EVANSVILLE, Ind. - The University of Evansville baseball team throws out the first pitch on the much-anticipated 2019 season Friday night in Macon, Georgia for the first of three games against Mercer University this weekend.

Game One - WATCH LIVE | LIVE STATS
Game Two -  LIVE STATS
Game Three - WATCH LIVE | LIVE STATS
GAME NOTES
The Bears are coming off of an impressive 2018 season, where they went 38-22 overall, including eleven victories in the Southern Conference. Mercer battled its way out of the losers bracket to reach the SoCon Title Game, where they finally fell to Samford.

On the hill, the Aces will open the series with junior RHP flame-thrower Adam Lukas, who is coming off a 2018 season that saw him go from the bullpen to the front of the starting rotation.

Saturday will see another former "fireman" take on a starting roll, as junior left hander Nathan Croner toe the rubber. In 2018, Croner put in the third most appearances of any pitcher on the Aces pitching staff.

Head coach Wes Carroll has yet to name a starter for Sunday's finale in Macon.   

ALL-TIME SERIES:  • Mercer holds the all-time edge in this non-conference series, leading the Purple Aces 9-3 over the years. The two teams last met in 2014, with the Bears sweeping the Aces out of Macon in three straight. The infrequent series dates back to 1980.
 
QUICK HITS:  
- Evansville lost seven seniors to graduation from the 2018 squad, including starting outfielder Dalton Horstmeier, starting third baseman Stewart Nelson, starting catcher Andrew Tanous and bullpen stalwarts Ryan Brady and Hunter Porterfield.

- Senior LHP Alex Weigand is the top returning strikeout leader for the Purple Aces from a year ago, k-ing 48 in 2018.

- Junior outfielder Troy Beilsmith is the top returning hitter, batting .335 in 2018.

- Beilsmith is also the top returning home run hitter for the Aces, blasting seven roundtrippers in 2018.

- Junior outfielder Kenton Crews is the top returning RBI leader, driving in 29 runs a year ago. 

• INFO: For all of the latest information on University of Evansville baseball, log on to the sport page on GoPurpleAces.com or follow the program on Twitter via @UEAthleticsBASE.
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