Baseball opens 2010 season with series at Arkansas State

Feb. 17, 2010

By Jason Clay
www.SIUSalukis.com

Season Opening Series: Games 1-3

Southern Illinois at Arkansas State

Game Dates:
Friday, Feb. 19 - 1 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 20 - 12 p.m.
Sunday, Feb. 21 - 1 p.m.

Location: Jonesboro, Ark. - Tomlinson Stadium (1,200)
Radio: None
Live Stats: www.SIUSalukis.com

Weather Forecast:
Friday - 52 degrees, 40 percent chance of showers
Saturday - 48 degrees, 40 percent chance of showers
Sunday - 47 degrees, 50 percent chance of showers

Quick Hits
•Southern Illinois opens up the 2010 season with a three-game series at Arkansas State, Feb. 19-21 at Tomlinson Stadium in Jonesboro, Ark. First pitch for Friday and Sunday's game is slated for 1 p.m. while Saturday's is set at noon.

•These two teams met once last year in Carbondale and SIU took down the Red Wolves, 10-3. These three games will be the 66th, 67th, and 68th games between the two schools, who have played one another in each of the last two seasons. The last time the Dawgs visited Jonesboro was on April 2, 2008, when Southern Illinois won 10-3. The Salukis lead the all-time series with Arkansas State, 47-18.

•Southern Illinois has posted 20 runs and 33 hits in the last two games against Arkansas State.

•The Salukis were picked to finish fifth in the Missouri Valley Conference in the preseason coaches poll. Last year SIU went 24-28 and 11-9 in MVC play to finish fifth in the regular season.

•Senior catcher Tyler Bullock and senior closer Bryant George were both selected to the preseason All-MVC team. Both players were selected to the All-MVC first team in 2009.

•SIU returns seven starters from its 2009 squad and one starting pitcher. In all, the Salukis have 18 letterwinner returning and welcomed in 13 newcomers to the club.

•12 of SIU's first 17 games to start the season are on the road.

•Head coach Dan Callahan returns to the dugout after not traveling with the team in 2009 while undergoing treatments for cancer. Callahan is in his 16th season as SIU's head coach and he is the second-winningest coach in program history. He is 2-2 in his career against Arkansas State.

•Tyler Bullock enters the 2010 season four home runs shy of breaking into the Top 10 record list at SIU for career home runs. He has hit 17 in two seasons at Southern Illinois.