Sports in Evansville, Indiana
Evansville, Indiana is the home to two minor league professional sports teams and one amateur sports team. The city is also the home to two NCAA collegiate teams, and nine high schools that participate in the Indiana High School Athletic Association. Evansville is also the host to the annual Hoosier Nationals and Demolition City Roller Derby.
Professional teams
[edit]| Club | League | Sport | Venue | Established | Championships |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evansville Otters | Frontier League | Baseball | Bosse Field | 1995 | 2 league titles • 5 division titles |
| Evansville Thunderbolts | SPHL | Ice hockey | Ford Center | 2016 | None |
| Midwest Hooligans | UPSL | Soccer | Double Cola Soccer Complex | 2021 | None |
Evansville Otters
[edit]The Evansville Otters are a professional baseball team based in Evansville. The team is part of the west division of the Frontier League. The Otters have won two league titles (2006, 2016) and five division titles (1997, 2000, 2003, 2004, 2006) since their inception in 1995. The team plays at Bosse Field, which has been used for professional baseball since it opened in 1915 and is the third oldest ballpark used for professional baseball on a regular basis in America. The Otters were previously known as the Lancaster Scouts (1993–1994).
Evansville Thunderbolts
[edit]The Evansville Thunderbolts are a professional ice hockey team based in Evansville. The team is part of the Southern Professional Hockey League. The Thunderbolts' home arena is the Ford Center where they play all 28 of their home games. The Thunderbolts replaced the ECHL's Evansville IceMen after the IceMen's owner, Ron Geary, and the city of Evansville failed to come to an agreement for a new lease at the Ford Center during the 2015–16 season.[1]
Amateur sports
[edit]| Club | League | Sport | Venue | Established | Championships |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Demolition City Roller Derby | WFTDA | Roller derby | Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Coliseum | 2007 | None |
| Evansville Legends FC | OVPL | Soccer | Old National Bank Field | 2021 | OVPL title (2021) |
Demolition City Roller Derby
[edit]Demolition City Roller Derby is a women's flat-track roller derby league in Evansville, Indiana and a member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association. They compete at Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Coliseum.
Dynamite Dolls
[edit]The Dynamite Dolls are the A-team for the Demolition City Roller Derby.
Destruction Dames
[edit]The Destruction Dames are the B-team for the Demolition City Roller Derby.
Evansville Legends FC
[edit]The Evansville Legends FC are an amateur soccer team that was formed in 2021 by Marquette soccer alumnus Steve McCullough. The Legends compete in the River Conference of the Ohio Valley Premier League and play home games at Old National Bank Field at Goebel Sports Complex.
Collegiate sports
[edit]Evansville has two universities that are members of the NCAA: the University of Evansville (Purple Aces) and University of Southern Indiana (Screaming Eagles). These schools have a combined 9 team national championships.
| School | Team | Established | Division | Conference | National Titles | Championship Sport/Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Evansville | Evansville Purple Aces | 1854 | Div I | MVC | 5 | Men's Basketball: (5) 1959,* 1960,* 1964,* 1965,* and 1971* |
| University of Southern Indiana | Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles | 1965 | Div I | OVC | 4 | Men's Basketball: (1) 1995* Baseball: (2) 2010,* 2014* Softball: (1) 2018* |
*In NCAA Division II
Evansville Purple Aces
[edit]
The University of Evansville (UE) is a member of NCAA Division I and the Missouri Valley Conference. UE has 14 NCAA Division I varsity sports, eight for women and six for men.
The University of Evansville athletics department was built upon a foundation of success in men's basketball, including NCAA College Division (now Division II) national championships in 1959, 1960, 1964, 1965 and 1971. The team was led by legendary coach Arad McCutchan from 1946 to 1977 who led the Purple Aces to a 515–313 record. In 1977 UE began playing in NCAA Division I athletics.
Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles
[edit]The University of Southern Indiana (USI) Athletic Department, currently in NCAA Division I as a member of the Ohio Valley Conference. USI sponsors 15 varsity intercollegiate sports. USI was a member of the Great Lakes Valley Conference of the NCAA Division II from 1970 to 2022, switching to the Division I Ohio Valley Conference on July 1, 2022.
