December 14, Evansville, IN - The Evansville Otters announced today a 3-team trade that sends infielder Alex Fonseca to the Otters from the Schaumburg Flyers of the Northern League.

The deal involved sending Otters' closer Mike Bille to the Brockton Rox of the Can-Am League in exchange for former Otters' closer Ryan Burnau. The Otters then immediately traded Burnau to the Schaumburg Flyers in exchange for Fonseca. The trade with Brockton completes a previous trade involving pitcher Jared Trout on April 6, 2007.

Fonseca, a Tallahassee, FL native, attended Florida Atlantic University and was drafted in the 36th round of the 2006 MLB draft by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. At FAU, Fonseca earned 1st Team All-Conference honors as a sophomore after hitting .338 (.402 in conference play) with 3 homeruns, 48 RBI's, and 14 doubles. During his junior year, Alex earned 2nd Team All-Conference honors hitting .306 (.325 in conference play), with 3 homeruns, 31 RBI's and 34 runs scored. In 2006, Fonseca hit .316 for the Tempe Angels of the Arizona League, accumulating 13 doubles and an on-base percentage of .436. In 2007, Alex split time between the St. Paul Saints (under then Saints pitching coach and current Otters manager Jason Verdugo) and the Schaumburg Flyers. In 22 games with Schaumburg, Alex hit .280 with 2 homeruns and 14 RBI's.

"Alex is a high-energy player that will bring a lot of versatility to our infield" said Otters manager Jason Verdugo. "I am confident he will do the same offensively, as he displayed signs of that for St. Paul and Schaumburg. Alex is a great guy and I look forward to him being a quiet leader for the 08 team."

Departing Evansville will be RHP Mike Bille. Bille spent two seasons in Evansville, piling up 35 career saves (most in Otters history) and a 1.85 ERA. In 2007, Bille appeared in 38 games accumulating a 1.70 ERA and 15 saves (5th most in the Frontier League).

Also involved in the trade is former Otters' RHP Ryan Burnau. Ryan pitched with the Otters during the 2003, 2005, and 2006 seasons. Ryan still holds the career record for games pitched as an Otter, appearing in 95 games and accumulating an 11-9 record with 16 saves and a 1.98 ERA during his 3 years in Evansville.

December 11, Evansville, IN - New Evansville Otters Manager Jason Verdugo has been busy so far in his first few months signing a number of young prospects. Over the past month, the Otters have signed five new players in addition to acquiring three via trades.

Right handed pitcher, Bradley Blanks of Fort Mill, South Carolina, was one of the first players signed by Verdugo. Blanks attended USC Upstate where he pitched for two years, accumulating a 5-6 record with a 5.13 ERA and 75 strikeouts in 88.2 innings pitched. Bradley also had 13 career saves out of the Spartans bullpen.

The Otters also signed speedy outfielder Chris Tate out of North Greenville College in South Carolina. Tate played two seasons for the Crusaders, batting a career .358 with 56 RBI's, 72 runs scored and 37 stolen bases. During his senior season, Tate led his team in hits, runs, on-base percentage, and stolen bases.

Antonio Richmond Jr. was the third player signed by the Otters this off-season. Richmond, a Douglasville, Georgia native, was an outfielder for the Savannah State Tigers. During his senior year, Antonio compiled a .247 average while swiping 25 bases and driving in a team leading 37 runs.

Caleb Glafenhein, a right handed side-arm pitcher who has received plenty of national attention, was also signed to an Otters contract. Glafenhein, a recent East Tennessee State University graduate who helped lead the Tigers to the 2006 Atlantic Sun Championship, followed up his 2006 success with a stellar 2007 campaign. Caleb's senior season included a record of 13-7 (his 13 wins were tied for 2nd most in Division I), 4 complete games, 6 saves, and a 5.09 ERA. Caleb was also named to the 2007 ESPN Academic All-American Team, as well being on the watch list for both the Roger Clemens Award and Dick Howser Trophy.

Rounding out the first wave of free-agent signings for the 2008 season is Florida Gators outfielder Chris Petrie. Chris started 30 games for the Gators in 2007, compiling a .299 average (.370 in SEC Conference play), with 2 homeruns and 21 runs scored. Petrie was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 2005 MLB Draft, but opted to attend the University of Florida.

These five signings are in addition to players acquired via trades. In late October, the Otters acquired slugging catcher Chris Crescenzi from the Sussex SkyHawks to complete a trade involving infielder Mike Scanzano. A week later, the Otters acquired the rights to OF Josh Jennings and OF Victor Burgos via a trade with the St. Joe Blacksnakes to complete the deal that sent catcher Ricky Clinton to St. Joe.

November 28, Evansville, IN - The Evansville Otters announced today the release of their 2008 schedule. The Otters will host 51 regular season games at historic Bosse Field in 2008, with Fifth Third Bank Opening Night on Wednesday, May 21, as the Otters take on the defending Frontier League Champion Windy City ThunderBolts.

The Frontier League All-Star Game will be held in Traverse City, Michigan, this year on Wednesday, July 16, with the All-Star break spanning from Monday, July 14, through Thursday, July 17.

Game times for the 2008 season will be similar to years past, with a few exceptions. The Otters will host two 12:05 PM games--on Tuesday, June 24, and Monday, July 28. There will also be three 1:05 PM games--on Friday, July 4, Sunday, August 24, and Monday, September 1. Standard game times Monday-Saturday will remain at 7:05 PM, and Sunday games will remain at 6:05 PM. One major change, however, will be the entry times into Bosse Field. Beginning in 2008, gate times will be one hour prior to game time, as opposed to an hour and a half as it has been in years past.

The Frontier League is also undergoing a few changes this year. The league will switch back from the three-division format used in 2007 to a two-division format with an East and West Division. The Otters will play in the West Division along side the Gateway Grizzlies, River City Rascals, Rockford RiverHawks, Southern Illinois Miners, and Windy City ThunderBolts. The East Division will be comprised of the Chillicothe Paints, Florence Freedom, Kalamazoo Kings, Traverse City Beach Bums, Washington Wild Things, and the Midwest Sliders. The Midwest Sliders (formerly the Slippery Rock Sliders) will be a traveling team, giving each team in the West Division three extra home games and each team in the East six extra home games.

To see the full 2008 Otters Schedule, CLICK HERE. Stay tuned to www.evansvilleotters.com for our promotional calendar, which will be updated weekly.

November 26, Evansville, IN - Looking for that perfect holiday gift item for that baseball fan in your life? Look no further than the Otters Dugout Shop! Starting today, all items in the Evansville Otters gift shop will receive a 50% discount!! T-Shirts, Bosse Field Memorabilia, Otters Collectibles, it's all 50% off!

All merchandise from the Otters 2006 Championship season is also massively discounted. You can now get a 2006 Evansville Otters Championship t-shirt or hat for only $5!!!! We also have Championship Hooded Sweatshirts on sale for only $10!!!

To take advantage of these deals, stop by Bosse Field anytime Monday-Friday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. You can also shop online and place your order by calling (812)435-8686.

November 9, Evansville, IN - The Evansville Otters have acquired a pair of rookie outfielders, Victor Burgos and Josh Jennings, from St. Joe of the American Association as the players to be named later in the transaction that sent catcher Rickey Clinton to the Blacksnakes.

Burgos, of Bayamon, Puerto Rico, hit .176 in 33 games for Texas Wesleyan Univeristy as a senior in 2007. He began his professional career with Schaumburg of the Northern League, hitting .182 in 12 games. Burgos hit .262 in 17 games for the Blacksnakes last summer.

Jennings hit .381 in 34 games as a senior at Division III Hartwick (N.Y.) College in 2004. He hit .263 in 11 games for St. Joe in 2007.

November 8, 2007 -- Catch up with everything happening at Bosse Field by reading the official newsletter of the Evansville Otters, "Otter Tales".

Click Here to Download the Newsletter

October 30, Evansville, IN - New Otters' manager Jason Verdugo has announced his first player acquisition, catcher Chris Crescenzi. Crescenzi comes to Evansville from Sussex of the Can/Am League as the player to be named later in the preseason trade that sent shortstop Mike Scanzano to the Skyhawks.

A native of Pedricktown, N.J., Crescenzi hit .365 with 16 home runs and 105 RBIs in three years at Richard Stockton College of Pomona, N.J. He compiled a .601 slugging percentage in 109 career games with the Ospreys.

