will then travel to Austin Peay Wednesday to face the Governors. Due to the UE men’s basketball CBI Tournament game in the evening, Tuesday’s contest versus the Skyhawks has been moved up to a 4:00 p.m. CT start time.  

CATCH THE ACTION

Tuesday	Evansville	vs. UT Martin	4:00 p.m.	Live Stats
Wednesday	Evansville	at Austin Peay	6:00 p.m.	Live Stats

EVANSVILLE  (9-6, 0-0 MVC)
Last week: 3-1
3/7  at Western Kentucky, 7-2, W
3/9  at Tennessee Tech, 4-1, W 
3/10 at Tennessee Tech, 11-6, W
3/11 at Tennessee Tech, 2-10, L

PITCHING PROBABLES
Tuesday
UE: RHP Peter Spear (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
UTM: LHP Carter Smith (1-0, 5.40 ERA)

Wednesday
UE: RHP Ryan Billo (1-0, 2.31 ERA)
APSU: RHP Casey Delgado (2-1, 8.10 ERA)

THE SERIES
UTM: Evansville leads the series 9-2, sweeping the Skyhawks, 2-0, in a home-and-home series last season. UE won 16-3 on March 1, 2011 in Martin, Tenn. and 18-6 on March 23, 2011 at Charles Braun Stadium. Most recently, the Aces overcame the Skyhawks, 9-5, Feb. 29th on the road.
APSU: Evansville leads the all-time series with APSU 36-20-2, including two wins last season over the Governors. UE’s bats exploded for a 24-3 win in Clarksville on April 5, 2011, while the Aces also won 8-3 on May 5^th in Evansville.

SCOUTING THE ACES (9-6, 0-0 MVC): Evansville has won five of their last six games, going 2-1 at Tennessee Tech University this past weekend. Jason Hockemeyer (.372), Kyle Pollock (.306), Eric Stamets (.293, 15 SB), and Jake Mahon (.280, 12 RBI) lead Evansville’s offense that is hitting .241 as a team. UE’s defense has been its strongest point this season, logging a .982 fielding percentage, while the pitching staff owns a 3.12 ERA and has limited the opposition to a .242 batting average.

SCOUTING THE SKYHAWKS (3-13, 0-0 OVC): UT Martin enters Tuesday’s contest on a nine-game losing streak; their last victory coming on Feb. 25th vs. Butler. Since the last meeting between the Aces and Skyhawks, UTM is 0-7, including three losses last weekend at Indiana State of the Missouri Valley Conference. Offensively, the Skyhawks are led by Jordan Owen with a .429 batting average, five home runs, and 15 RBI this season. Wade Collins (.340) and Sonny Mastromatteo (.327) have also contributed to the squad’s .273 average. UE will face left-handed pitcher Carter Smith (1-0, 5.40 ERA). The pitching staff as a whole owns a 7.50 ERA with a .320 opposing batting average.

SCOUTING THE GENERALS (9-5, 0-0 OVC): Austin Peay will face Memphis Tuesday night before meeting the Aces Wednesday evening. Hosting the Riverview Inn Challenge this past weekend, the Generals fell to Northern Illinois (5-1) and Dayton (12-1) before overcoming Arkansas State, 10-9, in the weekend finale. Greg Bachman leads APSU’s offense with a .339 batting average, six home runs, and 16 RBI. Jon Clinard (.314) and Jordan Hankins (.306) are also hitting above .300 as the team owns a collective .268 average. The Aces are expected to face right-hander Casey Delgado (2-1, 8.10 ERA). As a pitching staff, the Generals have a 4.57 ERA and .247 opposing batting average.

LAST TIME VS. UTM: Trailing 3-2, UE came from behind to score six runs in the top of the sixth inning en route to a 9-5 victory over UT Martin Feb. 29th in Martin Tenn. Sophomore Ryan Billo started and tossed 4.1 innings, allowing three runs, two earned, six hits, while striking out three. Earning the win, senior Zach Taylor came out of the bullpen to throw 1.2 frames, giving up two runs, two hits, a walk, and struck out two, while Jake Naumann hurled two scoreless inning, allowing just two hits and struck out 4-of-9 batters faced. Josh Biggs tossed a perfect ninth inning with one strikeout. Evansville was led offensively by junior Jason Hockemeyer who went 2-for-4 with an RBI and run scored. Also contributing in the win was sophomore David Patton, going 1-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored, while junior Andy Lasher went 1-for-5, knocked two runs in, and scored one. Seven players recorded hits and tallied runs in the victory.

SINCE YOU’VE BEEN GONE: After starting the season with a 1-5 record, Evansville’s victory over the Skyhawks last month sparked a very successful span for the Aces that continues to this day. Since the last meeting, UE has gone 6-2, including a five-game win streak that ended Sunday.

HOCKING HITS: Junior transfer Jason Hockemeyer powered Evansville’s offense with a .538 batting average, .769 slugging percentage, a double, triple, two runs scored, and an RBI, helping the Aces to their best start since the 2007 season with a 3-1 week. Hockemeyer recorded multi-hit games in all three contests at Tennessee Tech; he will take a six-game hitting streak into this week. Playing first base for each of the last 13 games, Hockemeyer kept his perfect fielding percentage intact, making 29 putouts and four assists.

COOL AS ICE: Sophomore Cole Isom earned his first win of the year Friday night at Tennessee Tech allowing just one run and four scattered hits in seven full innings of work. He held the Golden Eagles to a .167 batting average, striking out five. Making four starts on the mound this season, Isom leads the Aces’ staff with 20 strikeouts and a .163 opposing batting average.