34 home games highlights 2016 Saluki Baseball schedule
10/07/2015 | 12:00:00 | Baseball
By Rico Cruz
SIUSalukis.com
CARBONDALE, Ill. - Saluki baseball head coach Ken Henderson announced the schedule for the 2016 season on Wednesday. The schedule features 34 home games, with 21 road games and one neutral site game. Southern will play 18 games against teams (Iowa, St. John's, Illinois, Dallas Baptist, Missouri State, and Bradley) that qualified for the 2015 NCAA Tournament, including 11 games at home this season.
2016 Schedule
Starting Feb. 27, the Salukis will play at home for seven-straight weekends. In that span, Southern will host a weekend series against three opponents that made the NCAA Tournament a year ago. Other non-conference opponents slated to visit Richard "Itchy" Jones stadium for a weekend series this year include Western Illinois, Northern Illinois, Memphis, and Jacksonville State. In Missouri Valley Conference play, Southern will host Indiana State to open league action on April 8. MVC foes Wichita State and Bradley will also visit Carbondale this season.
In other non-conference action, Southern will play SEMO, Austin Peay, Murray State, Belmont, Eastern Illinois, and Arkansas State in midweek games. The Salukis will face Saint Louis in a neutral site game on May 17.
The road portion of the schedule will be just as tough for the Salukis this season. SIU will open the season at McNeese State on Feb. 19. The away series against the Cowboys will be the only weekend SIU will be away from Itchy Jones Stadium until April 15. Southern will hit the road for four of the final six weeks in the regular season, traveling to Dallas Baptist, Illinois State, Missouri State, and Evansville in MVC play.
"We are excited about this schedule, which is one of the most challenging we have undertaken," Henderson said. "I am especially pleased that our fans will have an opportunity to watch a large number of games at Itchy Jones Stadium against some outstanding programs."
The 2016 MVC tournament will be hosted by Indiana State and begin on May 24.
| 2016 SCHEDULE |
| Date | Opponent / Event | Location | Time / Result |
| Fri., Feb. 19 | at McNeese State | Lake Charles, La. | 6:00 p.m. CT |
| Sat., Feb. 20 | at McNeese State | Lake Charles, La. | 3:00 p.m. CT |
| Sun., Feb. 21 | at McNeese State | Lake Charles, La. | 1:00 p.m. CT |
| Tue., Feb. 23 | at Austin Peay | Clarksville, Tenn. | TBA |
| Fri., Feb. 26 | vs. Western Illinois | Carbondale, Ill. | 2:00 p.m. CT |
| Sat., Feb. 27 | vs. Western Illinois | Carbondale, Ill. | 2:00 p.m. CT |
| Sun., Feb. 28 | vs. Western Illinois | Carbondale, Ill. | 1:00 p.m. CT |
| Tue., Mar. 1 | vs. SEMO | Carbondale, Ill. | 3:00 p.m. CT |
| Fri., Mar. 4 | vs. Iowa | Carbondale, Ill. | 3:00 p.m. CT |
| Sat., Mar. 5 | vs. Iowa | Carbondale, Ill. | 2:00 p.m. CT |
| Sun., Mar. 6 | vs. Iowa | Carbondale, Ill. | 1:00 p.m. CT |
| Tue., Mar. 8 | at Belmont | Nashville, Tenn. | TBA |
| Fri., Mar. 11 | vs. St. John's | Carbondale, Ill. | 3:00 p.m. CT |
| Sat., Mar. 12 | vs. St. John's | Carbondale, Ill. | 2:00 p.m. CT |
| Sun., Mar. 13 | vs. St. John's | Carbondale, Ill. | 1:00 p.m. CT |
