The Indiana State baseball team returns to Missouri Valley Conference play this weekend, hosting in-state rival Evansville for three games beginning on Friday, May 3.

All three games of the series can be heard live on WIBQ 98.5 FM and on the Nelligan Sports Marketing Radio Network as Brian Fritz calls all the action on the diamond. A free video stream is also available through SycamoreVision on GoSycamores.com. Friday's game is sponsored by Union Hospital and the UAP Clinic while Saturday's game can be seen live locally in the Wabash Valley on WAWV-TV.

Indiana State (18-18, 7-8 MVC) is a perfect 6-0 at home during league games in 2013, sweeping Southern Illinois and Creighton earlier this season. Evansville (17-29, 7-8 MVC) has dropped two out of three games in each of their last two MVC series to league-leaders Wichita State and Missouri State.

Weekend Schedule
Friday: 4:30 p.m. – Military Appreciation Night, four free tickets for all military personnel with a valid ID
Saturday: 1:00 p.m. – game to be broadcast on WTWO-TV
Sunday: 1:00 p.m. – Little League Day, two free tickets for a youth wearing their little league jersey

Probable Weekend Pitching Rotation
Friday: Devin Moore (Sr. -- RHP -- 6-3 -- 210 -- Springfield, Ill. -- Lincoln Land CC)
Notes: 26 hits allowed in his last 38.2 IP ... ISU has scored one run or less in five of his last six starts
2013 Season Stats: 3-4 record ... 2.89 ERA ... 5.0 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 6 Ks at Illinois State last Saturday (L)
Saturday: Sean Manaea (Jr. -- LHP -- 6-5 -- 235 -- Wanatah, Ind. -- Andrean HS)
Notes: Fifth in ISU history with 269 career strikeouts ... at least eight Ks in seven of his nine starts
2013 Season Stats: 5-3 record ... 1.57 ERA ... 5.1 IP, 6 H, 4 R (3 ER), 9 Ks at Illinois State last Friday (L)
Sunday: Daniel Peterson (Jr. -- RHP -- 6-6 -- 182 -- Lenexa, Kan. -- Neosho County CC)
Notes: Earned his first win at ISU vs. Purdue (April 9) ... 4.2-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio (42 Ks, 10 BB)
2013 Season Stats: 1-4 record ... 4.44 ERA ... 6.0 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 5 Ks at Illinois State last Sunday (L)

A Little History – Evansville
This weekend's series will be the 151st, 152nd and 153rd meetings between Indiana State and Evansville, with the Sycamores leading the series by a 95-55 margin. Since becoming conference opponents, the Sycamores hold a slim 36-35 advantage dating back to the 1995 season. ISU is 3-4-1 in home series against Evansville since 1995, but swept UE in 2009 before taking two out of three games in 2011. Since 1995, UE carries a 17-15 edge in games played in Terre Haute. Under fourth-year head coach Rick Heller, Indiana State is 5-5 overall against Evansville and 2-1 against the Purple Aces at Bob Warn Field.

Scouting The Purple Aces
Evansville enters the week at 17-29 on the season and tied with the Sycamores for fifth place in the MVC standings, as both teams will enter the weekend at 7-8 in conference play. This season, UE has won two out of three games against Bradley and Southern Illinois while dropping two out of three games to Creighton, Wichita State and Missouri State. Sophomore Kevin Kaczmarski enters the weekend with a team-leading .339 batting average (62-for-183) with 12 doubles and four home runs. Senior right-hander Kyle Lloyd leads the conference and ranks eighth nationally with 87 strikeouts in 76.2 innings pitched this season.

Game-by-Game – Evansville
Below is a quick look at the last 10 games in the series between Indiana State and Evansville.