Crescenzi, 23, hit .351 in 17 games with Sussex last season, driving in 10 runs. In 57 at bats, he hit three doubles, three triples and a home run.

JASON VERDUGO NAMED NEW OTTERS MANAGER

Evansville, IN -– The Evansville Otters announced today that they have hired Jason Verdugo as their new field manager. Verdugo, 32, is head baseball coach at Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota, and pitching coach of the St. Paul Saints of the American Association. He earned four letters in baseball and three letters in football at Arizona State University before graduating in 1997.

"We're pleased to find a manager with Jason's credentials," said Otters president Bill Bussing. "He comes highly recommended, both on a collegiate and professional level."

Verdugo was named head baseball coach at Division III Hamline before the 2002 season. He overcame an 8-28 record in his first year to post a 21-19 mark in 2003. His record over the last five seasons with the Pipers is 100-96, including marks of 26-14 in 2006 and 22-18 in 2007. Verdugo was named Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference coach of the year in 2006.

During Verdugo's tenure at Hamline, his teams have tied or broken 20 school records. His players have also received 20 academic All-Conference, two All-American, four All-Region and ten All-MIAC first team citations. Verdugo's teams have beaten eight nationally ranked opponents.

Since 2005, Verdugo has also served as pitching coach and first base coach of the Saints. His 2007 staff posted a 4.11 ERA en route to a 57-39 record. St. Paul reached the American Association finals in 2006 and 2007.

"There is no doubt in my mind that Jason will do an excellent job," said St. Paul manager George Tsamis. "Jason is very determined and has what it takes to put a winner on the field. It's a great day in Evansville to have Jason Verdugo as their manager."

A native of Tucson, Ariz., Verdugo attended Canyon del Oro High School. He was a freshman pitcher for the Arizona State squad that finished third in the 1994 College World Series. Former Otter Dustin Delucchi played with Verdugo at ASU, as did current Evansville resident Robbie Kent. On the gridiron, he was a teammate of the late Pat Tillman and a backup to Heisman trophy finalist and future NFL quarterback Jake Plummer.

As a junior, Verdugo was selected by the Anaheim Angels in the sixth round of the 1996 amateur draft, but he opted to return to Arizona State to earn his B.A. degree in history. Verdugo was 2-1 in 13 games as a senior in 2007, helping ASU reach the championship game of the NCAA regional. Chosen by San Francisco in the 12th round of the 1997 amateur draft, Verdugo pitched four years in the Giants' organization, including stints at Triple-A Fresno in 1999 and 2000.

Four years after retiring, Verdugo helped St. Paul win the 2004 Northern League championship with a 5-5 record in 17 games. He finished second in the Northern League with four complete games and threw a complete game shutout in game four of the championship series.

Verdugo and his wife, Tanya, have one son, Justis (7). The Verdugos, with the help of Jake Plummer, established the TATE (Tackling Autism Through Education) Foundation in 2003 to help mentor and educate families of children with autism. Tate is the middle name of Justis, who was diagnosed with autism in 2002.

Verdugo succeeds Jeff Pohl, whose contract as Otters manager was not renewed after the team finished 34-62 in 2007.

October 13 - The Evansville Otters announced today the acquisition of Cooper Thomas Johnson, a young prospect on the rise in professional baseball. The acquisition will be retroactive for the year 2025, when Cooper turns 18. Cooper, newly born son of Otters General Manager Deana Johnson and husband Eric, was born Friday evening at 5:17 PM. He currently stands 19" tall and weighs 6 pounds, 9.5 ounces. It is unknown as to what position young Cooper will play, but regardless of that fact, his father is pushing for him to be a switch-hitter.

The Evansville Otters staff wishes to congratulate Deana and Eric on the arrival of their first child, and also wish Deana a speedy recovery.

October 1 - The Evansville Otters, in conjunction with the Evansville-Vanderburgh School Corporation, announced today plans for installation of a new outfield fence.

Tri-State Fence will oversee the installation of the new fence as well as the removal of the current fence. The current wooden fence has been a part of Bosse Field's history for over 2 decades, but recently its age has begun to show. The new fence will be a made out of a sturdy, 9-gauge chain link fence and will keep the green color that has become accustomed to Bosse Field. The fence will remain 8 feet high as it has been and the dimensions from home plate will be very similar to where the old wall was, with a few foot disparities in certain areas.

Scott Trible, Director of Operations for the Otters, had this to say regarding the installation, "This is a project that has been a long time coming. The old wooden wall has a great nostalgic feel to it, but anyone who has seen it up close can attest to just how bad of shape it truly is in. There were multiple occasions this season in which strong weather forced us to do emergency repairs to the wall just to be able to play a game that night. The new chain link fence will eliminate the factor of weather and should last for many, many years to come."

Installation of the new fence should begin within the next week and should be completed by the end of the month. Stay tuned to evansvilleotters.com for more updates and pictures!

September 12, Evansville, IN - The Evansville Otters announced today that they will not renew the contract of manager Jeff Pohl. Pohl guided the team to a 34-62 record in 2007, his first year as manager.

A native of St. Charles, Mo., Pohl joined the Otters in 2002 as pitching coach. He was named director of baseball operations in 2004. Pohl served as pitching coach of the Otters until this past off-season, when he was promoted and named manager in winter of 2006.

"Jeff served the organization well in his five years as pitching coach and later as director of baseball operations," said Otters president Bill Bussing. "As pitching coach, he assembled some of the finest staffs in independent baseball. Unfortunately, he did not enjoy the same success as a manager."

Bussing said the search for Pohl's successor will begin immediately.

The Evansville Otters would like to thank the community for their loyal support in 2007 making 2007 another great year in Otters history. 131,707 fans entered the turnstiles at our classic ballpark, an average of 2,800 fans at each of our 48 home games. And, who could forget the 5,500 that packed the seats on a rainy June night during Evansville Teacher's Federal Credit Union Night, sticking it out through a two-hour rain delay to cheer on the Otters. Not to mention the 7,203 fans that poured in on Working Distributor's Customer Appreciation Night, the 2nd largest crowd in Otters history.

There were plenty of promotional acts that came through Bosse Field this past summer that entertained the many fans who came out to see them. Rally, a traveling mascot act in addition to Rockin' Ray and the Sky Doggs made their debut at ballpark this season. Rally, with his gold chains and dancing antics kept our crowd entertained on Saturday June 16th and for those who visited the ballpark on Sunday June 17th American General Finance and Rockin' Ray and the Sky Doggs jumped, fetched and caught to delight of the many families in attendance.

Additionally, new in-game promotions, including the Ohio Valley Colon and Rectal Surgeon's "Pluck-a-Polyp" and Rivertown Butcher's "Build-a-Burger" raised many an eyebrow during the Otters' entertaining in-game promotions. With the goal to raise awareness, the Ohio Valley Colon and Rectal Surgeons set out to create a game that not only kept fans entertained but also raised awareness of the dangers of colon and rectal cancer thus, Pluck-a-Polyp was born. The Rivertown Butcher Shop also caused waves of laughter this summer as fans were encouraged to pair up, get dressed in hamburger bun suits, grab ingredients and create a giant human hamburger.

Helping to make the atmosphere great at Bosse Field, is, of course the staff. Plenty of new faces joined the organization this spring and several have joined the ranks as full-time staff members. Ali Chesnut, originally of St. Charles, Missouri, joins the Otters after recently graduating from Southeast Missouri State University with a B.A. in Sport Management and a minor in Business Administration. Ali, who began the season as a ticketing intern, has been promoted to the Director of Ticketing and will also work as an account manager. Brandon McClish of Elwood, Indiana, joins the Otters for his first year in professional baseball. A graduate of Elwood Community High School, Brandon is currently a senior at the University of Southern Indiana studying Public Relations and Communications. Brandon led the Otters' fans on and off the field as our promotions intern and will don a new hat this fall, working as a sales intern. Finally, the new voice of Otters' radio - Jason Troop has joined the ranks of the year round staff and in addition to acting as the Director of Media Relations, will act as an Account Manager. Additional newcomer, Craig Prindle who kept fans enthusiastic as the on-field MC will return in 2008 and continue to provide outstanding entertainment for all those in the tri-state area.

