EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Evansville junior second baseman Kip Fougerousse has been one of the top newcomers in the Missouri Valley Conference this year, after spending the last two seasons at Indiana University. On Tuesday night, Fougerousse will help lead the Purple Aces against his former team, as UE will put a seven-game winning streak against Big Ten competition on the line with a 5 p.m. showdown with the red-hot Indiana Hoosiers. Tuesday's game can be seen live on the Big Ten Network.
Evansville will bring a 31-20 overall record into Tuesday night's contest. The Purple Aces have opened the month of May 6-2 overall, thanks in large part to the hitting of Fougerousse. Fougerousse has hit safely in each of the last nine games, and in 19 out of the last 20 games overall, while hitting .419 (31-for-74) with five doubles, six home runs and 21 RBI over the last 20 contests. Overall, Fougerousse ranks second on the team with a .314 average and 11 home runs, while ranking third on the squad with 40 RBI.
Fifth-year first baseman Chase Hug continues to lead the Purple Aces overall with a .332 average, while graduate utility player Eric Roberts continues to add the power and speed with 17 home runs and a team-best 18 stolen bases. Evansville, which has only had its main starting lineup intact for just five games since the first week of the season due to various injuries, is beginning to get healthy as well, as senior Brent Widder returned to the lineup against Bradley over the weekend. Senior outfielder Mark Shallenberger, who has been limited to just 18 games this year in the outfield due to injury, is also starting to heat up, as he has hit .294 over the last five games. Both Widder and Shallenberger were first team all-MVC performers a season ago.
Indiana will enter Tuesday night's game at 38-14 overall after sweeping a three-game Big Ten series from Purdue over the weekend. The Hoosiers have won seven-straight games and are 25-4 at home this season, and are currently receiving top 25 attention in the USA Today Coaches' Poll. Sophomore third baseman Josh Pyne was named the Big Ten Player of the Week on Monday, after he helped the Hoosiers dismantle Purdue and Xavier last week by hitting .588 with two home runs and 14 RBI. Ironically, Pyne and Fougerousse were high school teammates at Linton-Stockton High School during their prep days.
Indiana leads the all-time series over UE, 33-20. The series dates back to 1949. The two teams split a four-game home-and-home series last year, with IU winning two out of three games in Bloomington, and Evansville posting an 8-4 win in Evansville. The Purple Aces have won seven-straight games against Big Ten competition dating back to a 6-5 defeat at the hands of the Hoosiers in Bloomington last March to conclude the three-game set in Bloomington.
Evansville will send senior LHP Tyler Denu (3-3, 4.30 ERA) to the mound to make his 11th start of the year on Tuesday night. IU is expected to start freshman RHP Ethan Phillips (3-0, 5.11 ERA). Tuesday's game can be heard live in the Tri-State area on 107.1 FM-WJPS and the Old National Bank/Purple Aces Sports Network from Learfield.
