EVANSVILLE, Ind. - With a half dozen seniors set to play in their final games at Braun Stadium, the University of Evansville baseball team welcomes Illinois State to town for the regular season finale, beginning Thursday night.

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Evansville Game Notes

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The Purple Aces earned their first true road victory last weekend, beating Indiana State in the series opener with the Syacamores, 10-6. UE dropped a heartbreaker in the second game of the series, losing 3-2. Game three saw the Aces jump out to an early 5-0 lead, only to get outslugged by Indiana State 14-9, dropping the series. Evansville managed to bounce back on the road Tuesday in Nashville, bouncing Belmont 8-4, sweeping both ends of their delayed non-conference home-and-home series.

The Redbirds are coming off a winning weekend at home, as they took two-of-three from Valparaiso, bouncing back from a heartbreaking 2-1 loss in the series opener to crush the Crusaders 13-3 on Saturday and 8-0 on Sunday. Illinois State comes into Braun Stadium with six wins in their last nine game. 

Illinois State is led at the plate by junior shortstop Owen Miller, who was named the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week earlier this week. Miller went 10-of-14 for the week at the plate, including a five-hit effort in the weekend finale in which he hit for the cycle. He had three RBI's during the week, and scored four runs.

The Purple Aces will open the series with freshman right-hander Austin Ruesch, who is coming off his longest collegiate outing, tossing five innings in the series opener against Indiana State last Friday. Ruesch picked up his second victory of the season in the 10-6 win. 

On Friday, the Aces send out junior left hander Alex Weigand. In his last start, Weigand tossed his longest and most impressive game of the season, going 6 2/3 innings, holding Indiana State to a single run on one hit. Unfortunately, Weigand got the no-decision, as Evansville blew a late lead and fell 3-2.

Purple Aces Head Coach Wes Carroll has yet to name a starter for Sunday's finale. 

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