Stay tuned to the website throughout the off-season for updates on the Otters' players, staff, community events and promotions. Also, look for the advanced release of the Frontier League 2008 schedule due out in October of 2007.

Thank you again for all of your support in 2007. And, if you have any questions, concerns or suggestions for 2008 we encourage you to write into us with your opinions.

GO OTTERS!

September, 2nd Evansville, IN – The Evansville Otters (34-62) wrapped up the 2007 season Sunday afternoon with a 6-5 win over the Southern Illinois Miners (49-47). Justin Jordan earned the win going seven innings, allowing three runs on seven hits and tying a season high with 10 strikeouts. The Otters got four runs in the first inning but led just 4-3 after the fourth. Evansville would tack on one more run in the fifth and sixth that would prove to be the difference. Mike Bille worked a bumpy ninth inning, allowing two runs to score but picked up his 35th career save after striking out Chris Hall with the bases loaded. Behind an attendance of 2,180 today, the Otters set a new 48 game single-season attendance record of 131,707.

September 1st Evansville, IN – The Otters topped the Southern Illinois Miners tonight by a final of 5-3 behind some clutch hitting and some sloppy defense from the Miners. Evansville scored four runs in the fourth on three hits with four errors helping out to provide the final margin of victory. Stephen Obenchain picked up his first win as an Otter throwing six innings, allowing three runs on eight hits, striking out two. The bullpen held the two run lead for the final three innings with Jon Lewis picking up his first save of 2007. Evansville will play the final game of the season tomorrow at 3:05 against the Miners.

August 31st Marion, IL – For the first time this season, the Otters (32-62) failed to hold a lead heading into the ninth inning. Evansville took a 3-2 lead on the Miners (49-45) in the seventh on J.J. Owen’s third homerun of the season, a leadoff blast over the leftfield wall. Mark Murray pitched a solid outing, left the game after the seventh, allowing two runs on five hits, striking out three. He gave way to Jon Lewis who got himself out of a bases loaded, one out jam, with an inning ending double play. In the ninth, a leadoff walk came in to tie it off closer Mike Bille to extend the game into the twelfth where, with one out and runners at the corners, a chopper back up the middle scored the winning run. Evansville begins their final home stand of the season against Southern Illinois Saturday night at 7:05.

August 30th Marion, IL – For the third straight game the Otters (32-61) put up double digits in hits, raising their batting average to .366 in that span, but lost for the 15th time in the last 16 games by a final of 14-9 to the Southern Illinois Miners (48-45). After allowing a grand slam in the second inning, Evansville responded with five runs in the top of the third to take the lead. After four more runs in the sixth answered a three run inside the park homer in the bottom of the fifth, the Otters could not hold on, giving up five runs in the next two innings. Evansville has now scored 28 runs their last three games, but the pitching has fallen off with an 11.96ERA in that span. The Otters play their final road game of the season Thursday night at Rent One Park against the Miners with game time set for 7:05.

August 26th Evansville, IN – The Otters got another solid outing from Mark Murray tonight, but the offense struggled again. Evansville had just three hits, were helped by seven walks, but stranded nine on the bases and fell short in another pitchers duel, losing to the Southern Illinois Miners by a final of 1-0. A rash of injuries to their infielders did not help out the Otters, requiring the healthy to play out of position. Despite that issue, Evansville did not commit an error tonight for the first time in eight consecutive games. The Otters are back in action tomorrow night at 7:05 against the Miners at Bosse Field.

August 25th Crestwood, IL – The Central Division Champion Windy City Thunderbolts swept The Otters tonight by a final of 8-2. Jake Haggerty left the game early with an arm injury, Evansville committed four errors which led to six unearned runs, proving to be the difference in this game. The Otters will head back to Bosse Field for a two game home stand against the Southern Illinois Miners beginning Sunday at 6:05CDT.

August 24th Crestwood, IL – Evansville dropped both games of a double header tonight against the Windy City Thunderbolts. The Otters were outscored 7-1 in the first game, notching just three hits, one of those a solo blast from Mike Spry for his eighth homer of the season. Brock Hunton shut the Otters down for his second straight victory, striking out five and walking none. In game two, it was more of the same. The Otters could not get the bats going, recording just four hits in the seven-inning contest as Jimmy Conroy went the distance, allowing four runs on nine hits, walking two and striking out six. Evansville and Windy City will finish this trip tomorrow night at 7:05 inside Standard Bank Stadium.

August 22nd Evansville, IN - Evansville dropped a close game to the RiverHawks tonight by a final of 7-5. The Otters led 4-0 after a Zack Pace two-run triple in the fourth inning, but Rockford scored four in the top of the fifth on five hits to tie the game. The RiverHawks would take the lead in the seventh on an unearned run, only to have Evansville tie it in the last of the eighth on consecutive hits with two outs. Evansville’s all-time saves leader Mike Bille came in to the ninth, struck out the first batter on a ball in the dirt that would allow the leadoff man aboard. After another error and a sacrifice hit, two more unearned runs would cross the plate on a sac fly and a single to provide the final margin of defeat. Evansville heads out on the road for a three game set at Hawkinson Ford Field against Windy City tomorrow night starting at 7:05.

August 21st Evansville, IN - Against the second best pitching staff in the Frontier League, the Otters (32-52) racked up 12 hits and 11 runs in support of starting pitcher Mark Murray (3-3) for a 11-3 victory over Rockford (43-36), ending a seven game losing streak in the process. Evansville scored early in the game, plating four runs in the first inning on five hits. The game was broken open in the fifth on a two-run two out bases loaded single from Zack Pace, who finished 2-4, with a run scored. Evansville plated two more in the seventh and two in the eighth for the final margin. The entire lineup contributed tonight, with eight of the nine hitters scoring or driving in at least one run. Evansville will try to take the series from the RiverHawks tomorrow night at 7:05 in Bosse Field.

August 20th Evansville, IN - Evansville was able to get to one of the Frontier Leagues’ best pitchers tonight but wasn’t able to cash in on the chances, and fell to the RiverHawks 7-3. The Otters loaded the bases three times, knocked out seven hits in seven innings off Tanner Watson (10-1) but would strand 10 in that time. The Otters (31-52) have clinched the worst record by a defending champion in Frontier League history and now must go 7-6 in their final 13 games to fend off the worst record in Evansville Otter history. The Otters and RiverHawks (43-35) are back at it tomorrow night at 7:05 here at Bosse Field.

August 19th Evansville, IN - The Otters were shut out tonight by Windy City (57-25) for the second time in the series, and the eighth time this season by a final score of 3-0. This game was scoreless through the first five innings, but in the sixth, with two outs, starter Jimmy Conroy (8-8) ran into some trouble. Four hits and a walk plated three runs for the ‘Bolts who got a quality start from Eric Fussell (10-2) for his tenth win of the season. Evansville (31-51) has now lost six straight games for the third time this season and are now officially eliminated from playoff contention. The Otters will continue their home stand tomorrow night when they welcome in the Rockford RiverHawks for a three game set at Bosse Field. Game time is slated for 7:05.

August 18th Evansville, IN - The Otters fell tonight to Windy City by a final of 3-2. Evansville took the early lead 2-0 in the first after Pace and Rachal lead off the inning with singles. They’d score on a wild pitch and a sac fly to give the Otters the lead. After that, Brock Hunton would settle down for the Thunderbolts, at one time retiring 17 consecutive Otters. Windy City took the lead from Evansville when Josh Horn cleared the loaded bases on a double to left center. Evansville had a chance in the ninth, with runners on the corners and one out, but failed to get a run across. The Otters wrap up this three game set with Windy City tomorrow at 6:05 at Bosse Field.

August 17th Evansville, IN - Evansville and Windy City locked up in a fantastic pitchers duel tonight. The Otters got six innings out of recently signed pitcher Stephen Obenchain, who allowed two hits and struck out seven. The Thunderbolts’ Billy Phillips who threw eight innigs, allowed just five hits, and struck out four hitters. The game was scoreless through the first nine frames, when, in the top of the tenth, the leadoff hitter Phillip Hawke drilled a pitch from closer Mike Bille over the right field wall for a solo shot and the only run of the ball game. The Otters went in order in the bottom of the frame and fall to 31-49 on the season. Evansville will hook up with Windy City tomorrow at 7:05 in game two of this six game home stand.

