Salukis host ULM on home opening weekend

LOUISIANA MONROE WARHAWKS (6-2) at SOUTHERN ILLINOIS SALUKIS (3-5) // March 2-4, 2018 // Carbondale, Ill. (Weather) // Itchy Jones Stadium (2,000 // Turf) // SIU Game Notes PDF

Southern Illinois hosts Louisiana Monroe on the first home weekend of the year. Admission is free to everyone for Friday's 2 p.m. home opener.

GAME 1 - Friday, March 2 // 2 p.m. // Live Stats

SIU RHP Michael Baird (0-1, 4.50 ERA, 12.0 IP)
ULM LHP Trey Jeans (1-0, 7.00 ERA, 9.0 IP)

GAME 2 - Saturday, March 3 // 2 p.m. // Live Stats

SIU LHP Jamison Steege (1-0, 1.29 ERA, 14.0 IP)
ULM LHP Kyle Backofen (1-1, 6.75 ERA, 12.0 IP)

GAME 3 - Sunday, March 4 // 1 p.m. // Live Stats

SIU TBD
ULM TBD

AROUND THE HORN

Southern Illinois hosts Louisiana Monroe for home opening weekend at Itchy Jones Stadium. Friday and Saturday's games begin at 2 p.m., and Sunday's game starts at 1 p.m.
Admission is free to everyone for Friday's 2 p.m. season opener.
After starting 0-3, the Salukis have won 3 of their last 5 games.
The all-time series with Monroe is tied up, 3-3. ULM took two of three from SIU last year in Monroe.
SIU starting pitcher have thrown quality starts in three of the last four games. SIU allowed 17 earned runs in the first two games of the season; since then, the staff ERA is 3.76.
The 1, 3, and 4-spots in the SIU lineup are hitting a combined .358 this season. Connor Kopach (leadoff) is hitting .464 with 6 stolen bases. Alex Lyon (3-hole) is hitting .370 with a .500 on-base percentage and .704 slugging percentage. Logan Blackfan (cleanup) is 12-for-35 (.343) with 4 home runs and 12 RBIs.
SIU has already stolen 17 bases through four games, which is more than twice as much as any other MVC school (Evansville is second with 8 stolen bases).

SALUKIS HOME OPENING WEEKEND VS. LOUISIANA MONROE

The Southern Illinois baseball team hosts Louisiana Monroe on March 2-4 for home opening weekend.
SIU has played ULM six games before (series is tied, 3-3), but these are the first meetings between the schools in Carbondale. SIU won 2 of 3 at ULM in 2002, and ULM took 2 of 3 last year in Monroe.
Southern finished a season-opening eight-game road stretch at 3-5. Now, 13 of the next 17 games will be played at Itchy Jones Stadium.
SIU is at home each of the next four weekends. After facing ULM, Southern Illinois hosts Northern Illinois (March 9-11), Illinois (March 16-18) and UC Irvine (March 23-25).
In 2017, SIU went 15-12 at Itchy Jones Stadium. The Salukis are 55-53 at home since the stadium was renovated prior to the 2014 season.

MVC LEADERS

Logan Blackfan and Connor Kopach in hits (12)
Kopach and Alex Lyon in doubles (3)
Blackfan in home runs (4)
Blackfan in total bases (25)
Kopach in stolen bases (6)
Jamison Steege and Brad Harrison in innings pitched (14.0)
Harrison in wins (2)
Steege and Mason Hiser in fewest walks allowed (0)
Team in stolen bases (17)

PITCHING PICKS UP

SIU pitching is giving away just 3.0 free passes per game in 2018 (walks or HBP), nearly cutting its 2017 average in half (5.5 free passes per game).
SIU gave away eight free passes in the season opener at Jacksonville State. In the seven games since, Southern has issued only 13 walks and 3 HBP (2.3 free bases per game).
SIU starters have thrown three quality starts in the last four games.
- Michael Baird at North Florida - 7.1 IP, 2 ER
- Jamison Steege at N. Florida - 8.0 IP, 0 ER
- Brad Harrison at Belmont - CG 2-hit shutout
SIU allowed 17 earned runs in the first two games of the season. Since then, the staff ERA is 3.76 and six different pitchers have ERAs under 3.00.

SALUKI SENIORS FINISHING OUTSTANDING CAREERS

Michael Baird, Logan Blackfan, Connor Kopach and Ryan Netemeyer are seniors and have put together outstanding careers at SIU. Each of the four has been one of the best in the country at his respective role for the duration of his career. Among active Division I players...
- Michael Baird ranks 9th in innings pitched.
- Logan Blackfan ranks 2nd in doubles.
- Connor Kopach ranks fourth in stolen bases and sixth in triples
- Ryan Netemeyer ranks third in saves.

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Players Mentioned

Michael Baird

Logan Blackfan

Brad Harrison

Mason Hiser

Connor Kopach

Alex Lyon

Ryan Netemeyer

Jamison Steege

Scoreboard

Southern Illinoise University Athletics