Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Baseball hosts Tennessee-Martin Wednesday
03/27/2007 | 12:00:00 | Baseball
March 27, 2007
By Jeff Honza
www.SIUSalukis.com
Date: Wednesday, March 28, 2007
First Pitch: 3 p.m., CST.
Site: Abe Martin Field (2,000)
Series History: SIU leads, 18-4
Head Coaches: SIU: Dan Callahan (341-351-1/13th Year).
UTM: Victor "Bubba" Cates (123-320-1/9th Year).
Last Meeting: SIU defeated UTM, 12-5, on Feb. 28 in Martin, Tenn.
Live Audio: www.siusalukis.com
Livestats: www.siusalukis.com
DAWGS RECEIVE VOTES
SIU is among teams receiving votes in this week's USA Today/ESPN Top 25 baseball coaches' poll, released March 26. The Salukis garnered three votes. The USA Today/ESPN Board of Coaches is made up of 31 coaches at Division I institutions. All are members of the American Baseball Coaches Association.
KELLY LOOKS TO EXTEND 21-GAME HITTING STREAK
The league's top hitter, Mark Kelly (.481), is currently on a career-best 21-game hitting streak. Kelly, who hails from Hanover Park, Ill., is hitting .500 (46-for-92) with 14 runs scored, seven doubles, a home run and 31 RBI on the streak. He registered mutiple-hits in 13 of the last 16 games, including six in a row from Mar. 7-17. Kelly, along with Wichita State's Damon Sublett hold the Valley's longest hitting streaks this season. Each are at 21 games. If Kelly gets a hit Wednesday, he will tie Cory Newman (22 games, 3/14-4/20, 2002) for the second-longest hitting streak in school history.
WINNING STREAK REACHES SEVEN GAMES
SIU is 18-3 in its last 21 games, and carries a seven-game winning streak into Wednesday's game. Currently at 19-6 overall and 3-0 in the MVC, SIU is one of two teams in the Valley with 20 or more wins. No. 10 Wichita State (21-5, 3-0 MVC) is the other. The Salukis' longest winning streak of the season stands at eight games, from Feb. 17-Mar. 3.
UNDERCLASSMEN GETTING IT DONE
Three underclassmen, including true freshmen Aaron Roberts and Michael Finigan, and sophomore Mark Kelly, hold double-digit game hitting streaks. Kelly has hit safely in 21-straight games (started Feb. 17), Roberts has hit safely in 12 (started Mar. 7) and Finigan has hit safely in 10 (started Mar. 11). The last time at least two Salukis were on double-digit game hitting streaks at the same time was in 2005. Kevin Koski held a 24-game hitting streak and P.J. Finigan had a 16-game hitting streak on May 7 that year.
HOT AT HOME
SIU caps an eight-game homestand against UT-Martin Wednesday. The Salukis, who have been at home for 16 of 20 games, are 14-1 at Abe Martin Field this year. SIU is undefeated at 7-0 on its current homestand, and has won their last nine games at Abe's Place.
ABOUT THE SKYHAWKS
UTM recently ended a five-game losing streak with a 8-3 win against Arkansas State Tuesday. The Skyhawks, who are in last place in the Ohio Valley Conference, are 7-15 overall. UTM hits just .268 and has been outhit (261-193) and outscored (184-108) considerably this year. Pitching wise, the Skyhawks are second-to-last in the OVC with a 8.54 ERA. Skyhawk pitchers have given up 22 home runs, allowed 161 earned runs and issued 109 walks in 22 games.
