Baseball selects team captains
11/09/2006 | 12:00:00 | Baseball
Nov. 9, 2006
By Jeff Honza
www.SIUSalukis.com
CARBONDALE, Ill. - Seniors Kevin Koski and Jordan Powell will represent Southern Illinois University baseball as team captains in 2007. Koski and Powell were overwhelming favorites in a team vote conducted earlier this week.
"It was quite clear after tallying the votes that Kevin and Jordan are very well respected by their peers," said head coach Dan Callahan. "Our coaching staff feels strongly that both of these young men will serve as exemplary role models for their teammates."
Koski, who hails from Schaumburg, Ill., is SIU's top returnee this season. A three-year starting outfielder, he hit .300 with 11 doubles, two triples, a home run, 29 RBI and 13 stolen bases en route to honorable mention all-Missouri Valley Conference honors in 2006.
A native of Danville, Ill., Powell looks to be the ace of the Salukis' pitching staff again this year. He went 6-6 with 58 strikeouts after joining the team from Danville Community College last season. Powell led the Dawgs in wins, starts (16) and innings (101.2), and like Koski, was an honorable mention all-MVC pick.
SIU lost 13 seniors and enters its 2007 season with 15 new faces. The Salukis also return three position starters and two starting pitchers.
Because the Dawgs are so young this season, Callahan and Saluki pitching coach Tim Dixon believe one of the keys to success will be to keep the captains much more involved in the overall team process.
"Our captains can be a strong and creative liaison between our student-athletes and our coaching staff," stated Callahan. "Kevin and Jordan are great ambassadors for Saluki Baseball, and they will represent this prestigious position accordingly."
"Although we coaches have a very open door policy and great rapport with our athletes, we still want our captains to represent our program in a way that we all have a part in what we want to accomplish as a team," added Dixon.
As has been the case in past years, the captains' names will appear permanently on a plaque that is displayed prominently in the Richard "Itch" Jones/Saluki Baseball Clubhouse.
SIU opens its 2007 season with a three-game series at Stetson (Feb. 9-11).