August 14th Rockford, IL – The Otters offense was shut down tonight by Tanner Watson. The all-time wins leader in RiverHawk history threw eight innings, allowing just four hits while striking out 10 as the Otters fell 3-1. Evansville took the early 1-0 lead in the second inning on three consecutive hits, but Rockford tied it up midway through the game, and added two unearned runs in the seventh when the Otters committed two errors with two outs. Jimmy Conroy pitched well despite picking up his seventh loss, allowing seven hits in seven innings striking out five. Evansville is back in action Wednesday night in game two of this three games set at Road Ranger Stadium.

August 12th Evansville, IN - Otter’s starter Justin Jordan kept Gateway hitters off balance all night, as Jordan tossed 7 2/3 innings, allowing just two earned runs on four hits, and striking out eight. The Evansville offense struck first, scoring two runs in the bottom of the 2nd when Daniel Burton scored on a double play ball and Kyle Smith drove in Ryan Bethel on an RBI single. The Otters would add two more in the 3rd on a two run blast from Burton over the left field wall, taking a 4-0 lead. Gateway would answer with a run in the 4th and another in 7th, before Evansville exploded for four runs in the bottom half of the 8th on another RBI single by Smith and a bases loaded triple from Ryan Sickles that cleared the bags, giving Evansville an 8-2 victory. Burton finished the night 3 for 4 with a two-run homerun and two runs scored, Smith would end the evening 2 for 3 at the plate with a pair of RBIs and a run scored, while Sickles added a couple of hits of his own in four plate appearances, driving in three runs, and scoring another. After a day off, Evansville will head to Rockford to take on the RiverHawks in a three game series before returning home to Bosse Field on Friday, August 17.

August 11th Evansville, IN - The Gateway Grizzlies plated 17 runs, taking the third game of the series by a final of 17-7. Gateway struck early, scoring a run in the top of the 1st and added five more in the 3rd to take a 6-0 through three innings. Evansville got on the board in the bottom of the 4th when Kyle Smith drove in Ryan Rachal on a fielder’s choice RBI. The Grizzlies bats remained hot throughout the ballgame as they added a run in 5th and the 6th before putting the game out of reach with six runs in the top of the 7th. Evansville would score two runs in the bottom of the 7th with one coming via an RBI single off the bat of Mike Spry, the other when Ryan Sickles scored on a double play ball up the middle. Tom Pennino homered for the second time this season driving in Matt Reynolds as the Otters put up two more runs in the 8th. Gateway scored three in the top of the 9th with Evansville adding two of their own in the bottom of the inning, rounding out the scoring. The Otters will host the Gateway Grizzlies for the final game of an eight game home stand tomorrow night at 6:05.

August 10th Evansville, IN - Despite 13 hits from the Evansville offense, the Otters dropped the second game of a four game series with the Gateway Grizzlies 9-5. Matt Reynolds led the Evansville hitting barrage going 3 for 4 at the plate with an RBI, Mike Spry added two hits of his own in four at bats, scoring two runs and driving in another. JJ Owen also contributed to the Otters offense, finishing 2 for 5 with a run scored. JC Field provided two RBIs on a single and a fielder’s choice. However, the Grizzlies smacked three home runs, scored five of their nine runs in the second innings en route to their 11th win over the Otters. Evansville will host the Grizzlies once again tomorrow night with game time scheduled for 7:05.

August 9th Evansville, IN - For the first time in 11 tries, the Evansville Otters defeated the Gateway Grizzlies by a final of 6-5. The Otters were led by Kyle Smith, who launched a pair of two out two-run homeruns over the left field wall. Evansville got on the board first when JJ Owen homered for the first time in his professional career, making the score 1-0 after the 2nd. Gateway answered with four runs in the top half of the 3rd, taking a 4-1 lead. The Otters scored two in the 4th on the first of Smith’s homers, another in the 5th on a solo shot by Daniel Burton, and two more in the 6th on the second long ball by Smith. Evansville used six pitchers in the winning effort, with Kyle O’Brien picking up his second victory of the year in relief, while Mike Bille recorded his 14th save of the season, working 1 2/3 innings, getting two back to back strikeouts to end the Grizzly threat in the 8th and preserve the win. The Otters will take on the Grizzles for the second game of the four game series tomorrow at Bosse Field with game time at 7:05.

August 8th Evansville, IN - The Evansville Otters got a shutout performance from starter Jimmy Conroy who threw a complete game, two hitter, striking out six, in the Otters victory over the Rascals Wednesday night. Conroy got plenty of run support, as the Otters bats were hot, providing 15 hits and nine runs in the winning effort. Evansville jumped out to an early 3-0 lead after the first inning of play after four consecutive infield hits and an RBI by Ryan Bethel. Evansville got two more runs in the bottom of the 4th on a two run single off the bat of Ryan Sickles who finished the night going 4-5 with four runs driven in and a run scored. The Otters’ offense wasn’t done as they scored two more in the 6th and another two in the 8th. Zack Pace completed the evening going 3-4 with an RBI and three runs scored. Mike Spry added two hits in five at bats, providing a pair of RBIs and Evansville native Kyle Smith had two hits of his own, finishing 2-4, with two runs scored. Tomorrow night, the Otters will welcome the Gateway Grizzles, who come to town for a four game set, with the first game scheduled to start at 7:05.

August 7th Evansville, IN - Three defensive miscues by Evansville proved to be the difference in Tuesday night’s ballgame, as River City scored two unearned runs in a 5-3 victory over the Otters. The Otters took an early 1-0 lead on an RBI double by shortstop Ryan Bethel that drove in Zack Pace. Evansville plated two more runs in the 4th when Mike Spry scored on a single by Ryan Rachal and Ryan Sickles came around to score on a throwing error by the Rascal’s catcher. River City scored two runs in the 5th and another in the 6th to tie the score at 3-3 before scoring two more in the 7th following two errors by the Evansville defense. Pace finished the evening 2 for 4 at the plate with a run scored, as Spry added two hits of his own in three plate appearances, scoring a run as well. Evansville starter Justin Jordan added another quality start to his resume going 6 1/3 innings, allowing three earned runs on seven hits, striking out six. Evansville finishes the four game series with River City tomorrow night at 7:05.

August 6th Evansville, IN - The River City Rascals snapped the Evansville Otters’ three game win streak Monday night, downing the Otters 3-1. River City got on the board first with a run in the top of the 4th inning before a sacrifice fly by Kyle Smith in the bottom of the 5th brought Ryan Bethel across the plate to even the score at 1-1. The game remained tied until the Rascals scored the go ahead run on an error in the top of the 9th, adding an insurance run as well, rounding out the scoring. Evansville got a strong start from pitcher Michael Greenhouse who went 5 1/3 innings, allowing just one run on six hits. Mike Spry went 2 for 3 at the plate for the Otters, while Bethel finished the night 1 for 3 with a run scored. The Otters will return to action tomorrow night at 7:05, hosting River City in the third of a four game series.

August 4TH Kalamazoo, MI - Evansville won their second straight game, and third of their last four, beating the Kings by a final of 6-5. Battling back from down 3-1, then down 5-2, the Otters plated four runs in the seventh, the big blow coming off the bat of Ryan Bethel, who drilled a pitch over the right field wall for a three-run homer to provide the difference. The bullpen, led by Kyle O’Brien, pitched four scoreless innings, with Mike Bille nailing down the victory with his 12th save of the year. Some sparkling defensive plays down the stretch, including a back handed leaping play by second baseman Ryan Sickles, was the highlight that kept Kalamazoo off the scoreboard. The Otters, playing their best baseball of the season, return home for an eight-game home stand, starting with four against division foe River City tomorrow night at 6:05.

August 3rd Kalamazoo, MI - The Otters held on to a one run lead for the final four innings, getting great bullpen pitching from Jared Trout, Kyle Pawalczyk, and Mike Bille to seal the deal. Evansville took the lead 3-1 in the fourth inning on a Tom Pennino three run double, but the Kings would battle back to take the lead, scoring three in the bottom of the frame. Evansville would tie it in the fifth on an RBI double from Mike Spry, but Kalamazoo would take the lead right back in the bottom half. The Otters kept hitting, scoring two more in the sixth, and took the lead on the bases loaded walk to Daniel Burton. Trout, P-Check, and Bille would combine for four innings of work, allowing just two hits, striking out three, and Bille would pick up the save with the tying run on third with two outs, Burton snared a rocket grounder at first base and beat the runner to the bag to hang on to the win. Evansville will play the rubber game of this three games set tomorrow night at 6:05CDT before heading home for an eight game home stand with division opponents River City and Gateway coming to town.

