Game Notes (pdf)


EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Hosting Belmont University, the University of Evansville baseball team concludes its marathon homestand, playing its 12th straight game at Braun Stadium Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. CT. The Aces look to requite their season-opening, 2-0, loss to the Bruins in Nashville, played on February 17th.

CATCH THE ACTION

Wednesday

Evansville

vs. Belmont

6:00 p.m. CT

Live Stats

EVANSVILLE (26-18, 7-8 MVC) – The Aces come off a 2-1 series loss to in-conference foe Bradley, winning game two, 4-2, while falling 7-2 in game one and 6-5 in game three. As a team, Evansville is batting .261, led by freshman Kevin Kaczmarski (.333), junior Eric Stamets (.307), and junior Jason Hockemeyer (.303). Defensively, the Aces lead the MVC and rank fourth in the nation with a .979 fielding percentage, while the pitching staff owns a 4.09 earned run average.

BELMONT (28-16, 12-6 A-Sun) – Sitting in second place in the Atlantic Sun standings, Belmont comes off a weekend bye, last playing on Tuesday, April  24th versus UT Martin of the OVC. The Bruins came away with a 6-3 win over the Skyhawks. As a team, Belmont is hitting .267 led by Zac Mitchell (.366), Dylan Craig (.315), and Drew Turner (.304). The Bruins’ pitching staff ranks 16th in the nation, averaging just 2.6 walks per game with a 3.37 ERA and .973 fielding percentage.

PITCHING PROBABLES
UE: Ryan Billo (So. RHP) (7-1, 2.62 ERA, 55.0 IP, 12 BB, 29 K)
BU: Dan Ludwig (Fr. LHP) (3-4, 4.20 ERA, 40.2 IP, 8 BB, 35 K)

EVANSVILLE: (26-18, 7-8 MVC)
Last Week: 2-2
4/25 vs. Murray State, 13-2, W
4/27 vs. Bradley, 7-2, L
4/28 vs. Bradley, 4-2, W
4/29 vs. Bradley, 6-5, L

ACE OF THE WEEK
Kevin Kaczmarski, Fr., OF, Cary, Ill.
4-4 GP-GS, .643 Avg., 14 AB, 5 R, 9 H, 3 2B, 4 RBI, .857 slg%, .688 ob%, 1-2 SB-SBA, 14 PO, 1.000 fld%
Freshman outfielder Kevin Kaczmarski crossed the plate in all four of Evansville’s contests and recorded three multi-hit games, leading the Aces with a .643 batting average, .857 slugging percentage, and .688 on-base percentage on the week. Kaczmarski piloted UE to a 13-2 win over Murray State, going 3-for-4 with two doubles, two RBI, and two runs scored. He replicated his 3-for-4 performance in Friday’s game vs. Bradley with a run and RBI. Going 2-for-3 Saturday, Kaczmarski sparked a four-run eighth inning rally with a walk and scored the first run in the frame as the Aces came from behind to win, 4-2. The Cary, Ill. native stretched his season hitting streak to six games and Valley streak to seven Sunday, with an RBI double and run scored. On the season, Kaczmarski raised his average to a team-best .333 and .396 in conference play, while also keeping his perfect fielding percentage intact with 116 putouts in centerfield after making 14 last week.

ACE PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Kyle Lloyd, Jr., RHP, Sacramento, Calif.
1-1 App-GS, 0-0 W-L, 1.29 ERA, 7.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
Despite taking the no-decision, junior Kyle Lloyd put the Aces in great position for the 4-2 victory over Bradley Saturday, holding the Braves to just one run, five scattered hits, two walks, while striking out six in seven innings of work. The right-hander allowed only one runner past second base with three perfect frames, and struck out four consecutive batters in the first and second innings. Without any run support, Lloyd exited the contest trailing 1-0. On the season, Lloyd lowered his ERA to 2.97 overall and to 2.89 in Valley outings.

PEARSON’S GOTTA GUN
Junior catcher Chris Pearson has caught six of the last eight base runners stealing on him. He did not allow a stolen base in UE’s last two games against Bradley, gunning down 3-of-3. Pearson ranks second in the MVC, catching 18-of-37 attempts this season.