May 23, 2012 at Springfield, Mo. -- L, 5-8                  May 7, 2011 at Indiana State -- L, 9-10
March 25, 2012 at Evansville -- W, 6-0                       May 6, 2011 at Indiana State -- W, 6-3
March 24, 2012 at Evansville -- L, 2-3                        May 9, 2010 at Evansville -- L, 3-7
March 23, 2012 at Evansville -- W, 2-0                       May 8, 2010 at Evansville -- W, 5-4
May 8, 2011 at Indiana State -- W, 4-1                      May 7, 2010 at Evansville -- L, 2-3

WAWV To Televise Saturday's Game With Evansville
A new addition to this season's local television package, WAWV will broadcast Saturday's baseball game between Indiana State and Evansville from Bob Warn Field. First pitch has been moved up one hour to 1:00 p.m. (ET) to accommodate the broadcast.

At Home Under Head Coach Rick Heller
Under head coach Rick Heller, Indiana State is 62-25 (.713) in home games since the start of the 2010 season. In MVC action, the Sycamores are 21-15 (.583) in Terre Haute. This season, Indiana State is 11-3 at home and 6-0 within the conference at Bob Warn Field.

Manaea Tabbed On 60-Man Golden Spikes Award Watch List
Junior Sean Manaea was named to the Midseason Golden Spikes Award Watch List this week, an award presented by USA Baseball at the end of the season to the top amateur baseball player in the country. Manaea is one of 60 student-athletes from around the nation to earn selection to the list and one of 31 that appeared on both the preseason and midseason lists.

Manaea has posted a 5-3 record and a 1.57 ERA this season, fanning 72 batters in 57.1 innings on the mound while allowing just 39 hits, 20 walks and 10 earned runs in nine starts. The ISU junior has struck out at least eight batters in seven of his nine outings, including a season-high of 10 Ks in six shutout innings against College of Charleston on Feb. 22. The Wanatah, Ind., native enters the weekend with 269 career strikeouts, 30 behind record holder Casey Whitten.

Heating Up In April
Redshirt senior Koby Kraemer and senior Robby Ort both saw their batting averages rise in April, each hitting over .380 in Indiana State's 13 games during the month. Ort led the team with a .396 (21-for-53) batting average, also totaling 13 runs batted in. Kraemer posted a .464 on-base percentage, going 18-for-47 (.383) at the plate with a team-leading seven doubles, six walks and 10 runs scored in April.

Manaea Named To CBHOF National Pitcher Of The Year Watch List
Junior starting pitcher Sean Manaea was one of 41 pitchers from around the nation named to the National Pitcher of the Year Watch List by the College Baseball Hall of Fame. Manaea is one of two representatives from the MVC, as the ISU southpaw is joined on the prestigious list by Missouri State's Nick Petree. The CBHOF Pitcher of the Year award is college baseball's version of the Cy Young Award and is given annually to the nation's top collegiate pitcher.

Manaea Ranks 41st Nationally, Fifth In ISU History In Strikeouts
Junior Sean Manaea struck out nine batters on April 19 at Illinois State, continuing his climb up the career rankings at Indiana State. Manaea totaled 115 Ks in his sophomore season, ranking in a tie for third in school history for single-season strikeouts. The Sycamore southpaw enters the weekend with 72 strikeouts this season, good for a tie for 41st in the nation. Below is a quick look at the Top 10 in career strikeouts at Indiana State.

1. Casey Whitten (1991-93) – 299                             6. Mitch Stetter (2000-03) – 254
2. Mike Gardiner (1984-87) – 296                              7. Mike Farrell (1988-91) – 248
3. Brad Finken (1994-97) – 275                                 T8. John Howes (1982-86) – 217
4. Blaise Ilsley (1983-85) – 274                                 T8. Tom Browning (1993-96) – 217
5. Sean Manaea (2011-present) – 269                10. Paul Quizner (1983-86) – 214

Manaea Named To Three Preseason All-America Teams
Junior Sean Manaea earned selection to a trio of Preseason All-America teams heading into the season, as Baseball America, Collegiate Baseball Newspaper and Perfect Game each selected the Indiana State southpaw as a First Team All-American. Below is a quick look at the last All-America selections for the Indiana State baseball team:

ABCA: OF Dan Olson, 1996                                       Collegiate Baseball: DH Todd Tatlock, 1995
Baseball America: SP Casey Whitten, 1993                 Sporting News: 3B Chad McDonald, 1990

Ort Stands Alone In Program History
Senior Robby Ort ranks fourth in career runs batted in (183) and fifth in career hits (254) at Indiana State, becoming the first Sycamore in program history to rank in the top five in both categories. The Newburgh, Ind., native is a two-time First Team All-MVC selection and holds a career .314 batting average with 14 triples, 23 home runs and 27 stolen bases.

