# 1988 Evansville Purple Aces baseball team

The 1988 Evansville Purple Aces baseball team represented the University of Evansville as a member of the Midwestern Collegiate Conference during the 1988 NCAA Division I baseball season. The Purple Aces played their home games at Bosse Field. The team was coached by Jim Brownlee in his ninth season at Evansville.
After going 39–17 (11–1 MCC) in the regular season, Evansville would win the MCC South Division title and the MCC Tournament. After receiving an automatic bid, Evansville reached the NCAA Division I Tournament for the first time since transitioning to Division I in 1977. In the Tempe Regional, Evansville would upset No. 1 Arizona State before losing back-to-back games to UNLV and Central Michigan. Evansville would finish the season with a 44–20 record. As of 2024, 44 wins is still the most in the program's history. They also set team records for shutouts (18), complete games (37), and lowest ERA (2.99).
Following the season, pitcher Andy Benes was selected first overall by the San Diego Padres during the 1988 Major League Baseball draft, marking the first time that an Evansville player was selected in the first round of the MLB draft.

## Schedule and results

Legend :
| | Evansville win |
| | Evansville loss |
| Bold | Evansville team member |
| * | Non-conference game |
1988 Evansville Purple Aces game log: 44–20 :
Regular season: 39–17 :
February: 0–1 :
| Date | Site/stadium | Opponent | Score | Overall record | MCC record |
| February 28 | Knights Field • Louisville, KY | at Bellarmine* | L 4–5 | 0–1 | 0–0 |
March: 16–6 :
| Date | Site/stadium | Opponent | Score | Overall record | MCC record |
| March 2 | Governors Park • Clarksville, TN | at Austin Peay* | W 8–2 | 1–1 | 0–0 |
| March 4 | Jerry D. Young Memorial Field • Birmingham, AL | at UAB* | W 12–7 | 2–1 | 0–0 |
| March 5 | Jerry D. Young Memorial Field • Birmingham, AL | at UAB* | W 5–3 | 3–1 | 0–0 |
| March 6 | Bosse Field • Evansville, IN | UNC Wilmington* | W 3–0 | 4–1 | 0–0 |
| March 7 | J. I. Clements Stadium • Statesboro, GA | at Georgia Southern* | W 5–0 | 5–1 | 0–0 |
| March 8 | Bosse Field • Evansville, IN | Eastern Michigan* | L 4–16 | 5–2 | 0–0 |
| March 9 | Bosse Field • Evansville, IN | West Virginia* | L 1–3 | 5–3 | 0–0 |
| March 10 | Bosse Field • Evansville, IN | UNC Wilmington* | W 6–0 | 6–3 | 0–0 |
| March 11 | Bosse Field • Evansville, IN | James Madison* | L 5–10 | 6–4 | 0–0 |
| March 12 | Bosse Field • Evansville, IN | West Virginia* | W 8–5 | 7–4 | 0–0 |
| March 15 | McGugin Field • Nashville, TN | at Vanderbilt* | W 6–5 | 8–4 | 0–0 |
| March 16 | McGugin Field • Nashville, TN | at Vanderbilt* | W 4–3 | 9–4 | 0–0 |
| March 19 | Bosse Field • Evansville, IN | Ball State* | L 9–10 | 9–5 | 0–0 |
| March 19 | Bosse Field • Evansville, IN | Ball State* | W 3–2 | 10–5 | 0–0 |
| March 20 | Bosse Field • Evansville, IN | Ball State* | W 4–0 | 11–5 | 0–0 |
| March 20 | Bosse Field • Evansville, IN | Ball State* | W 7–0 | 12–5 | 0–0 |
| March 22 | Sembower Field • Bloomington, IN | at Indiana* | L 1–9 | 12–6 | 0–0 |
| March 23 | Bosse Field • Evansville, IN | Kentucky Wesleyan* | W 5–2 | 13–6 | 0–0 |
| March 26 | Bosse Field • Evansville, IN | Miami (OH)* | W 5–2 | 14–6 | 0–0 |
| March 26 | Bosse Field • Evansville, IN | Miami (OH)* | W 5–3 | 15–6 | 0–0 |
| March 27 | Bosse Field • Evansville, IN | Miami (OH)* | L 3–8 | 15–7 | 0–0 |
| March 27 | Bosse Field • Evansville, IN | Miami (OH)* | W 4–3 | 16–7 | 0–0 |
April: 15–8 :
| Date | Site/stadium | Opponent | Score | Overall record | MCC record |
| April 5 | Abe Martin Field • Carbondale, IL | at Southern Illinois* | L 3–4 | 16–8 | 0–0 |
| April 5 | Abe Martin Field • Carbondale, IL | at Southern Illinois* | W 9–5 | 17–8 | 0–0 |
| April 9 | Bosse Field • Evansville, IN | Eastern Illinois* | W 2–0 | 18–8 | 0–0 |
| April 9 | Bosse Field • Evansville, IN | Eastern Illinois* | W 4–0 | 19–8 | 0–0 |
| April 10 | Monier Field • Charleston, IL | at Eastern Illinois* | W 11–3 | 20–8 | 0–0 |
| April 10 | Monier Field • Charleston, IL | at Eastern Illinois* | W 8–0 | 21–8 | 0–0 |
| April 12 | Bosse Field • Evansville, IN | Southern Illinois* | L 3–7 | 21–9 | 0–0 |
| April 12 | Bosse Field • Evansville, IN | Southern Illinois* | L 1–4 | 21–10 | 0–0 |
