SIU at WSU: Notes & Links
05/06/2016 | 12:00:00 | Softball
| SIU (31-17, 14-9 MVC) at Wichita State (32-18, 17-5 MVC) | |
| Dates | May 7-8, 2016 |
| Location | Wichita, Kan. | Wilkins Stadium | Weather |
| Game 1 | Saturday, May 7 | 12 p.m. CT | AM-1300 WFRX | WSU Video | SIU Audio | Live Stats |
| Game 2 | Saturday, May 7 | 2 p.m. CT | AM-1300 WFRX | WSU Video | SIU Audio | Live Stats |
| Game 3 | Sunday, May 8 | 11 a.m. CT | AM-1300 WFRX | WSU Video | SIU Audio | Live Stats |
| Game Notes | Southern Illinois | MVC |
| 2016 Stats | Southern Illinois | Wichita State | MVC |
| Social Media | @SIU_Softball  | @SIU_Softball  | Saluki Softball  |
Southern Illinois (31-17, 14-9 MVC)
- Head Coach: Kerri Blaylock (593-322-1, 17th Season)
- Associate Head Coach: Jen Sewell
- Assistant Coach: Katie Wagner
WICHITA STATE (32-18, 17-5 MVC)
- Head Coach: Kristi Bredbenner (134-135, 5th season)
- Assistant Coach: Nicole Hudson
- Assistant Coach: Ryne Stefankiewicz
FAST FIVE
- SIU has won six of its last seven games, all Missouri Valley Conference games.
- SIU leads the league in ERA and has held opponents to three or fewer runs for 13-straight games. SIU has the 24th-best ERA in the country.
- SIU has clinched a winning MVC record for the 16th-straight year.
- Brianna Jones has the most wins (22) and shutouts (10) of all freshmen nationally.
- In league play, Savanna Dover (1.58) and Brianna Jones (1.94) have the second and third-best ERAs in the MVC.
FOR STARTERS
SIU closes the regular season at Wichita State for a three-game series. The Salukis and Shockers will play a doubleheader at noon on Saturday and a single game at noon on Sunday. SIU has won six of its last seven MVC games, while Wichita State has clinched the regular-season MVC title after winning its last 10 MVC games. The Shockers have clinched the top seed at next week's MVC Tournament, while SIU can finish anywhere from second to fifth depending on the outcomes of this weekend's games. SIU has won 18 of the last 21 games in the series.
Southern Illinois...
- has won six of its last seven games, all MVC games.
- has won 18 of the last 21 games in the series with Wichita State.
- pitched 15 shutouts this season. SIU already has the most shutouts since 2007 (18), and all three pitchers have already thrown at least one shutout.
- has only allowed only 11 home run in 319.0 innings pitched. Everyone else in the league has allowed at least 21 home runs. SIU has allowed only one home run in the last 90.0 innings.
- leads the league (all games) in ERA (2.28), opposing batting average (.234), runs allowed (125), hits allowed (280), earned runs allowed (104), walks allowed (113), doubles allowed (40) and home runs allowed (11).
- leads the league (MVC games) in ERA (1.80), opposing batting average (.234), runs allowed (55), earned runs allowed (41), doubles allowed (15), home runs allowed (6) and fielding percentage (.969).
- is out-homering opponents 35-11 this season. SIU has 105 extra-base hits, compared to just 55 for opponents.
- has posted a winning home record for 35 consecutive years.
- hosts the 2016 MVC Championships at Charlotte West Stadium and Kay Brechtelsbauer Field.
- is 201-77 (.726) at home in its 14th seasons at Charlotte West Stadium.
HARRE, JONES EARN MOST RECENT MVC WEEKLY HONORS
Shaye Harre and Brianna Jones earned weekly awards from the MVC on Monday. Harre was named MVC Player of the Week for the second time this season after hitting .571 with three doubles in SIU's series win vs. UNI. Jones had an 0.50 ERA in two games, including a shutout. She earned MVC Newcomer of the Week honors for the third time this season.