August 2nd Kalamazoo, MI - The Otters fell to Kalamazoo tonight by a final of 5-2, but it was closer than the score tells. Evansville fell behind early 3-0 in the first inning, but closed within one run after Kyle Smith’s two-run homer in the third, his third long ball of the season. The score would stay that will till the eighth, when Justin Jordan and the Otters ran into some bad luck. Three infield singles and a fielders choice plated two runs for the Kings, but the Otters would battle in the ninth. After the first two were struck out, Evansville got back to back hits from Justin Carr and a double from Ryan Sickles, then a walk to JC Field loaded the bases for Smith. He would drill a line drive that was caught by a leaping shortstop that would end the game. Justin Jordan pitched another complete game in a losing effort for the Otters who are back at it tomorrow night at 6:05CDT.

August 1st Traverse City, MI - One of the best played game by the Otters this season stopped the losing streak at seven games as Evansville knocked off Traverse City by a final of 6-4. The Otters took an early 3-0 lead in the second inning, but it seemed like every time they scored, the Beach Bums had an answer. The Bums tied it in the bottom of the second, Daniel Burton led off the third with a homerun to retake the lead, but Traverse City hit on of their own to tie it in the bottom of the frame. That would be all they’d get however. Paced by a strong performance from Mark Murray, who relieve an ineffective Mike Greenhouse after two innings, Evansville would score twice more, once on a solo home run from Mike Spry, and another after some good situational hitting in the seventh to score Kyle Smith after a lead off double. The Otters continue their six game road trip at Kalamazoo Thursday with game time set for 6:05CDT.

July 31st Traverse City, MI - Evansville posted 10 hits against the Beach Bums but stranded 13 on the base paths and dropped their seventh straight by a final of 4-3 in twelve innings. The Otters had their chances in extra innings, stranding runners on second and third in the 10th, and loading the bases with nobody out in the 12th. Jake Haggerty had another solid start, throwing seven innings, allowing five hits, three runs, just one of those earned, walking two and striking out nine. The Otters are back in action Wednesday at 6:05 in the final game of the season against Traverse City.

July 30th Traverse City, MI - The Otters couldn’t figure out the Beach Bum’s starter David Nathanson for the second time in a week, were held to five hits in the game, and fell by a final of 3-1 in the first game of a six-game road trip. Three of those five hits came off the bat of recently acquired Ryan Rachal, who finished the game going three-for-four, with a double, and a run scored. Evansville is back at it tonight against the Bums at 6:05CDT.

July 28th Evansville, IN – The visiting Kalamazoo Kings topped the Evansville Otters in both games of a double header Saturday night at Bosse Field by final scores of 7-4 and 1-0. In the conclusion of Friday night’s rain out, Kalamazoo blasted three homers in route to their 7-4 victory. The Kings led 6-1 after 5 ½ innings before Evansville rallied for two runs in the bottom of the 6th, closing the game to 6-3. Kalamazoo added one in the 8th before the Otters got one of their own in bottom half of the inning, rounding out the scoring. Kasey Wahl finished the game 2 for 4, driving in two runs, with designated hitter Mike Spry driving in a run of his own on a one out single in the 6th en route to a 2 for 3 night.

In the 7-inning nightcap, Kalamazoo’s Joe Ramos scored on an error in the 4th for the game’s lone run. Evansville’s best run scoring opportunity came in the bottom of the 6th when Matt Reynolds delivered a one out double followed by a single off the bat of Daniel Burton. Mike Spry was intentionally walked after Burton stole second base, loading the bases with one out in the inning. However, the Otters failed to score after grounding into an inning ending double play. Evansville starter Justin Jordan tossed a complete game, four hitter, allowing no earned runs and striking out a season high 10 Kalamazoo hitters, walking only one. The Otters wrap of the series with Kalamazoo tomorrow night in a 3:05 start at Bosse Field.

July 25th Evansville, IN - The Otters were shut out tonight by David Nathanson, who went eight innings, scattered eight hits, walked none, and struck out four. Evansville was not able to string any hits together, getting one in each inning from the second through the seventh, then banging out two to start the eighth, stranding both. The Otters spoiled a chance to gain ground in the west division as every team lost their respective games. The deciding game of this three game set is slated for tomorrow at 7:05 at Bosse Field. It’s Thursday tomorrow, which means two things, the Otters have a 6-1 record on Thursday, and it’s Bud Light Thirsty Thursday, with dollar beverages all night.

July 24th Evansville, IN - The Evansville Otters ended their four game losing streak by drowning the Traverse City Beach Bums 5-1. The Otters compiled 14 hits in the win, with four of them coming off the bat of former U of E standout Kasey Wahl. Wahl finished the night 4 for 4 with two RBIs and a run scored. Kyle Smith went 3 for 4 with an RBI for the Otters as centerfielder Zack Pace added an RBI and two hits of his own. Designated hitter Mike Spry provided a couple of hits of his own, finishing the evening 2 for 4. On the mound, Jimmy Conroy pitched 7 2/3 innings, giving up just one run, scattering five hits, and striking out eight. The Otters return to action tomorrow night at 7:05 hosting the Beach Bums in the second game of a three game series.

July 22ND Sauget, IL – Evansville played a tight one tonight at GCS Ballpark, but fell short again to the Grizzlies by a final of 5-3. The Otters led 3-1 after the fourth inning, but gave up a two run homer to Dustin Roberts, a pop fly that snuck inside the right field foul pole to tie it up in the sixth. Jon Lewis came in for the final out of the seventh, relieving Justin Jordan with runners at the corners. In the eighth, Lewis allowed consecutive hits to the first two batters for Gateway, the second, an RBI double by Mike Breyman to score the go ahead run. The Grizzlies would tack on another run in the inning and passed the game on to the closer Eric Ridener who walked Mike Spry to lead off the ninth, but after a strikeout, got Kasey Wahl to ground into a double play to end the game. The save was the 16 for Ridener, and sixth for him against the Otters this season, who drop to 0-10 against the division leaders. After a day off on Monday, Evansville begins a six-game home stand with Traverse City and Kalamazoo visiting Bosse Field for the first and only time this season.

July 21th Sauget, IL – The Otters dropped their third straight game tonight by a final of 7-3, and fall to 0-9 against the division leading Grizzlies. Evansville had a 2-0 lead after the top of the fifth, but with two outs in the bottom of the frame Jone Armitage drilled a three-run homer to take the lead. The Otters tied it in the top of the 6th, but would score again as Gateway added two in the bottom of the sixth to retake the lead for good. Evansville had plenty of chances as the Grizzlies committed four errors in the game, but the Otters stranded 11 runners, eight of them in scoring position. The Otters will take another shot at the Grizzlies tomorrow night in the final game of this four game road trip. Game time is set for 6:05CDT at GCS Ballpark.

July 20th O’Fallon, MO – The Otters’ offense could not get on track today in the double header at T. R. Hughes Ballpark. In game one, the offense was driven again by Mike Spry, as he hit his fifth homer in seven games, a two-run shot in the second to tie the game, but it wasn’t enough as Rascals pitcher Jon Miller went the full seven innings, allowing just those two earned runs on six hits. In game two, Evansville plated just one run, it came in the sixth, after the game was out of reach. River City’s Bobby Mosby had two homeruns to pace the Rascals offense. The Otters fall to 23-31 on the season and play the first of two games tomorrow at GCS Ballpark in Sauget, IL against the division leading Grizzlies.

July 18th Evansville, IN – Evansville got a great pitching performance from Jimmy Conroy, throwing seven innings, allowing two earned runs on eight hits with three strikeouts. The offense backed him up. Mike Spry finished 2-4 with his fourth homer in six games. Evansville plated two runs in the seventh on RBIs by Justin Carr and Ryan Bethel. Mike Bille finished the game, allowed one run to make it close, but picked up his 10th save of the season, and 30th of his Evansville career. The Otters improve to 23-29 as they head out on a four game road trip against division opponents River City and Gateway.

