Softball at UTSA Softball Classic: Links and Notes

PDF Notes

The Salukis open the 2018 season on Friday at the UTSA Softball Classic hosted by Texas - San Antonio in San Antonio, Texas. Southern will play five games over the course of three days against UTSA, Texas A&M - Corpus Christi, Abilene Christian and Seton Hall.

Media Coverage

Texas - San Antonio will provide live stats for all games, which will be available at the link below.
Live Stats

Live-Streaming:
Southern's game against UTSA will be available via CUSA.tv. There is a one-time fee of $6.95 to watch single games through network.
Live-Stream

Full Weekend Schedule

UTSA Softball Classic
February 9^th-11^th
Friday February 9^th                         Visitors                     Home
            11:30 PM                  Seton Hall                              ACU
            2:00 PM                     A&M Corpus Seton Hall
            4:30 PM                     ACU Southern Ill
            7:00 PM                     Southern Ill UTSA

Saturday February 10^st
            9:00 AM                    Southern Ill                             A&M Corpus
            11:30 AM                  Southern Ill                             ACU
            2:00 PM                     Seton Hall                              A&M Corpus
            4:30 PM                     ACU                                       UTSA
            7:00 PM                     Seton Hall                              UTSA
Sunday February 11^st
            9:00 AM                    Seton Hall                              Southern Ill
            11:30 AM                  A&M Corpus ACU
            2:00 PM                     A&M Corpus UTSA

Notes

Looking back to 2017...

2017 saw the Salukis go to their 11th NCAA Tournament and win the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament for their fifth Conference title.
Southern finished the season 33-24 and 17-8 in MVC play.
SIU won 10 of its last 12 games against MVC opponents.
Departed senior Shaye Harre set program records in doubles and walks in a regular season and set the career records at SIU in RBIs and doubles.
Six players all made MVC All-Conference teams. Departed seniors Shaye Harre and Merri Anne Patterson and current junior pitcher Brianna Jones were first-team selections. Current junior third baseman Sydney Jones and sophomores Maddy Vermejan, a second baseman, and Katelyn Massa, a catcher and designated player, made the second team. Vermejan was also an all defensive-team selection.
The Salukis closed out the season at the Oxford Regional in the NCAA Tournament. Southern lost back-to-back games in the regional to Ole Miss and North Carolina to be eliminated.
The Salukis were dominant at home. Southern was 11-2 at Charlotte West Stadium in 2017.
On Feb. 18, Southern defeated Michigan State 4-2 for Head Coach Kerri Blaylock's 600th career win.

Looking to 2018...

The Salukis return six starters and two of its three pitchers from the 2017 MVC Championship team.
In total, 12 of Southern's 18 players lettered in 2017.
Four Salukis, senior infielder Sydney Jones, junior pitcher Brianna Jones, sophomore second baseman Maddy Vermejan and sophomore outfielder Susie Baranski, were all Preseason All-MVC Selections. Southern tied Illinois State for the most selections to the team in the Conference with four.
The Salukis were picked second in the Valley by the league's Coaches. Illinois State was picked first and the Salukis were just one vote behind the Redbirds and one point ahead of Northern Iowa in third place. Southern and Northern Iowa are tied with the most first-place votes with three a piece.

Milestone/Record watch...

Southern's long time head coach Kerri Blaylock is approaching several big career records and milestones.
As of 2/7 she is...
Six wins from 634 which would surpass Kay Brechtelsbauer for the all-time lead at Southern.
23 games from the 1,000th of her career. She is projected to manage that game on March 11 against Maine barring cancellations.
She is 10 wins from her 300th in MVC play. She will be the third coach in Conference history to win that many games.

More on Blaylock...

Blaylock is the only coach to lead an MVC team to five-straight NCAA tournaments. She did so from 2003-07.
She has the second-best winning percentage (.645) of any coach in the MVC with more than 500 wins.
She is one of just two coaches in the program's 51-year history. Kay Brechtelsbauer is the program's only other coach.

Talented Hurlers...

The Salukis return their top-two pitchers from 2017 in senior senior Savanna Dover and junior Brianna Jones.
On Jones...