| Tue., Mar. 15 | at Arkansas State | Jonesboro, Ark. | 6:00 p.m. CT |
| Fri., Mar. 18 | vs. Northern Illinois | Carbondale, Ill. | 4:00 p.m. CT |
| Sat., Mar. 19 | vs. Illinois | Carbondale, Ill. | 4:00 p.m. CT |
| Sun., Mar. 20 | vs. Northern Illinois | Carbondale, Ill. | 12:00 p.m. CT |
| vs. Illinois | Carbondale, Ill. | 3:00 p.m. CT | |
| Thu., Mar. 24 | vs. Memphis | Carbondale, Ill. | 6:30 p.m. CT |
| Fri., Mar. 25 | vs. Memphis | Carbondale, Ill. | 1:00 p.m. CT |
| Sat., Mar. 26 | vs. Memphis | Carbondale, Ill. | 2:00 p.m. CT |
| Tue., Mar. 29 | vs. Austin Peay | Carbondale, Ill. | 5:00 p.m. CT |
| Wed., Mar. 30 | vs. Murray State | Carbondale, Ill. | 5:00 p.m. CT |
| Fri., Apr. 1 | vs. Jacksonville State | Carbondale, Ill. | 6:30 p.m. CT |
| Sat., Apr. 2 | vs. Jacksonville State | Carbondale, Ill. | 2:00 p.m. CT |
| Sun., Apr. 3 | vs. Jacksonville State | Carbondale, Ill. | 1:00 p.m. CT |
| Tue., Apr. 5 | vs. Belmont | Carbondale, Ill. | 5:00 p.m. CT |
| Wed., Apr. 6 | at Murray State | Murray, Ky. | 6:00 p.m. CT |
| Fri., Apr. 8 | vs. Indiana State * | Carbondale, Ill. | 6:30 p.m. CT |
| Sat., Apr. 9 | vs. Indiana State * | Carbondale, Ill. | 2:00 p.m. CT |
| Sun., Apr. 10 | vs. Indiana State * | Carbondale, Ill. | 1:00 p.m. CT |
| Tue., Apr. 12 | vs. Eastern Illinois | Carbondale, Ill. | 5:00 p.m. CT |
| Fri., Apr. 15 | at Dallas Baptist * | Dallas, Texas | 6:30 p.m. CT |
| Sat., Apr. 16 | at Dallas Baptist * | Dallas, Texas | 2:00 p.m. CT |
| Sun., Apr. 17 | at Dallas Baptist * | Dallas, Texas | 1:00 p.m. CT |
| Tue., Apr. 19 | vs. Arkansas State | Carbondale, Ill. | 5:00 p.m. CT |
| Fri., Apr. 22 | at Illinois State * | Normal, Ill. | 6:00 p.m. CT |
| Sat., Apr. 23 | at Illinois State * | Normal, Ill. | 2:00 p.m. CT |
| Sun., Apr. 24 | at Illinois State * | Normal, Ill. | 1:00 p.m. CT |
| Tue., Apr. 26 | at SEMO * | Cape Girardeau, Mo. | 6:00 p.m. CT |
| Fri., Apr. 29 | vs. Wichita State * | Carbondale, Ill. | 6:30 p.m. CT |
| Sat., Apr. 30 | vs. Wichita State * | Carbondale, Ill. | 4:00 p.m. CT |
| Sun., May 1 | vs. Wichita State * | Carbondale, Ill. | 1:00 p.m. CT |
| Wed., May 4 | at Illinois | Champaign, Ill. | 3:30 p.m. CT |
| Fri., May 6 | at Missouri State * | Springfield, Mo. | 6:30 p.m. CT |
| Sat., May 7 | at Missouri State * | Springfield, Mo. | 2:00 p.m. CT |
| Sun., May 8 | at Missouri State * | Springfield, Mo. | 1:00 p.m. CT |
| Fri., May 13 | at Evansville * | Evansville, Ind. | 6:00 p.m. CT |
| Sat., May 14 | at Evansville * | Evansville, Ind. | 2:00 p.m. CT |
| Sun., May 15 | at Evansville * | Evansville, Ind. | 1:00 p.m. CT |
| Tue., May 17 | vs. Saint Louis | Sauget, Ill. | TBA |
| Thu., May 19 | vs. Bradley * | Carbondale, Ill. | 6:30 p.m. CT |
| Fri., May 20 | vs. Bradley * | Carbondale, Ill. | 6:30 p.m. CT |
| Sat., May 21 | vs. Bradley * | Carbondale, Ill. | 2:00 p.m. CT |
| Missouri Valley Conference Championship | |||
| Tue., May 24 | TBD | Terre Haute, Ind. | TBA |
| Wed., May 25 | TBD | Terre Haute, Ind. | TBA |
| Thu., May 26 | TBD | Terre Haute, Ind. | TBA |
| Fri., May 27 | TBD | Terre Haute, Ind. | TBA |
| Sat., May 28 | TBD | Terre Haute, Ind. | TBA |
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