Pitcher for Colorado Rockies and wife donate $3 million to University of Evansville

The University of Evansville has received a generous $3 million donation from Kyle and Ashley Freeland, both graduates of the university, to build a baseball clubhouse on campus, which will be dubbed The Freeland Clubhouse. Kyle was a member of the University of Evansville baseball team until he was drafted in 2014. He is currently a pitcher for the Colorado Rockies. Ashley was a student athlete as well, and graduated with a Sports Management degree.

According to an article on the University of Evansville’s website, Kyle explained his and Ashley’s decision to donate to their alma mater, saying, "It's truly an honor for myself and my wife Ashley to be able to give back to the University of Evansville and support this baseball program into the future. I owe so much of my development as a baseball player and a person to my time at UE and Coach Wes Carroll, and this felt like the most fitting way for me to say thank you. This program has built and sustained success for many years, and our goal with this gift to the baseball program is to help build on that momentum, create a team-oriented environment that helps Evansville baseball players realize their true potential as students and athletes, and continue to boost recruiting. We're already excited to cut that ribbon and see the future of Purple Aces baseball."

The Freeland Clubhouse will include a lounge, a locker room, and staff offices, and will be located near the Charles H. Braun Stadium. Construction of the clubhouse is expected to be complete in the summer of 2025. The $3 million gift from the Freelands for its construction is the biggest donation University of Evansville Athletics has ever received.

Dr. Kenneth "Ziggy" Siegfried, the school’s Director of Athletics, was quoted as saying during a press conference at which the gift was announced, "Aces Baseball is on the rise, and this transformational gift by Kyle and Ashley Freeland further accelerates our success in the Missouri Valley Conference and nationwide. I have always stated that we are a sleeping giant at the University of Evansville. A big part of that is the fact that we have Purple Aces like Kyle and Ashley Freeland who are willing to invest in our future. I am so happy for Coach Wes Carroll and our UE Baseball program. Coach Carroll embodies what it means to be a Purple Ace. He has set the vision for the future of the UE Baseball program, and at the center of that vision has been a focus on our student-athletes."

For more information about the University of Evansville, visit the school’s website.