Life in the Valley

UE, Valpo, UIC All Notch Huge Wins on Valley Opening Day

Yesterday was a gift.

Those reading on X know yesterday was my first day home after several days in the hospital – nothing life threatening thankfully, but one of those things where God slaps you in the face and tells you that you need to change some habits. All 3 nights I spent in a private room, I fell asleep watching college baseball on my iPad. The nurses were even asking me about it. So I, of course, preached the college baseball gospel.

But it was great to get home yesterday and have conference games to watch. We’ve spent a bit more than month grinding through non-conference weekends, often tough matchups and long road trips that severely challenge Valley teams. We take these results each season and perhaps mistakenly try to equate them into what they might mean for conference play in terms of who the favorites are.

But Friday showed that just when we think we have all the answers, conference play changes the questions. A new season of Valley baseball is here, and it got off to a roaring start Friday. Let’s recap:

Evansville 6, Murray State 5: Despite last season’s great run to Super Regionals, one thing the Purple Aces couldn’t do last season was beat the Racers. Murray State came to Evansville last season and swept the Purple Aces early in the conference season. Now, with UE entering 5-15 on the season and having to go on the road, the Racers (12-5 coming in) were likely large favorites this weekend. But UE flipped the script Friday, overhauling a 3-0 deficit with 4 runs. in the middle innings and 2 more in the 7th en route to a 6-5 win.

UE took the lead when B.J. Peart’s ground out brought home Harrison Taubert to make it 4-3 in the 5th. In the 7th, Matt Flaherty’s bases-loaded walk and a sac fly off the bat of Drew McConnell made it 6-3. But that lead was threatened in the bottom of the 8th, when the Racers loaded the bases. Kellen Roberts walked Dan Tauken, forcing in Jackson McCoy to make it 6-4. Here, UE head coach Wes Carroll made a critical device, replacing Roberts with Peart, who came in from shortstop, to make his 3rd relief appearance of the season. In appearances at Samford and Indiana last week, Peart pitched 2 2/3 scoreless innings with 0 walks, 2 hits, and 2 strikeouts.

But this was a high-leverage situation. Peart, a sophomore from Ontario, delivered, getting Luke Mistone to line out to center to end the inning and strand 3 runners. Peart came back out for the 9th, and though he was scored upon for the first time when Carson Garner hit a solo homer to lead off the inning, Peart buckled down and got the Racers 1-2-3 from there, sealing the 6-5 win. It was Peart’s first collegiate save and finished off the win for Max Hangman, who pitched 4 innings of 2-hit, scoreless relief.

Cal McGinnis had 3 hits and 2 doubles for Evansville (6-15, 1-0), while Charlie Longmeier went 2-for-3 with 2 walks. Each team drew 8 free passes. Will Vierling had 2 hits and doubled in 2 runs. Garner’s homer was his 5th of the season and Murray State’s 25th in 18 games.

Valparaiso 8, Indiana State 3: In Terre Haute, the Beacons scored 4 runs in the top of the 3rd inning and added 4 more in the 8th to knock off the Sycamores, 8-3. Connor Lockwood provided a true Friday stud start for Valpo (5-12, 1-0), going 7 innings and throwing 120 pitches. Lockwood allowed 3 unearned runs on 5 hits but most importantly, he only walked 1 while striking out 10 in one of the command performances of the Valley season so far. State batters hit just .172 against Lockwood, who improved his season record to 2-3.

It was an impressive bounce back for redshirt junior from Libertyville, Ill., who struggled in his prior start against Illinois, giving up 10 runs in 4 2/3 innings. It was Lockwood’s longest outing in terms of innings since he went 7 in a loss at Memphis on February 22. He struck out 11 that day and has fanned 39 in 39 1/3 innings this season with just 8 walks. Friday also marked the 4th time in 6 starts that Lockwood has walked 1 or less. The 5 hits allowed were the least Lockwood has surrendered in a start in 2025.

Offensively, Valpo hit the ground running in the 3rd, erasing a 1-0 Indiana State (9-13, 0-1) lead, scoring a run on a throwing error, then 2 more on Case Sullivan’s single. Thomas Cooper’s sac fly made it 4-1. State closed to within 4-3 in the 7th on Eli Gipson’s 2-run single. Gipson drove in all 3 Sycamore runs.

But in the 8th, Valpo put the game away. Kevin Denty singled in a run before Spencer Warfield brought home 2 with a base hit. Bryan Hatch’s sac fly closed the scoring. Ryan Maka had 2 hits and a run for the Beacons.