SMALL BALL
It is no secret that small ball is Evansville’s style of play. The Aces lead the MVC with 55 sacrifice bunts this season, co-rank second in the Valley with 28 sac flies, and rank first in the conference with 77 stolen bases. Tim Bodine, Kevin Kaczmarski, and Jake Mahon are all tied for second in the league with 10 sac bunts, while Mahon and Eric Stamets co-lead the MVC with seven sac flies. Stamets ranks first in the Valley with 25 stolen bases.

STEALTH STAMETS
Going 2-for-2 on the base paths versus Murray State (4/25) and swiping one against Bradley(4/27), Eric Stamets now holds sole possession of second place all-time at UE with 95 career steals (95-119) in just his third year of play. Aaron Pembroke (1995-98) holds UE’s record with 106 career steals.

DOUBLE CLUTCH
Eric Stamets and Jake Mahon, UE’s first two hitters in the batting order, have been incredibly efficient in bringing in runners, both hitting .813 (13-for-16) when there’s a runner on third with less than two outs. Mahon leads the squad with 31 RBI, while both Mahon and Stamets rank seventh in NCAA Division I with seven sac flies.

LET’S GET SOME RUNS
When scoring more than two runs in a game, the Aces own a 25-7 record. With two or less, they are 1-11.

CONGRATS GRADS!
Due to this weekend’s games at Dallas Baptist, seniors Trentt Copeland, Jordan Chavis, and Zach Taylor will miss the University of Evansville’s Commencement on Saturday. However, UE held a special graduation luncheon and ceremony for the senior baseball and softball seniors and families Tuesday at Ridgeway University Center. Copeland graduates with a BS in Business Administration, Jordan Chavis a BS in Accounting, and Zach Taylor a MS in Health Services and Administration. Senior Day at Braun Stadium will be Saturday, May 19th vs. Illinois State.

B-I-L-L-O
Sophomore Ryan Billo has been dominate as UE’s midweek starter, leading the Aces with a 7-1 record and 2.62 ERA. In his last outing, Billo piloted Evansville to a 13-2 win over Murray State, scattering two runs, four hits, two walks, while striking out one in seven innings of work.

200 HITS
Senior Trentt Copeland became the 24th member of UE’s 200-hit club Sunday versus Dayton (4/22) on his first of two hits that day -- an RBI down the left field line in the fourth inning. Copeland enters the week with 205 career hits. Eric Stamets is also not too far off from the 200-hit milestone with 188.
 
MIDWEEK MASTERS
Evansville owns a 9-1 record this season on games played on Tuesday or Wednesday. UE is 3-0 on Tuesdays and 6-1 on Wednesdays.
 
WALK-OFF WONDERS
Evansville has won five games this season in walk-off style, including Friday night’s 7-6 11-inning victory over Dayton (4/20). In that game, Chris Pearson’s double down the right field line scored Michael Eckstein for the win after UE endured a 45 minute rain delay to start the game and a 48 minute campus lockdown delay in the eighth. UE’s other walk-off wins this spring include UT Martin (3/13), Western Michigan twice (3/16, 3/18), and Indiana State (3/24).
 
DOUBLE-T TRENTT
Trentt Copeland continues to move up the career doubles list, now with 56. Copeland sits alone in sixth-place all-time at UE, surpassing Cody Fick’s 55 (2009-11). He needs one more two-bagger to move up another spot. Playing from 1998 to 2001, UE Head Coach Wes Carroll holds the record at Evansville with 74 career doubles.
 
GO THREE
Kevin Kaczmarski co-ranks second in the MVC with five triples this season. Kaczmarski recorded one in three consecutive games from 3/18-3/23, another in the series clincher vs. Wichita State (4/14), and one in Sunday’s game vs. Dayton (4/22). Kaczmarski needs to belt just one more to tie for fifth in UE’s individual season record book.
 
GOING YARD
Evansville doubled their home run output for the season in Sunday’s game versus Wichita State (4/15), as senior Trentt Copeland blasted a grand slam in the second inning and freshman Kyle Pollock went yard in the sixth. UE entered the contest with two long-balls total this spring -- both also hit by Copeland and Pollock. Copeland also went long for the eighth time in his career with a three-run shot in the first inning against Murray State (4/25).
 
THIEVES
Evansville ranks first in the Missouri Valley Conference and 20th in the nation with 77 stolen bases in 101 attempts. Eric Stamets leads the conference and also ranks 20th in Division I with 25 swiped bags in 31 tries.
 
