Salukis host WIU for home opening weekend

Friday, March 1

Carbondale, Ill.

12 p.m.

Southern Illinois University

Western Illinois

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02/28/2019 | 6:02:00 | Baseball

Game Notes

By: By Alex Underwood, SIUSalukis.com

WESTERN ILLINOIS (2-4) at SOUTHERN ILLINOIS (3-3) // MARCH 1-2, 2019 // Carbondale, Ill. (Weather) // Itchy Jones Stadium (2,000 // Turf) // SIU Game Notes

Southern Illinois hosts Western Illinois for a three-game series this weekend at Itchy Jones Stadium. The teams will play a noon doubleheader on Friday and a single game at 1 p.m. on Saturday.

GAME 1 - Friday, March 1 // 12 p.m. // Live Stats

SIU LHP Brad Harrison (0-1, 4.50 ERA, 10.0 IP)
WIU RHP Javin Drake (1-1, 2.45 ERA, 11.0 IP)

GAME 2 - Friday, March 1 // 3 p.m. // Live Stats

SIU LHP Blake Begner (0-1, 7.71 ERA, 7.0 IP)
WIU - TBD

GAME 3 - Saturday, March 2 // 1 p.m. // Live Stats

SIU RHP Dylan Givens (1-0, 1.35 ERA, 13.1 IP)
WIU RHP Justin Foy (0-0, 3,38 ERA, 8.0 IP)

AROUND THE HORN

Southern Illinois hosts Western Illinois for a three-game series from Mar. 1-2 at Itchy Jones Stadium. It is home opening week for SIU and their will be a 12 p.m. doubleheader on Friday and a single game at 1 p.m. on Saturday. Live stats for all three games are available at SIUSalukis.com/baseball/schedule.
The series was originally scheduled from March 1-3, but was shifted due to inclement weather.
Southern leads the all-time series, 36-10, and has won 18 straight against the Leathernecks. The last time SIU lost to WIU was at the 1965 NCAA Mideast Regional.
SIU has held WIU to three runs or less in six of the last seven matchups.
This is the third time in the past four years that SIU has opened home action against WIU.
SIU is 2-2 in its home openers over the past four seasons. In last years home opener, the Salukis fell to Louisiana Monroe, 5-4.
Southern won its opening mid-week game of the season 13-9 at Belmont. In the game, Philip Archer, Grey Epps and Nikola Vasic each recorded a season-high three hits. Archer and Ian Walters also tallied the second and third home runs of the season for SIU.
Nikola Vasic and Will LaRue lead SIU and the Missouri Valley Conference with four stolen bases. SIU is averaging 2.33 steals per game and rank 27th nationally in the category. SIU ranked fourth in the nation last year in stolen bases with 131.
Dylan Givens tops the MVC in innings pitched (13.1) and ranks seventh in earned run average (1.35). In his last outing at Memphis, he pitched eight innings (5 H, 0 ER, 3 K) to earn his first victory of the season.
Trey McDaniel leads the MVC and ranks 21st in the nation with two saves. Through three appearances, he has struck out four, while allowing no runs and no hits.
On the season, Saluki freshman pitchers hold a 2.45 ERA and have struck out 13 batters in 11.0 innings.
Of the 68 Division I freshman who pitched at least four innings on opening weekend, SIU pitcher Matthew Steidl was No. 1 in strikeouts per nine innings with 15.8.
Freshman Sam Grace and Matthew Steidl held Nicholls batter to 2-for-20 with 10 strikeouts in their first career appearances on opening weekend.

NEWCOMERS IMPRESSING

Transfers Ian Walters and Philip Archer have made an immediate impact to the Saluki offense though six games.
The two currently lead the offense with a .333 batting average, eight hits and one home run. Both Walters and Archer have reached base in all six contests as well.
Walters has started all six games at third base, while Archer has started five at designated hitter and one at first base.

MVC LEADERS

Dylan Givens in innings pitched (13.1)
Nikola Vasic and Will LaRue in steals (4)
Nikola Vasic in doubles (3)
Trey McDaniel in saves (2)
Team in sac flies (4)

SCOUTING WIU

Western Illinois is 2-4 on the season. They were swept by Tennessee Tech in its season opening series. WIU then took two of three at SEMO in its second series of the season.
WIU is a member of the Summit League and went 14-12 in conference play last season. The 14 wins were their most in league play since 2006.
Western was picked to finish fourth in the Summit coaches poll. Senior outfielder Steve McShane and sophomore utility player Alex Dorethy were selected to the Summit Players to Watch list in the Summit.
As a team, WIU is batting .209 and holds an ERA of 5.71 through six games.