Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Baseball Visits the University of South Florida This Weekend
02/18/2003 | 12:00:00 | Baseball
Feb. 18, 2003
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Southern Illinois Pitching Rotation
Friday, Feb. 21 - Jerel Deitering (6-2, 190, Jr., RHP, Auburn, Wash.); Saturday, Feb. 22 - Jake Alley (5-11, 195, Sr., RHP, Anna, Ill.) or Ryan Welch (6-4, 190, So., RHP, Brentwood, Tenn.); Sunday, Feb. 23 - Josh Joiner (6-1, 180, Jr., RHP, Jonesboro, Ill.).
South Florida Pitching Rotation
Friday, Feb. 21 - Jon Uhl (6-2, 190, Jr., RHP, Tampa, Fla.); Saturday - David Austen (6-0, 185, Sr., RHP, Coconut Creek, Fla.); Sunday - Travis Rios (6-2, 210, Jr., RHP, Leesburg, Fla.).
Salukis to Watch
Second baseman Greg Andrews leads all Salukis with a .500 batting average. Andrews went 5-for-10 with three RBI in the Dawgs' first three games this season. Cory Newman follows hitting .375. In eight at-bats, Newman registered three hits, including a pair of doubles as the Dawgs' designated hitter. First baseman Josh Markle is also off to a solid start. Markle, who stole a perfect 2-of-2 bases, is hitting .333 with three runs scored and three RBI.
Bulls to Watch
Centerfielder Matt Cunningham currently stands as the Bulls' top offensive threat. Cunningham, who is hitting .500 with two doubles and a triple, is the fastest player on USF's roster and poses threats at the plate in several ways. USF's offense excels when Cunningham does well in the lead-off position. Meanwhile, junior shortstop Myron Leslie is one of the premier players in college baseball. All-America candidate and pre-season All-Conference USA, Leslie is hitting .389 with a team-leading five RBI.
SIU Matchup Note
SIU was one of three Missouri Valley Conference teams to win two or more non-league games in its first weekend of play. Wichita State also posted a 3-0 series sweep over Hawaii-Hilo and Valley preseason favorite SMS won two of three against Arkansas State.
USF Matchup Note
All three of the Bulls' starting hurlers this weekend stand at 1-0 with seven or more strikeouts on the young season. Friday's starter, Jon Uhl is USF's top pitcher and is an All-America candidate this season. Uhl throws in the upper-80s/low-90s with both a strong curveball and changeup. Saturday's starter, David Austen has fanned a team-high 14 batters and Sunday's starter, Travis Rios is averaging a little over one strikeout per inning. He has whiffed seven batters in 5.1 frames.
Radio
There will be no radio broadcast for either team during the Southern Illinois and South Florida series this weekend.
Salukis in the Sunshine State
SIU is 27-64 (.297) all-time against schools from the state of Florida. The Salukis have played a total of nine universities/colleges in the Sunshine State, including Central Florida (0-3), Florida (2-2), Florida Atlantic (1-0), Florida International (7-1), Florida Southern College (1-0), Florida State (1-6), Miami (11-47), South Florida (1-2) and Stetson (3-3).
We Meet Again
SIU trails 2-1 in its overall series against the University of South Florida. Both teams last met during the 2000 season, where SIU lost 6-1 and 10-6, before regrouping to win the final game of the series, 3-2.
About the Salukis
SIU is coming off a wild 2-1 series win at Centenary College last week. Over the three-game set, there were a total of 49 runs and 62 hits between the two teams. SIU, who came back to win 12-9 in the third game of the series, also had three home runs on the weekend.
About the Bulls
South Florida was ranked 41st in Baseball America's Pre-season Top-50 poll. Currently standing at 4-1 on the season, the Bulls are on a three-game winning streak after posting a 3-0 series sweep over Jacksonville.
The Coaches
Dan Callahan (Quincy College, `81; SIU, `87) is 195-244 in his ninth season as head coach of SIU. With over 14 years of Division I coaching experience, Callahan guided the Salukis (32-24) to their best season in over a decade in 2002. Meanwhile, Eddie Cardieri (Florida Southern College, `77) is 616-428 in his 20th season at the USF helm. Cardieri has coached the Bulls in 65 percent of the program's 1,897 baseball games dating back to 1966.
The Error Up There
This past weekend at Centenary, SIU committed nine errors in three games, which matched the amount of miscues tallied through its first 12 games of the 2002 season. Posting one error in game one, five in game two and three in game three against the Gents, SIU's defense only committed more than three errors in three of its 56 outings last year.
Mighty Offensive
Despite the fact the defense struggled last week against Centenary, the Saluki bats were red-hot. SIU registered a total of 30 hits on the weekend, including four doubles, three home runs and 18 RBI. Both Greg Andrews (5) and Sal Frisella (5) accounted for one-third of the hits, which turned into 22 runs over the three games. As a team, SIU is hitting .286 on the young season.
Launching Pad
Eight of SIU's 22 runs last week came thanks to a trio of home runs which were blasted by three different Salukis. Toby Barnett hit a three-run homer in game one, Ross Kowzan smashed a grand slam in game three and Sal Frisella launched a solo shot in game two. Barnett and Frisella's dingers helped give the Salukis early leads in the top of the first inning of games one and three, while Kowzan's grand slam fueled a six-run fifth during game two. SIU also opened the 2002 campaign with at least one homer in each of its first three games.
Runnin' With the Dawgs
SIU scored three or more runs in four innings during its weekend series at Centenary. Averaging 7.3 runs per game this season, the Salukis plated a season-high six runs in the top of the fifth in game three.
Now That's A Steal!!
The Salukis used a pair of double-steals en route to scoring three runs in the top of the seventh inning last Sunday against the Gents. With two out after a Ross Kowzan strikeout, Josh Markle stole second and Nathan Boldt swiped third to move into scoring position. Following an error at short which allowed Cory Newman to reach base, Markle advanced to third and Boldt scored, unearned. With Newman on first and Markle on third, the second double-steal saw Markle thieve home and Newman take second. SIU stole five bases in the game, including two by Markle.
Awesome Andrews
Greg Andrews hit .500 in SIU's season-opening series at Centenary College last week. In 10 at-bats, the native of Peoria, Ill., posted five hits, scored four runs and posted three RBI. In game one, he went 2-for-5 with a double and a pair of runs scored, before registering a 3-for-5 outing with three runs and one RBI in game three. Andrews' five hits helped SIU to 9-2 and 12-9 wins.
On the Double
SIU scored four runs off three doubles in its 9-2 season-opening win over Centenary (2/15). Cory Newman, Greg Andrews and Nathan Boldt combined for the trio of two-baggers. However, Andrews and Boldt's doubles drove in two runs apiece.
Deitering Off to Good Start
West coast product Jerel Deitering (Auburn, Wash.) is off to a solid start on the mound this season. Deitering (1-0) threw five of six scoreless innings in a 9-2 season-opening win at Centenary (2/15). In addition, he struck out one batter and allowed five hits and one run.
Join Me in the Winner's Circle
Junior right-hander Josh Joiner picked up the third win of his SIU career last Sunday against Centenary. Joiner, who is 1-0 on the young season, struck out one batter and allowed four hits through five innings.
Pen Pals
Freshmen Adam Snyder and Tyler Norrick saw their first action at the collegiate level last Sunday against Centenary. Snyder relieved starter Josh Joiner in the sixth inning and lasted three frames, before Norrick entered in the ninth. Norrick caught Gents' pinch-hitter Bryan Scanlon looking on strikes for the game's final out to seal the 12-9 win.
