MVC Tournament Preview

SOUTHERN ILLINOIS (27-28, 10-10 MVC) AT THE 2017 MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT

The Southern Illinois baseball team travels to Springfield, Mo., for the MVC Tournament May 24-27. The Salukis are the No. 4 seed in the eight-team tournament and will face No. 5-seed Wichita State (27-28, 10-11 MVC) in the opening round on Wednesday. All games will be video streamed through The Valley on ESPN3.

FAST FACTS » May 24-27, 2017 // Springfield, Mo. (Weather) // Hammons Field (8,000 | Grass) // SIU game Notes PDF
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GAME 1 - Wednesday, May 24 // Rain Delay (Follow @SIU_Baseball on Twitter for updates) // ESPN3 | Stats | Listen | 105.1-FM WVZA in Carbondale

SIU RHP Chad Whitmer (6-3, 3.67 ERA, 95.2 IP)
WSU RHP Zach Lewis (4-4, 3.23 ERA, 75.1 IP)

We will update this page with future dates, opponents, times, media links and projected starting pitchers as the tournament progresses and that information becomes available.

AROUND THE HORN

Southern Illinois travels to Springfield, Mo., for the MVC Tournament May 24-27. SIU will open the tournament against Wichita State at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, May 24.
The format of the tournament is two, four-team brackets. Each bracket will play a double-elimination format, and the winners of the two brackets will play a single-elimination championship game. Missouri State and Illinois State are the other two teams in the bracket with the Salukis and Shockers.
The Salukis have won at least one MVC Tournament game in all six seasons under head coach Ken Henderson. Henderson was the interim head coach in 1994, and the Salukis also won one game in that MVC Tournament.
The last time Missouri State hosted the tournament (2012), the Salukis made a run to the championship game. SIU beat Wichita State in the opener before extra-inning wins against Bradley and Missouri State. In the title game, SIU fell to Creighton, 8-6.
Three Salukis finished the regular season ranked in the top-5 nationally in statistical categories...
- Ryan Netemeyer ranks 2nd in the NCAA in saves (15)
- Connor Kopach ranks 4th in the NCAA in stolen bases (32)
- Greg Lambert ranks 4th in the NCAA in doubles (24)
Four Salukis have set SIU records this season...
- Greg Lambert, doubles in a game (3 at SEMO) and in a season (24)
- Connor Kopach, stolen bases in a game (4 vs. Tennessee Tech)
- Ryan Netemeyer, saves in a season (15)
- Logan Blackfan, doubles in a career (54)
Southern Illinois closer Ryan Netemeyer is one of 21 semifinalists for CBF National Pitcher of the Year. Netemeyer is also a semifinalist for the NCBWA Stopper of the Year.
The Salukis set a program record with a 3.337 team GPA in Spring 2017. Six Salukis posted perfect 4.0 GPAs while in season: Mitch Fairfield, Brad Harrison, Jared Kengott, Nick Newman, Anthony Shimkus and Ryan Sabo. Sabo graduated with a perfect 4.0 GPA and is an Academic All-District honoree.
Southern Illinois has stolen 99 bases this year, which ranks 11th in the NCAA and leads the MVC by 54 (Missouri State is second with 45). Since April 8, SIU is 48-for-55 in steal attempts (87 percent success rate).
SIU ranks 23rd nationally and leads the MVC with 52 double plays. Since the start of 2015, Southern has turned 167 double plays in 170 games, the most in the league. Will Farmer has started all 170 of those games in the middle infield.
The Salukis have hit 109 doubles this year, which is second in the MVC and 36th in the nation. It's already the most at SIU since the 2012 team set a school record with 125 doubles.
Chad Whitmer is slated to start in the opener against Wichita State. He allowed 7 earned runs earlier this year against the Shockers. Since then...
- 6 starts
- 5 quality starts (6.0+ IP and 3 or fewer ER)
- Salukis are 5-1 (Whitmer left all six with the lead)
- Two-time MVC Pitcher of the Week
- 8.5 strikeouts per game
- 2.38 ERA

