EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Evansville baseball team will close out the 2023 home schedule this weekend by hosting Missouri Valley Conference rival Bradley in a three-game series at German American Bank Field at Charles H. Braun Stadium in Evansville.
| Evansville vs. Bradley | Friday, May 12-Sunday May 14 | 6 PM, 2 PM, 1 PM CT |
| Site | Location |
German American Bank Field at Charles H. Braun Stadium | Evansville, Ind. |
| Links |
Friday, 6 PM: Live Stats | TV: Watch (ESPN+) | Radio: Listen WJPS-107.1 FM
Pitching Match-Up: UE RHP Nick Smith (4-3, 4.06 ERA) vs. BU RHP Jacob Kisting (0-8, 5.68 ERA)
Promotions: 2 for $3 Sodas / 2 for $6 Beers
Saturday, 2 PM: Live Stats | TV: Watch (ESPN3) | Radio: Listen WJPS-107.1 FM
Pitching Match-Up: UE LHP Donovan Schultz (5-3, 3.57 ERA) vs. BU RHP Noah Edders (5-1, 4.09 ERA) or TBA
Promotions: Mother's Day Celebration (Moms Get In Free) | $1 Hot Dogs
Sunday, 1 PM: Live Stats | TV: Watch (ESPN+) | Radio: Listen WJPS-107.1 FM
Pitching Match-Up: UE RHP Jarrett Blunt (4-0, 4.00 ERA) vs. TBA or BU RHP Noah Edders (5-1, 4.09 ERA)
Promotions: Senior Day | $5 Tickets |
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Evansville will enter this weekend's series at 29-19 overall and 11-10 in the MVC, after winning four of the first five games to begin the month of May. The Purple Aces currently sit in fourth place in the league standings, and UE will not only try to clinch a spot in the upcoming eight-team MVC Tournament this weekend, but also solidify a top-four finish in the league standings. Finishing in the top four of the league is important for the upcoming tournament, as the league's top four teams will all receive a first-day bye in the eight-team, double-elimination tournament.
The Purple Aces will honor seven members of its 2023 roster on Sunday, who will all be playing their final home collegiate baseball contest on "Senior Day." UE will honor pitchers Jarrett Blunt, John MacCauley, Michael Parks and Tyler Denu, outfielder Danny Borgstrom, utility player Eric Roberts and catcher Max Malley in Sunday's "Senior Day" festivities prior to the series finale. Blunt and MacCauley have become key members of the UE pitching staff in their lone season at Evansville, both appearing in over 15 games this season. Parks, meanwhile, currently ranks fourth all-time at UE with over 90 career appearances on the mound, and will likely surpass former Purple Ace Brent Jurceka for third place, as he needs just one more mound appearance to tie Jurceka in career appearances. Denu has appeared in 35 games throughout his UE career, including making 10 starts this year with four wins and a career-best 4.30 ERA.
Borgstrom has been a mainstay in the UE lineup over the last five years, appearing in over 205 career games at Evansville with over 170 career hits. Roberts has played multiple infield positions, DH, right field and pitched during his time at UE, and this season, he has become just the third Purple Ace in school history to surpass 15 home runs and 15 stolen bases in the same season, as he will enter the weekend with 17 home runs and 16 stolen bases. He joins Marty Watson (18 HR, 16 SB in 1993) and Brian McMillin (15 HR, 16 SB in 1997) as the only two men to achieve that feat in school history. Malley, meanwhile, has played in 57 games behind home plate over his four-year UE career, and he came through with the game-winning RBI in UE's first-ever game at German American Bank Field with a two-run single against Indiana University in a 5-4 win on March 10, 2020.
Bradley will enter this weekend's series at 14-28 overall and 5-16 in the MVC. The Braves are currently in last place in the league standings, two games back of eighth-place Illinois State for the final spot in the MVC Tournament. The Braves feature the Valley's top hitter in outfielder Ryan Vogel, who will bring a league-best .376 batting average into this weekend's series.
Evansville leads the all-time series over Bradley, 61-44, including holding a 32-20 edge in games played in Evansville. The Purple Aces swept a three-game set from Bradley last season at home, and since 2019, UE has gone 8-1 against the Braves in MVC play.
