TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Facing elimination for the first team this week, the University of Evansville baseball team exploded for 11 runs on 13 hits offensively, and four UE pitchers combined on a two-hitter, as the Purple Aces rolled past No. 2 seed Missouri State, 11-3, to advance to Championship Saturday at the 2023 Missouri Valley Conference Tournament at Bob Warn Field in Terre Haute, Indiana.
"I am really proud of the bounce-back and fight that this team showed tonight," said UE head coach Wes Carroll. "Our seniors really did not want to go out, and they played like it, and I salute them for helping change the culture of this program over the last five years.
"Now, we have a chance to do something very special here tomorrow. Something that hasn't been done since 2006, and this is what we have been working towards since the first day of practice. I hope we can go out and play the type of baseball that we are capable of and show everyone what University of Evansville baseball is all about."
Evansville was sent into the elimination game on Friday night against Missouri State after dropping a 10-1 decision to top-seeded Indiana State earlier in the day, with the lone run coming on a home run by fifth-year first baseman Chase Hug. Playing just 45 minutes after that loss, junior second baseman Kip Fougerousse gave Evansville an early lead with a long solo home run to left field in the second inning against the Bears.
Evansville would tack on four more runs in the fifth inning, highlighted by a two-run single by Fougerousse to push the lead to 5-0. Senior starter Tyler Denu took a no-hitter into the fifth inning, before giving up a one-out triple to MSU designated hitter Mason Greer. Denu would keep the Bears off the scoreboard in the frame though, taking a 5-0 lead into the sixth inning.
Missouri State would finally chase Denu in the sixth inning, as he started the inning with a pair of walks and a hit-by-pitch. The Bears would score three runs in the frame after Denu left, but graduate reliever Michael Parks would strike out catcher Anthony Socci to end the threat with the score 5-3 in favor of UE.
It would remain that way until the eighth inning, when Evansville's offense erupted for six runs to put the game out of reach. The Purple Aces started the frame with a single by senior third baseman Brent Widder and a walk, before a throwing error on a Ty Rumsey sacrifice bunt scored two runs to give UE a 7-3 lead.
Hug came through with an RBI single to push the lead to 8-3, before UE loaded the bases two batters later. A run-scoring wild pitch pushed UE's lead to 9-3, before sophomore catcher Evan Waggoner laced a two-run single through the right side to provide the final margin of victory. From there, freshman Max Hansmann and junior Kieren Hall combined to shut out Missouri State over the final two innings.
Hug led UE in the game against Missouri State, going 3-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI. Fougerousse and Waggoner both had two hits and drove in three runs. Denu (4-4) earned the victory, allowing three runs on just one hit, while striking out seven.
Evansville (36-23) will now face top-seeded Indiana State on Saturday afternoon at 1:30 p.m. central time, needing to defeat the Sycamores twice to win its first MVC title since 2006. If UE wins the 1:30 contest, the two teams will battle in a winner-take-all championship game at 5 p.m. central time. Saturday's action can be seen live on ESPN+, with every UE game also being available in the Tri-State area on the radio on 107.1 FM-WJPS and the Old National Bank/Purple Aces Sports Network from Learfield.