July 17th Evansville, IN – What a finish at Bosse Field Tuesday night! The Otters trailed most of the game, closed the gap to 2-1 in the seventh on a Mike Spry home run, his third of the year, and got things going in the ninth. Ryan Bethel led things off with a single in the final frame, and after being sacrificed to second, made third on a wild pitch. With two outs, Freedom reliever Mark Janszen uncorked another wild pitch that brought the tying run home with two outs. JC Field would reach base on a walk, and with two outs, Evansville native Kyle Smith crushed a fastball over the left field wall and out of the park, giving the Otters the 4-2 win in dramatic fashion. The Otters are back in action tomorrow night at 7:05, it’s Millennium Steel’s “Salute to Negro Leagues”, complete with fireworks at Bosse Field.

July 16th Evansville, IN – The Otters offense was shut down tonight on another pitching gem by an opposing pitcher, this time it was Josh Bruns, who threw a complete game, allowing just two runs, both of them on solo homeruns by JC Field. Field finished with half of Evansville’s hits, as Bruns cruised, allowing just one walk, and striking out five. Mike Greenhouse threw a spectacular game, going seven innings, allowing just one run on seven hits, walking one and striking six. The Otters are back in action tomorrow night at 7:05 in game two of this three game set at Bosse Field.

July 15th Chillicothe, OH – The Otters saw their early one-run lead slip away from them as a two-run homer fell below the scoreboard but they battled back in a hurry, getting back-to-back homers from Kasey Wahl and Mike Spry to retake the lead in the fourth, and win it 6-2. Jake Haggerty pitched six strong innings, allowing two runs, and the bullpen allowed just one hit the rest of the way for the first win of the second half for the Otters. Justin Carr had a three-for-four day at the plate as well as Evansville knocked out 11 hits on the night. The Otters return home for a three game set against Florence starting tomorrow night at 7:05 at Bosse Field.

July 14th Chillicothe, OH – The Otters fell behind early in this game, 3-0 as the first four hitters singled. Jordan Baitinger made his professional tonight, and settled down after the first, allowing the Otter to come back to tie it in the 4th on Mike Spry’s first home run of the season, a monstrous shot over the left field wall to tie it at three. Chillicothe would add two solo shots that would be enough to hold on to the win. The Otters had their chances, loading the bases twice in the game with no one out. They would score just once in each of those chances, once in the second, and again in the sixth. Evansville drops to 20-28 on the season, with the final game of the set scheduled for tomorrow at 5:05CDT at VA Memorial Stadium.

July 13th Chillicothe, OH – The story tonight was the curveball of Bryan Johnson. The Otters mustered just two hits tonight against Johnson, who threw his best outing of the year shutting out the Otters 9-0, while striking out 10, in the first game in the second half. Evansville’s two hits came from Daniel Burton and Zack Pace as the offense just couldn’t get anything going offensively. Evansville goes back to work tomorrow at 5:05CDT at Memorial Stadium in game two of this three game set.

July 9th Evansville, IN – The Otters beat the Paints today to win the series, their first series win since sweeping Slippery Rock back on the 21st of June. Evansville got a great start from Jake Haggerty, who went seven innings, allowed one unearned run on just three hits, while striking out five. Daniel Burton hit a solo homerun to tie the game at one in the fourth. Evansville would add one more in that frame, and three more in the seventh, the big hit off the bat of Justin Carr who dropped a two-run double down the third base line. The Otters are off for the next three days for the All-Star break, before returning to action Friday in Chillicothe.

July 8th Evansville, IN – The Otter were shut out tonight for the first time since June 18th, and just the third time this season, by a final of 3-0. Chillicothe scored two runs in the first inning after two Otter errors, added a solo homerun in the fifth, as the Otters offense spoiled a quality start from pitcher Matt Restivo, stranding the bases loaded in the first and seventh innings. Restivo went six innings, allowed three runs, two earned on just five hits, striking out five. Evansville falls to 16 games back of division leading Gateway, and will wrap up the first half of the season tomorrow at Noon inside Bosse Field in the rubber game of this three game set with the Paints.

July 7th Evansville, IN - The Evansville Otters defeated the Chillicothe Paints 4-3 in a 10 inning thriller on Saturday night on a game-winning single off the bat of Daniel Burton. The Otters jumped out to an early 3-0 after 4 innings on a leadoff homerun by Matt Reynolds in the 1st, an RBI single from Justin Carr in the 3rd, and a double in the 4th by Tom Pennino that scored Zack Pace. The Paints answered with 3 runs of their own in the 7th to knot the game at 3-3. The score would remain tied until Burton’s RBI single scored Reynolds to give Mike Bille his first win of the year. Starter Michael Greenhouse made his 2007 debut by tossing six strong innings of two run, four hit baseball, on his way to fanning five Chillicothe hitters. Reynolds finished the game 2 for 4 with two runs scored and an RBI, Carr was 2 for 4 with an RBI of his own, while Grant Harper went 2 for 4 in his first game at Bosse Field. The Otters will host the Paints in the second game of a three game series tomorrow at 6:05.

July 6th Florence, KY – The hitting continues, but the pitching wasn’t there tonight as All-Star Justin Jordan had his second consecutive rough outing, the Otters committed 3 errors, as they lose 12-8 to the Florence Freedom. The Otters trailed it at one point 7-2, but rallied back in the 6th, scoring five runs. In the bottom half of the inning, after a 10 minute electrical outage, Evansville gave up three more runs, allowed two more in the seventh, and couldn’t rally for the second time. Evansville heads back to Bosse Field for a three game set tomorrow at 7:05CDT against the Chillicothe Paints, before the three day All-Star break which takes place back in Florence.

July 6th Evansville, IN -- Otters relief pitcher Mike Bille and starting pitcher Justin Jordan were named to the Frontier League South All-Star team, which will be played Wednesday, July 11th at Florence. So far in 2007, Bille has compiled a 1.35 ERA with 9 saves and 12 strikeouts. Bille's 9 saves are good for 4th in the Frontier League. Also making the team is starting pitcher Justin Jordan. Jordan in 2007 has been stellar on the mound, compiling a 4-3 record with a miniscule 1.87 ERA in 53 IP. Jordan leads the Frontier League in ERA, complete games, and shutouts.

To read the official Frontier League release, CLICK HERE.

July 5th Florence, KY – The streak ends at eight games as the Otters, behind a dominant pitching performance by Jimmy Conroy, knock off the Freedom 7-2. Conroy pitches a complete game, five hitter, allowing just one earned run, while walking no one and striking out a season high 12. Evansville’s offense came to play again, putting up double-digits in hits for the fourth consecutive game, as eight of nine contributed at least one hit tonight. The Otters are back at it tomorrow at 6:05 CDT as a pair of All-Stars, Justin Jordan and Nick Dunning, take the mound for the rubber match of this three game set.

July 4th Florence, KY – The Otters lost their 8th straight game tonight by a final of 9-6, but they battled throughout and showed some signs of coming out of this slump. Evansville trailed 9-0 after four innings as Jake Haggerty has his worst start of the season, giving up a three-run homer before hitting former Otter Beau Blacken in the hip on his next pitch. Haggerty was immediately ejected and the bullpen took over from there. Mark Murray and Kyle Pawelczyk shut down the Freedom the rest of the way, the Otters scored six unanswered runs and had the bases loaded for the second straight game with the result on the line, but struck out looking to end the game. Ryan Bethel went four-for-four in the game to pace the offense who put up 13 hits, six of those in the ninth, to just fall short. Evansville is back in action tomorrow at 6:05 CDT against the Freedom in game two of the three game set at Champion Window Field.

July 3rd O’Fallon, MO – The Otters lost their 7th straight game tonight by a final of 10-8. Evansville trailed 6-2 after the first two innings but battled back, scoring three in the third and three in the fourth to take a two-run lead. In the bottom of the fourth the Rascals scored two unearned runs off of Jared Trout who came on in relief of an ineffective Matt Restivo after two innings. With the score tied at eight, the Rascals scored two runs off three consecutive hits in the eighth off Kyle Pawelczyk, but the Otters still battled, loading the bases in the ninth off River City closer Mike Benacka who managed to pitch out of the jam, striking out the side around a hit-by-pitch, single, and two-out walk. The Otters travel to Florence for a three game set starting tomorrow at 3:05 CDT.