BRI JONES A FINALIST FOR NATIONAL FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Brianna Jones is a finalist for the NFCA National Freshman of the Year, the organization announced on Thursday. Jones leads all freshmen nationally with 10 shutouts and 22 wins. Among freshmen with at least 100 innings (Jones has 191 innings), Jones ranks fourth nationally in ERA.
SALUKI PITCHING FUELS SUCCESS
From 1987-2007, Southern Illinois had a team ERA under 3.00 all 21 seasons. This year, SIU's ERA is back under than 3.00 mark at 2.28, and Southern already has the most shutouts this year (15) since 2007 (18). Brianna Jones has earned MVC Pitcher of the Week honors three times after throwing 10 shutouts. The pitching staff of Jones, Savanna Dover and Nicole Doyle has only allowed 11 home runs in 319.0 innings. Last year, the Salukis allowed a home run, on average, about every six innings. This year, it's one home run allowed every 29 innings, which is by far the best mark in the MVC. Opponents are hitting .234 this year, compared to .305 last year, and the pitchers this year are averaging about twice as many strikeouts per game.
PITCHING ON A ROLL
In the last 13 games, SIU's pitching has an 0.99 ERA in 92.0 innings. Both Brianna Jones and Savanna Dover have thrown two shutouts in that stretch. Dover has an 0.49 ERA in 28.1 innings, and Jones has a 1.22 ERA in 63.1 innings. Combined, the pair are limiting opponents to a .192 batting average and only eight extra-base hits. Jones is limiting opponents to a .189 batting average while striking out 47 and walking only six. Dover is limiting opponents to a .194 average with 14 strikeouts against only seven walks.
DOVER AMONG MVC'S BEST
Savanna Dover has been one of the best pitchers in the conference through 23 MVC games. Dover's ERA in league games (1.58) ranks second in the MVC, and she has struck out 31 while allowing only six extra-base hits (no home runs) and limiting opponents to a .218 batting average. She has thrown shutouts against Loyola, Indiana State, and Northern Iowa, as well. Dover's shutout was the first time UNI had been shut out in Valley play all year.
HARRE: MIDDLE OF THE ORDER MONSTER
Southern Illinois junior first baseman Shaye Harre is one of the best hitters in the MVC. She has started all 148 games in her career and hit in the middle of the order since her first game of freshman year. Nearing the end of her junior season, Harre has collected 134 hits (.324 career hitter), 30 doubles, 22 home runs and 111 RBIs.
This season, Harre is hitting .357 with 12 doubles, 12 home runs and a team-high 38 RBIs. Harre led the team in RBIs in each of her first two seasons as a Saluki and is on pace to do it again, already surpassing her team-leading total of 30 RBIs last season. She is slugging .738 in 2016 and reaching at a .506 clip. Harre leads the league in home runs and on-base percentage.
Harre has entered the SIU single-season record books already this season with 12 home runs and 37 walks drawn, both in the top-10 in SIU single-season history. Harre, a junior, also has 22 career home runs, which also ranks in the top-10 in SIU career history.
HEESE PROTECTING HARRE
Sophomore outfielder Jessica Heese is in her first season as a starting outfielder for the Salukis, and she has quickly made per presence felt. She leads the conference in doubles in MVC play with eight. She is hitting .276 this year, and she also has 13 doubles, three triples and four home runs to give her a .543 slugging percentage. Her slugging percentage ranks second on the team, and her 13 doubles lead the team and rank sixth in SIU single-season history.
SIU DEDICATES FIELD TO KAY BRECHTELSBAUER
SIU dedicated its field to Hall-of-Fame coach Kay Brechtelsbauer prior to the series with Northern Iowa. Coach B won 633 games in 32 seasons as SIU's head coach, retiring after the 1999 season. She retired with the most overall and conference wins in MVC history, and she remains the fourth-winningest coach in conference history.
