SIU hosts DBU, schedule adjusted

SOUTHERN ILLINOIS (22-20, 5-4 MVC) vs. DALLAS BAPTIST (25-15, 6-3 MVC) // April 28-30, 2017 // Carbondale, Ill. (Weather) // Itchy Jones Stadium (2,000 | Turf) | SIU Game Notes PDF

Southern Illinois hosts Dallas Baptist for an MVC series in Carbondale this weekend. Due to the threat of inclement weather on all three days, the series schedule has been changed. Friday's game has been moved up to a 1 p.m. start, and the teams will play a doubleheader if weather permits. The schedule for the remainder of the series will be evaluated and announced at the end of the day Friday.

For the quickest weather and schedule updates throughout the weekend, follow Saluki Baseball on Twitter @SIU_Baseball.

GAME 1 - Friday, April 28, 2017 // 1 p.m. CT // ESPN3 | Stats | Audio | 1300-AM and 95.5-FM in Carbondale

SIU RHP Chad Whitmer (4-3, 4.05 ERA, 66.2 IP)
DBU RHP Ray Gaither (4-2, 4.31 ERA, 48.0 IP)

GAME 2 - Saturday, April 29, 2017 // 12:40 p.m. CT // ESPN3 | Stats | Audio | 105.1-FM in Carbondale

SIU RHP Michael Baird (4-1, 4.31 ERA, 62.2 IP)
DBU LHP Jordan Martison (4-3, 4.79 ERA, 47.0 IP)

GAME 3 - Saturday, April 29, 2017 // 4 p.m. CT // ESPN3 | Stats | Audio | 1300-AM and 95.5-FM in Carbondale

SIU LHP Joey Marciano (3-2, 4.62 ERA, 37.0 IP)
DBU RHP MD Johnson (1-2, 4.11 ERA, 35.0 IP)

AROUND THE HORN

Southern Illinois hosts Dallas Baptist for a three-game series this weekend. DBU (6-3) and SIU (5-4) are in second and third place, respectively, in the Missouri Valley Conference.
DBU and SIU were the preseason 1-2 teams in the league. DBU was picked first with five first-place votes, and SIU was picked second, with three first-place votes.
Both teams come into the weekend with season-long winning streaks. Dallas Baptist has won seven games in a row, and SIU has won four in a row.
The Salukis have overcome multi-run ninth-inning deficits in two of its last three games. In the second game vs. Tennessee Tech, Southern trailed 9-7 with two outs in the ninth but rallied for a 10-7 win. On Tuesday at SEMO, SIU trailed 5-2 but scored five runs in the ninth for a 7-5 win.
In both comebacks, Jake Hand had the go-ahead hit. He hit an RBI double vs. TTU and a two-run single to break a 5-5 tie at SEMO.
Both teams have a closer that was named to the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Midseason Watch List. DBU's Seth Elledge is second in the MVC with eight saves. SIU's Ryan Netemeyer leads the league and ranks third nationally with 13.
Netemeyer earned his 13th save of the season on Tuesday at SEMO. He tied Al Levine (1990) for the SIU single-season saves record. Netemeyer also holds the third spot in SIU single-season history with his 12 saves last year.
Netemeyer's 26 career saves are eighth among active players in Division I baseball and second among active juniors.
Since March 1, Netemeyer's stat line in 17 appearances: 19.0 IP, 0.00 ERA, 6H, 19 Ks, 8 BB, 12 saves.
Greg Lambert has six doubles in the last three games, including a school-record-tying three doubles on Tuesday at Southeast Missouri.
Lambert is riding an eight-game hitting streak. In that span, he is 18-for-33 (.545) with eight doubles and 13 RBIs.
Southern Illinois has stolen 71 bases this year, which ranks 14th in the NCAA and leads the MVC by 37. (Bradley is second in the MVC with 34 stolen bases.)
Southern's 71 steals are the most for the program since the 1991 team stole 109 bases. Last year's SIU team stole 38 bags.
Kopach stole four bases in the third game against No. 26 TTU on Sunday, which is tied for a school record and tied for the most in the NCAA this season.
Logan Blackfan, who had only 1 double in his previous 24 games before last weekend, has two doubles and a home run in the last three games.
Blackfan now has 49 career doubles, which is two away from the SIU career record.
SIU ranks fifth nationally and leads the MVC with 44 double plays. Since the start of 2015, Southern has turned 159 double plays in 157 games, the most in the league. Will Farmer has started all 157 of those games in the middle infield.

MVC LEADERS

Greg Lambert in doubles (18)
Lambert in sacrifice flies (5)
Connor Kopach in stolen bases (26)
Chad Whitmer in innings pitched (66.2)
Ryan Netemeyer in saves (13)
Team in stolen bases (71)
Team in saves (15)
Team in double plays (44)

LAMBERT ON A ROLL

Lambert is riding an eight-game hitting streak. In that span, he is 18-for-33 (.545) with eight doubles and 13 RBIs.
Lambert has six doubles in the last three games and eight doubles in the last six games.
He ranks seventh nationally and leads the MVC with 18 doubles.
Lambert has 45 RBIs this year, which is third in the MVC.

RUN WITH US

Southern Illinois has stolen 71 bases this year in 38 games. That leads the MVC (by 37 steals) and ranks 14th nationally.
Already, SIU has stolen the most bases for the program since 1991 (109 steals).
Connor Kopach leads the MVC and ranks third nationally with 26 stolen bases.
Kopach stole four bases in the Sunday game vs. Tennessee Tech last weekend, which tied a school record and tied for the most in the NCAA this year.
Kopach is the first SIU player with a four-steal game since 1992.
This past summer, Kopach set a Northwoods League record with 50 stolen bases.
Kopach (26), Ryan Smith (13) 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.
Last year, SIU stole 38 bags total.

NETEMEYER ADDED TO STOPPER OF THE YEAR WATCH LIST

SIU closer Ryan Netemeyer ranks third in the NCAA with 13 saves this season. Minnesota's Brian Glowicki and Mississippi State's Spencer Price are the national leaders with 14.
Netemeyer's 13 saves tied SIU's single-season record, set by Al Levine in 1990.
Netemeyer earned a spot on the NCBWA Stopper of the Year midseason watch list on Wedesday.
Netemeyer earned MVC Pitcher of the Week earlier this year. Netemeyer pitched 3.2 no-hit innings while picking up three saves. (one at Arkansas State and two at Illinois.)
Since March 1, Netemeyer has thrown 19.0 innings with a 0.00 ERA. In that span, he has 12 saves and allowed only six hits while striking out 19.
Two of the top three single-season saves mark are by Netemeyer. His 13 saves this year are tied with Al Levine (1990) for the school record, and he had 12 saves last year.
Netemeyer's 26 career saves...
- Rank second in SIU career history. (Bryant George (2007-10) holds the career record with 30.)
- Rank 8th among active players in Division I baseball
- Rank 2nd among active juniors in Division I baseball.

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Players Mentioned

Michael Baird

Logan Blackfan

Will Farmer

Jake Hand

Connor Kopach

Greg Lambert

Joey Marciano

Ryan Netemeyer

Ryan Smith

Chad Whitmer

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