Softball set for mid-week game at SLU

Saluki softball (16-10, 2-1 MVC) heads to St. Louis this week take on Saint Louis University (13-11, 0-0 A-10) and their head coach, Christy Connoyer, who served as an assistant coach at SIU in the mid-2000s. Southern looks to remain hot, its has won eight of it last 10 games and has a record of 9-5 in the month of March. The game is set for a 3 p.m. start.

Media Links

SLU will provide live stats for the game. They are available at the link below.

Live Stats

For more live updates, follow along with the team on Twitter @SIU_Softball.

Game Notes

Looking to 2018...

The Salukis return six starters and two of their 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.

So far...

The Salukis are 16-10 on the season and are outscoring opponents 122-87.
The Salukis had 11 home runs through the first 8 games, the most through as many games since 2003.
On Feb. 17, Southern beat Georgetown 13-4. It was the biggest win and most runs scored in a five-inning game since March 14, 2017 when SIU defeated Southern Utah 14-2.
Southern short-gamed opponents in back-to-back games against Murray State on March 4 and Delaware State on March 9. It was the first time the Salukis had done so since March 12 and March 14 of 2017 when they did it to Portland State and Southern Utah.

Milestone/Record watch...

Southern's long time head coach Kerri Blaylock is approaching several big career records and milestones.
As of 3/16 she is...
The all-time leader in wins at SIU with 641. She passed Kay Brechtelsbauer with her 634th on Feb. 23 against UConn.
Managed her 1,000th game against UT-Martin on March 14 in a 2-1 win.
She is 8 wins from her 300th in MVC play. She will be the third coach in Conference history to win that many games.

Nationally Ranked Statistically

(Top-50 only)

Maddy Vermejan is ninth in the nation in hit by pitch per game. She's been hit 12 times in 26 games, an average on 0.46.
Vermejan is 30th in the nation in on base percentage at .532
Brianna Jones has won 14 games this year; good for third in the nation.
Brianna Jones has struck out 100 batters this year, good for 39th in the nation.
Katelyn Massa is 50th in RBI per game at 1.08 per.

MVC Leading Salukis...

Vermejan is tops in the Valley in hit by pitch per game with 0.46 per game.
Vermejan leads the league in runs per game at 0.88.
Brianna Jones leads the Conference in wins with 12.
Katelyn Massa leads the league in doubles per game at 0.31.
Massa's 54 total bases are a league best.

Starting Fast...

The Salukis are 12-0 this season when they score first, 7-1 when they score in the first inning and 6-0 when leading after one inning. Adversely, the team is 1-4 when trailing after the first inning and 3-6 when allowing runs in the first inning.

Sophomore slump?

Sophomore Katelyn Massa leads the team in RBI (28), home runs (6), doubles (8), slugging percentage (.701) and walks (14). She's struck out just four times in 73 at-bats.
She has already surpassed her 2017 numbers in doubles, home runs, RBI and runs scored.
This year sophomore Maddy Vermejan has already hit two home runs and earned 13 RBI. She leads the team in runs scored with 23.
In all of 2016, she had just 20 RBI and didn't hit a round-tripper.

Ace in the hole...

Saluki junior Brianna Jones is off to a fantastic start to the 2018 season.
Jones is 12-1 with 88 strikeouts, 17 walks and 11 complete games, three of which have been shutouts. She currently has an ERA of 1.79.
Jones earned the Missouri Valley Conference Pitcher of the Week Award on March 12 for her performance at the USF Under Armour Showcase after going 3-0 with 23 strikeouts, four walks, three complete games and holding opposing hitters to a batting average of .181.
Jones leads the league in wins (12), innings pitched (90) and starts (13) and is top-five in batters struck out (86), batters struck out looking (32) and appearances (17).
Twice this year she has struck out 10 hitters. She did so once against Mercer on 2/16 and again against Maine on 3/1.

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Players Mentioned

Susie Baranski

Brianna Jones

Sydney Jones

Katelyn Massa

Maddy Vermejan

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