Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Salukis picked fifth in preseason MVC poll
01/29/2019 | 10:01:00 | Baseball
MVC Release (PDF)
ST. LOUIS - The Southern Illinois baseball team was picked fifth in the 2019 Missouri Valley Conference preseason poll, the league announced Tuesday. Missouri State (59 points) edged out Dallas Baptist (58 points) for the top spot in the poll of MVC head coaches.Â
Southern Illinois returns six starting position players and two starting pitchers from last year's 28-win team that finished fifth in the MVC, one game out of third. O'Fallon native Brad Harrison returns after earning MVC Pitcher of the Week three times last season. Alex Lyon (.316/.374/.456) and Nikola Vasic (.276/.400/.389) return to the top of the lineup.Â
The Salukis finished fourth in the NCAA in stolen bases last season with 131. Despite losing Connor Kopach, who ended his playing career as the NCAA's active career stolen base leader, the Salukis added Will LaRue, who enters the 2019 season as the NCAA's new active career stolen base leader.Â
Opening day is February 15 at Nicholls. The home opener is on March 1 against Western Illinois at Itchy Jones Stadium. The conference opener is April 5 at home against preseason favorite Missouri State. Fifteen of SIU's final 21 home games will be broadcast on The Valley on ESPN. The complete schedule can be found at SIUSalukis.com/baseball/schedule.
Stay up-to-date on Saluki Baseball season by following the program on Twitter @SIU_Baseball, Instagram @SIU_Baseball, and Facebook/SalukiBaseball.
2019 PRESEASON MVC POLL
1 - Missouri State (59 points, 5 first-place votes)
2 - Dallas Baptist (58 points, 2 first-place votes)
3 - Indiana State (49 points, 1 first-place vote)
4 - Bradley (39 points)
5 - Southern Illinois (31 points)
6 - Illinois State (28 points)
7 - Valparaiso (13 points)
8 - Evansville (11 points)
2019 PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
1B - Ben Whetstone, Missouri State
2B - Jarrod Watkins, Indiana State
SS - Jimmy Glowenke, Dallas Baptist
3B - Brendan Dougherty, Bradley
OF - John Rave, Illinois State
OF - Blake Billinger, Valparaiso
OF - Andy Shadid, Bradley
SP - Triston Polley, Indiana State
SP - Luke Eldred, Dallas Baptist
RP - Connor Sechler, Missouri State
RP - Jarrod Bayless, Dallas Baptist
ST. LOUIS - The Southern Illinois baseball team was picked fifth in the 2019 Missouri Valley Conference preseason poll, the league announced Tuesday. Missouri State (59 points) edged out Dallas Baptist (58 points) for the top spot in the poll of MVC head coaches.Â
Southern Illinois returns six starting position players and two starting pitchers from last year's 28-win team that finished fifth in the MVC, one game out of third. O'Fallon native Brad Harrison returns after earning MVC Pitcher of the Week three times last season. Alex Lyon (.316/.374/.456) and Nikola Vasic (.276/.400/.389) return to the top of the lineup.Â
The Salukis finished fourth in the NCAA in stolen bases last season with 131. Despite losing Connor Kopach, who ended his playing career as the NCAA's active career stolen base leader, the Salukis added Will LaRue, who enters the 2019 season as the NCAA's new active career stolen base leader.Â
Opening day is February 15 at Nicholls. The home opener is on March 1 against Western Illinois at Itchy Jones Stadium. The conference opener is April 5 at home against preseason favorite Missouri State. Fifteen of SIU's final 21 home games will be broadcast on The Valley on ESPN. The complete schedule can be found at SIUSalukis.com/baseball/schedule.
Stay up-to-date on Saluki Baseball season by following the program on Twitter @SIU_Baseball, Instagram @SIU_Baseball, and Facebook/SalukiBaseball.
2019 PRESEASON MVC POLL
1 - Missouri State (59 points, 5 first-place votes)
2 - Dallas Baptist (58 points, 2 first-place votes)
3 - Indiana State (49 points, 1 first-place vote)
4 - Bradley (39 points)
5 - Southern Illinois (31 points)
6 - Illinois State (28 points)
7 - Valparaiso (13 points)
8 - Evansville (11 points)
2019 PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
1B - Ben Whetstone, Missouri State
2B - Jarrod Watkins, Indiana State
SS - Jimmy Glowenke, Dallas Baptist
3B - Brendan Dougherty, Bradley
OF - John Rave, Illinois State
OF - Blake Billinger, Valparaiso
OF - Andy Shadid, Bradley
SP - Triston Polley, Indiana State
SP - Luke Eldred, Dallas Baptist
RP - Connor Sechler, Missouri State
RP - Jarrod Bayless, Dallas Baptist
Players Mentioned
LHP
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
INF/OF
/ Baseball
INF
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