HOME AGAIN
The Aces are amidst a 12-game home stand after playing eighth straight contests on the road. Evansville owns a 12-9 record on the road and 14-9 mark in Evansville.
 
SPEEDY STAMETS
In his freshman year in 2010, Eric Stamets set the single-season steals record at Evansville with 43 (43-51). Stealing 27 (27-37) his sophomore year, and already 25 (25-31) this spring, Stamets could possibly surpass his second-year total this week with still double-digit games remaining.
 
COMPLETE GAMES
Three active UE pitchers have recorded complete games in their careers, and they all happen to be left-handed. Sophomore Cole Isom has hurled four, including two this season versus Indiana State (3/23) and Wichita State (4/15). Against ISU, Isom took the tough-luck 2-0 loss, allowing two runs, nine hits, and struck out five, but earned the win versus WSU, throwing a three-hit gem with a career-high 11 punch-outs. Freshman Kyle Freeland recorded a three-hit complete game shutout at Creighton (4/1) with six strikeouts, while Josh Biggs is UE’s only other hurler who has tossed all nine, being done vs. Saint Louis on April 12th, 2011. He allowed four runs, five hits, and stuck out six.
 
TAYLOR MOVES UP
Senior Zach Taylor ranks second all-time at UE with 86 career appearances on the mound. Taylor is only behind Willie Glen’s (1998-01) 97 career appearances.
 
’06 FLASHBACKS
Evansville’s series win versus Wichita State marks the Aces’ first over the Shockers since the 2006 season. Two weeks ago, the Aces won the series at Creighton, also marking the first time since ’06. That season, Evansville was Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Champions and won three NCAA Regional Tournament games.
 
K-MAN
Cole Isom’s 11 strikeouts versus Wichita State (4/13) marked a career-high, a team season-high, and the most since Cody Fick struck out 11 on May 24, 2011, also against the Shockers in the MVC Tournament in Omaha.
 
100 WINS
Head Coach Wes Carroll recorded his 100th career win versus Indiana State (3/24) in UE’s 3-2 walk-off victory. Carroll has led his squad to above .500 records in each of the last two seasons, going 32-27 in 2010 and 28-25 in 2011, and posted the second-highest victory total by a first-year baseball coach at Evansville with 25 wins in 2009. Carroll, a 2001 Evansville graduate, is in his fourth season at the helm with a 111-100 record.
 
BALL MAGNET
Co-ranking second in the MVC, sophomore Jake Mahon has been plunked 15 times this year, exceeding his season total in 2011 (12) that marked a team-high last year. In the first 20 games this spring, the sophomore was hit 12 times.
 
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.
 
MVC PITCHER OF THE WEEK PERFORMANCES
KYLE FREELAND (4/2/12) - Freshman southpaw Kyle Freeland tossed a three-hit complete game shutout in Evansville’s, 1-0, rubber match victory in Omaha, leading UE to its first series victory over Creighton since 2006. Freeland logged six strikeouts, including striking out the side in the third and put an exclamation point on his gem with a punch out to end the game. Despite just a single run of support, Freeland kept the Jays off the board through all nine, throwing a perfect game into the fifth inning and retired the first 14 batters of the contest. The shutout marked Freeland’s first career Valley win, improved his season record to 2-3, while lowering his ERA to 3.82. The performance earned Freeland the MVC Pitcher of the Week (4/2) accolade.
 
COLE ISOM (4/16/12) - Sophomore Cole Isom’s three-hit, complete-game gem steered Evansville to a 4-1 victory over Wichita State April 13th at Braun Stadium and set up the Aces for their first series win over the Shockers since 2006. The southpaw struck out a career-high 11 batters in his first Valley victory of the season and did not allow a hit until the seventh inning. Isom also had a shutout into the ninth, giving up just a solo shot. In his ninth season appearance, Isom held the Shockers to a .094 batting average and lowered his season earned run average to 3.75. The performance garnered MVC Pitcher of the Week (4/16) honors for Isom.
 
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.
 
ON DECK
UE travels to Dallas Baptist for a three-game non-conference series. Friday’s game starts at 6:30 p.m. CT, and Saturday’s doubleheader is set for 1:00 p.m. The Aces return home next Wednesday vs. Austin Peay before resuming Valley play at Missouri State over the weekend.