DATES:  April 11-13
TIMES:  6:00 p.m.  |  2:00 p.m.  |  1:00 p.m.
LOCATION:  Evansville, Ind. (Braun Stadium)
MEDIA CENTER:  Live Video  |  Live Audio  (91.5 FM WUEV) |  Live Stats
GAME NOTES:  Evansville  |  Wichita State

PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS (EVANSVILLE STARTER LISTED FIRST)
FRIDAY:  Kyle Freeland, Jr., LHP (5-1, 2.02 ERA) vs. A.J. Ladwig, Jr., RHP (2-4, 1.15 ERA)
SATURDAY:  Cole Isom, Sr., LHP (2-3, 4.04 ERA) vs. Cale Elam, Sr., RHP (5-0, 1.50 ERA)
SUNDAY:  Connor Strain, So., RHP (2-2, 2.93 ERA) vs. Sam Tewes, Fr., RHP (4-2, 3.35 ERA)

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – A pair of Baseball America Preseason All-America selections will highlight the University of Evansville baseball team's three-game Missouri Valley Conference set with Wichita State this weekend at Braun Stadium in a series sponsored by ProRehab.  The Purple Aces and Shockers will open the series Friday at 6 p.m.
 
The weekend will be filled with promotions for fans attending the games, as all ProRehab employees will receive a $2 discount to any of the three contests and Evansville will host a Military Appreciate Night on Saturday for both the baseball game at Braun Stadium and the softball game vs. Drake at Cooper Stadium.  Admission will be free for all current service members and veterans and a silent auction will be held to benefit the Wounded Warrior Project. 
 
The series between Evansville (20-11, 2-1 MVC) and Wichita State (16-15, 2-4 MVC) will feature a pair of Baseball America Preseason All-Americans in the Aces' Kyle Freeland and the Shockers' Casey Gillaspie.  Both players, who are potential first-round draft picks in the upcoming 2014 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft, are among the national leaders in several categories. 
 
Freeland entered the week ranked fourth in the nation in strikeout-to-walk ratio (15.00), 10th in strikeouts (60), 12th in strikeouts per nine innings (11.02) and 14th in walks allowed per nine innings (0.73).  Gillaspie ranked eighth in the NCAA in slugging percentage (.708), 10th in home runs (8), 12th in on-base percentage (.511) and 19th with a .407 batting average.
 
Evansville enters the series having won four of its last five games, as the Aces took three games of a four-game series with Charlotte last weekend, before earning their 20th win of the year in a 13-2 victory over Oakland City Tuesday night.  Sophomore Josh Jyawook and senior Jake Mahon both drove in multiple runs for UE and were two of seven Evansville hitters to tally at least one RBI.  Jyawook went 2-for-5 with three RBI, while Mahon tallied two hits in three at bats, including a double, to drive in a pair of runs.
 
Evansville enters the series hitting .281 as a team with 59 doubles, five triples and 10 home runs for a .376 slugging percentage.  The Aces are reaching base at a .380 clip and have stolen 36 bases in 51 attempts with a .972 fielding percentage.  Jyawook leads the squad with a .344 average, including seven doubles, and has driven in 26 runs from his leadoff position.  Junior Kyle Pollock and sophomore Eric McKibban are both hitting over the .300 mark on the year with averages of .333 and .319, respectively.  Pollock has homered three times and driven in 27 runs, while McKibban leads the team with a .438 on-base percentage.  In addition, junior Kevin Kaczmarski is slugging a team-best .508 with four homers and a team-high 31 RBI.
 
On the mound, UE's pitching staff has combined for a 3.88 ERA, 222 strikeouts, 89 walks and a .271 opposing batting average in 271.2 innings.  Freeland leads Evansville's starters with a 5-1 record and 2.02 ERA.  The junior southpaw has fanned 60 opposing hitters against just four walks in 49.0 frames and is limiting opponents to a .224 batting average.  Saturday's probable starter Cole Isom is 2-3 on the year with a 4.04 ERA and 19 strikeouts in 35.2 innings, while sophomore Connor Strain, who is expected to start on Sunday and coming off his best start of the year at Charlotte, enters the series with a 2-2 record, 2.93 ERA and 19 strikeouts in 30.2 innings of work.
 
UE's bullpen is led by sophomore Brent Jurceka, who leads the MVC and ranks 12th nationally with a 0.87 ERA.  Jurceka has logged 31.0 innings in 12 relief appearances and ranks second on the team with 33 strikeouts, while holding opposing hitters to a paltry .167 batting average.  Senior Sam Johns has nailed down seven saves on the season, a mark that ranks second in the Valley, and brings a 2.55 ERA into the weekend set.  Johns has registered 13 strikeouts against seven walks in 17.2 innings this season.
 
Wichita State, who will play at Oral Roberts Wednesday night before making the trip to Evansville, enters its game in Tulsa on a five-game losing skid.  The Shockers were defeated, 4-2, in a midweek game at Kansas, before being swept by Indiana State last weekend in Terre Haute, Ind.  WSU suffered its fifth-straight defeat Tuesday in a 3-2 setback at Kansas State.
 
As a team, Wichita State is hitting .283 with an even .400 slugging percentage, as the Shockers have tallied 56 doubles, eight triples and 18 home runs.  WSU has posted a .361 on-base percentage with 34 stolen bases in 43 attempts and is fielding .971, collectively.  Gillaspie leads the team with a .402 average, .692 slugging percentage, eight doubles, eight homers and 31 RBI.  Gillaspie has drawn 25 walks, including eight intentional passes for a .507 on-base clip.  Dayne Parker owns a .297 average with 12 RBI and Micah Green is hitting .284 on the year with seven doubles and 19 RBI.  Chase Simpson ranks second on the team with 21 RBI and a .411 slugging percentage.
 
The Shockers lead the MVC with a team ERA of 2.84 and have racked up 202 strikeouts against 78 walks in 275.1 innings.  WSU pitchers are limiting opponents to a .255 batting average.  Despite a 2-4 record, Friday night starter A.J. Ladwig owns a stellar 1.15 ERA with 39 strikeouts against just six walks in 54.2 innings of work.  Cale Elam, who is a perfect 5-0 with a 1.50 ERA, has tallied a team-high 44 strikeouts and is holding opposing hitters to a .190 average.  Sam Tewes will cap the rotation for Wichita State and enters the series 4-2 with a 3.35 ERA and 21 strikeouts in 40.1 frames.
 
Aaron LaBrie has made a team-high 18 appearances out of the Shocker bullpen and is 2-2 on the season with a 2.76 ERA.  LaBrie has tallied 23 strikeouts in 29.1 innings of relief.  Foster Vielock has been the primary closer for WSU, registering five saves in 11.1 innings.
 
Wichita State leads the all-time series with Evansville, 51-25, and captured the series with the Aces last season by winning two of three games in Wichita, Kan.  The Shockers and UE have met in 20 games at Braun Stadium with WSU winning 13 of them to Evansville's seven.