EMU Madeira Beach Invitational Game Notes & Links

Friday, February 17

Madeira Beach, Fla.

1 p.m.

Southern Illinois University

University of North Dakota

02/17/2017 | 8:53:00 | Softball

By: By Drew Hoffman, SIUSalukis.com

INVITATIONAL CENTRAL

MADEIRA BEACH, FLA. – The Southern Illinois University softball program has headed south for their second tournament of the season. They will play five games in three days.

Friday
University of North Dakota 1:00 p.m.
University of Alabama-Birmingham 3:30 p.m.

Saturday
University of Massachusetts 8:00 a.m.
Michigan State University 10:30 a.m.

Sunday
Boston University 10:30 a.m.

*Times are central

QUICK HITTERS
-The Salukis enter the weekend with a 3-2 overall record.
-All three SIU wins were shutout victories at the Lion Classic last weekend.
-Savanna Dover went 2-0 the first week and held batters to a .220 average.
-Brianna Jones threw a no-hitter against Mississippi Valley State for SIU's second win of the season.
-SIU clubbed 10 home runs in their first five games, tripling the amount through five games in 2016.

CHASING 600
Head coach Kerri Blaylock enters this weekend only two wins shy of 600 in her career. Her overall record is 598-324-1, giving her the best winning percentage among active coaches in the conference. In the MVC she currently sits at No. 7 all-time in wins. There are only five coaches in the history of the MVC to reach 600 career wins, one of them being Saluki Hall-of-Famer Kay Brechtelsbauer.

During Blaylocks tenure the Salukis have had 15 winning seasons, 14 of which have had 30 or more wins. Blaylock has taken SIU to the NCAA tournament five times.

NO-NO
Sophomore Brianna Jones picked up her first win in 2017 in historic fashion this past weekend against Mississippi Valley State. Jones pitched all seven innings for SIU and didn't allow a single hit, giving her a no-hit shutout. The sophomore recorded ten strikeouts against the 21 batters faced. She is the first SIU pitcher to throw a no-hitter since Nicole Doyle did so in 2016 against Hartford.

SHUTTING THEM ALL OUT
SIU's pitching shined in the first weekend of the season, finishing with three shutout victories. Savanna Dover led the Salukis with two shutouts, while Brianna Jones had one. In those three games the Salukis racked up 21 total strikeouts and only allowed nine hits.

GOING YARD
The Salukis are out to a hot start in 2017 at the plate. Six different players have hit a home run for SIU, totaling to ten all together. The ten homers through five games is seven more than the Salukis had through five games in 2016. Savannah Fisher leads the Salukis with three long-balls, followed by Merri Anne Patterson and Sydney Jones who both have two.

QUICK SCOUT FOR THE WEEKEND
North Dakota – 4-1 record in 2017, the most recent being a 5-4 win over Missouri Valley opponent, Missouri State. The fighting Hawks had a 17-37 record in 2016.

UAB – 0-3 record in 2017, losing each game by a margin of at least two runs. UAB had a 27-32 record in 2016.

UMass – enters the weekend having not played a game in 2017. UMass will have played two games before they face off with SIU. The Minutemen are coming off a 26-24 overall record in 2016.

Michigan State – 3-1 record in 2017, the most notable win being against North Carolina State, 6-4. The Spartans were 27 and 28 a season ago.

Boston University – 2-2 record in 2017, the most recent game being a loss to North Carolina State, 6-9. The Terriers finished 2016 with a 28-24 record.