SALUKIS AT THE MVC TOURNAMENT

Southern Illinois travels to Springfield, Mo., for the MVC Tournament May 24-27. SIU will open the tournament against Wichita State at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, May 24.
The format of the tournament is two, four-team brackets. Each bracket will play a double-elimination format, and the winners of the two brackets will play a single-elimination championship game. Missouri State and Illinois State are the other two teams in the bracket with the Salukis and Shockers.
SIU is 55-61 all-time at the MVC Tournament. Southern's 55 MVC Tournament wins are third-most in the MVC, behind Wichita State (99) and Missouri State (65).
Southern's most common opponent in the MVC Tournament is Wichita State. The Salukis are 9-22 against the Shockers in the tournament.
Wichita State has won three-straight games over SIU in the MVC Tournament. The Salukis have won two-straight games over Wichita in the opening round.
The Salukis have won at least one game in all six seasons under head coach Ken Henderson. Henderson was the interim head coach in 1994, and the Salukis also won one game in that MVC Tournament.
Including 1994, SIU is 9-13 at the MVC Tournament under Henderson. Since 2011, the Salukis are 8-11.
SIU is 5-2 in opening-round MVC Tournament games under Henderson (4-2 since 2011).
The last time Missouri State hosted the tournament (2012), the Salukis made a run to the championship game. SIU beat Wichita State in the opener before extra-inning wins against Bradley and Missouri State. In the title game, SIU fell to Creighton, 8-6.

RUN WITH US

Southern Illinois has stolen 99 bases this year, which ranks 11th in the NCAA and leads the MVC by 54 (Missouri State is second with 45). Since April 8, SIU is 48-for-55 in steal attempts (87 percent success rate).
Most Stolen Bases, MVC Single Season since 2009
- Evansville - 117 (2010)
- Wichita State - 106 (2011)
- Indiana State - 105 (2010)
- Southern Illinois - 99 (2017)
Southern's 99 steals are the most for the program since the 1991 team stole 109 bases. Last year's SIU team stole 38 bags.
Connor Kopach has 32 stolen bases this year, which ranks fourth in the NCAA. Kopach has the most stolen bases for any Saluki since Bob Geary had 34 in 1991.
This past summer, Kopach set a Northwoods League record with 50 stolen bases.
Kopach (32) and Ryan Smith (20) are 1-2 in the MVC in stolen bases this year. Combined, the duo has stolen more bases (52) than every other team in the league (Missouri State is second in the MVC with 45 steals).
In addition to stealing the most bases, SIU has the highest success rate in the MVC. The Salukis are successful on 77.3 percent of their stolen base attempts.

IN THE RECORD BOOKS

Logan Blackfan has 54 career doubles, a school record.
Blackfan led the MVC with 23 doubles last year as a sophomore after hitting 19 doubles as a freshman in 2015.
Greg Lambert is right behind Blackfan. Lambert's 48 doubles are tied for fifth in SIU history.
Lambert also holds the SIU single-season doubles record with 24 this season, which leads the MVC and ranks fourth nationally.
Ryan Netemeyer has a school-record 15 saves this season, breaking Al Levine's mark of 13 saves in 1990.
Two of the top three single-season saves mark are by Netemeyer. His 15 saves this year are a school record, and he had 12 saves last year.
Netemeyer's 28 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.
Jacob Williams is SIU's most experienced reliever with 85 career appearances. He is ranks fifth on SIU's career appearances list.
Connor Kopach has stolen 32 bases this year, the most for any Saluki since Bob Geary stole 34 in 1991. Southern's stolen base record is 42 by Bert Newman in 1976.
Two Salukis tied program single-game records earlier this year...
- Greg Lambert hit three doubles at Southeast Missouri (4/25)
- Connor Kopach stole four bases against Tennessee Tech (4/23)
Chad Whitmer has 274 career innings pitched, good for seventh all-time at SIU.
Whitmer led the MVC with 89 strikeouts this season. With five more in the MVC Tournament, he will jump into the top-10 all-time at SIU for single-season strikeouts.
Whitmer surpassed 200 career strikeouts earlier this year. Whitmer is the 10th player in SIU history with 200 career strikeouts, and just the third since 2000.
Whitmer's 218 career strikeouts rank eighth all-time at SIU.

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Players Mentioned

Logan Blackfan

Mitch Fairfield

Will Farmer

Brad Harrison

Jared Kengott

Connor Kopach

Greg Lambert

Ryan Netemeyer

Nick Newman

Ryan Sabo

Anthony Shimkus

Ryan Smith

Chad Whitmer

Jacob Williams

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