Southern Illinoise University Athletics
SIU opens the 2015 season at the Charleston Southern Tournament
02/05/2015 | 12:00:00 | Softball
| SIU (0-0) at Charleton Southern Tournament | |
| Date | Feb. 6-7, 2015 |
| Schedule | Tournament Central |
| Location | Charleston, S.C. -- Buccaneer Field (250) |
| SIU Games | Friday, Feb. 6: SIU vs. Ohio State // 10 a.m. CT | SIU vs. UMBC // Noon CT Saturday, Feb. 7: SIU vs. Ohio State // 10 a.m. CT | SIU at Charleston Southern // 2 p.m. CT |
| Live Stats | Friday, Feb. 6: Ohio State | UMBC Saturday, Feb. 7: Ohio State | Charleston Southern |
| Season Previews | Southern Illinois | Charleston Southern | UMBC | Ohio State | MVC |
| 2014 Stats | Southern Illinois | Charleston Southern | UMBC | Ohio State | MVC |
| Social Media | @SIU_Softball  | @SIU_Softball  | Saluki Softball  |
FAST FIVE
- The Salukis lost five starters from the 2014 team that went 28-24, 15-11 MVC and finished third in the conference. The departed seniors are Kelsea Ashton, Michelle Glenn, Taylor Orsburn, Jayna Spivey and Allie VadeBoncouer. Spivey was an All-MVC selection for a fouth-straight year.
- Despite losing five starters, SIU returns four of its top five hitters from last year's team. Spivey was the team's top hitter in 2014 at .337, but Shaye Harre (.329), Kelsey Gonzalez (.328), Kalyn Harker (.313) and Merri Anne Patterson (.292) had the next four highest averages on the team.
- Katie Bertelsen returns as the staff ace. Bertelsen earned second-team All-MVC honors in 2014 after winning 14 games and throwing 188.1 innings for the squad. Shaye Harre and Alyssa Wunderlich also saw action in the circle last year and are expected to contribute again. Freshman Savanna Dover will also be expected to contribute early.
- Harre had one of the best freshman seasons in school history. She hit .329 overall, which was second on the team, and she hit even better in MVC play at .368. She led the team with 43 RBIs, which is second among freshmen in program history.
- Kelsey Gonzalez made incredible strides as a hitter last year. In her freshman campaign, Gonzo hit .210 in 52 starts. As a sophomore in 2014, she jumped all the way to .328, good for third on the team and top-15 in the conference.
FOR STARTERS
The Salukis open the season at the Charleston Southern Tournament on Feb. 6-7, 2015, in Charleston, S.C. SIU opens the season again Ohio State on Friday at 10 a.m. CT and plays Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) immediately following the Ohio State game. On Saturday, Southern opens against Ohio State again at approximately 10 a.m. CT and plays host Charleston Southern at approximately 2 p.m.
Southern Illinois...
- Has won two-straight season openers and six of its last seven.
- Lost starters at catcher, first base, second base, third base and left field.
- Returns four of its top five hitters from the 2014 team.
- Returns 2014 All-Conference selections Katie Bertelsen and Shaye Harre.
- Was picked fourth in the preseason MVC poll.
SCOUTING THE OHIO STATE BUCKEYES
Ohio State had a turnover very similar to Southern's. The Bucks lose half their starters from the 2014 squad but return some major contributors in Cammi Prantl (.329 BA), Taylor Watkins (.361), and Caitlin Conrad (.321). In the circle, Olivia R'eilly (17-9, 3.02 ERA) returns after leading OSU in 2014.
SCOUTING THE UMBC RETRIEVERS
UMBC had a breakout 31-22 season in 2014--a 20-win improvement from its 2013 season. Kelly Lane pitched a five-inning perfect game last year, and Jessica Holte pitched a five-inning no-hitter. Both pitchers return for sophomore campaigns in 2015. The Retrievers led their conference in hits, walks, runs scored, RBIs and home runs in 2014 and return first-team All-Leaguers Taylor Hall and Daniell O'Neill.
SCOUTING THE CHARLESTON SOUTHERN BUCS
Charleston Southern was picked fourth in the Big South preseason poll and received one first-place vote. The Buccaneers won the Big South Tournament last year and played in the NCAA Tournament, and they return a young lineup with six sophomore who played in more than 30 games last year. One of those is RHP Cheyenne Gandara (11-12, 2.49 ERA in 2014), who earned Big South Tournament MVP honors in 2014 after leading the Bucs to the NCAA Tournament.
