Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Saluki Game Notes for Northern Iowa
03/29/2001 | 12:00:00 | Baseball
March 21, 2001
Southern Illinois Salukis (7-13, 1-3 MVC) vs No. Iowa Panthers (10-8, 3-1 MVC)
Probable Starters (SIU First) - Game #21 - Josh Latimer (1-2) vs Nic Ungs (3-0) -- Game #22 - Jerel Deitering (1-2) vs Victor Saldana (3-2) -- Game #23 - Billy Hardin (0-4) vs Steve Jensen (0-0) -- Game #24 - Bill Clayton (2-2) vs Tom Martin (0-1)
The Series: Southern Illinois University leads the series with the University of Northern Iowa 20-10. The Salukis are 14-9 against the Panthers under Dan Callahan. The teams split in 2000 and SIU swept UNI in 1999 at Abe Martin Field. The Salukis have a 9-4 edge at Abe Martin Field since Northern Iowa joined the Missouri Valley Conference.
The Coaches: Saluki head coach Dan Callahan has compiled a 303-353-1 record in his 13 years as a NCAA Division I head coach. Since joining SIU in 1995, Callahan is 150-195 overall and 75-111 in Missouri Valley Conference play. The University of Northern Iowa is coached by Rick Heller, who has a 33-41 record in his second year.
ON THE AIR: The complete four game series will be broadcast on WJPF - 1020 AM by longtime SIU play-by-play voice of the dawgs Mike Reis and Russ Eisenstein. The game can also be listened to online at www.streamaudio.com/listen?station=wjpf_am
HOT DAWGS: Junior third baseman Luke Nelson leads the Salukis with a .318 batting average and is third in the MVC in hits (27). He has hit safely in 18 of the Salukis 20 games this season and has a current three game hitting streak. Nelson also has seven and eight game hit streaks this season. Nelson hit .368 in the four MVC games against Wichita State (7-for-19, with two runs scored, three RBI, a double, a home run, and a stolen base, including a 5-for-6 day in the series finale) and leads the Salukis in multiple hit games (7), hits (28), stolen bases (7), runs scored (13) and total bases (34). Junior catcher Scott Hankey hit .437 in his first MVC series against the Shockers (7-for-16 with three runs scored, four RBI, a walk and a stolen base) and leads the dawgs with four multiple RBI games and 14 RBIs overall. Sophomore centerfielder Cory Newman was 5-for-16 with two doubles, four runs scored, three RBI, three walks and one strikeout in his first weekend of MVC play and improved his average 49 points (.151 to .200) in the last eight games as the leadoff man. Nick Baughman has the longest current hitting streak, hitting safely the last four games. SIU is hitting .246 as a team.
PITCHING LEADERS: The Saluki staff has a 6.11 earned run average and is led by senior closer Scott Lucht (2-0, 2.40 era, seven strikeouts, three walks, one save), senior Victor Hockett (0-0, 3.18 era, seven strikeouts, seven walks, one save), freshman Jerel Deitering (1-2, 4.50 era, 20 strikeouts, six walks), senior Josh Latimer (1-2, 4.50 era, 16 strikeouts, ten walks), and sophomore Ryan Aird (1-2, 4.79 era, 14 strikeouts, 14 walks). Aird won his first college game with five innings of scoreless relief against Wichita State last weekend. As a staff, SIU has 112 strikeouts and 80 walks, and has allowed 139 total runs (117 earned) and 203 hits in 172.1 innings entering today?s game.
DANGEROUS IN THE CLUTCH: Junior shortstop Ryan Murray is hitting .571 (4-for-7) with the bases loaded this season. Murray is second on the team with 12-RBI, hitting in the eighth or ninth spot all season. He leads the Salukis with nine-RBIs with two outs, an incredible 75% of his RBI total. Murray is hitting .750 (3-for-4) with a runner on third and less than two outs. He is also second in multiple RBI games with three.
HOPING FOR MORE SCHOOLING: Roman Schooley hit .375 (6-for-16, three runs, five RBIs) against the Panthers last year. The Salukis hit .358 (53-for-146, 32 runs, six home runs) in the series split in 2000.
SURPRISING STATS???: The Salukis are 2-0 on neutral fields. SIU is 2-1 in one-run games and 1-1 in two-run games. The dawgs are 1-1 in extra innings and 3-3 at home.
HARD HITTING OPPONENTS: Northern Iowa leads the Missouri Valley Conference with a .351 overall average. The Panthers have 11 batters hitting over .300, led by Willie Durazo (.455), Aaron McEachran (.400), Seth Patterson (.375), Ryan Brunner (.368) and Adam Boeve (.365). Brunner hit home runs in three straight innings in a game against Air Force earlier this year. Aaron McEachern was the national and MVC player the week of March 5 after a 9-14 (.643) weekend series against Air Force, including a cycle.
SALUKI INJURY UPDATE: Junior outfielder Dustin Downs will be out for at least two more weeks due to a broken bone in his left hand. Sophomore leftfielder Jason Rainey suffered a contusion to his left wrist last week and is questionable.
