Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Brianna Jones named MVC Pitcher of the Week
02/15/2016 | 12:00:00 | Softball
ST. LOUIS - Southern Illinois softball pitcher Brianna Jones was named Missouri Valley Conference Pitcher of the Week, the league announced Monday. Jones threw two complete-game shutouts on opening weekend and did not allow an earned run in 14.0 innings.
Jones, a freshman from Manchester, Tenn., has pitched complete-game shutouts in each of her first two collegiate starts, joining former Saluki greats Amy Harre and Cassidy Scoggins among Saluki pitchers to throw shutouts in their first career starts. Jones pitched the season opener for SIU and shutout UT Martin, 3-0, before coming back the next day and shutting out Mississippi Valley State, 12-0, in six innings.
Jones is the first Saluki to earn Pitcher of the Week honors since Danielle Glosson in April 2011. She is the first Saluki freshman pitcher to earn Pitcher of the Week since Nikki Waters in 2008. Jones leads the conference in ERA (0.00) and ranks among the top five in opposing batting average (5th, .192), strikeouts (16, t-3rd), strikeouts looking (4, 4th), and wins (2, t-2nd).
Southern Illinois went 3-2 on opening weekend. In addition to Jones' two shutouts, Savanna Dover pitched a shutout against Buffalo. SIU pitched three shutouts in the first five games of the year for the sixth time under head coach Kerri Blaylock and first since 2006. The team ERA after five games is a league-leading 0.90.
Danielle Freeman (Evansville) was named MVC Player of the Week, and Kennedy Frank (Drake) was named Newcomer of the Week.
SIU is back in action at Florida Gulf Coast's tournament this weekend. SIU faces LIU Brooklyn, Marshall, Florida Gulf Coast and Hofstra.