SALUKIS PICKED FOURTH IN PRESEASON POLL
SIU was picked fourth in the MVC preseason coaches poll for a second-straight year. Last season, Southern went on to a 15-11 MVC season and a third-place finish, the 12th top-three finish in head coach Kerri Blaylock's 15 seasons. SIU lost five starters from that team but returns four of its top five hitters and No. 1 starter Katie Bertelsen. None of Southern's players were listed on the preseason All-MVC team, but Shaye Harre hit .368 in MVC games last year on her way to second-team All-MVC honors, and Bertelsen won nine games in MVC play and had just a 3.19 ERA in league play.
Last year's regular season champion, Wichita State, earned the preseason nod as the favorite in the conference. Illinois State and Northern Iowa were the other schools ahead of SIU.
GONZALEZ, HARKER, WILSON NAMED TEAM CAPTAINS
Junior Kelsey Gonzalez, senior Kalyn Harker and senior Meredith Wilson were named the 2015 team captains, head coach Kerri Blaylock announced in August. Gonzalez hit .328 last year, second in the MVC among shortstops. Harker, in addition to being one of the best outfielders in the MVC (only one career error and .995 career fielding percentage), hit .313 as a junior last year and showcased an impressive combination of power (10 doubles) and speed (14 stolen bases). Wilson is a two-time All-MVC hitter with 131 career starts for the Salukis under her belt. She has a .449 career slugging percentage and hit a walk-off single to beat MVC Pitcher of the Year Brittany Gardner and Loyola.
BERTELSEN LEADS PITCHERS IN 2014
SIU senior Katie Bertelsen will lead the pitching staff in 2015. Bertelsen threw more than twice as many innings as any other pitcher on the staff in 2014, logging 188.1 innings. Bertie won 14 games, including nine in MVC play. Fellow senior Alyssa Wunderlich and sophomore Shaye Harre also return after seeing time at pitcher in 2014. Wunderlich led the team in ERA in 2012 and got three wins in 33 innings last year. Harre also won three games and pitched 44 innings for the Salukis last season. Freshman Savanna Dover is expected to be a heavy contributer right away. The newcomer threw four career no-hitters in high school and pitched a five-inning no-no in the fall season.
GONZALEZ HAS BREAKOUT SOPHOMORE SEASON
SIU junior captain Kelsey Gonzalez is coming off a breakout sophomore season. Gonzalez started all 52 games in her freshman year and hit .210. Last season, Gonzalez hit .328 in 47 starts and 51 total games. She hit at nearly every spot in the lineup and ended the year in the middle of the lineup. She earned MVC Player of the Week honors after she slugged .933 against Wichita State. She had two doubles, two home runs, six RBIs and 14 total bases in leading Southern to a series win over the eventual MVC champion Shockers.
HARRE HAS MONSTER FRESHMAN SEASON
Shaye Harre was immediately a force in the middle of the lineup for SIU as a freshman. She was second on the team in 2014 with a .329 average and hit an even better .368 in MVC play. She led the team with 43 RBIs, second in program history among freshman. Her on-base percentage, RBIs, doubles and walks all ranked among the top 10 in the MVC. Harre joined Bertelsen as a second-team All-MVC honoree after the season.
SOCIAL MEDIA POST OF THE WEEK
JC Bass is a 2-and-a-half year old friend of sophomore Merri Anne Patterson. He recently underwent unexpected brain surgery to remove a Primitive Neuro Ectodermal Tumor (PNET). This is a very aggressive type of cancer that affects the brain and spine. Fortunately the doctors at Vanderbilt were able to remove the entire tumor--which was very large--but in a couple weeks, JC will be starting a 6 month round of chemotherapy. To donate to his cause, click HERE.
DEPTH IN THE OUTFIELD
Head coach Kerri Blaylock has said this has a chance to be one of the deepest outfields she has had at SIU. Team captain Kalyn Harker will anchor the unit in center field. The senior is a force both offensively and defensively, holding a career .995 fielding percentage and .288 hitter from the plate. She hit .313 with 10 doubles last year.
Fellow captain Meredith Wilson has also played right field for the Salukis. Wilson is a two-time All-MVC hitter who can also help as a designated player. She has a .293 career average with 24 career doubles and 10 home runs. She has a .449 career slugging percentage and hit a walkoff single last year against Loyola to give the Salukis a win over eventual MVC Player of the Year Brittany Gardner.
