Softball to compete in tough schedule in 2011
12/23/2010 | 12:00:00 | Softball
Dec. 23, 2010
By Megan Kramper
SIUSalukis.com
CARBONDALE, Ill. - The defending Missouri Valley Conference champion Southern Illinois softball team will look to repeat as it competes against a tough schedule in 2011 with a goal of returning to the NCAA Tournament.
After being left out of the tournament for the second consecutive year despite making the championship game of the MVC tournament, the Salukis will look to regroup as they face a competitive schedule that includes eight teams that made the NCAA Tournament last season - one that made the Women's College World Series - and will face five of those teams at Charlotte West Stadium.
"We went through the fall season trying to find our rhythm or what we were going to be about offensively this season and I think we struggled trying to find out who we were going to put into what situations (at first) but by the end of the fall we figured ourselves out," Head coach Kerri Blaylock said.
Opponents who made the NCAA Tournament last season include Michigan, Kentucky, Wright State, DePaul, Missouri, Illinois, Creighton, and Illinois State.
Returning to lead the Salukis include MVC Pitcher of the Year Danielle Glosson who recorded a 2.02 ERA with a 25-14 record with 254 strikeouts and eight shutouts and shortstop Haley Gorman, who led the team in batting average last season with a .341.
SIU also adds four freshmen to its roster who could see significant playing time including Kelsea Ashton, Jayna Spivey, Taylor Orsburn, and Allie VadeBoncouer.
"We have a lot of options so we feel like we may be a little bit of a different team (than last season) but I think we are going to show power and speed but be a very effective offensive team," Blaylock said.
The season kicks off on February 11, 2011 in their first of three tournaments on the road as they face Ohio and Michigan, the Big Ten Conference Champions and a NCAA Tournament team last season, in the Houston Hilton Plaza Invitational in Houston, Texas.
Matchups with Houston and Stephen F. Austin (Feb. 12) and another battle with Michigan (Feb. 13) will highlight the tournament.
The Salukis then travel to SEC foe Mississippi State for the Bulldog Round-Robin Feb 18-20 featuring matchups with Butler (Feb. 18), Louisiana Tech and Mississippi State (Feb. 19) before beginning pool play.
Heading further south, SIU will take part in the Florida Gulf Coast Tournament Feb. 25-27 in Ft. Myers, Fla. The Salukis will see action against St. Francis (PA) and UMBC (Feb. 25), Albany (NY) and Florida Gulf Coast (Feb. 26) and Big Ten opponent Iowa (Feb. 27).
Southern will return home for its home opener and will play 15 of 20 games in March at home beginning Mar. 5-6, when they host the annual Coach B Classic.
Squaring off against NCAA Tournament qualifier Kentucky and Wright State, both NCAA Tournament teams a season ago, on day one (Mar. 5). SIU will also face Purdue and SIU-Edwardsville (Mar. 6) in what will be a tough tournament at Charlotte West.
The Salukis will see a non-conference matchup against Southeast Missouri State (Mar. 9) before returning to host the Saluki Invitational to kick off spring break Mar. 12-13 when they host DePaul and Illinois-Chicago in the three team tournament.
After hosting SIU-Edwardsville(Mar. 15), SIU will be challenged the very next day (Mar. 16) as it renews its series with Missouri, who earned a trip to Women's College World Series in 2010, on the Tigers' home field in Columbia, Mo.
Missouri Valley Conference play begins on Mar. 19-21 as Southern host Wichita State followed by tough mid-week non-conference game as they host Illinois (Mar.23). A series with Creighton (Mar. 26-27) in Omaha, Neb. followed by a double header with Saint Louis (Mar. 30) round out March for the Salukis.
April begins with a trip to Northern Iowa (Apr. 2-3) and Eastern Illinois (Apr. 6) followed by a home series with Bradley (Apr. 9-10).
Closing out their non-conference season on Apr. 14, the Salukis will travel to Tennessee-Martin followed by a conference series in Terre Haute, Ind. against Indiana State (Apr. 16-17) and a double header in Evansville (Apr. 20).
Returning to Carbondale, SIU will host Missouri State (Apr. 22-23) and a single game against Evansville (Apr. 26) before heading to Illinois State (Apr. 30-May 1) in their final road conference series of the season.
Senior Day will honor the Salukis six seniors, Danielle Glosson, Corinna Gonzalez, Chelsea Held, Alex Peters, Cristina Trapani, and Natalee Weissinger, featuring a matchup against Drake (May 7-8) to wrap up regular season play before heading to Springfield, Mo. for the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament (May 12-15) hosted by Missouri State.
Southern Illinois was 38-20 in 2010 as it earned its 14th consecutive winning season and third Missouri Valley Conference regular season championship in the past ten years (2003, 2004, 2010). Head coach Kerri Blaylock, who enters her 12th season with the Salukis, won her 400th career game last season and has an overall record of 416-389 at SIU.
