MVC Championship Preview

Friday, May 12

Normal, Ill.

1:30 PM

Southern Illinois University

Missouri St.

05/11/2017 | 12:59:00 | Softball

By: By Drew Hoffman, SIUSalukis.com

MVC CHAMPIONSHIPS (May 11-13)

Friday | ESPN 3 // Stats // Audio

Notes/Records

Season Stats // Conference Stats

NORMAL, ILL. - The Southern Illinois University softball team (30-22) plays their first game of the Missouri Valley Conference Championships tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. against the winner of Drake University and Missouri State. If SIU wins they will play at 6:30 p.m. against the No. 2 Illinois State.

14389

SIU finished the conference season with a 17-8 record, which was the 17th consecutive season Southern has finished conference play with a winning record under head coach Kerry Blaylock. The Salukis won six conference series during the course of the season and won at least one game against every opponent. The only two teams that Southern didn't win two of three against was Northern Iowa (No. 1 seed) and Loyola University (No. 8 seed). Both series were on the road.

This season the Salukis swept Drake, Wichita State, and Missouri State, going a perfect 8-0. In the other three series Southern won they took two of three from Illinois State, University of Evansville, and Bradley. The team also split with Indiana State, 1-1, in the second to last week of the season.

The Salukis closed out their conference schedule with a 7-1 record and are currently on a four game winning streak.

QUICK RECAP
Shaye Harre closed out the regular season with another huge milestone. In game three of SIU's series with Missouri State, Harre hit her 17th double of the season and the 48th of her career, making her SIU's all-time leader. Harre is now SIU's all-time leader in RBIs and doubles at SIU, and also in the top ten in home runs and career batting average.

Brianna Jones picked up two more this over the weekend, one of them being a shutout. The Saluki sophomore now has five on the year and 15 in her career. Four of the five shutouts this season have come in Missouri Valley Conference play. Jones' 15 shutouts also puts her at No. 8 all-time in Saluki history.

Freshman Susie Baranski ended the regular season with 53 hits, which led the team. Baranski is the first freshman at SIU to lead the Salukis in hits since Alicia Garza did so back in 2007. It is also the most hits by a player since 2014. The Chicago Heights native also finished the season second in batting average, first in runs, and second in walks.

It was the second consecutive season the Salukis had at least 30 wins, which was the first time since the 2011-12.

SIX DAWGS NAMED TO ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS
The MVC awards banquet was held on Wednesday in Normal, Illinois. Shaye Harre, Merri Anne Patterson, and Brianna Jones all received First-Team recognitions, while Sydney Jones, Katelyn Massa, and Maddy Vermejan were named to the Second-Team. Veremjan also earned All-MVC Defensive team honors, the second Saluki to do so.

For a more information on the MVC Championships click here.