Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Baseball Goes to Evansville This Weekend
04/24/2003 | 12:00:00 | Baseball
April 24, 2003
Dates: Fri.-Sun., April 25-27
First Pitches: Fri.-6 p.m.; Sat. - 1 p.m. (DH); Sun. - 1 p.m.
Ballpark: Braun Stadium (1,200)
Location: Evansville, Ind.
Radio: WJPF 1020 AM (Sat. & Sun. Only)
Rankings: Neither team is ranked
Series History
SIU leads its overall series against UE, 71-42. Last season, the Salukis posted a 3-1 series win over the Aces in Carbondale.
MVC Race Heats Up
A Missouri Valley Conference sweep and teams taking three of four games in a league series were the norm last weekend. Northern Iowa swept a four-game tilt at Creighton, marking the fifth conference series sweep of the 2003 campaign. Meanwhile, Bradley (vs. Wichita State), SMS (vs. SIU) and Evansville (vs. Indiana State) won three of four games.
Callahan vs. Evansville
Since 1995, SIU has gone 12-22 under head coach Dan Callahan. The only time a Callahan-coached club won a four-game series over the Aces was in 2002 (3-1).
1995 1-3
1996 2-3
1997 2-2
1998 1-3
1999 2-2
2000 1-4
2001 0-4
2002 3-1
Totals 12-22
SIU and UE also met in the MVC Tournament in both 1996 and 2000. The Salukis lost both of those contests.
Working Double Time
SIU is averaging 1.4 double plays per game this season, and as a result, has turned an impressive 52 in 38 contests. Shortstop P.J. Finigan (36) and first baseman Josh Markle (34) have been a part of at least 34 of those double plays. In addition, SIU is on pace to break the school's single-season record of 66 which was done in 1990.
Alley Rally
Anna, Ill., native Jake Alley struck out a season-high eight batters in a nine-inning, complete game masterpiece to lead SIU to a 5-0 shutout over SMS (4/18). Alley had another impressive outing on the mound, as he picked up his fourth straight win of the season. The right-hander, who threw his first complete nine-inning game this year, also moved to a perfect 4-0 against league foes. In addition, he retired seven of the Bears' last eight batters, and allowed six hits and four walks in the blanking.
Mid-Week Breakers
This week marks the second straight that SIU has gone without playing a mid-week tilt. Holding a record of 1-4 in those contests, the Salukis will play just two more mid-week games this season. SIU hosts Illinois on Tuesday, April 29 and plays Saint Louis on Tuesday, May 13 in Sauget, Ill.
The Coaches
Dan Callahan (Quincy College, '81; SIU, '87) is 215-259 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. Most recently, however, Callahan recorded his 200th career win against Iowa on March 9. Meanwhile, Dave Schrage (Creighton, '83) is 19-22 in his first year at the Evansville helm. Schrage returned to the MVC this season after serving a three-year stint at Northern Illinois. A standout center fielder and assistant coach at Creighton in the early-80s, and a long-time mentor at Northern Iowa in the 1990s, Schrage was named UE's 10th baseball coach on July, 22, 2002.
SIU Pitching Rotation
Friday - Jake Alley (RHP, 5-1, 3.05 ERA); Saturday - Game One: Bryan Rueger (LHP, 4-1, 2.61 ERA). Games three and four starters are undetermined at this time.
UE Pitching Rotation
Friday - Michael Greenhouse (LHP, 1-5, 6.52 ERA); Saturday - Game One: Wes Davis (RHP, 3-2, 3.59 ERA); Game Two: Mitch Prout (RHP, 4-3, 5.26 ERA). Sunday - Adam Rogers (RHP, 4-4, 6.00 ERA).
About the Salukis
SIU enters the weekend looking to bounce back from a 3-1 series loss to SMS (4/18-20). The Salukis, who fell to third place in the MVC after dropping three of four games to the Bears, are led by freshman Nathan Emrick, and seniors Toby Barnett and Sal Frisella. Emrick, who has hit safely in six of his last seven games, is hitting .325 in 19 starts, while Barnett (.317) and Frisella (.315) follow hitting .315 or better in 36 or more starts.
Scouting the Aces
UE enters this weekend's series on a four-game winning streak after beating Butler, 9-6, on Tuesday. Prior to its win over the Bulldogs, UE won three out of four games over Indiana State (4/19-20). Luke Miller leads all Purple Aces at the plate hitting .401 with 32 runs scored, 10 doubles, two triples, four home runs and 27 RBI.
Lordy, Lordy, Five Have Forty
After 38 games this season, five Salukis lead the team with 40 hits apiece. Sal Frisella, Nathan Boldt, Toby Barnett, Ross Kowzan and Greg Andrews make up the five, which is hitting .307 as a group. Interestingly enough, Frisella and Boldt hold identical statistics in eight offensive categories, including batting average (.315), games played-started (38-38), at-bats (127), hits (40), doubles (7), hit-by-pitch (6), strikeouts (20) and sacrifice hits (3).
Looking Good
Against league foes alone, SIU ranks first in batting (.296) and second in pitching (3.48 ERA) after 19 games this season. Part of that success can be attributed to Nathan Boldt and Jake Alley. Boldt leads in individual hitting with a .441 average, while Alley lists second in pitching with a 1.03 ERA through five appearances. Additionally, Toby Barnett ranks tied for second with 18 RBI in Valley contests.
Streak Ends at Five
SIU's offense ran into some excellent pitching against SMS (4/18-20), and as a result, saw its streak of registering 10 or more hits in a game end at five contests. The streak, which lasted a week (4/11-18), saw the Salukis compile a total of 60 hits, including a series-high of 50 at Bradley (4/11-13). However, since its series-opener against SMS, the Saluki offense has sputtered to 16 hits in its last three outings.
Haberer Effective
Eric Haberer, a sophomore from Bloomington, Ill., has been the Salukis' most productive relief pitcher. Making a team-high 16 appearances, including 15 out of the bullpen, Haberer -- who at one time held a scoreless inning streak of 10.2 -- has posted 11 strikeouts and just eight walks in 26.1 innings.
When There's Ten
If you think having 10 or more hits in a game doesn't help SIU win, you're wrong. Thru 38 games this season, the Salukis are 14-3 when putting 10 or more hits in the hit column. Averaging 9.3 per contest, the Salukis and their opponents are currently deadlocked at 353 hits apiece this year.
On Deck
SIU will return to mid-week action for the first time since April 9, Tuesday (4/29) when it hosts Big Ten foe Illinois at 3 p.m.
