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EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Evansville baseball team will host reigning Big Ten champions Purdue for a three-game series this weekend at Braun Stadium, beginning Friday at 6 p.m.  The Purple Aces and Boilermakers will continue the series Saturday at 2 p.m., before concluding the set with a 1 p.m. matinee Sunday.
 
Evansville (6-9) has won its last three games, including a pair of midweek contests this week against Eastern Illinois and Oakland City.  The Aces topped the Panthers ,7-5, Tuesday, before downing the Mighty Oaks, 9-0, Wednesday for their first shutout of the season.  Junior Jake Mahon led UE by doing 3-for-5 with four RBI against OCU and senior Ryan Billo picked up the win on the mound, tossing 5.0 scoreless innings with a pair of strikeouts.
 
Evansville is hitting .261 as a team with 22 extra-base hits, including a trio of home runs.  The Aces are slugging .329 as a squad and reaching base at a .365 clip.  On the base paths, UE has stolen 15 bases in 21 chances and is fielding .968 as a team.
 
Four Evansville players are hitting over .300, including Mahon, who is hitting a team-best .327 and has driven in eight runs.  Mahon also leads the squad with a .455 slugging percentage and .435 on-base percentage.  Redshirt junior Johnny Day owns a .321 batting average and is tied for the team-lead with 11 RBI.  Redshirt sophomore Kevn Kaczmarski is hitting .316 with five doubles and five stolen bases, while senior Chris Pearson boasts a .308 average and has driven in six runs.
 
The Aces’ pitching staff enters the weekend series with a 4.82 ERA and 114 total strikeouts around just 44 walks.  Opponents are hitting .274 against UE pitching this season.  Senior Kyle Lloyd leads the Evansville staff with a 2-1 record and 2.16 ERA with 29 strikeouts in 25.0 innings on the mound.  Sophomore Kyle Freeland is 2-2 on the season with a 3.00 ERA and leads the team with 31 strikeouts, while walking just three in a team-high 27.0 innings.  Junior Cole Isom, who is expected to make his second start on Sunday, is 0-3 on the year with a 6.00 ERA.  Isom has fanned 15 opposing hitters and walked six in 15.0 innings.
 
Purdue (5-10) has won two of its last three and snapped a seven-game losing skid with a 17-10 win at Illinois-Chicago on March 9.  In their last outing, the Boilermakers fell, 3-1, at No. 4 Louisville and will wrap up an 18-game road swing this weekend at Braun Stadium.  Against the Cardinals, Purdue was held to just four hits and fanned 12 times against five U of L pitchers.  Mike Lutz took the loss on the mound for the Boilers, allowing two earned runs in 4.0 innings with a strikeout and three walks.
 
As a team, Purdue is hitting .257, slugging .330 and reaching base at a .324 clip.  The Boilermakers have recorded 20 doubles, three triples and four homers and have swiped 17 bases on 23 attempts.  Defensively, Purdue has committed 16 errors and is fielding .972 as a team.
 
Jake Hansen leads the Boilermakers with a .364 batting average and owns a team-best .473 on-base percentage.  Sean McHugh is hitting .333 with a team-leading 11 RBI , .444 slugging percentage an five doubles.  Josh Estill has posted a .277 average this season, while Jack Picchiotti is hitting .263 and ranks second on the squad with eight RBI.
 
Purdue’s pitching staff has posted a 6.61 ERA and opponents are hitting .313 against the Boilers.  Robert Ramer has the best ERA among Purdue’s starters at 5.60 and is 2-1 on the year.  Ramer has notched 17 strikeouts and walked four in 27.1 innings.  Brad Schreiber is 0-2 on the hill with a 6.50 ERA and 11 strikeouts in 18.0 innings, while Jordan Minch is 1-2 with a 7.58 ERA in his four starts.
 
The Boilermakers hold a slim, 15-14, in the all-time series with Evansville and won the last meeting between the two sides, 4-3, in 10 innings at the Dunn Hospitality Classic on March 14, 2010.

PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS (EVANSVILLE STARTER LISTED FIRST)
FRIDAY - Kyle Freeland LHP, 2-2, 3.00 ERA) vs. Brad Schreiber (RHP, 0-2, 6.50 ERA)
SATURDAY - Kyle Lloyd (RHP, 2-1, 2.16 ERA) vs. Jordan Minch (LHP, 1-2, 7.58 ERA)
SUNDAY - Cole Isom (LHP, 0-3, 6.00 ERA) vs. Robert Ramer (RHP, 2-1, 5.60 ERA)