Since 1990, all 15 Screaming Eagles teams have participated in their respective national tournaments and/or were ranked at the national level. USI has claimed four national championships (men's basketball, 1995; baseball, 2010 and 2014; softball, 2018), finished three times as the national finalist (men's basketball, 1994 and 2004; women's basketball, 1997), and earned one third-place finish (men's cross country, 1982).
Defunct teams
[edit]Evansville has had a long history with professional sports teams. Past professional organizations have included the NFL, Triple-A minor league baseball, arena football, minor league ice hockey, and professional basketball. Past Evansville major league, minor league, and semi-professional teams have won a combined 17 championships.
Baseball
[edit]| Team | Sport | League | Played | Venue | Class | Affiliation | Championships |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evansville | Baseball | Northwestern League | 1884 | Louisiana Street Park | None | None | None |
| Evansville Hoosiers | Baseball | CIL | 1889 | Louisiana Street Park | None | None | None |
| Evansville | Baseball | Two-I League | 1892 | Louisiana Street Park | None | None | None |
| Evansville Blackbirds | Baseball | Southern League | 1895 | Louisiana Street Park | None | None | None |
| Evansville River Rats | Baseball | Three-I League | 1901-1910 | Louisiana Street Park | B | None | Central League title (1908) |
| Evansville Strikers | Baseball | Central League | 1911 | Louisiana Street Park | B | None | None |
| Evansville Yankees | Baseball | KITTY League | 1912 | Louisiana Street Park | D | None | None |
| Evansville River Rats | Baseball | Central League | 1914–1915 | Bosse Field | B | None | Central League title (1915) |
| Evansville Evas | Baseball | Central League | 1916–1917 | Bosse Field | B | None | None |
| Evansville Black Sox | Baseball | Three-I League | 1919 | Bosse Field | B | None | None |
| Evansville Evas | Baseball | Three-I League | 1920–1923 | Bosse Field | B | None | None |
| Evansville Little Evas | Baseball | Three-I League | 1924 | Bosse Field | B | None | None |
| Evansville Pocketeers | Baseball | Three-I League | 1925 | Bosse Field | B | None | None |
| Evansville Hubs | Baseball | Three-I League | 1926–1931 | Bosse Field | B | None | None |
| Evansville Bees | Baseball | Three-I League | 1938–1942 | Bosse Field | B | Boston Bees (1938–1940) Boston Braves (1940–1942) | None |
| Evansville Braves | Baseball | Three-I League | 1946–1957 | Bosse Field | B | Boston Braves | Three-I League title (1946, 1948, 1956, 1957) |
| Evansville White Sox | Baseball | Southern League | 1966–1968 | Bosse Field | AA | Chicago White Sox | None |
| Evansville Triplets | Baseball | AA | 1970–1984 | Bosse Field | AAA | Minnesota Twins (1970) Milwaukee Brewers (1971-1973) Detroit Tigers (1974–84) | AA title (1972, 1975, 1979) |
| Evansville Outlaws | Baseball | NSPBA | 1990–2007 | Various | Semi-pro | N/A | US Baseball Congress Semi-Pro World Series Champions (1997, 1998, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2007) |
Football
[edit]| Team | Sport | League | Played | Venue | Championships |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evansville Crimson Giants | Football | NFL | 1921–1922 | Bosse Field | None |
| Evansville Vipers | Football | OVFL (2000–2006) MCFL (2006–2007) | 2000–2007 | Old National Bank Field | None |
| Evansville BlueCats | Indoor football | NIFL (2003–2005) UIF (2005–2007) | 2003–2007 | Roberts Municipal Stadium | None |
| Evansville Express | Football | NWFA | 2004– 2005 | Old National Bank Field | None |
| Tri-State Titans | Football | MOFL | 2008–2009 | Old National Bank Field | None |
| Ohio River Bearcats | Football | GMFL | 2008–2010 | Reitz Bowl | GMFL title (2008) |
| Evansville Enforcers | Football | GMFL | 2011-2016 | Various | None |
Basketball
[edit]| Team | Sport | League | Played | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evansville Agogans | Basketball | NPBL | 1950–1951 | Central Arena |
| Evansville Thunder | Basketball | CAB | 1984–1986 | Roberts Municipal Stadium |
Ice hockey
[edit]| Team | Sport | League | Played | Venue | Championships |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evansville IceMen | Ice hockey | CHL (2010–12) ECHL (2012–16) | 2010-2016 | Swonder Ice Arena | Davidson Cup title (2010) |
Soccer
[edit]| Team | Sport | League(s) | Played | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evansville Crush | PASL | Indoor soccer | 2010-2013 | Metro Sports Center |
Events hosted
[edit]NCAA events
[edit]From 1957 to 1975, Evansville hosted the final phase of the NCAA Division II men's basketball tournament, the Elite Eight, at Roberts Municipal Stadium, and then again in 2002. The city is also slated to host the event at the Ford Center in 2014. From 1999 to 2007, Roberts Stadium hosted the Great Lakes Valley Conference basketball tournaments, and in 2013 and 2014 the same event was held at the Ford Center. Since 2018, Ford Center has hosted the Ohio Valley Conference men's and women's tournaments.
