Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Baseball Hosts Western Michigan This Weekend
03/17/2005 | 12:00:00 | Baseball
March 17, 2005
By Jeff Honza
www.SIUSalukis.com
CARBONDALE, Ill.- Winners in four of its last five games, Southern Illinois (11-7) returns to Carbondale for a seven-game homestand, beginning Friday when the Salukis host Western Michigan (3-6). The Salukis and Broncos play at 2 p.m., tomorrow, and 1 p.m., on both Saturday and Sunday.
Since last Thursday, SIU has played six games in seven days, including a recent two-game set at Middle Tennessee State on Mar. 15-16.
This weekend's series against WMU is SIU's last tune-up before Missouri Valley Conference play begins. The Salukis host Northern Iowa in their Valley opener on Mar. 25-27.
Broadcast Information
Live stats and play-by-play audio for all three of SIU's games against Western Michigan this weekend will be available online at www.siusalukis.com.
Live Audio (Must Have QuickTime Player)
Gametracker.
Series History
SIU is 1-2 all-time against WMU, as both teams meet this weekend for the first time since 1967.
Under-then SIU head coach Joe Lutz, the Dawgs and Broncos played three times in the NCAA District 4 Tournament.
SIU lost to WMU, 18-4 in 1966. Then, in 1967, each team posted a one-run victory, as SIU won, 2-1, and WMU won, 1-0.
The Coaches
Dan Callahan (Quincy College, `81; SIU, `87) is 262-306-1 in his 11th season at the helm of the Saluki Baseball program. Callahan guided the Dawgs to the MVC Tournament Championship game in each of the last two seasons. Callahan has 415 career wins as a Division I head coach.
Randy Ford (Western Michigan, `79) is 3-6 in his first season as head coach of the Broncos. Ford was hired as head coach on June 10, 2004, after spending the last 16 seasons as pitching coach and recruiting coordinator at Penn State.
Scouting the Broncos
WMU hasn't played a game in over 10 days, as the Broncos last four outings were cancelled.
The last time WMU played was on Mar. 5, where it swept a doubleheader against Brown (Mar. 5) in Jacksonville, Fla. After that, the Broncos three-game series at Cincinnati (Mar. 11-13) and home-opener against IPFW (Mar. 16) were cancelled.
Members of the Mid-American Conference's West Division, WMU is currently 3-6 on the year. The Broncos start a stretch of 12 consecutive road games at SIU this weekend.
Senior infielder Justin Carter hits a second-best .314, as WMU's leader in hits (11), doubles (3), home runs (5) and RBI (17). Carter, who transferred to the Bronco program from Kellogg Community College, was named the MAC's West Division Player-of-the-Week on Mar. 9. In addition, Carter was a second-team all-MAC pick in 2004.
Carter is one of three Broncos hitting over .300 this season, as Tony Scheffler's .370 average tops the squad. Rich Rennhack also hits .313 to round out the trio.
Offensively, WMU is hitting .262 with nine home runs after its first nine games this season. Bronco hitters are also striking out nine times a game.
Pitching wise, WMU holds a 6.17 ERA. A pair of sophomores, Derek Schlecker (LHP) and Dan O'Brien (RHP), along with junior Mark Rasmussen (RHP) top the Bronco staff.
Schlecker is 1-1 with a team-best 1.80 ERA in three appearances, including one start. Rasmussen, also 1-1 on the year, has made two starts, where he struck out five in 12.1 innings. O'Brien, who made 17 appearances and nine starts as a freshman, follows with a 0-1 record and 3.55 ERA.
About the Salukis
SIU recently split two games at Middle Tennessee State (Mar. 15-16) earlier this week.
The Salukis, who lost, 6-1, and won 10-8, enter the weekend hitting .287 as a team. Offensively, the Dawgs have posted double-digit hits 10 times this season, and are 11-1 when outhitting their opponents.
Kevin Koski hits .365 with a team-leading 17 runs scored, 27 hits and five stolen bases to pace SIU. Matt Brewer (.360), Grant Gerrard (.333) and P.J. Finigan (.333) follow. Brewer leads the MVC in RBI (23), while Gerrard holds a league-best five homers.
Meanwhile, Brendan Lutz hits .375 with four runs scored, three doubles, a triple, one home run and five RBI in five starts.
Junior left-hander Tyler Norrick will start on the mound Friday. A native of Festus, Mo., Norrick made one other start this year, where he posted a career-high six strikeouts in four no-hit innings of a no-decision against Chicago State on Mar. 13.
