Southern set for weekend series at Memphis

Friday, March 10

Memphis, Tenn.

4 p.m.

Southern Illinois University

Memphis

03/09/2017 | 5:28:00 | Baseball

SOUTHERN ILLINOIS (7-5) AT MEMPHIS (7-5) // March 10-12, 2017 // Memphis, Tenn. // FedExPark (2,000 // Grass) // Weather // SIU Game Notes PDF // Memphis Game Notes PDF

Southern Illinois plays a weekend series at Memphis March 10-12. Due to the weather forecast, game times have been changed from the original schedule. The Salukis and Tigers will now start the games at 4 p.m. on Friday, noon on Saturday and 1 p.m. on Sunday. SIU won two out of three from Memphis last year in Carbondale.

GAME 1 - Friday, March 10 // 4 p.m. // Watch (Subscription Required) // 105.1 FM in Carbondale // Listen Free // Live Stats

SIU RHP Chad Whitmer (1-0, 1.96 ERA, 18.1 IP)
MEM RHP Alex Hicks (2-0, 1.84 ERA, 14.2 IP)

GAME 2 - Saturday, March 11 // 12 p.m. // Watch (Subscription Required) // 1300-AM or 95.5 FM in Carbondale // Listen Free // Live Stats

SIU RHP Michael Baird (3-0, 0.00 ERA, 20.2 IP)
MEM LHP Drew Crosby (2-0, 4.61 ERA, 13.2 IP)

GAME 3 - Sunday, March 12 // 1 p.m. // Watch (Subscription Required) // 1300-AM or 95.5 FM in Carbondale // Listen Free // Live Stats

SIU LHP Joey Marciano (1-0, 2.70 ERA, 6.2 IP)
MEM RHP Connor Alexander (2-1, 6.43 ERA, 14.0 IP)

AROUND THE HORN

Southern Illinois travels to Memphis for a three-game series March 10-12 at FedExPark.
Due to weather, the game times for the first two games of the series have been adjusted. SIU and Memphis will start at 4 p.m. on Friday (instead of the originally scheduled 6 p.m.) and noon on Saturday (instead of 2 p.m.).
The Salukis won two out of three from Memphis last year in Carbondale. The Salukis lost on Friday but won the last two games of the series in 2016.
Both teams enter the series at 7-5 overall. Memphis has a 2-1 series win over Georgia Southern and a win over nationally ranked Ole Miss on its resume. The Tigers are receiving votes in the NCBWA top-30 poll.
The Salukis lead the all-time series with Memphis, 17-11, dating back to 1963.
The Salukis rank 11th in the NCAA in stolen bases with 26. Nobody else in the MVC has more than 11 this year. SIU has attempted 34 steals this year, twice as many as anyone else in the league.
Southern Illinois' ERA on the weekends this year (9 games) is 2.00. SIU starting pitchers have a 1.28 ERA on the weekends.
Over the last seven games, the Salukis are hitting .323 and averaging 9.0 runs per game. SIU has at least 11 hits in six of the last seven games.
Since the start of the 2015 season, Southern Illinois has turned 127 double plays in 127 games, the most in the Missouri Valley Conference in that span.
After three starts and 20.2 innings pitched, Michael Baird still holds a 0.00 ERA. He's one of six players in the nation with at least 20 innings pitched and a flawless ERA. The others: JC Cloney (Arizona), Jared Poche' (LSU), Griffin Canning (UCLA), Keegan Thompson (Auburn) and Brigham Hill (Texas A&M).
Ryan Netemeyer has three saves this season, which is second in the MVC. He has 16 career saves, which is tied with Tyler Dray (2011-14) for fourth in SIU program history.

LEADING THE MVC

A look at SIU team and individuals leading the MVC in statistical categories heading into the weekend...
- Logan Blackfan in walks (12)
- Connor Kopach in doubles (6)
- Kopach in sacrifice bunts (3)
- Kopach in stolen bases (7)
- Greg Lambert in sac flies (2)
- Michael Baird in ERA (0.00)
- Baird in innings pitched (20.2)
- Baird in wins (3)
- Baird in fewest walks issued (2)
- Jacob Williams in pitching appearances (8)
- Team in on-base percentage (.382)
- Team in runs scored (91)
- Team in hits (127)
- Team in RBIs (77)
- Team in stolen bases (26) and steal attempts (34)

PITCHING POSITIVE

Southern's weekend starters have a 1.28 ERA in the nine weekend starts this year.
The starters have lived up to preseason hype. Whitmer and Baird were the only two starting pitchers selected to the preseason All-MVC team.
Joey Marciano did not pitch at Louisiana Monroe as a precautionary measure. Austin McPheron started in his place and was outstanding, allowing just one run in 3.2 innings. Marciano returned to the weekend rotation last Sunday and is expected to start Sunday at Memphis.
SIU has pitched shutouts on two Saturdays so far this season. SIU beat Stetson 7-0 on Saturday and Louisiana Monroe 9-0.
Michael Baird started both SIU shutouts this season.
Freshman Alex Gutermuth has been a standout early in the year. He has pitched five scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and two walks while striking out six.
Gutermuth has limited opposing hitters to a .133 average.
Closer Ryan Netemeyer saved two games in the Western Illinois series. He hasn't allowed an earned run in his last four appearances (3.1 IP) and has four strikeouts in that span.

HITTING THEIR STRIDE

Southern Illinois bats have picked up over the last 10 days. SIU is hitting .323 over the last seven games and scoring 9.0 runs per game.
Connor Kopach and Logan Blackfan have reached in all 12 games this season.
Kopach and Dyllin Mucha come into the series with four-game hitting streaks.
Greg Lambert was dominant in SIU's last game. He went 5-for-5 with two doubles and a home run in SIU's 13-12 loss at Murray State.
Lambert's five hits were the most for a Saluki since Austin Montgomery tied a school record with six vs. IPFW in 2012.
Ten Salukis are hitting at least .285 this year. Lambert (.362), Will Farmer (.340), Hunter Anderson (.302), Kopach (.300) and Drew Curtis (.300) are all hitting at least .300, and Logan Blackfan (.298) and Nick Hutchins (.297) are one hit away.