Bears Stay Top; Redbirds & Bruins Clinch Series
Lucas Smith went 3-for-5 with 2 runs and 3 RBIs to lead the UIC Flames to a 10-4 win at Murray State Saturday, evening their Missouri Valley Conference weekend series at a game apiece. The teams will play the series final today at 1 p.m. (ESPN+).
After being held to just 1 run in Friday’s loss, UIC got on the board right off the bat Saturday as Smith scored on James Harris’ (2-for-5) double. The Flames (9-23, 5-6 MVC) expanded their lead to 5-0 in the 2nd inning. RBI singles from Christian Holmes and Luke Nowak (2-for-5, 2 runs) made it 3-0. After a run scored on a ground out, Terrick Thompson-Allen doubled home Nowak to make it 5-0.
UIC added 3 more in the 8th to put the game out of reach, scoring on a ground out, a fielder’s choice, and Smith’s single which brought home D.J. Butler. UIC had 10 hits. Nowak is now hitting .370 on the season, one of three Flames (Harris, Smith) batting at least .311.
The Flames got a quality outing from starter Tommy Egan (W, 2-1), who went 5 innings and gave up just 2 runs on 6 hits to a high-quality Racers (22-9, 6-5) lineup. Egan struck out 2 and threw 85 pitches. Colin Hawkins worked the final 3 innings for his first save of the season.
Nic Schutte gave up 5 runs in 6 innings for the Racers, but only 1 of the runs was earned. He struck out 7 and threw 100 pitches.
SIU Evens Series in Terre Haute: Down 2-1 in the 3rd inning, Southern Illinois overpowered Indiana State in the 3rd and 4th, scoring 5 runs in each frame to open an 11-2 lead. The Salukis (24-10, 7-4) cruised home to a 16-9 victory to even the series. SIU and Indiana State 17-17, 6-5) play again today at noon (ESPN+).
John Lemm continued his recent hot hitting, singling in a run in the 1st inning, taking a bases-loaded walk for another RBI in the 7th, then clobbering a 2-run homer in the 9th to complete the scoring.
Lemm finished 2-for-4 with 3 runs and 4 RBIs, and also drew 2 walks. Matt Schark was up to his usual work, going 3-for-4 with 4 runs, a walk, and an RBI. Tim Simay had 3 hits and drove in 4. Jaxon Holder also scored 4 runs. SIU was outhit, 14-13, but drew 9 walks.
Starter Alec Nigut went just 3 innings, giving up 3 runs on 6 hits, but the offense picked him pu. Dylan Petrey worked the final 2 2/3 innings to close it out with no pressure thanks to the big lead.
The Sycamores based 4 homers in the loss, led by 2 from Carlos Pena. Mason Roell and Andrew Ortiz also went deep for Indiana State. Carter Beck had 3 hits and 3 RBIs in the loss.
Bears Double Up Beacons: Missouri State broke open a close game in the 5th inning as typical Bears fashion, using 2 doubles and a homer to score 4 runs and take an 8-3 lead in an eventual 10-5 win. Missouri State clinched the series over Valpo with the final game scheduled for today at 1 p.m. in Springfield.
Zack Stewart gave the Bears (18-15, 9-2) the lead for good it the 4th inning with a solo homer. In the 5th, Caden Bogenpohl and Nick Rodriguez doubled in runs to make it 6-3. With Rodriguez still aboard, having extended his hitting streak to 20 games, Jake McCutcheon homered to put Missouri State in firm control, 8-3.
McCutcheon went 3-for-4 with 3 runs. The junior from Defiance, Mo, now has 12 homers on the season and is hitting .357. McCutcheon has hits in 10 of his last 12 games, including 6 multi-hit games. Enter the 2025 season, McCutcheon had just 2 collegiate homers, 23 RBIs, and 27 runs scored in 65 games. This season alone, in half the number of games, he’s scored 38 runs and driving home 32.
Bears starter Jason Schaaf went 7 strong innings on 83 pitches, a senataional 3,95 pitches per out – or a 107-pitch pace for a 9-inning complete game.
Austin Amburgey went 3-for-4 with 3 runs for the Beacons (8-21, 3-8). Kevin Denty had 2 hits and Patrick Ilitch drove in 2 runs.
Illinois State Captures Series vs. UE: Illinois State stayed right on the heels of front-running Missouri State in the Valley standings with a 7-1 victory over visiting Evansville that clinched the series. The teams do battle in Normal again today at 1:30 p.m., with the game slated for ESPNU with Clay Matvick and Mike Rooney on the call.
The Redbirds (17-16, 8-3) put this game away early, scoring 4 runs int he 3rd inning and 3 more in the 4th. Daniel Pacella got things going in the 3rd with an RBI single before Judah Morris hit a 3-run homer. In the 4th, Kyle Gibson doubled home Josh Outlaw to make it 5-0; Shai Robinson doubled home Gibson, and Morris picked up his 4th RBI of the game with a single to score Robinson.
It’ll be hard to ignore either Pacella or Morris when it comes time for folks to select MVC Player of the Year. And there are worthy candidates on other teams, but this duo has been something special for Illinois State this season. Combined, Pacella and Morris have 90 hits, 71 runs, 25 doubles, 21 homers, 73 RBIs, and 56 walks. Pacella his hitting .452 in conference play with 6 homers and 19 RBIs in 11 games.
And don’t forget, this comes in a lineup where FIVE other Redbirds are hitting at least .310 (Robinson, Daniel Contreras, Outlaw, and Gibson). Illinois State is hitting .305 as a team with a .896 team OPS.
On the mound, Tanner Perry gave up just 1 run on 7 hits over 6 1/3 innings (95 pitches) with 7 strikeouts. Carter Monke worked a perfect 2 2/3 innings to end it, striking out Drew McConnell and Drew Howard to finish the game.
Ty Rumsey, Jake McGhee, and Cal McGinnis all had 2 hits each for Evansville (11-23, 5-6).
Bruins Wins Second Straight Weekend Series: Belmont downed Brady Saturday, 10-1, its 6th win in the last 8 games and its second consecutive conference series win after taking 2 of 3 vs. Indiana State last weekend.
Michael Lareau and Charlie Davis each drove in 2 runs in the victory. Lareau, Davis, and Pete Daniel all had 2 hits. Kaden Galason scored twice and one of 9 different Bruins to cross the plate on the day.
Despite the final score, the game was tight almost the whole way, but clinging to a 2-1 lead entering the 9th, the Bruins (15-21, 6-5) dropped the hammer in the 9th, scoring 8 runs. Lareau picked up both his RBIs in the Frame, 1 on a single and the other on a bases-loaded walk. Davis and Mike Sprockett had RBI singles in the inning, while Galason also walked to bring home a run.
Jake Timbes, who made 3 starts in the 2024 season and pitched well, allowing opposing batters to hit just 2.12 and pitching to a 2.16 ERA in 16 2/3 innings. This season, Timbes has made 9 starts, though none were more than 5 innings and most were 3 1/3 innings or less. Saturday, Timbes went 6 and dominated, striking out 10, walking none, and giving up just a solo homer to Bobby Atkinson in the 2nd inning as the only hit. Timbes has now fanned 37 in 32 innings this season.
The Braves (4-26, 0-11) and Bruins meet again at 1 p.m. today on ESPN+ in the series finale.
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.
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