UIC 17, Southern Illinois 6: Holy offensive uprisings, Batman. Up 2 runs in what was already an offensive game with an 8-6 lead in the top of the 9th, the UIC Flames dropped the hammer with a 9-run 9th inning to rout the Salukis, 17-6. Thirteen Flames came to the plate with UIC scoring its runs on just 5 hits, helped by 3 SIU errors. UIC stole 3 bases and the big offensive blow of the inning was A.J. Taylor’s 3-run homer to make it 12-6. Luke Nowak completed the rally with a 2-run triple after having been intentionally walked earlier in the inning. Nowak finished 2-for-2 with 2 runs, 3 walks, and 2 RBIs. Taylor went 3-for-6 with the 3 RBIs and 3 runs. Colin Husko and Terrick Thompson-Allen both had 4 hits, and combined for 4 runs and 4 RBIs. Thompson-Allen walked and singled in the 9th inning alone, scoring 2 runs and stealing a base.

Jackson Bessette also homered for the Flames (4-16, 1-0), who played a strenuous non-conference schedule that featured road series at Purdue, Louisville, Tennessee Tech, and Georgia, during which UIC went a combined 0-12. But those games are played for more than just determining wins and losses, and the experience looks like it might well have been valuable for UIC based off Friday’s victory. Dillon Schueler pitched his first win of the season for the Flames.

Matt Schark homered and drove in 4 runs for SIU (13-7, 0-1), while Jordan Bach had 2 hits.

Illinois State 8, Belmont 5: The Redbirds got the jump on the Bruins with 3-run frames in the 1st and 3rd innings, then added 2 more in the 5th to take an 8-0 lead en route to an 8-5 win in Nashville. Judah Morris homered in the top of the 1st to open the scoring, a 2-run shot. Brayden Bakes immediately followed with a solo shot as the Redbirds (7-12, 1-0) went back-to-back. In the 3rd, Illinois State went double yard again, this time with Daniel Pacella and Morris hitting back-to-back homers to make it 5-0.

Morris is having an all-MVC type season, hitting .353 with 9 homers and 25 RBIs. Morris is slugging a sublime ..853, with 7 doubles to go along with his round-trippers. Morris is carrying a 1.336 OPS, which would put him in range to lead the conference most seasons. Pacella leads ISU at .410 and has 5 homers of his own, while Shai Robinson has hit 6 and is second on the Redbirds with 20 RBIs.

Belmont got back into the game late with 3 runs in the 6th and 2 in the 7th. Two runs scored on Pete Daniel’s (3 hits) double in the 7th. But Illinois State closer Joe Husak got the final 7 outs with 0 runs, 0 hits, and 0 walks for his 3rd save of the season. Thomas Harper (2-0) got the win, giving up 3 runs on 4 hits over 6 innings with 5 strikeouts.

Missouri State 16, Bradley 6 (7): An 8-run 3rd inning propelled Missouri State to a run-rule win over Bradley to open Valley play on Friday. Curry Sutherland hit a 3-run homer in the 3rd, while Zack Stewart (2-run) and Nick Rodriguez (3-run) homered later in the game. Six different Bears (8-12, 1-0) finished with 2 hits each, Sutherland, Rodriguez, and Taeg Gollert all drove in 3 runs. Missouri State outhit Bradley (3-14, 0-1), 14-8, including 7 extra-base hits.

Four homers in this win gave Missouri State 30 in 20 games, along with 45 doubles. Missouri State has a .484 team slugging percentage and .876 team OPS. Five Bear regulars, led by Caden Bogenpohl (.333) are hitting at least .302 on the season.

Michael Yusypchuk was the beneficiary of all the run support, getting the win after a 6-inning start, his first victory of the season.

Bradley belted 5 doubles, including 2 from Mason Breidenbach. Timmy O’Brien doubled and homered in the loss for the Braves. O’Brien leads the Braves with 5 homers on the season and is 2nd in RBIs with 14 behind only Bobby Atkinson’s 17 for top team honors.

Today’s Valley Menu: Conference play continues across the midwest today weather permitting. Here’s the schedule as I have it right now. Times are central and games are subject to change.

Evansville at Murray State, Game 1, Noon, ESPN+
Valparaiso at Indiana State, Game 1, Noon, ESPN+
UIC at Southern Illinois, Game 1, 1 p.m., ESPN+
Bradley at Missouri State, 2 p.m. (radio only)
Illinois State at Bradley, 2 p.m. (radio only)
Valparaiso at Indiana State, Game 2, 3 p.m., ESPN+
Evansville at Murray State, Game 2, 3 p.m., ESPN+
UIC at Southern Illinois, Game 2, 4:30 p.m., ESPN+

Ed Morgans is the founder of MVCBaseball.com. An Evansville graduate, Ed has written about and broadcast college baseball, while following the sport for 40 years.