Southern hosts Murray State on Wednesday
04/12/2016 | 12:00:00 | Softball
| SIU (23-12) vs. Murray State (17-20) | |
| Date and Time | April 13, 2016 | 4 p.m. CT |
| Location | Carbondale, Ill. | Charlotte West Stadium (502) | Weather |
| Follow Along | Free Video Stream | Live Stats |
| 2016 Stats | Southern Illinois | Murray State | MVC | OVC |
| Social Media | @SIU_Softball  | @SIU_Softball  | Saluki Softball  |
FAST FIVE
- SIU and Murray State are facing off for the second time in less than a week. Last Thursday, SIU won at Murray, 10-5.
- Southern Illinois is 3-0 in mid-week games this year. Along with last week's win at Murray State, SIU has also beaten Saint Louis (14-2) and SEMO (3-2) in mid-week games this year.
- SIU is playing at home for the first time since March 26. After playing the last seven games on the road, the Salukis play the next six games at Charlotte West Stadium.
- Southern has won three of its last four games, all on the road. In that span, SIU has piled up 30 runs on 38 hits, an average of 9.5 hits and 7.5 runs per game.
- Jessica Heese earned MVC Player of the Week honors on Monday. Heese hit .500 and had nine RBIs in SIU's 3-1 week last week. Against Murray State, Heese scored three runs and had an RBI.
FOR STARTERS
Saluki Softball returns to Charlotte West Stadium on Wednesday for a 4 p.m. game against Murray State. The Salukis and Racers faced off in Murray, Ky., last week, with SIU winning 10-5. Southern is 3-0 in mid-week games this season and 8-2 at Charlotte West Stadium.
Southern Illinois...
- is 23-12 overall. Southern is 15-5 in the last 20 games after starting the year 8-7.
- pitched 11 shutouts this season. SIU already has the most shutouts since 2011 (13), and all three pitchers have already thrown at least one shutout.
- has only allowed only 10 home runs in 227.0 innings pitched. SIU allowed 53 home runs last year (about one every six innings).
- has a .974 fielding percentage, the 16th-best mark in Division I softball (290 teams).
- has the top ERA in the Missouri Valley Conference and 55th-best in the nation (2.81).
- has lowered its team ERA more than 1.9 runs from last season.
- is out-homering opponents 30-10 this season. SIU has 84 extra-base hits, compared to just 47 for opponents.
- went 10-5 at Charlotte West Stadium in 2015, the 34th consecutive season SIU had a winning record at home. Southern is 8-2 so far in 2016.
- hosts the 2016 MVC Championships at Charlotte West Stadium.
- is 197-71 (.735) at home in its 14th seasons at Charlotte West Stadium.
Jessica Heese was named MVC Player of the Week on Monday. Heese helped SIU get three road wins last week. She had nine RBIs in the four games and hit a two-out grand slam at Missouri State. She also hit the go-ahead, two-RBI double in the seventh inning of game three at Missouri State to break a 4-4 tie and give SIU the series win.
SALUKIS VS. RACERS: THE FIRST TIME
SIU and Murray State matched up last Thursday in Murray, Ky., with the Salukis getting a 10-5 win. The game was scheduled last minute after SIU's regularly scheduled game at UT Martin on Wednesday was rained out. SIU put up a three-run first and a six-run sixth to get the win. Murray State set a program record with six doubles in that game, and SIU freshman Hanna Porter set career highs with three hits and three RBIs for SIU.
ASSORTED NOTES
Brianna Jones has 17 wins this season, one shy of the program's freshman record (Amy Harre had 18 in 2002)...Jessica Heese, Eyrika Brandenburg, Jessa Thomas, Hanna Porter, Shaye Harre and Caylee Cook each reached in at least half of their plate appearances in the series at Missouri State; that group reached in 34-of-59 plate appearances across the three games (.576 ob%)...Brandenburg singled in four-straight plate appearances across two games at Missouri State; she had six hits in the three games...Sydney Jones is riding a six-game hitting streak, tied with Brandenburg for longest on the team this season...Heese and Brandenburg both have active four-game hit streaks...Jones has reached base in eight-straight games. Jessa Thomas is second on the team with an active seven-game reached base streak, and Caylee Cook is third with an active six-game streak...SIU is 3-0 in mid-week, non-conference games for the first time since 2006; that team went 7-0 in mid-week non-conference matchups.