SALUKI SOFTBALL: THE NATION'S MOST WELL-ROUNDED PROGRAM
The Salukis are among the most well-balanced programs in the nation. Under head coach Kerri Blaylock (16 seasons), the Salukis have finished among the top-20 program-wide GPAs 15 times, including eight top-five finishes. This past year (2014-15), the Salukis had a 3.62 team GPA, the fourth-best in all of Division I softball. Under Blaylock, Southern Illinois has won 590 games, three MVC championships and gone to five NCAA Tournaments while finishing with a team GPA among the top-10 in the nation 11 times.
The Salukis have had at least two student-athletes earn first-team MVC Scholar-Athlete team honors for 18 consecutive seasons, and Saluki Softball has the second-most Academic All-Americans of any Division I softball program. Last season, Kalyn Harker became the latest Saluki Softballer to earn first-team Academic All-America honors, and Shaye Harre earned first-team Academic All-District along with Harker, who went on to be a finalist for NCAA Woman of the Year.
Starting in 2004-05, the NCAA started recognizing programs for being among the top 10 percent of their sport for Academic Progress Rate. Southern Illinois and Loyola are the only two MVC schools to earn the honor even once, and the Salukis have earned it seven of the 10 years it has been awarded.
| Lineup Quick Notes | ||
| 00 | Sydney Jones | 2016: 39-140 (.279), .395 OB%...12 multi-hit games...Started all 96 career G...2 game-winning HRs |
| 1 | Merri Anne Patterson | All-MVC & MVC All-Defensive Team (2015)...5 HRs & 20 RBIs...21 consecutive successful stolen base att. |
| 6 | Savannah Fisher | Walk-off RBI 2B to beat SEMO...Career highs in H, R...8-8 stealing bases...MVC Academic Honor Roll (2015) |
| 7 | Kelsey Gonzalez | CAREER: 194 starts, 160 hits, 24 doubles, 9 HRs, .370 OB%...Hit .300 over last 2.5 seasons (142 starts)...9G reached streak...Team captain |
| 9 | Hanna Stam | True freshman...Recorded hit in first collegiate at-bat...Hitting 9-for-46 with 3 RBIs...17 starts |
| 10 | Caylee Cook | CAREER: 108 games, 66 starts, 35 hits, 7 doubles, 4 HRs, 21 RBIs...Already career bests in hits, doubles, HRs & RBIs |
| 15 | Nicole Doyle | True freshman...Threw no-hitter in 1st career start...Last nine innings: only 1 earned run allowed |
| 17 | Eyrika Brandenburg | True freshman...Started 46G in left field...First hit was SIU's first RBI of the season...Hitting .333 (2nd on team)...8G hit streak |
| 20 | Hanna Porter | True freshman...Hitting .244...Three home runs, 14 RBIs...Singled in first career at-bat |
| 22 | Brianna Jones | National FR of Year finalist...10 shutouts (2nd in nation)...3-time MVC Pitcher of the Week...Leads MVC in ERA, Ws & SHOs |
| 23 | Jessica Heese | .276 batting average, .543 slg%...Walk-off HR vs. LUC in 8th...Grand slams vs. SLU & Mo St...Leads MVC in 2Bs in MVC play |
| 25 | Shaye Harre | Leads MVC in HR, OB%...3-time MVC POW (twice in `16)...Career: .324 batting average, 111 RBIs...Team captain |
| 28 | Taylor Harris | CAREER: 97 games, 28 starts, 12 hits, 2 doubles, HR, 9 RBIs...3-3 on stolen bases in 2016, 10 runs scored |
| 32 | Jessa Thomas | CAREER: 68 games, 60 starts at catcher...Reached in 11 of last 16 MVC G...Career-high 10 RBIs this year...Team captain |
| 59 | Savanna Dover | 4 CG SHOs...1.58 ERA in MVC...Allowed only 29 EX base hits in 179.1 career IP...No HR allowed in `16 |
| Team | 15 shutouts (most since `07)...Extra base hits: SIU 105, OPP 55...11 HR allowed in 319.0 IP...0.99 ERA in last 13 games | |
| HC | Kerri Blaylock | 17th Season...Won 593 games at SIU...Three MVC titles and five NCAA Tournament appearances |
