Southern Illinois University
Mississippi
NCAA Tournament Preview
05/18/2017 | 12:40:00 | Softball
Friday | ESPN3Â // Live Stats // Audio
Team Notes |  SIU  //  UNC  //  Ole Miss  // ASU
OXFORD, MISS. - Southern Illinois' softball team will be playing in their sixth NCAA tournament in the last fifteen years this weekend. Joining the Salukis at the Oxford regional are Arizona State, Ole Miss (No. 12 seed), and North Carolina. SIU received an automatic bid to the postseason tournament after winning the Missouri Valley Conference Championships last weekend in Normal, Illinois.
The Salukis will play the host team, Ole Miss, in their first game. The Rebel were selected as the No. 12 seed in the field of 64 during Sunday's selection show. Last weekend the Rebels won the SEC tournament. SIU is 4-2 all-time against Ole Miss, their last meeting was back in 2005. The Rebels won the game, 1-0.
Southern will play Ole Miss at 8:30 p.m. on Friday. The game can be watched on ESPN3 and listened to on 105.1 FM. The following games broadcast schedule and times will be determined by the results of their first game.Â
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Friday. May 19
6:00Â p.m. - Game One :Â Arizona State vs. North Carolina
8:30 p.m. - Game Two: Southern Illinois vs. No. 12 Ole Miss
Saturday, May 20
1:30 PMÂ - Game Three: Winner G1 vs. Winner G2
4:00 PM - Game Four: Loser G1 vs. Loser G2 (loser eliminated)
6:30 PM - Game Five: Loser G3 vs. Winner G4 (loser eliminated)
Sunday, May 21
1:30 PM - Game Six: Winner G3 vs. Winner G5Â
4:00 PM - Game Seven: (if necessary)Â
RECAPÂ Â
SIU enters the NCAA tournament on a seven game winning streak. The team recently added three of those wins this past weekend at the MVC Championships. The maroon and white took down Missouri State in the first round, then knocked off the No. 2 seeded Illinois State Redbirds to advance to the championship and then took down the No. 1 seed, Northern Iowa, to win the title. In the three games SIU outscored their opponents, 15-6, and held opposing teams to a .225 batting average.
The Salukis has won eleven of their last 12 games, dating back to their series with Evansville. SIU has upped their win total to 33 on the season, which is the second consecutive year the team has accomplished the feat. It was also the 15th 30+ win season for head coach Kerri Blaylock in her 18 years as the Salukis skipper. The team also doesn't have a losing record on the road, home, or at a neutral site for the second consecutive year.Â
It has been ten years since Southern's last NCAA tournament appearance. In 2007, SIU hosted a regional in Carbondale and went 1-2. It was the fifth consecutive year that the Salukis had made the NCAA tournament, all being at large bids. Coach Blaylock has gone 9-10 in those five trips.
QUICK FACTS
- This season SIU has seven players with 35+ hits, and six of those players have an on-base percentage of .350.Â
- All three pitchers on the team have at least seven wins, and none of them have a losing record. SIU was the only team in the MVC to accomplish the feat.
- Going into the tournament Southern is rated as the No. 7 defense in the country. The Salukis currently have a team fielding percentage of .977 and have only committed five errors in the last month.
- Seven different Salukis have a batting average above .350 when they are leading off an inning, including three the sport an average of .500 or better.
ALL TIME RECORDS
Ole Miss -> 4-2
Arizona State -> 1-2
North Carolina -> 0-1
NCAA APPEARANCES
2017 | Automatic bid
2007 | At large bid
2006 | At large bid
2005Â | At large bid
2004Â | At large bid
2003Â | At large bid
1991 | Automatic bid
1978Â | At large bid
1977Â | At large bid
1971Â | At large bid
1970Â | At large bid
