Saluki Baseball hosts MVC Newcomer Valpo

VALPARAISO (8-16, 1-2 MVC) at SOUTHERN ILLINOIS (15-13, 2-1 MVC) // April 6-8, 2018 // Carbondale, Ill. (Weather) // Itchy Jones Stadium (2,000 // Turf) // SIU Game Notes PDF

Southern Illinois hosts Valparaiso this weekend in the first games between the schools as conference opponents. SIU and Valpo have only met three times all-time -- twice in 2007 and once in 1966.

GAME 1 - Friday, April 6 // 1 p.m. // ESPN3 | Listen | Live Stats

SIU RHP Michael Baird (2-2, 4.08 ERA, 46.1 IP)
VALPO RHP Jon Tieman (3-2, 5.65 ERA, 43.0 IP)

GAME 2 - Saturday, April 7 // 2 p.m. // ESPN3 | Listen | Live Stats

SIU LHP Jamison Steege (4-1, 3.45 ERA, 44.1 IP)
VALPO RHP Trey Ferketic (2-2, 5.12 ERA, 31.2 IP)

GAME 3 - Sunday, April 8 // 1 p.m. // ESPN3 | Listen | Live Stats

SIU LHP Brad Harrison (3-1, 3.29 ERA, 41.0 IP)
VALPO RHP Wes Gordon (0-3, 7.63 ERA, 30.2 IP)

AROUND THE HORN

Southern Illinois hosts MVC newcomer Valparaiso for a three-game series at Itchy Jones Stadium this weekend.
The Saluki Baseball program hosts its 22nd annual fish fry on Friday night at the Carbondale Civic Center. Cost is just $10 for adults and $5 for kids. Memorabilia up for auction includes signed baseballs by Bob Gibson, Stan Musial, Ryne Sandberg, Ernie Banks, Pete Rose, Johnny Bench, and Willie Mays.
SIU and Valparaiso have only met three times prior. The teams split two games in 2007, and Valpo beat SIU in the NCAA Tournament in 1966.
The Salukis started MVC play with a 2-1 series win at Illinois State last weekend. Valpo lost two of three against Bradley.
Nikola Vasic enters the weekend with a 26-game reached base streak. Vasic has a hit in 24 of those 26 games.
Alex Lyon is one of four players in the nation and the only player in the MVC with 25+ RBIs and 15+ stolen bases.
The Salukis are 12-5 in the last 17 games and 5-1 in the last six games.
Southern Illinois is coming off a 2-1 series win at Illinois State last weekend in the first conference series of the year. In the first game of that series (a 6-4 SIU win)...
- SIU head coach Ken Henderson recorded his 200th career win as a head coach
- SIU closer Ryan Netemeyer set Southern's career saves record with his 31st career save
On Tuesday against Austin Peay, Alex Lyon set an SIU single-game record with four stolen bases. He shares the record with teammate Connor Kopach.
SIU ranks fourth nationally in stolen bases with 76.
Connor Kopach has 70 career stolen bases, which leads all active players in NCAA Division I.
Kopach (19) and Lyon (15) have more stolen bases individually than Valpo does as a team (12).
SIU ranks second in the nation in sacrifice flies (22).

FREE-BASE RATE

Southern's offense is taking 5.46 free passes per game (walks or HBP).
SIU has only taken more than 5.0 free passes per game seven times in program history, most recently 1997.
SIU's current free-base rate (5.46) is second in program history, behind only 1980 (7.16 free-base rate).
SIU's pitching has also excelled in free-base rate, allowing only 3.8 free passes per game.
Last year, SIU allowed 5.5 free passes per game. This year's pitching staff is on pace to allow about 100 fewer free base runners than last year.
In 2017, SIU took about 1.2 fewer free bases per game than it gave away. This year, SIU is taking 1.7 more free bases than opponents -- a 2.9 runners-per-game swing.

RUN WITH US

SIU has stolen 76 bases through 28 games, which ranks fourth nationally.
Since the start of the 2017 season, SIU has 176 stolen bases. Missouri State is second in the MVC during that span with 89.
In the last 18 games, SIU is 55-for-65 stealing bases (84.6 percent).
Connor Kopach ranks third in the nation with 19 stolen bases.
Alex Lyon tied an SIU single-game record with four stolen bases against Austin Peay. Kopach also holds that record, having stolen four bases against Tennessee Tech last year.
Four of the top five base stealers in the MVC are Salukis: Kopach (19) is first, Alex Lyon (15) is second, and Nikola Vasic and Addison Fugitt (11) are tied for fourth.
Last year, SIU stole 100 bases, which led the MVC by 42 and ranked 14th nationally. This year, SIU is on pace (2.71 stolen bases per game) for about 150 stolen bases.
The school record for stolen bases is 139 by the 1971 College World Series runners-up, coached by Itchy Jones.

ACTIVE STREAKS & NOTES

Nikola Vasic has an active 26-game reached base streak (since 3rd game of season)
Logan Blackfan has an active 8-game hit streak (14 RBIs during 8-game stretch)
Blackfan and Connor Kopach have each reached base in 26 of 28 games
Kopach has an active 10-game reached base streak
Team 12-5 in its last 17 games (.706)
SIU has stolen at least one base in 21-straight games

MVC LEADERS

Connor Kopach in hits (46)
Kopach in triples (3)
Kopach and Nikola Vasic in sac flies (4)
Kopach in stolen bases (19)
Trey McDaniel in appearances (15)
Michael Baird in strikeout-to-walk ratio (5.83 : 1)
Team in hits (278)
Team in sacrifice flies (22)
Team in stolen bases (76)

Calendar

Upcoming Events

Next Event

Scoreboard

Southern Illinoise University Athletics

Saluki Baseball hosts MVC Newcomer Valpo

Related News

Next Event

Related Videos