EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The No. 3-seeded Evansville Purple Aces went undefeated in the 2024 Missouri Valley Conference Baseball Championship to earn the program’s second tournament title and first since 2006 with an 8-6 victory over top-seeded Indiana State on Saturday night.
The Sycamores scored three runs in the first inning to grab an early lead, before the Purple Aces came roaring back thanks to a six-run second inning. The first seven Purple Aces to bat in the second inning reached base, with senior shortstop Simon Scherry kick-starting the scoring with a two-run single, before graduate outfielder Mark Shallenberger tied the game at 3-3 on an RBI single to chase Indiana State starter Cam Edmonson (5-2). Fougerousse then greeted reliever Brennyn Cutts with a long three-run home run to right-center field to give UE a 6-3 lead.
Freshman starter Kenton Deverman (8-1) and reliever Max Hansmann would limit the Sycamores to just single runs in the seventh and eighth innings, as UE took a 6-5 lead to the ninth inning. Evansville then loaded the bases against the Indiana State bullpen, and scored two insurance runs on a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch and walk to grab an 8-5 lead. The Sycamores would get a run back in the ninth inning, but UE closer Jakob Meyer got Indiana State catcher Grant Magill to bounce into a game-ending 5-4-3 double play to give UE it's first MVC Tournament title since 2006.
Shallenberger went 3-for-4 with two runs scored against Indiana State, while junior second baseman Cal McGinnis went 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI. McGinnis earned MVC Tournament Most Outstanding Player honors after hitting .714 in UE's four games by going 10-for-14, with three doubles, seven runs scored and six RBI. Fougerousse, Taubert and graduate catcher Brendan Hord also made the MVC All-Tournament Team.
The Purple Aces will take a 35-23 overall record and serves as the MVC’s automatic bid into the 2024 NCAA Tournament. The Selection Show is set for 11 a.m. CT on Monday, May 27, and it will air on ESPN2.
MVC Baseball All-Tournament Team
SS – Zane Zielinski, UIC
P – Aidan Foeller, Southern Illinois
OF – Mathieu Vallee, Southern Illinois
UT – Noah Rabin, Illinois State
2B – Shai Robinson, Illinois State
SS – Randal Diaz, Indiana State
P – Zach Davidson, Indiana State
P – Luke Hayden, Indiana State
UT – Kip Fougerousse, Evansville
C – Brendan Hord, Evansville
OF – Harrison Taubert, Evansville
Most Outstanding Player
2B – Cal McGinnis, Evansville
Elite 17
Donovan Schultz, Evansville (3.96 GPA in Sports Communications)