Merri Anne Patterson worked herself into the rotation late in the year last year and provided an instant spark to the club. Patterson entered the starting lineup against Bradley and the team quickly went on a seven-game MVC winning streak. Patterson ended up hitting .292 on the year, which was fifth on the team, and she hit .314 in MVC games, good for third on the team.
A pair of freshmen, Savannah Fisher and Jessica Heese, will also compete for playing time immediately in the outfield.
CONTINUING TRADITION OF ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
Saluki Softball posted a team GPA of 3.616 in the fall 2014 semester. All 17 players in the program earned at least a 3.2 GPA during the semester. SIU has a history as one of the best academic and athletic softball programs in the country under head coach Kerri Blaylock. Southern Illinois has posted a team GPA among the top-20 nationally in 13 of the past 14 academic years, including ten top-10 finishes. Since the NCAA began publicly recognizing softball programs that finish in the top 10 percent of their sport academically, Saluki Softball has been recognized six times and is the only program in the MVC to earn the honor even once.
FOLLOW US
The official Twitter and Instagram of Saluki softball is @SIU_Softball. This account features team news as well as live in-game updates. Fans can also follow Saluki Athletics @SIUSalukis for news on all SIU sports. Saluki Softball is also on Facebook at Facebook.com/SalukiSoftball.
| Lineup Quick Notes | ||
| 00 | Sydney Jones |
True freshman...Four-time All-Conference honoree in HS...Team won Fla. 8A title in 2011 & reached #1 ranking by ESPN in 2012
|
| 1 | Merri Anne Patterson |
2015 MVC All-Tournament team...Team went 11-6 after MAP became regular starter...Hit .324 in stretch as regular starter
|
| 2 | Brook Womack |
Played in 22 games, starting 5 as true freshman...Singled in first official collegiate at-bat...Multi-hit games against MIA(OH) & ILS
|
| 5 | Lacey Newbold |
86 career games & 13 career starts...7 stolen bases last year...9 career stolen bases...Scored 28 career runs
|
| 6 | Savannah Fisher |
True freshman...Three-time HS team MVP...11 home runs in 2013...All-Metro honoree in 2013 and 2014
|
| 7 | Kelsey Gonzalez |
Improved BA by .118 from Fr. to So. yr (.210 to .328)...First-team MVC Scholar-Athlete in 2014...MVC Player of the Week (4/28/14)
|
| 10 | Caylee Cook |
51 career games & 26 career starts...3 doubles and 2 HRs, both in 2014...3-for-3 with 2 runs scored vs. Savannah State
|
| 12 | Kalyn Harker |
Second-team All-MVC in 2013...Two-time first-team MVC Scholar-Athlete....995 career fielding %...109 career starts...10 2B in 2014
|
| 17 | Kara Kimball |
Played in 139 career games...7 career stolen bases...56 career runs scored...1-for-3 in career
|
| 23 | Jessica Heese |
True freshman...Two-time first-team All-State honoree in HS...Hit .648 as a senior...Top 10 in state in seven hitting categories as Sr
|
| 24 | Alyssa Wunderlich |
Two-time honorable mention MVC Scholar-Athlete...23 career wins...4.27 career ERA...260.2 career innings
|
| 25 | Shaye Harre |
Second-team All-MVC in 2014...MVC Newcomer of the Week (4/28/14)...Led team w/ 43 RBIs in 2014...Hit .329 as a freshman
|
| 27 | Katie Bertelsen |
Second-team All-MVC in 2014...31 career wins...30 career complete games, including 20 in 2014...Allowed 2 or fewer R in 8G in 2014
|
| 28 | Taylor Harris |
49 career games and 15 career starts...Went 3-for-4 with 3 RBIs against Texas A&M Corpus Christi....333 career OBP
|
| 32 | Jessica Thomas |
Played in 9 games as a freshman, starting 8 backing up Allie VadeBoncouer...1.000 fielding percentage as a freshman
|
| 33 | Meredith Wilson |
Two-time second-team All-MVC (2012, 2013)...131 career starts...24 career doubles....449 career slugging percentage
|
| 59 | Savanna Dover |
True freshman... All-Region and All-State honoree in 2012...Region 5 AAAAAA Pitcher of the Year in 2012...4 career HS no-hitters
|
| | Team | Won two-straight season openers and six of the last seven |
| HC | Kerri Blaylock | Coached her 800th career game--all at SIU--on March 30, 2014 @ Missouri St. ... Highest Win% among MVC 500-win coaches |
