Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Softball left out of NCAA Tournament
05/10/2009 | 12:00:00 | Softball
May 10, 2009
By Kyle Herm
www.SIUSalukis.com
CARBONDALE, Ill. - The Southern Illinois softball team did not receive an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament after the field was announced Sunday night on ESPNU.
The Salukis were left out of one of the 16 Regionals for a second straight year after advancing to the tournament in five consecutive seasons from 2003-07.
Despite not making the field, Southern Illinois had a thoroughly successful season with a host of accolades and accomplishments.
The 2009 season began in record fashion with an 11-0 opening and the best start in school history at 13-1. The team also was ranked for nine-straight weeks and tied the program's highest-ever ranking at No. 18 on March 3.
SIU finished with more than 30 wins for the 13th-straight season with a record of 33-13, took second in the Missouri Valley Conference regular-season standings and defeated No. 20 Long Beach State and Oregon State from the Pac-10.
In addition, the head coach Kerri Blaylock and the program reached extraordinary milestones along the way. Blaylock won her 350th game at SIU, and the program exceeded 1,000 wins all-time and reached more than 100 wins at Charlotte West Stadium with a 14-4 home record.
The team also had a seven-game conference winning streak, the fourth-most stolen bases in the program's history (61) and had four MVC Pitchers of the Week, which was more than any other team in the league.
Individually senior Katie McNamara and sophomore Nikki Waters also accomplished a rare feat with back-to-back no-hitters against Gardner-Webb and Austin Peay, which was a program-first.
McNamara and senior Katie Schmidt were selected ESPN The Magazine Academic All-Region First and Second Team and senior Katie Wagner and junior Alicia Garza made Second Team All-MVC and were chosen to the All-Tournament Team at the State Farm MVC Championship.
Although the announcement of the NCAA Tournament field resulted in disappointment, Southern Illinois' season will still be remembered as successful on and off the field.
