Salukis host regional-rivals SEMO on Thursday

Thursday, April 5

Carbondale, Ill.

4:00 p.m.

Southern Illinois University

Southeast Missouri State University

Buy Tickets

04/02/2018 | 3:33:00 | Softball

By: Tony McDaniel, SIUSalukis.com

Saluki softball (19-12, 4-3 MVC) hosts Southeast Missouri State (19-11, 3-1 OVC) this week in a showdown between the two regional rivals. The game is big in terms of recruiting as well as personal relationships, the game features a match up between former high school teammates and sisters, Freshman Meredith Wernig's sister, Claire, is a senior for SEMO.

*Schedule Note* The game is now scheduled for a 4 p.m. start on Thursday. It was originally set for a Wednesday start at the same time.

MEDIA LINKS

Audio stream
Thursday's matchup against SEMO will be streamed live on SIUSalukis.com. Connor Onion and Peter Bobrinskoy will be on the call.

Live Stats

Promotions

Thursday's game is Fan Appreciation Day and Faculty Appreciation Day. Admission is free to all fans.

Game Notes

Leading off...

The Salukis are 19-12 on the season. At this point last season, SIU was 19-16.
Junior pitcher Brianna Jones is 15-2 on the season. She has the 12th most wins in the nation.
Sophomore Katelyn Massa is challenging the single-season RBI record. She has 36. The program record is 51. There are still 22 regular-season games to play.
Freshman Jenny Jansen is having a breakout season hitting .333 with 6 home runs and 20 RBI.

Milestone/Record watch...

Southern's long time head coach Kerri Blaylock is approaching several big career records and milestones.
As of 4/2 she is...
The all-time leader in wins at SIU with 646. 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 4 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 leads the nation in hit by pitch per game. She's been hit 17 times in 31 games for an average of .55.
Vermejan is 48th in the nation in on base percentage at .509.
Katelyn Massa is 27th in the nation in RBI with 36 and 28th in RBI per game at 1.16 per.
Brianna Jones is 43rd in the nation in saves with two.
Brianna Jones has won 15 games this year; good for sixth in the nation.
Brianna Jones has struck out 117 batters this year, good for 48th in the nation.

MVC Leading Salukis...

Vermejan is tops in the Valley in hit by pitch per game with 0.55 per game.
Vermejan leads the league in runs per game at 0.87.
Brianna Jones leads the Conference in wins with 15.
Katelyn Massa's 66 total bases are a league best.
Massa leads the Valley in doubles per game at 0.32.
She also leads the league in RBI with 36 and in RBI per game with 1.16.

Starting Fast...

The Salukis are 14-1 this season when they score first, 8-2 when they score in the first inning and 7-1 when leading after one inning. Adversely, the team is 2-4 when trailing after the first inning and 4-6 when allowing runs in the first inning.

Sophomore slump?

Sophomore Katelyn Massa leads the team in average (.362), RBI (36), home runs (7), doubles (9), hits (34), doubles (10), slugging percentage (.691), walks (16) and total bases (66). She's struck out just six times in 94 at-bats.
She has already surpassed her 2017 numbers in doubles, home runs, RBIs, runs scored, total bases and steals.
Massa is on pace to challenge the single-season program record in RBI. The record is 51. She has 36 with 22 regular-season games to play and the MVC Tournament
This year sophomore Maddy Vermejan has already hit two home runs and earned 14 RBI. She leads the team in runs scored (27) and on-base percentage (.509).
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 15-2 with 116 strikeouts, 31 walks and 14 complete games, three of which have been shutouts. She currently has an ERA of 2.13.
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.
Twice this year she has struck out 10 hitters. She did so once against Mercer on 2/16 and again against Maine on 3/11.

Big Fish...

Senior shortstop Savannah Fisher is having a big year when it comes to run production in compared to previous seasons.
Fisher has already surpassed her 2017 RBI total with 16 as well as her 2017 home run total with 4. She is third on the team in both categories.

Righting the ship...

Senior catcher and third baseman Sydney Jones had a slow offensive start to the season, but is beginning to right the ship.
As of the series closer against Loyola on March 18, her batting average had dipped down to .228. However,in the past five games, Jones has gone 6 for 17 at the plate for an average of .353. She's pulled her average up to .250, the highest it has been since March 17. She is currently on a five-game hitting streak that started against Saint Louis on March 21.