Productive At The Plate: Part I
Senior Robby Ort enters the week with 183 career RBIs at the plate, ranking fourth in program history at Indiana State. Below is quick look at the Top 10 for RBIs in school history.

1. Boi Rodriguez (1985-87) – 200                              6. Mike Eberle (1984-87) – 174
2. Chad McDonald (1988-90) – 198                            7. Bob Zeihen (1985-88) – 159
3. Dan Frye (1989-92) – 186                                     8. Mike Lexa (1984-86) – 154
4. Robby Ort (2010-present) – 183                     9. Dan Olson (1994-96) – 153
5. John LaMar (1989-92) – 175                                 10. Kevin Egli (2000-03) – 151

Productive At The Plate: Part II
Senior Robby Ort has led the team in runs batted in following each of his first three seasons at Indiana State, totaling 157 RBIs in his freshman through junior seasons. The Castle High School product has also increased his production in all three seasons, improving from 50 RBIs as a freshman to 53 RBIs as a sophomore to 54 RBIs as a junior. In 2012, Ort became the first Sycamore in program history to lead the team in runs batted in for three consecutive seasons. Ort enters the weekend with a team-leading 26 runs batted in in 2013.

Steady At Short
Junior Tyler Wampler has been a mainstay on defense for the Sycamores, starting 129 games at shortstop over his three seasons. Wampler has tallied 425 fielding assists (140 as a freshman in 2011, 184 as a sophomore in 2012, 101 in 2013) in his time at Indiana State, a total that puts the West Terre Haute, Ind., native on pace to break Dan Frye's school record of 541. Wampler enters the weekend with a career fielding percentage of .964 (24 errors in 146 games).

Off And Running
Sophomore Landon Curry led Indiana State with 16 stolen bases last season as a true freshman, ranking in a tie for sixth in the MVC overall. Curry became the first freshman since Bob Zeihen in 1985 to lead the Sycamores in steals as a rookie. The Uniondale, Ind., native is off to a fast start again in 2013, ranking fourth in the conference with 16 stolen bases this season. For his career, Curry is 32-for-38 in stolen base attempts.

Manaea, Moore Combine For Three MVC Pitcher Of The Week Awards
Junior Sean Manaea and senior Devin Moore have combined for three MVC Pitcher of the Week awards, highlighting a pitching staff that carries a 3.72 ERA this season. Manaea was selected on Feb. 22 following his six shutout innings with 10 strikeouts against College of Charleston and on March 18 after fanning nine batters in a six-hitter at Minnesota. Moore earned the award on March 25 following his outing against Southern Illinois where he allowed just two hits over nine shutout innings in ISU's 1-0 win in 11 innings.

Three Sycamores Earn MVC Scholar-Athlete Of The Week Awards
Redshirt senior Koby Kraemer (April 10 / April 17), senior Devin Moore (March 27) and sophomore Landon Curry (March 20 / April 24) have all been named the MVC Scholar-Athlete of the Week this season. After the fall semester, the baseball team led all men's athletic teams at Indiana State with a combined 3.42 grade point average.

Back-to-Back Home Sweeps In MVC Play
Indiana State has played six games at home during Missouri Valley Conference play and posted back-to-back sweeps, taking all three games from Southern Illinois (March 22-24) and Creighton (April 12-14). The Sycamores have six more games at home during MVC play, coming against Evansville (May 3-5) and Bradley (May 16-18) later this month.

All About Defense: Part I
The Sycamores rank 30th in the country in fielding percentage heading into the week, as the Sycamores check in with a .976 fielding percentage. Under head coach Rick Heller, Indiana State is 59-21 (.738) when they do not make an error in a game, including a 10-6 record this season. When the Sycamores have made a fielding miscue in Heller's four seasons, the team sits just above the .500 mark at 64-63.