Jones has been the team's ace since her freshman season and has totaled 41 wins, 286 strikeouts and has a career 2.03 ERA.
In 2017 she was second in the league in batters strikeout looking (48) and saves (4).
She posted a 2.14 ERA in 2017 with 128 strikeouts and just 38 walks. She posted a 18-12 win/loss record.
She has made All-MVC teams both years at SIU and was a top-10 finalist for the NFCA National Freshman of the Year Award in 2016.

On Dover...

Dover was the team's number two pitcher in 2017 and was selected as a team captain this season.
She posted a 2.87 ERA in 2017 with a 7-3 record. The lowest ERA and best win/loss ratio of her career.
She was fourth in the conference in runs allowed with 45.

Youth Movement...

Of Southern's starters in 2017, three of them were freshmen. They were; outfielder Susie Baranski, second baseman Maddy Vermejan and catcher/DP Katelyn Massa.

On Baranski...

Baranski was one of only four players to start in all 57 games.
She led the team in at-bats (181), hits (53) and runs scored (39).
She was also second on the team in walks (31) and steals (9).
Baranski was a preseason All-MVC selection.

On Massa...

Massa unseated a senior catcher and started in 43 games behind the plate or as a DP.
She hit .297 with five home runs and 22 RBI and struck out only 14 times, the least of any starter last year.
She was perfect in the field positing a 1.000 fielding percentage while throwing out 11 of 17 potential base stealers.
She was an All-MVC second team selection in 2017.

On Vermejan...

Made 54 starts and hit .284 in her freshman season.
She led the team in batting average during the Conference season hitting at a .350 clip.
She was third on the team with 7 doubles.
Posted a .990 fielding percentage, the best of any non-catcher on the team.
Was selected to the 2017 All-MVC second team and the All-Defensive team and is a member of this year's preseason All-MVC team.

Solid on the left...

Two seniors, third baseman Sydney Jones and shortstop Savannah Fisher, started the majority of the games at their positions in 2017.
Both were selected as captains this season along with senior pitcher Savanna Dover.
In total the two have made 303 career starts and both have career fielding percentages at or above .960.
Their days as teammates go beyond Southern. They were on the same travel ball team in high school.

Scouting the Opponents...

On Abilene Christian...

33-22 in 2017 and qualified for the National Invitational Softball Championship. The Wildcats were 20-7 in the Southland Conference last season.
The Wildcats return their leading hitter from 2017 in Peyton Hedrick. She hit .374 with 15 home runs and 52 RBI.
The team graduated its top pitcher, but returns redshirt senior Hannah Null who won 12 games and posted a 2.94 ERA with 132 strikeouts.
The Salukis will play their first two games in program history against Abilene Christian this weekend.

On Texas - San Antonio...

The tournament hosts were 21-32 last season and went 12-10 on their home field.
The Roadrunners graduated their leading hitter from 2017, but return sophomore Celeste Loughman who hit .371 with 3 home runs and 24 RBI. She also swiped 16 bags.
This will be the first time the Salukis face off against the Roadrunners in the history of the two programs.

On Texas A&M - Corpus Christi...

The Islanders were 12-36 in 2017 and 4-20 in their conference.
The team graduated their top hitter and pitcher from 2017 and have a roster heavy on freshmen with seven in total.
Southern and Texas A&M CC have met twice in program history. The Salukis are 1-1 all time in the series. The teams last met in 2014 in a game the Salukis won 11-7.

On Seton Hall...

The Pirates were 22-25-1 last season and 7-14 in the Big East.
They return their top hitter in senior infielder Alexis Walkden. She hit .352 with 13 home runs and 39 RBI to lead the team in 2017.
They also return top pitcher Reggane Camp who posted a 2.96 ERA in 2017 with 7 wins and 73 strike outs.
The Salukis and Seton Hall have played twice in program history. The Salukis are 2-0 all time in the series. The last meeting was in 2006 in a game the Salukis won 6-4. Southern has outscored Seton Hall 11-5 in the series history.

Calendar

Upcoming Events

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Susie Baranski

Savanna Dover

Savannah Fisher

Shaye Harre

Brianna Jones

Sydney Jones

Katelyn Massa

Merri Anne Patterson

Maddy Vermejan

Scoreboard

Upcoming Events