A number of Division I NCAA events have been hosted by the city as well. In 1983, Roberts Stadium hosted the first round of the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship, and in 1980 and 1983 it hosted the Midwestern City Conference (now Horizon League) men's basketball conference tournament.
Thunder on the Ohio
[edit]From 1938 to 1940 and 1979 to 2009, Evansville hosted Thunder on the Ohio, a hydroplane boat race in the H1 Unlimited season. The race was held on the Ohio River in downtown Evansville. The winner of Thunder on the Ohio received the Four Freedoms Trophy, which was named after the nearby Four Freedoms Monument which rests along the Ohio River. The race had frequently been broadcast on ESPN and the SPEED television network.
Thunder on the Ohio had been an Unlimited hydroplane mainstay for 30 consecutive years. "Ideal Evansville" replaced Owensboro, Kentucky, on the unlimited calendar in 1979. Evansville was the world headquarters of Atlas Van Lines, Inc., which sponsored Bill Muncey's race team. Muncey played a major role in Evansville being awarded its first sanction.
Prior to Thunder on the Ohio, the 725 Cubic Inch Class boats, the forerunners of the modern unlimiteds, raced at Evansville from 1938 through 1940. Dave Villwock had won more Evansville races than anyone else, including seven with Miss Budweiser.
Evansville HydroFest
[edit]Hydroplane racing returned to Evansville in 2017, with the introduction of the Evansville Hydrofest, an American Power Boat Association event.[2]
The Refrigerator Bowl
[edit]From 1948 to 1956, Evanville hosted the annual college football Refrigerator Bowl. Currently, Evansville is the only city in Indiana to have hosted a college football bowl game.
| Date played | Winning team | Losing team | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 4, 1948 | Evansville College | 13 | Missouri Valley College | 7 | [3][4] |
| December 3, 1949 | Evansville College | 22 | Hillsdale College | 7 | [5][6] |
| December 2, 1950 | Abilene Christian College | 14 | Gustavus Adolphus College | 7 | [7] |
| December 2, 1951 | Arkansas State College | 46 | Camp Breckinridge | 12 | [8] |
| December 7, 1952 | Western Kentucky State College | 34 | Arkansas State College | 19 | [9][10] |
| December 6, 1953 | Sam Houston State Teachers College | 14 | College of Idaho | 12 | [11] |
| December 5, 1954 | University of Delaware | 19 | Kent State | 7 | [12][13] |
| December 4, 1955 | Jacksonville State Teachers College | 12 | Rhode Island | 10 | [14] |
| December 1, 1956 | Sam Houston State Teachers College | 27 | Middle Tennessee State College | 13 | [15] |
High school state championships
[edit]Evansville has a proud high school sport heritage, including 88 team championships. Evansville has nine active city high schools that participate in the Indiana High School Athletic Association. The 88 team titles won by Evansville city high schools includes 26 soccer titles, 17 football titles, 13 wrestling titles, 9 basketball titles, 6 tennis titles, 9 golf titles, 5 baseball titles, 2 softball titles, and 1 bowling title. Defunct IHSAA high schools from Evansville that are no longer active include Evansville Rex Mundi and Evansville Lincoln.
