CHICAGO – The UIC baseball team (26-21, 12-12; 5^th in MVC) will close out the 2023 regular season this weekend, as it hosts Evansville (31-21, 13-11; 4^th in MVC) in a crucial Missouri Valley Conference series beginning Thursday night at Curtis Granderson Stadium. The Flames currently hold the seventh-longest winning streak in Division I, as they enter the week winners of their last seven games.
 
SCOUTING EVANSVILLE

• The Aces enter the weekend in fourth place in the Missouri Valley Conference standings, one place ahead of UIC. Evansville most recently took two out of three games at home against Bradley last weekend before dropping a mid-week contest at Indiana on Tuesday.
• Evansville owns a 19-3 edge in the all-time series over UIC, but this weekend will be UE's first trip to Chicago since a season-ending series in the 1994 season.
• Graduate utility player Eric Roberts enters the series just one home run shy of Evansville's single-season record of 20, and could also be the first Aces player to ever hit 20 home runs and steal 20 bases in a single-season.

 
FLAMES FACTS

• UIC enters the weekend on a seven-game winning streak, currently tied for the seventh longest in college baseball. The Flames have led the way offensively in the Valley this season, ranking as the highest scoring offense at 7.1 runs per game.
• Ryan Nagelbach enters the series after being named the Missouri Valley Player of the Week, as he hit for the home run cycle (solo home run, two-run home run, three-run home run, grand slam) in the Flames' last series against Illinois State.
• Charlie Szykowny currently ranks second in the Valley in slugging percentage, boasting a .682 mark on the year.
• Kade Lancour and Jeff Zack are both currently tied for fourth in the MVC in wins, with both posting five victories heading into the weekend. Lancour is scheduled to throw in Friday night's game, while Zack is slated as the tentative starter for the regular-season finale on Saturday. Freshman left-hander Brandon Bak will get the ball in the series opener on Thursday.

 
Friday night's game will be sponsored by UI Health, while Saturday afternoon's regular-season finale will serve as 2023 Senior Day, honoring six graduating Flames student athletes. Saturday's game has also been deemed "Armed Forces Day," and will also be the final Bark in the Park game of the year. Thursday and Friday night's games can be seen live on ESPN+, while Saturday's contest will air on ESPN3. All three games can be heard free of charge on the Flames Network.