Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Baseball heads to Tennessee-Martin Wednesday
02/27/2007 | 12:00:00 | Baseball
Feb. 27, 2007
By Jeff Honza
www.SIUSalukis.com
Date: Wednesday, February 28, 2007
First Pitch: 2 p.m., CST
Site: Skyhawk Field (1,000)
Series History: SIU leads, 17-4
Head Coaches: SIU: Dan Callahan (328-348-1/13th Year).
UTM: Victor "Bubba" Cates (119-307-1/9th Year).
Live Audio: www.utmsports.com
Saluki Probable Starting Pitcher
Tyler Choate (1-0), Fr., RHP
DAWGS ON FIVE-GAME WINNING STREAK
SIU has come from behind to win each of its last five games. The Salukis started their winning streak with a 3-2 victory over Northwestern State at the Coca-Cola Southern Mississippi Baseball Classic (Feb. 17). Six of SIU's first nine games have been decided by no more than two runs, including the last five in a row.
LAST IN HITTING, FIRST IN PITCHING
SIU is last in the Missouri Valley Conference in hitting and first in pitching through nine games this season. The Salukis have struggled to a .205 average, as only three teams in the league are hitting .300 or better (Missouri State, .308; Bradley, .304; Illinois State, .300). Pitching wise, SIU boasts a conference-best 2.20 ERA.
SERIES HISTORY
SIU is 17-4 all-time against Tennessee-Martin. Of those 21 meetings, 15 have been played under head coach Dan Callahan. The Dawgs, who are 11-4 versus UTM with Callahan at the helm, have won four of their last five games against the Skyhawks.
CHOATE TO MAKE FIRST CAREER START
True freshman right-hander Tyler Choate will make his first career start on the mound against the Skyhawks Wednesday. A native of Carmi, Ill., Choate recently picked up his first collegiate win in relief against Central Michigan Sunday. He is 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA in two relief appearances. Choate also made six of eight starts at first base this season.
MR. FEBRUARY
Sophomore right-hander Cody Adams posted his league-leading third win of the season when he recorded a career-high eight strikeouts in 6.2 innings against Central Michigan Sunday. Adams, who hails from Viola, Ill., set the tone early by fanning three of the first five hitters he faced. He threw 5.2 innings of shutout baseball, with his only run being unearned in the third. Adams, who remained unbeaten at 3-0, has struck out 19, walked five and allowed only two earned runs in 21.0 innings of work this year. He also improved to 4-0 with a 1.97 ERA, 29 strikeouts and nine walks in 32 innings during the month of February.
CRANK GOES YARD
Junior infielder Chris Crank became the first Saluki to hit a home run this season. Crank, who transferred to SIU from Rend Lake College, hit a three-run homer with two outs in the sixth inning of the Salukis' series-clinching win over Central Michigan Sunday. SIU went 10-straight games without a home run prior to Crank's smash.
ABOUT THE SKYHAWKS
UTM is picked to finish ninth out of 10 teams in the Ohio Valley Conference this season. The Skyhawks, under ninth-year head coach Victor "Bubba" Cates, are 1-4 on the year. UTM is second-to-last in the OVC in pitching with a 9.71 ERA. Skyhawk pitchers are giving up five walks and 9.6 runs per game. Offensively, UTM hits .268 and ties for second in the league with 11 doubles.
KELLY ON FIVE-GAME HITTING STREAK
Sophomore catcher Mark Kelly carries a five-game hitting streak into Wednesday's matchup against Tennessee-Martin. Kelly is hitting .314 with a team-high three multiple-RBI performances. He has hit safely in eight of nine games this season.
ON DECK
SIU returns home to host Northern Illinois in a three-game series, beginning Friday at 2 p.m., CST. The Huskies mark the second-straight Mid-American Conference opponent to visit Carbondale this season.