| School | Established | Conference | State Team Titles | Championship Sport/Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evansville Bosse | 1924 | SIAC | 3 | Boys Basketball: (3) 1943–44, 1944–45, 1961–62 |
| Evansville Central | 1854 | SIAC | 0 | |
| Evansville Day School | 1946 | IHSAA-independent | 0 | |
| Evansville Harrison | 1962 | SIAC | 2 | Girls Golf: (1) 1988–89 Boys Golf: (1) 2011–12 |
| Evansville Mater Dei | 1949 | SIAC | 23 | Baseball: (1) 1998–99 Softball: (1) 2015–16 Boys Basketball: (1) 2003–04 Girls Basketball: (2) 2011–12, 2012–13 Football:(2) 2000–01, 2022–23 Wrestling: (13) 1985–86, 1994–95, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1997–98, 1998–99, 1999–00, 2000–01, 2001–02, 2002–03, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2020–21 Girls Soccer: (3) 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20 |
| Evansville Memorial | 1922 | SIAC | 38 | Baseball: (3) 1977–79, 1988–89, 1992–93 Football: (4) 1937–38*, 1958–59*, 2017–18, 2019–20 Boys Soccer: (16) 1979–80*, 1980–81*, 1981–82*, 1983–84*, 1984–85*, 1986–87*, 1988–89*, 1989–90*, 1990–91*, 1992–93*, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2019–20, 2020–21 Girls Soccer: (7) 1988–89*, 1996–97, 2008–09, 2012–13, 2017–18, 2021–22, 2022–23 Softball: (1) 2001–02 Girls Tennis: (6) 1990–91, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1995–96, 2011–12 Girls Basketball: (1) 2010–11 |
| Evansville North | 1956 | SIAC | 9 | Baseball: (1) 1961–62* Boys Basketball: (1) 1966–67 Boys Golf: (1) 1999-00 Girls Golf: (6) 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2018–19, 2020–21, 2021–22 |
| Evansville Reitz | 1918 | SIAC | 13 | Girls Basketball: (1) 1980–81 Football: (11) 1933–34*, 1940–41*, 1948–49*, 1953–54*, 1956–57*, 1957–58*, 1960–61*, 1961–62*, 1971–72*, 2007–08, 2009–10 Bowling: (1) 2011-12+ |
| Evansville Signature | 2002 | IHSAA-independent | 0 | None |
* = indicates title won before IHSAA State Tournament was initiated
+ = indicates sanctioned by the Indiana High School Bowling Association
Notable athletes
[edit]Baseball
[edit]
- Alan Benes, MLB baseball player
- Andy Benes, MLB baseball player
- Jamey Carroll, MLB baseball player
- Bob Coleman, MLB manager, Evansville minor league baseball coach, Indiana Baseball Hall of Famer
- Charlie Dexter, MLB baseball player
- Jerad Eickhoff, MLB baseball player
- Ervin "Pete" Fox, MLB player
- Charles Knoll, MLB baseball player
- Clarence "Big Boy" Kraft, MLB baseball player
- Don Mattingly, MLB baseball player and coach
- Edd Roush, MLB Baseball Hall of Famer
- Jack Warner, MLB baseball player
- Jeff Schulz, MLB baseball player
- Jim "Lefty" Wallace, MLB baseball player
- Paul Splittorff, MLB baseball player
- Ray Newman, MLB baseball player
- Sam Thompson, MLB Baseball Hall of Fame
- Al Schellhase, MLB baseball player
- Syl "Sammy" Simon, MLB baseball player
Basketball
[edit]- Arad McCutchan, basketball hall of fame coach
- Bob Ford, ABA basketball player; collegiate telecaster
- Calbert Cheaney, NBA basketball player
- Dave Schellhase, NBA basketball player
- David Ragland, NCAA basketball coach
- Don Buse, NBA basketball player and former All Star
- Dru Smith, NBA basketball player
- Gus Doerner, NBA basketball player
- Jerry Sloan, NBA basketball coach
- Larry Humes, NCAA basketball All-American for the University of Evansville
- Marv Bates, Univ. of Evansville basketball sportscaster; former Indiana Sportscaster of the Year
- Ted Bernhardt, NBA basketball referee
- Walter McCarty, NBA basketball player
Cycling
