Softball Wraps Up Fall Season At Home This Weekend
09/23/2004 | 12:00:00 | Softball
Sept. 23, 2004
By Lou Antoine
SIUSalukis.com
CARBONDALE, Ill. - After going a perfect 5-0 last weekend at the Reverse College Exposure Tournament, the Southern Illinois softball team (8-1) will wrap up its fall season, by hosting the Southern Illinois University Invitational at Charlotte West Stadium Sept. 25-26.
The five-team field will include SIU, rival Southeast Missouri State, John A. Logan College, Rend Lake College and Kaskaskia College.
"SEMO will be after us after we beat them 8-0 last weekend, so we better be ready for them. The community colleges in the area will have some local kids that we want to look at, who may end up at SIU. This also gives them a chance to play in the stadium and have local fans and their parents a chance to see them play. We like to do this every year during the fall season," said Kerri Blaylock, SIU head coach.
Blaylock played a lot of different line-ups and still outscored her opponents last weekend, 39-5. The sixth-year head coach is looking for more of that this weekend, despite using multiple line-ups.
"We're getting to see a lot of people in a lot of different places because of injuries, which is a good thing for the players and staff, but not the injured players. I'd like to keep our consistency going, especially the way we hit last weekend. I'd like to see us finish the fall with another strong hitting performance," Blaylock added.
SIU is coming off of its first MVC regular season title last spring, in addition to two consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances and Top 25 rankings in the last two years. Both of which are first-time accomplishments in school history.
The Salukis, ranked #24 in the final NFCA poll last year, return 12 of 17 athletes from the 2004 NCAA Tournament team, including postseason honorees Amy Harre, Katie Jordan and Amanda Clifton. Southern Illinois won a school record 45 games last season (45-17) and finished 3-2 at its second straight NCAA Regional Tournament (Region VIII in 2003 & Region VII in 2004).
Southern Illinois Invitational
Saturday, Sept. 25
10 AM - SE Missouri State vs. John. A. Logan
12 PM - SE Missouri State vs. Rend Lake
2 PM -- SIU vs. Kaskaskia
4 PM -- SIU vs. John. A. Logan
6 PM -- Rend Lake vs. Kaskaskia
Sunday, Sept. 26
10 AM -- Kaskaskia vs. SE Missouri State
12 PM -- Kaskaskia vs. John. A. Logan
2 PM -- SIU vs. SE Missouri State
4 PM -- SIU vs. Rend Lake
6 PM -- John. A. Logan vs. Rend Lake