EVANSVILLE, Ind. -- The University of Evansville baseball team looks to extend its current three-game win streak this weekend when they travel to Cookeville, Tenn. to face the Tennessee Tech University Golden Eagles for a three-game series. Game one is set for Friday at 3:00 p.m. CT at Averitt Express Baseball Complex. First pitch Saturday will be at 2:00 p.m. and at 1:00 pm. Sunday.

CATCH THE ACTION

Friday	Evansville	Tennessee Tech	3:00 p.m. CT	Live Stats
Saturday	Evansville	Tennessee Tech	2:00 p.m.	Live Stats
Sunday	Evansville	Tennessee Tech	1:00 p.m.	Live Stats

PITCHING PROBABLES
Friday
UE: LHP Cole Isom (0-2, 2.65 ERA)
TTU: Tristan Archer (1-0, 1.74 ERA)

Saturday
UE: RHP Kyle Lloyd (3-0, 0.00 ERA)
TTU: Matthew Shepherd (1-2, 8.10 ERA)

Sunday
UE: LHP Kyle Freeland (1-1, 1.38 ERA)
TTU: TBD

THE SERIES: The series is even at 2-2.

TENNESSEE TECH (4-8) – Tech comes off a 10-6 loss to the No. 23 Kentucky Wildcats Tuesday afternoon on the road. Prior to Tuesday’s loss, the Golden Eagles won last weekend’s series vs. Dayton, 2-1, with their only loss coming in an 11-inning game. Offensively, Zach Stephens (.419), Austin Wulf (.417), and Michael Morris (.306) lead the squad, as the team owns a .260 batting average as a whole. TTU’s pitching staff has recorded an 8.58 ERA, allowing 106 runs (101 earned) in 12 games.

EVANSVILLE (7-5) – The Aces recorded four wins last week, going 3-1 in their own Dunn Hospitality Diamond Classic, and most recently overcame Western Kentucky Wednesday night, 7-2. In the Dunn, UE beat IPFW twice (4-2, 9-1) and Eastern Illinois, 5-1, in the final game. Offensively, Jason Hockemeyer (.303), Eric Stamets (.295), and Kyle Pollock (.250) lead the squad. As a team, UE is batting .226, while the pitching staff owns a miniscule 2.51 ERA.

LAST TIME OUT: UE won its third straight game Wednesday night, overcoming the Western Kentucky University Hilltoppers, 7-2, at Nick Denes Field. Sophomore Ryan Billo (1-0) earned the win tossing six innings, limiting the Hilltoppers to two runs, one earned, five scattered hits, two walks, while striking out four. Out of the pen, senior Zach Taylor threw the seventh and eighth frames, giving up just one hit, one walk, and struck out two, keeping WKU off the board. Junior Josh Biggs wrapped up the midweek win, closing the ninth. Six Aces recorded hits in the win, led by Chris Pearson’s 1-for-3 performance with two runs batted in and a run scored.

WHAT’S ON DECK: The Aces return home for a Tuesday night meeting with UT Martin, then travel to Austin Peay for another midweek non-conference game Wednesday. UE comes back home for a three-game series with Western Michigan, Friday-Sunday.

FREELAND’S FIRST WIN: Freshman southpaw Kyle Freeland’s strong outing on the mound led the University of Evansville baseball team to a 5-1 victory over Eastern Illinois University in the final game of the Dunn Hospitality Diamond Classic last Sunday afternoon at Braun Stadium. In his second start of the season and first on the Aces’ home field, Freeland (1-1) tossed seven innings, allowing just one run, five scattered hits, a walk, and struck out four. Junior Jake Naumann threw a perfect seventh inning, and Josh Biggs closed the ninth, giving up one infield hit and struck out one. Jake Mahon led the Aces at the plate, going 2-for-3 with two RBI, as the squad recorded 10 hits in the game.

KINGS OF THE HILL: In 104 innings of work, Evansville’s experienced pitching staff has recorded a tiny 2.51 earned run average. Kyle Lloyd (3-0, 15.0 IP), Josh Biggs (7.0 IP), and Peter Spear (2.0), Kyle Spencer (1.0), and James Kohler (1.0) all have yet to give up an earned run.

LLOYD EXPRESS: Kyle Lloyd improved his season record to 3-0 versus IPFW, tossing 6.1 innings, allowing just two scattered hits, one unearned run, while striking out five. In the 9-1 victory, Lloyd kept the Mastodons off the board through the first six frames, tossing a no-hitter through 3.1 innings. Lloyd has yet to allow an earned run in three appearances and 15.0 innings of work, marking the only pitcher in the MVC to own a 3-0 record and 0.00 ERA.

BIG SIXTH: Evansville’s best offensive inning this season has been the sixth, recording 12 total runs in the frame. However, the sixth has also been the inning in which the Aces have given up the most runs, allowing eight.

A RARE SHUTOUT: In 208 total games, UE has been shut out just two times, including the Aces’ 2-0 season-opening loss at Belmont (2/17). Getting shut out just once last season – a 4-0 loss vs. Creighton (5/14/11) – Evansville scored at least one run in every game in the 2009 and 2010 seasons.

PITCHERS GALORE: Evansville returns 12-of-13 pitchers from last season and also adds three newcomers to the staff, including Kyle Freeland, a 35th round pick by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2011 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.

PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE: For the second consecutive year, shortstop Eric Stamets was named to the Missouri Valley Conference preseason all-conference team, voted on by the league’s eight head coaches. Stamets, a junior from Dublin, Ohio, projects to be one of the best shortstops in the nation this year. Last season, Stamets hit .292 with a team-high 51 runs scored and 27 stolen bases. Defensively, he led the Aces with 181 assists and helped the squad to a program-best .977 fielding percentage with a record-low 48 errors as a team. In addition, Stamets turned heads in the summer, playing for the Hyannis Harbor Hawks and was named a Cape Cod League All-Star. Stamets was a consensus Freshman All-American and the MVC Freshman of the Year in 2010.