Aces Baseball Brings Exciting Young Talent to 2026 Season

The team has a significant influx of new talent, including many freshmen expected to start opening day.

Published on Feb. 13, 2026

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The Evansville Purple Aces baseball team is set to begin their 2026 season on Friday with a road game against Marshall. The team has a lot of young, new talent this year, including several freshmen who are expected to start in the opening day lineup. Head Coach Wes Carroll is excited about the potential of this year's squad, which he believes will be well-prepared for the tough Missouri Valley Conference schedule thanks to a challenging non-conference slate that includes series against Kentucky and West Coast opponents.

Why it matters

The Aces are looking to build on their impressive 2024 postseason run, and the infusion of young talent could help them take the next step as a program. The team's ability to attract top recruits after their recent success shows the growing appeal of the Evansville baseball program.

The details

The Aces will feature a starting lineup that could include as many as four freshmen on opening day. In addition to the new faces, the team also returns several key contributors from last year's squad. Head Coach Wes Carroll believes the non-conference schedule, which includes matchups against Kentucky and West Coast opponents, will help prepare the team for the rigors of Missouri Valley Conference play.

  • The Aces begin their season on Friday, February 13, 2026 at 10AM against Marshall.
  • The team will soon face a tough series against Kentucky.

The players

Wes Carroll

The head coach of the Evansville Purple Aces baseball team, who has assembled a challenging non-conference schedule to prepare his young squad for conference play.

Kevin Reed

A junior pitcher for the Aces who is looking forward to the team's tough non-conference slate as a way to get ready for the Missouri Valley Conference tournament.

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What they’re saying

“We have a significant amount of influx in talent this year, and I'm really excited for some of our freshman, we might be starting four freshman in our opening day lineup. Then, on the mound, what we're returning is really exciting as well. We brought in a couple pieces from the portal that I think are going to make a big impact as well.”

— Wes Carroll, Head Coach (14news.com)

“We're not trying to be a polished team week one, we want to ride in conference and have a good tournament run, that's our goal, that's where we need to be our best. We're playing teams down south that have been outside, this is only our second time outside this spring, so they've had more time to get reps that we haven't, so just going out there and competing and showing what we've got.”

— Kevin Reed, Junior Pitcher (14news.com)

What’s next

The Aces will soon face a tough series against Kentucky as part of their challenging non-conference schedule.

The takeaway

The Evansville Purple Aces baseball team is poised for an exciting 2026 season, with an influx of young talent that could help the program build on its recent postseason success. The team's tough non-conference slate will be a key test as they prepare for the rigors of Missouri Valley Conference play.