[edit]- Frank Kramer, 18-time national sprint bicycling champion, 2-time Grand Prix de Paris Champion, first American to win the World Professional Sprint Championship, US Bicycling Hall of Famer
Football
[edit]- Billy Hillenbrand, NFL football player
- Bob Griese, NFL All-Star, All-Pro, Hall of Famer
- Budd Boetticher, Ohio State University football player
- Deke Cooper, NFL football player
- Don Hansen, NFL football player
- Don Ping, NCAA football coach
- Doug Bell, NFL football player; Kodak All-American Ball State University
- Kevin Hardy, NFL football player
- Larry Stallings, NFL linebacker
- Ray "Bibbles" Bawel, NFL football player
- Scott Studwell, NFL linebacker
- Sean Bennett, NFL football player
Golf
[edit]- Bob Hamilton, PGA Tour professional golfer; 1944 PGA Championship winner
- Brian Tennyson, PGA Tour, Asian Tour golfer; won 1987 Indian Open & 1987 Philippine Open
- Darrett Brinker, Web.com Tour professional golfer
- Jeff Overton, PGA Tour professional golfer
Ice hockey
[edit]- Kira Hurley, professional ice hockey player for Evansville IceMen, Hockey Hall of Fame
Horse Racing
[edit]- Chic Anderson, sportscaster
- Hillsdale ((Thoroughbred)), one of only 5 horses in history to sweep the prestigious Santa Anita's Strub Stakes Series
Soccer
[edit]- David Weir, European club soccer player, Scotland national team captain, University of Evansville All-American
- Josh Tudela, MLS and USL soccer player
- Scott Cannon, MLS soccer player
- Steve Klein, MLS and USL soccer player
Swimming
[edit]- Lilly King, swimmer, gold medalist at 2016 Summer Olympics in 100m Breaststroke.
Tennis
[edit]- Byron "Buddy" Buckley, Indiana High School Tennis Coaches Hall of Famer
- Louise Owen, tennis player
- Sara Turber, formerly ranked second in the world in Lawn Tennis
- Woodie Sublette-Walker, Chief of tennis officials for the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta
Track & Field
[edit]- Charles Hornbostel, United States Olympic Track & Field team member in 1932 and 1936.
Wrestling
[edit]- Andrew Thomas, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling producer and referee
- Ralph Wilson, professional wrestler
- Rudy Charles, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling referee
References
[edit]- ^ "Evansville will be home to Southern Professional Hockey League franchise". Evansville Courier & Press. February 8, 2016.
- ^ "HydroFest boat race called a success, will return in 2018". Evansville Courier & Press. 27 September 2017.
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-16. Retrieved 2010-07-19.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Missouri Valley's Streak Of 41 Grid Wins Snapped". The Hartford Courant. December 5, 1948.
- ^ Evansville Athletics – Football
- ^ "EVANSVILLE ON TOP, 22–7; Pins First Defeat on Hillsdale in Refrigerator Bowl". The New York Times. December 4, 1949.
- ^ Athletic Hall of Fame – Gustavus Adolphus College
- ^ "Arkansas State Wins Refrigerator Bowl". The Washington Post. December 3, 1951.
- ^ Western Kentucky University Official Sports Site
- ^ "REFRIGERATOR BOWL GAME WON BY W. KENTUCKY". Chicago Daily Tribune. December 8, 1952.
- ^ ‘Yote Notes – Aug
- ^ BuckeyeXtra – The Columbus Dispatch : Former Buckeye helped rebuild Kent State program
- ^ "DELAWARE BEATS KENT STATE, 19–7; Wins in Refrigerator Bowl as Zaiser Scores Twice in Fourth Period". The New York Times. December 6, 1954.
- ^ "Rhode Island Loses Refrigerator Bowl Duel To Jacksonville, Ala., State, 12–10". The Hartford Courant. December 5, 1955.
- ^ ESPN – Middle Tennessee bowl history – College Football
