Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Salukis picked second in MVC, Four named preseason All-Conference
01/31/2018 | 10:25:00 | Softball
The Missouri Valley Conference released its Preseason Poll and Preseason All-Conference selections today, placing the team second and selecting four players to its Preseason All-Conference team.
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The Salukis are a part of a crowded top-three teams in the poll; just two points separate first and third place. Illinois State was selected first with 88 points and two first-place votes, the Salukis are second with 87 points and three first-place votes and Northern Iowa are third with 86 points and three first-place votes. Southern won the MVC Tournament in 2017 on its way to the NCAA Tournament while Illinois State and UNI shared the regular season MVC title. Drake, who will host the MVC tournament this year, were fourth with two first place votes and 74 points.
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As for the Preseason All-Conference Team, senior third baseman Sydney Jones, junior pitcher Brianna Jones, sophomore outfielder Susie Baranski and sophomore second baseman Maddy Vermejan were all selected to the team by the Conferences coaches.
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Southern's four players selected to the team ties Illinois State for the most players selected to the team. More than a third of the players selected are Salukis.
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Brianna Jones was a first-team selection in 2017 following a banner season in which she posted a 2.40 ERA in 213.1 innings. The Saluki ace struck out 130 batters and walked only 33. In Valley play, Jones won 11 games and lost only four. Her ERA against conference opponents was just 1.97. Jones was second in the league in batters struck-out looking and saves and top-five in the Conference in innings pitched, strikeouts, wins, appearances, games finished, games in relief and walks allowed. Jones pitched in relief in the MVC tournament semi-final victory over Illinois State earning the win and pitched a shutout in the Conference Championship game against Northern Iowa.
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Sydney Jones was an All-Conference second-team selection in 2017 after a season that saw her belt a team-leading 9 homeruns, 24 RBI and 6 doubles, the third most on the team. Jones had seven multi-hit and multi-RBI games in 2017. Jones had two big games at the plate against MVC opponents last season. She went 2-3 with 2 RBI and a home run in a late season game against Missouri State and she hit a walk-off double in the Salukis only regular season win against Northern Iowa on April 9.
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Vermejan was a second team All-MVC selection in 2017 and was Southern's only selection to the MVC All-Defensive team. Vermejan hit .284 with 20 RBI and 7 steals. In Conference play, Vermejan bumped her average up to .344. She was tied for fifth on the team in hits last year with 40. In 141 at-bats, Vermejan struck out just 16 times. On 193 defensive chances, Vermejan recorded only 2 errors. Vermejan had a three-RBI game against Massachusetts on February 18 and totaled seven multi-RBI games. For a stretch of 17 games from March 11 to April 12, Vermejan hit .463 with 8 RBI and 5 doubles. She had a double in three-straight games from March 26 to the 29, two of those games were against Drake.
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Baranski was one of just four Salukis to start in all 57 games for Southern last season, doing so as a true freshman. She led the Conference in plate appearances and at-bats and was second in the league in walks with 31. Baranski led the team in at-bats, hits, and runs and was second on the team in steals and on-base percentage. She was also nearly perfect in the field; she tallied just 1 error on 55 chances. Baranski hit 3 for 4 in a game three times in 2017. She had two steals against Kentucky on March 3 and scored three runs against Illinois State on April 1. She was twice named as the Valley's Newcomer of the Week in 2017.
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The Salukis begin the season on Feb. 9 with a doubleheader against Abilene Christian and Texas – San Antonio in San Antonio, Texas.
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The Salukis are a part of a crowded top-three teams in the poll; just two points separate first and third place. Illinois State was selected first with 88 points and two first-place votes, the Salukis are second with 87 points and three first-place votes and Northern Iowa are third with 86 points and three first-place votes. Southern won the MVC Tournament in 2017 on its way to the NCAA Tournament while Illinois State and UNI shared the regular season MVC title. Drake, who will host the MVC tournament this year, were fourth with two first place votes and 74 points.
As for the Preseason All-Conference Team, senior third baseman Sydney Jones, junior pitcher Brianna Jones, sophomore outfielder Susie Baranski and sophomore second baseman Maddy Vermejan were all selected to the team by the Conferences coaches.
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Southern's four players selected to the team ties Illinois State for the most players selected to the team. More than a third of the players selected are Salukis.
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Brianna Jones was a first-team selection in 2017 following a banner season in which she posted a 2.40 ERA in 213.1 innings. The Saluki ace struck out 130 batters and walked only 33. In Valley play, Jones won 11 games and lost only four. Her ERA against conference opponents was just 1.97. Jones was second in the league in batters struck-out looking and saves and top-five in the Conference in innings pitched, strikeouts, wins, appearances, games finished, games in relief and walks allowed. Jones pitched in relief in the MVC tournament semi-final victory over Illinois State earning the win and pitched a shutout in the Conference Championship game against Northern Iowa.
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Sydney Jones was an All-Conference second-team selection in 2017 after a season that saw her belt a team-leading 9 homeruns, 24 RBI and 6 doubles, the third most on the team. Jones had seven multi-hit and multi-RBI games in 2017. Jones had two big games at the plate against MVC opponents last season. She went 2-3 with 2 RBI and a home run in a late season game against Missouri State and she hit a walk-off double in the Salukis only regular season win against Northern Iowa on April 9.
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Vermejan was a second team All-MVC selection in 2017 and was Southern's only selection to the MVC All-Defensive team. Vermejan hit .284 with 20 RBI and 7 steals. In Conference play, Vermejan bumped her average up to .344. She was tied for fifth on the team in hits last year with 40. In 141 at-bats, Vermejan struck out just 16 times. On 193 defensive chances, Vermejan recorded only 2 errors. Vermejan had a three-RBI game against Massachusetts on February 18 and totaled seven multi-RBI games. For a stretch of 17 games from March 11 to April 12, Vermejan hit .463 with 8 RBI and 5 doubles. She had a double in three-straight games from March 26 to the 29, two of those games were against Drake.
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Baranski was one of just four Salukis to start in all 57 games for Southern last season, doing so as a true freshman. She led the Conference in plate appearances and at-bats and was second in the league in walks with 31. Baranski led the team in at-bats, hits, and runs and was second on the team in steals and on-base percentage. She was also nearly perfect in the field; she tallied just 1 error on 55 chances. Baranski hit 3 for 4 in a game three times in 2017. She had two steals against Kentucky on March 3 and scored three runs against Illinois State on April 1. She was twice named as the Valley's Newcomer of the Week in 2017.
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The Salukis begin the season on Feb. 9 with a doubleheader against Abilene Christian and Texas – San Antonio in San Antonio, Texas.
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Players Mentioned
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