July 1st Evansville, IN - The Evansville Otters dropped a close game to the Gateway Grizzlies, as Gateway completed the sweep of the Otters at Bosse Field with a 5-4 victory. Evansville jumped out to an early 2-0 on an RBI double by Justin Carr that scored Matt Reynolds, while Carr came around to score later in the inning on a double play ball. Gateway answered with two runs of their own in the top of the 2nd to knot the score at 2-2 before scoring 2 more in the 4th and adding another in the 5th, taking a 5-2 lead after 5 ½. The Otters rallied for two runs in the bottom half of the 5th on an RBI single by JC Field, followed by a double by Reynolds that scored Kyle Smith, but that was all the runs that Evansville would score, making the final tally 5-4. The Otters will visit River City for a two game series starting tomorrow, then travel to Florence to take on the Freedom in a three game set before returning back home on July 7th to host Chillicothe.

June 30th Evansville, IN - The Otters dropped their fourth straight game at the hands of the Gateway Grizzlies by a final score of 10-1. The Otters scored the first run of the game and led 1-0 after two innings before the Grizzlies scored ten unanswered runs, tying the game at 1-1 in the 3rd, adding five in the 4th, and four more in the 9th. The lone run for the Otters was scored when Zack Pace crossed the plate after a sacrifice fly off the bat of Kyle Smith, who drove in his 17th run of the year. The Otters complete the four game series with Gateway tomorrow night at 6:05. Be sure to come out to Bosse Field for the Independence Day fireworks that follow the game.

June 29th Evansville, IN - The Otters dropped their third game in a row, falling to the Gateway Grizzlies by a final tally of 10-2. The game began as a pitchers duel with the score 2-0 in favor of Gateway through 7 innings until a grand slam off the bat of Greg Andrews in the 8th, giving the Grizzlies an 6-0 lead. Evansville scored both runs in the bottom of the 8th on four hits, before Gateway added 4 runs of their own in the top half of the 9th. Evansville starter Jake Haggerty provided another strong start, tossing 7 inning of two run baseball, while striking out eight and scattering four hits. Matt Edwards finished the evening going 2 for 3 at the plate, as Justin Carr and Evansville native Kasey Wahl each provided an RBI for the Otters. The Otters will host Gateway in the third game of a four game set tomorrow night at 7:05.

June 28th Evansville, IN - For the second time in as many days, the Otters fall in a pitcher’s duel by the final score of 2-1. Matt Restivo threw 7 1/3 strong innings of baseball before giving up a two run triple in the 7th, which proved to be all the offense that the Grizzlies needed. The Otters managed only two hits off opposing starter Nathan Roush, who threw 8 innings, striking out four, while issuing only one free pass. The lone Otter run came off of the bat of Justin Carr who got his first professional RBI on an infield single in the 4th. The Otters return to action tomorrow night at Bosse Field in the second game of a four game series with Gateway. Game time is 7:05.

June 27th Marion, IL – Another classic pitchers duel in Marion tonight goes the way of the home team. The Otters notched just one run, a solo homerun from Matt Reynolds, the first of his professional career, and fell to the Miners by a final of 2-1. Scott Souther pitched a great game, throwing seven innings, allowing just two runs on six hits, but the offense left 10 stranded on the bases, and rolled into three double-plays, including the final outs recorded in the ninth with runners on the corners. Evansville is back in action tomorrow at 7:05. It’s Thirsty Thursday as the Otters host division leading Gateway in the first of a four game set at Bosse Field.

June 26th Marion, IL – Just another day at the office for starting pitcher Justin Jordan. He threw seven scoreless innings, allowing just three hits, walking none, and striking out five on his way to his fourth win of the season, 7-0 over the Miners. Jordan’s league leading ERA dropped to 1.13 after the game. Evansville scored three runs in the seventh, banged out five hits to score four runs in the eighth, and improved to 17-16 overall. Cody Montgomery finished the night one-for-two, with three walks, an RBI double, and a run scored. Outfielder Adam Heffron singled in two runs in the seventh to provide a comfortable cushion. The Otters are back at it tomorrow at 7:05 vs. the Southern Illinois Miners from Rent One Park.

June 24th Washington, PA – The Otters lost tonight 6-2 to the Wild Things, and lose their first series in their last four. Evansville had just four hits on the night, including an RBI double from Matt Reynolds and a run scoring triple from Adam Heffron. Jimmy Conroy (3-3) was tagged for the loss giving up five earned runs in six plus innings of work. Evansville drops their record to 16-16 overall and now sit seven games back of the Gateway Grizzlies. Evansville has the day off tomorrow before a two game road trip at Southern Illinois, before returning home for a four game set with Gateway.

June 23rd Washington, PA – The Evansville Otters squeaked out a win over the Wild Things 7-6 tonight in a closely played game to the end. Evansville led it 5-4 heading into the ninth. They loaded the bases with one out. Matt Edwards came to the plate and drilled a pitch just inside the third base bag for a two-run double to give the Otters a three run lead. Mike Bille, who came in with runners on the corners in the eighth to conserve the lead, came back out in the ninth. Washington loaded the bases on two hits and a walk, then got a two-run single off the bat of Jarod Rine to close the gap to one run, and put runners on the corners with one out. Rine was thrown out trying to steal second for the second out, and then Bille, with the tying run on third, struck out Nathan Messner to end the game. The Otters move back above .500 with their 16th win and will play the Wild Things in the rubber game of the series tomorrow at 5:35CDT.

June 22nd Washington, PA – After their best offensive output of the season, the Otters couldn’t get the bats going against a great pitching performance from the Wild Things as Evansville loses to Washington by a final of 4-2. Ryan Bethel was 2-3 with a run scored; Cody Montgomery had the only RBI of the game as the Otters fall to 15-15 on the season. Evansville is back in action Saturday night at 6:05CDT against the Wild Things in game two of the three game set in Washington.

June 21st Slippery Rock, PA – The Otters put up season highs in both runs scored and hits as they swept the three game series with the Sliders, winning game three 22-4, and bringing their record back up over .500 for the first time since June 2nd. Evansville pounded out 19 hits in the game, and was helped out by 14 walks by the opposition. Jared Trout picked up the win throwing four scoreless innings out of the pen. Cody Montgomery was three-for-six, with two runs scored and four RBIs. Every Otter scored or drove in at least one run in the game, save for Kasey Wahl, who left the game early with a sprained ankle. The Otters are back in action Friday night in Washington against the Wild Things.

June 20 Slippery Rock, PA – The Otters swept the double-header today, getting wins out of both starters in Jimmy Conroy and Justin Jordan, 9-3 the final in game one, 5-0 in game two. In game one, Conroy threw five innings, allowed two runs, one earned on just two hits for his third win. Matt Edwards hit his first homerun since June third, his four of the season, but it was Ryan Bethel providing the offense in game one, finishing two-for-four with four RBIs. In game two it was all Justin Jordan as he shut out the Sliders. He faced one batter over the minimum for his second complete game of the season, allowed just two hits, striking out five in his seven innings of work. Zack Pace had the big hit with his two-run double in the fourth. The Otters go for the three-game sweep over Slippery Rock tomorrow at 6:05CDT.

June 18 Evansville, IN – The Evansville Otters had their four game winning streak snapped at the hands of the Washington Wild Things by a final tally of 2-0. Frontier League veteran Aaron Ledbetter threw a complete game, two hitter for Washington in a game that took just over two hours to complete. Kasey Wahl and Cody Montgomery had the lone hits for Evansville. The Otters will head to Pennsylvania to take on the Slippery Rock Sliders in the first game of a six game road trip beginning tomorrow at 6:05 Evansville time.

June 17 Evansville, IN – The Evansville Otters celebrated the 92nd birthday of Bosse Field by defeating the Washington Wild Things for the second time in as many days by the final score of 6-2. Evansville native and former Memorial High School standout Mark Murray made his professional debut and picked up the first win of his pro career by tossing 6 2/3 innings, giving up two earned runs, while scattering seven hits, and striking out five. Cody Montgomery drove in two runs for the Otters, driving in Kyle Smith on a single in the 1st inning and Kasey Wahl on a two out double in the 4th,finishing the evening 3 for 4 at the plate. The Otters will look to complete the sweep of the Wild Things in their first day game of the year game at Bosse Field, which will end a six game home stand. Game time for Monday is 12:05.