All About Defense: Part II
Indiana State has ranked in the Top 35 in fielding percentage from 2010-12 under head coach Rick Heller, one of only nine teams in the nation to do so over each of the previous three seasons. Three of the nine from around the nation are from the Missouri Valley Conference, as Evansville and Creighton are also in the select group. CU (14th) and ISU (30th) are both in the Top 35 in fielding percentage this season.

Double-Digit Hits
Indiana State recorded at least 10 hits in a game 29 times last season, going 26-3 when posting double-digit hits. ISU's only losses when tallying 10 hits came in walk-off losses at Indiana and at Purdue. In 2013, Indiana State is 9-3 when posting 10 hits or more and 9-15 when going for nine hits or less.

Three Runs Or Less
The three-run plateau has been the breaking point for the Sycamores under head coach Rick Heller the last four seasons. When ISU has allowed three runs or less to their opponents, the team is 72-12 (.857) over the past four seasons. When opponents score four runs or more, ISU holds a 50-72 (.410) record.

Getting To The Seventh
Under head coach Rick Heller, ISU is 91-14 (.867) in games that they hold a lead heading into the seventh inning. When the Sycamores have trailed after the sixth inning, ISU is 18-62 (.225). This season, Indiana State is 14-0 when leading after six innings of play.

12 Out Of 13
The Sycamores close out their 2013 regular season with 12 games at home against just one on the road. ISU has played 22 of their 35 games this season away from Terre Haute.

Against The Best
ISU is 8-12 against the RPI Top 100 this season, including series wins over Creighton (68) and Minnesota (87). Indiana State also holds wins over Mercer (23), Austin Peay (29) and College of Charleston (70). Last season, the Sycamores were 14-13 against the RPI Top 100.

Allowing Big Innings
Under head coach Rick Heller, the Sycamores are 81-27 (.750) when the team does not allow a three-run inning during a game. When Indiana State does allow their opponent to score at least three runs in one inning, Indiana State holds a 42-57 (.424) record.

Scoring First
The Sycamores scored the first run in 38 of their 60 games last season, tallying a 31-7 record when putting a run on the scoreboard first. Indiana State scored in the first inning in 25 of their games, going 22-3 last season when plating a run in the opening frame. That trend has continued into 2013, as ISU is 14-5 when scoring first and 7-3 when scoring in the first inning.

Early Runs
The Sycamores dominated the early innings last season, outscoring their opponents 242-110 (+132) over the first five innings of their 60 games. In the first inning alone, ISU had a 37-run advantage, scoring 58 runs to their opposition's 21. In 2013, Indiana State has an eight-run advantage in the first five innings, leading 79-71, and has scored 16 first-inning runs.

Free Baseball
Indiana State has played three extra-inning games this season with all three contests ending in the 11th inning. ISU fell 6-5 at Austin Peay on March 21, picked up a 1-0 victory against Southern Illinois on March 23 and lost 8-7 at Missouri State on March 31. Last season, the Sycamores went 6-4 in extra innings.

Kraemer's Grand Slam Highlights Series Win At Minnesota
Redshirt senior Koby Kraemer hit a grand slam in the sixth inning inside the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, sending the Sycamores to a 9-4 win in the rubber match on Sunday, March 17. Indiana State earned a 2-1 victory on Friday night against the Golden Gophers as junior Sean Manaea pitched his first complete game with nine strikeouts. Kraemer's grand slam against the Golden Gophers was the first for the Sycamores since Landon Curry cleared the bases against Ball State last season on March 28.

Indiana State Ends Tough Schedule Stretch At 6-5
The Sycamores ended March and began April with an 11-game stretch against four of the top teams in the Midwest, traveling to Missouri State, Purdue and Wichita State for seven straight games before hosting Purdue and Creighton. The Bears, Boilermakers and Shockers combined for 120 wins last season and won 66% of their games while Missouri State, Purdue and Creighton all joined Indiana State in the postseason in 2012. The Sycamores finished the 11-game stretch at 6-5 after their weekend sweep of #30 Creighton.