| April 13 | Turkey Hughes Field • Richmond, KY | at Eastern Kentucky* | W 6–0 | 22–10 | 0–0 |
| April 13 | Turkey Hughes Field • Richmond, KY | at Eastern Kentucky* | L 4–5 | 22–11 | 0–0 |
| April 14 | Bosse Field • Evansville, IN | Louisville* | W 7–6 | 23–11 | 0–0 |
| April 16 | Musial Field • St. Louis, MO | at Saint Louis | W 5–1 | 24–11 | 1–0 |
| April 16 | Musial Field • St. Louis, MO | at Saint Louis | W 16–1 | 25–11 | 2–0 |
| April 17 | Bosse Field • Evansville, IN | Saint Louis | W 8–6 | 26–11 | 3–0 |
| April 17 | Bosse Field • Evansville, IN | Saint Louis | L 8–10 | 26–12 | 3–1 |
| April 19 | Bosse Field • Evansville, IN | Indiana State* | L 3–8 | 26–13 | 3–1 |
| April 23 | Nat Buring Stadium • Memphis, TN | at Memphis* | W 4–2 | 27–13 | 3–1 |
| April 23 | Nat Buring Stadium • Memphis, TN | at Memphis* | L 6–7 | 27–14 | 3–1 |
| April 24 | Nat Buring Stadium • Memphis, TN | at Memphis* | W 7–3 | 28–14 | 3–1 |
| April 26 | Nick Denes Field • Bowling Green, KY | at Western Kentucky* | L 4–5 | 28–15 | 3–1 |
| April 27 | Bosse Field • Evansville, IN | Western Kentucky* | W 18–3 | 29–15 | 3–1 |
| April 30 | Bosse Field • Evansville, IN | Butler | W 15–1 | 30–15 | 4–1 |
| April 30 | Bosse Field • Evansville, IN | Butler | W 10–2 | 31–15 | 5–1 |
May: 8–2 :
| Date | Site/stadium | Opponent | Score | Overall record | MCC record |
| May 1 | Bosse Field • Evansville, IN | Butler | W 15–4 | 32–15 | 6–1 |
| May 1 | Bosse Field • Evansville, IN | Butler | W 10–3 | 33–15 | 7–1 |
| May 6 | Bosse Field • Evansville, IN | Southern Indiana* | W 3–0 | 34–15 | 7–1 |
| May 10 | Sycamore Field • Terre Haute, IN | at Indiana State* | L 5–12 | 34–16 | 7–1 |
| May 11 | Lambert Field • West Lafayette, IN | at Purdue* | L 3–6 | 34–17 | 7–1 |
| May 12 | Lambert Field • West Lafayette, IN | at Purdue* | W 7–0 | 35–17 | 7–1 |
| May 14 | Bosse Field • Evansville, IN | Xavier | W 1–0 | 36–17 | 8–1 |
| May 14 | Bosse Field • Evansville, IN | Xavier | W 5–0 | 37–17 | 9–1 |
| May 15 | Bosse Field • Evansville, IN | Xavier | W 4–0 | 38–17 | 10–1 |
| May 15 | Bosse Field • Evansville, IN | Xavier | W 8–0 | 39–17 | 11–1 |
Postseason: 5–3 :
MCC Tournament: 4–1 :
| Date | Site/stadium | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Score | Overall record | MCCT record |
| May 20 | Stanley Coveleski Regional Stadium • South Bend, IN | (1 S) | vs. (2 N) Detroit | L 6–7 | 39–18 | 0–1 |
| May 21 | Stanley Coveleski Regional Stadium • South Bend, IN | (1 S) | vs. (2 S) Butler | W 12–0 | 40–18 | 1–1 |
| May 21 | Stanley Coveleski Regional Stadium • South Bend, IN | (1 S) | at (1 N) Notre Dame | W 9–6 | 41–18 | 2–1 |
| May 22 | Stanley Coveleski Regional Stadium • South Bend, IN | (1 S) | vs. (2 N) Detroit | W 7–0 | 42–18 | 3–1 |
| May 22 | Stanley Coveleski Regional Stadium • South Bend, IN | (1 S) | vs. (2 N) Detroit | W 9–4 | 43–18 | 4–1 |
NCAA Tournament – Tempe Regional: 1–2 :
| Date | Site/stadium | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Score | Overall record | NCAAT record |
| May 26 | Packard Stadium • Tempe, AZ | (6) | at (1) Arizona State | W 1–0 | 44–18 | 1–0 |
| May 28 | Packard Stadium • Tempe, AZ | (6) | vs. (4) UNLV | L 1–2 | 44–19 | 1–1 |
| May 28 | Packard Stadium • Tempe, AZ | (6) | vs. (3) Central Michigan | L 6–7 | 44–20 | 1–2 |

## Awards and honors
### John Bauser

* MCC All-Tournament Team

### Andy Benes

* Rotary Smith Award
* Collegiate Baseball Player of the Year
* MCC Player of the Year
* ABCA All-American First Team
* Baseball America All-American First Team
* Collegiate Baseball All-American First Team
* All-MCC First Team
* MCC All-Tournament Team
* MCC Player of the Week (April 26 and May 24)

### Jeff Breivogel

* MCC All-Tournament Team

### Jim Brownlee

* MCC Coach of the Year

### Jim Burger

* All-MCC Second Team

### Kenny Fields

* All-MCC Second Team

### Craig Fischer

* MCC All-Tournament Team

### John Olson

* All-MCC Second Team

### Rob Maurer

* All-MCC Second Team
* MCC All-Tournament Team

### John Schultheis

* All-MCC Second Team

### Brad Tyler

* MCC Tournament Most Valuable Player

## 1988 MLB Draft

| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Team |
| 1 | 1 | Andy Benes | RHP | San Diego Padres |
| 6 | 141 | Rob Maurer | 1B | Texas Rangers |