SIU hosts No. 26 Tennessee Tech, schedule adjusted

Saturday, April 22

Carbondale, Ill.

2 p.m.

Southern Illinois University

Tennessee Tech

Photo by: Madison Case

04/20/2017 | 7:54:00 | Baseball

SOUTHERN ILLINOIS (18-20) vs. No. 26 TENNESSEE TECH (30-9) // April 22-23 // Carbondale, Ill. (Weather) // Itchy Jones Stadium (2,000 | Turf) // SIU Game Notes PDF

Southern Illinois hosts Tennessee Tech for a three-game series this weekend. Due to the weather forecast on Friday, the series schedule has been adjusted. SIU and TTU will not play on Friday and instead play a 2 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday at a single game on Sunday. Sunday's game will start at 1 p.m. CT.

GAME 1 - Saturday, April 22 // 2 p.m. CT // No Video | Audio | Stats

SIU RHP Chad Whitmer (3-3, 4.25 ERA, 59.1 IP)
TTU RHP Michael Wood (7-2, 4.55 ERA, 55.1 IP)

GAME 2 - Saturday, April 22 // 5:30 p.m. CT // No Video | Audio | Stats

SIU RHP Michael Baird (4-1, 3.41 ERA, 58.0 IP)
TTU RHP Devin Lancaster (4-1, 4.08 ERA, 39.2 IP)

GAME 3 - Sunday, April 23 // 1 p.m. CT // No Video | Audio | Stats

SIU LHP Joey Marciano (2-2, 4.22 ERA, 32.0 IP)
TTU RHP Chase Burkett (4-1, 5.62 ERA, 41.2 IP)

AROUND THE HORN

Southern Illinois hosts Tennesse Tech for a three-game series at Itchy Jones Stadium this weekend.
Tennessee Tech is ranked No. 26 nationally by Collegiate Baseball. The Golden Eagles are the first ranked team SIU has faced this season.
The teams have met just twice all-time. The Salukis swept a doubleheader on April 2, 1967, and the teams have not played since.
TTU leads the nation in extra-base hits per game and ranks third in runs per game.
Chad Whitmer struck out 13 batters in a complete-game win at Indiana State on Friday night. Whitmer retired 15 of the final 16 batters he faced, and his 13 strikeouts were the most by a Saluki since P.J. Finigan (now the team's pitching coach) struck out 17 against Chicago State in 2005.
Whitmer was named the MVC Pitcher of the Week. He and Ryan Netemeyer have earned that honor this year, the first time SIU has had multiple pitchers honored since 2005.
Southern Illinois has turned 41 double plays this year, which ranks fourth in the NCAA and leads the MVC by 10.
Since the start of the 2015 season, SIU has turned 156 double plays in 153 games, which leads the MVC in that span. Will Farmer has started all 153 games in the middle infield.
SIU closer Netemeyer ranks fifth in the NCAA with 11 saves this season. He leads the MVC by four saves.
SIU's single-season saves record is 13 by Al Levine in 1990. Netemeyer had 12 saves last year, which rank second in SIU single-season history. His 11 saves this season are already tied for third in SIU single-season history.
Netemeyer's 24 career saves...
- Rank second in SIU career history. (Bryant George (2007-10) holds the career record with 30.)
- Rank ninth among active players in Division I baseball (and second among juniors).
Since March 1, Netemeyer's stat line in 14 appearances: 16.0 IP, 0.00 ERA, 5H, 17 Ks, 6 BB, .104 opp/BA
Nick Hutchins was added to the Johnny Bench Award Watch List. The Johnny Bench Award is given annually to the nation's top catcher.
The Salukis have stolen 63 bases already in 2017, which is nearly twice as many as any other MVC school (Bradley is second with 32). SIU ranks 16th nationally in steals.
Last year, Southern stole 38 bases in 57 games. This year, the Salukis have stolen 63 bases in the first 38 games.
Connor Kopach (22), Ryan Smith (11) and Greg Lambert (8) give SIU three of the top seven base stealers in the MVC.
Kopach ranks sixth nationally in stolen bases. Kopach is coming off a summer in which he set a Northwoods League record for stolen bases with 50. He has been on base in 37 of 38 games this season.

RUN WITH US

Southern Illinois has stolen 63 bases this year in 38 games. That leads the MVC (by 31 steals) and ranks 16th nationally.
Already, SIU has stolen the most bases for the program since 2006 (67 steals).
The 2017 Salukis will almost certainly be the first SIU team to eclipse 70 stolen bases since 1991 (109 steals).
Connor Kopach leads the MVC and ranks sixth nationally with 22 stolen bases.
This past summer, Kopach set a Northwoods League record with 50 stolen bases.
Kopach (22), Ryan Smith (11) and Greg Lambert (8) give SIU three of the top seven base stealers in the MVC.
Everybody who has played in more than six games has attempted at least one stolen base, except Logan Blackfan.