4-2 Against The Big Ten Conference This Season
Indiana State is 4-2 against the Big Ten Conference this season with five of those six games coming on the road. The Sycamores took two out of three games inside the Metrodome against Minnesota in mid-March before sweeping a home-and-home midweek series with Purdue over a six-day span in early April. Indiana State closed out their B1G schedule on April 24, falling 8-1 on the road at No. 17 Indiana.

Nationally-Ranked Opponents
Indiana State is 4-2 against nationally-ranked opponents this season, sweeping three games from No. 30 Creighton and splitting a pair of games with No. 28 Mercer.

Close Games
In ISU's four seasons under head coach Rick Heller, the Sycamores are 69-53 (.566) in games decided by three runs or less. In games decided by four or more runs since 2010, the Sycamores carry a 54-30 (.643) record. This season, ISU is 9-10 in close games.

Winning Ways
Indiana State posted their fourth straight winning season in 2012 and third straight under head coach Rick Heller. ISU's last run of four consecutive winning seasons came from 2000-03, while the last time that Indiana State posted five winning seasons in a row came during a 17-year run from 1977-1993. During Indiana State's 17-year run from 1977 to 1993, the Sycamores posted a 675-354-7 record and made six NCAA appearances.

Seven Former Sycamores In The Show Or Triple-A
Led by shortstop Clint Barmes (Pittsburgh Pirates), left-handed pitcher Joe Thatcher (San Diego Padres) and right-handed pitcher Brian Omogrosso (Chicago White Sox), seven former Sycamores are currently either in Triple-A or on Major League Baseball rosters. Former Sycamore pitcher Blaise Ilsley is also working in the Majors, serving as the bullpen coach for the St. Louis Cardinals. Since 2009, 14 members of the Indiana State baseball team have been drafted or signed as a free agent with MLB teams.

Weather Problems In 2013
The Sycamores have lost several games this season due to poor spring weather. Below is a look at Indiana State's problems with Mother Nature this season.

February 27 – game cancelled at Austin Peay, rescheduled to March 12
March 1-3 – weekend cancelled at Eastern Kentucky
March 6 – game cancelled vs. Indiana
March 9-10 – team removes snow from the field on Thursday and Friday, Sunday's games moved to Saturday for tripleheader with South Dakota State and Mercer
March 19 – game vs. Austin Peay moved up from March 20 to avoid freezing temperatures
April 16 – game cancelled vs. Butler
April 26-28 – weekend cancelled at UT Martin

#PfrankCup
Indiana State and Evansville have battled for the #PfrankCup over each of the past four seasons, as women's soccer, men's basketball, women's basketball and baseball games make up the four-sport trophy. Chick-fil-A became an unofficial sponsor of the games prior to the 2012-13 season. The Sycamores lead the #PfrankCup standings by a 22-11 margin over the length of the tournament, but hold a slim 4-3 edge in 2012-13. In baseball games, the series is tied at 5-5 heading into this weekend. This season's #PfrankCup has been almost dead even as the Purple Aces enter the weekend with a 303-302 lead in combined goals and points scored over the seven soccer and basketball games during the 2012-13 season.

Games In The 2012-13 #PfrankCup
Below is a quick look at the #PfrankCup standings for the 2012-13 season, ISU leads 4-3.

Oct. 17, 2012 (WSOC) -- Evansville, 3-0                    Feb. 14, 2013 (WBB) -- Indiana State, 55-48
Nov. 2, 2012 (WSOC) -- Indiana State, 2-1                March 2, 2013 (MBB) -- Evansville, 84-68
Jan. 19, 2013 (WBB) -- Evansville, 55-54                   March 8, 2013 (MBB) -- Indiana State, 51-50
Jan. 19, 2013 (MBB) -- Indiana State, 72-62

On To The Next One...
The Sycamores have five games outside of the Missouri Valley Conference next week, traveling to SIU Edwardsville on Tuesday before hosting Eastern Illinois on Wednesday and Alcorn State over the weekend.