June 16 Evansville, IN – The Evansville Otters continued their winning ways picking up their third victory in a row by defeating the Washington Wild Things 10-6 in the first of a three game series. The Otters jumped out to a 7-0 lead after two innings of play, but Washington battled back to close the gap to 8-6 after 5 ½ innings, before Tim Auty blasted a two run shot over the left field wall to give the Otters a 10-6 lead that would hold up for the rest of the game. Auty finished the game 2 for 3 at the plate with 2 homers, 3 RBIs, and 3 runs scored. Evansville native Kasey Wahl provided 2 hits and 4 at bats for the Otters while Matt Reynolds made his professional baseball debut by going 2 for 4 at the dish with an RBI single in his first professional at bat. The Otters will host the Wild Things for the second game of the three game set tomorrow at Bosse Field. Gates open at 4:30. Game time is at 6:05.

June 15 Evansville, IN – The Evansville Otters took the deciding game of a three game series against the Slippery Rock Sliders by a final score of 2-1 on Friday night at Bosse Field. Starting pitcher Justin Jordan picked up his second win of the year after seven strong innings of work, allowing just one earned run on five hits while striking out four Slider batters. Mike Bille successfully saved his eighth game of the year, extending the all-time Otter's save record to 28. Kyle Smith went 2 for 4 at the plate, driving in a run on a two out single in the 5th, while J.C. Field provided a two out RBI of his own plating Tim Auty for the game winning run in the 7th. Evansville is back in action tomorrow night at Bosse Field hosting the Washington Wild Things at 7:05.

June 14 Evansville, IN – The Evansville Otters snapped a five game losing streak by defeating the visiting Sliders from Slippery Rock by a score of 4-1. Jimmy Conroy threw 6 2/3 innings of one run baseball, striking out nine Slippery Rock hitters on the way to his second win of the season. Otter second baseman Kyle Smith provided two RBIs on a sacrifice bunt in the 3rd inning and a sacrifice fly in the 5th, while catcher JC Field went 3 for 3 at the plate with a run scored and an RBI. The Otters host Slippery Rock in the rubber match of the three-game series tomorrow night at Bosse Field at 7:05.

June 13th Evansville, IN - The Otters dropped their fifth straight game, losing to the Slippery Rock Sliders by the final score of 4-2. Cody Montgomery drove in both Otter runs with a single in the 3rd inning and reaching on a fielder's choice in the 9th. Zack Pace scored both runs for Evansville going 2 for 3 at the plate. Evansville native Kasey Wahl made his professional debut for the Otters going 1 for 5 with a double. The Otters are back in action tomorrow night for 80's Night and Bud Light Thirsty Thursday. Gates open at 5:30, game time is at 7:05.

June 12th Sauget, IL – The Otters lost their fourth straight Tuesday night by a final of 9-7. Evansville led 7-2 after the top of the fourth when Ryan Bethel hit a double with the bases loaded that cleared the bags, after that, the Otters had just one hit and allowed seven unanswered runs enroute to tying their season long losing streak at four games. The Otters are back in action Wednesday night when they return home to Bosse Field for a six-game home stand against Slippery Rock and Washington. Wednesday at Bosse Field is the Principal Financial Group Family Fun Fest which starts at 4:00 and includes unlimited access to over 20 themed attractions and is completely free. For more information contact the Otters front office at (812) 435-8686.

June 11th Sauget, IL – The Otters rallied twice in the next half inning after surrendering the lead in the bottom of the previous frame, but couldn’t repeat that feat in the ninth after giving up the lead in the bottom of the eighth inning for the third straight game, and losing their third straight, this time by a final of 5-4. Evansville took a 4-3 lead in the 5th, Matt Restivo came out of the pen to pitch the final four innings, getting out of a one out, bases loaded jam in the 7th, but gave up three hits, and a sacrifice fly for the go ahead run in the eighth. The Otters drop to 8-11, seven games behind the division leading Grizzlies as this four game set will be wrapped up tomorrow night at 7:05 from GCS Park.

June 10th Sauget, IL - The Otters bats came alive in the eighth with five consecutive hits to tie the game at two, but the bottom of the inning was not so kind. With a runner on first and one out, a pop up to left field was lost in the lights, fell to the turf, and that allowed Manny Paula to come all the way around from first to score the go ahead run and the Grizzlies squeaked out the win by a final of 3-2. Evansville’s record drops to 8-10 while Gateway extends their lead in the west division to six games with a 14-4 record. The Otters and Grizzlies will play two more at GCS Ballpark, the first tomorrow night at 7:05.

June 9th Sauget, IL - The Evansville Otters lost a tough one tonight at GCS Ballpark to the Grizzlies by a final of 5-3. Evansville had the lead most of the game, courtesy of a J.C. Field three-run homer in the fourth. The Otters would get just one more hit the rest of the way, as Grizzlies clawed back in it. A solo homerun by Jon Armitage in the fifth would be the first of two runs scored in that frame. Armitage would finish 4-5 with the game-tying run in the 7th, and drove in the fifth run of the game as well, in the 8th. The Otters fall to 8-9 overall and will take on the Grizzlies tomorrow at 6:05.

June 8th Evansville, IN - The Otters got back to .500 last night with an 8-4 win over Southern Illinois behind a great pitching performance from the starter Jake Haggerty. Evansville trailed 1-0 after the top of the 1st, but scored five runs in the bottom half, capped off by a two-run single by Tom Pennino. The Otters tacked on one more run in the 6th, 7th, and 8th to provide the final margin. Evansville heads out on a four game road trip at the division leading Gateway Grizzlies before returning to Bosse Field for a week long home stand.

June 7th Evansville, IN - In front of the largest crowd to see a game at Bosse Field in almost eight years, the Otters ended their four-game slide with a 7-2 win over the Southern Illinois Miners. The pitching and the hitting both clicked. Thomas Wilson and Scott Souther allowed just five hits combined, and the bats came alive up and down the order posting 13 hits. The Miners and Otters will play their 8th game against each other tonight, the previous seven being won by the home team.

June 6th Marion, IL - With the Otters ahead 2-1, courtesy of a Kyle Smith solo homer to lead off the 6th inning, the wheels fell off. Jared Trout allowed just one run on three hits through five innings of work, but allowed three consecutive hits to open the bottom of the 6th. Four runs would score in the inning, two more in the 7th on another homer from Tim Dorn, and the Otters couldn't get the offense going, picking up just one hit in the final three frames and falling to the Miners by a final of 7-2. The loss was the fourth straight for the Otters who host the Miners in a two game home stand Thursday and Friday night at Bosse Field.

Evansville, IN - The Otters were defeated by the River City Rascals 9-6 last night despite out hitting a team for the second time this season. Evansville put up three runs in the first inning but allowed a grand slam to Phil Laurent in the third that would prove to be the backbreaker. The Otters put up 15 hits in the game, including a two-run homerun by Matt Edwards in the 6th to close the gap. After the off-day Monday, the Otters head on a two game road trip to Southern Illinois before returning home Thursday for Working Distributor's Customer Appreciation Night and Thirsty Thursday.

June 2 Evansville, IN - The Evansville Otters were defeated last night by the Rascals of River City by a final score of 14-6 following a two hour rain delay that occurred in the middle of the second inning. Most of the 5492 fans stuck it out through the rain, despite the loss. Matt Edwards drove in two runs going 2 for 5 at the plate, raising his average above .300 for the season. Third baseman Steve Chinn had a two hit night and scored two runs, while Evansville native Kyle Smith provided the other Otter RBI. The Otters are back in action tonight hosting the River City Rascals in the second game of the home stand at 6:05, as St. Mary's LifeFlight celebrates their 25 years of community service.

June 1st O'Fallon, MO - The Rascals scored four runs in the first inning to take the lead 4-1 over Evansville, but the Otters would peck away. Back-to-back doubles in the sixth brought them within one, Jimmy Conroy came out of the pen, threw 33 pitches, 27 for strikes shutting down the Rascals in the late innings, and allowing his team to tie it up in the 8th. Then, in the top of the 9th again, after a lead off walk to Steve Chinn, it was Evansville native Kyle Smith who looped a single into right scoring the go ahead run. Mike Bille pitched a perfect 9th to register his 6th save of the season, and set the all-time Otters save record with his 26th of the season.