Softball opens 2019 season at Lion Classic

Friday, February 8

Hammond, La.

1 p.m.

Southern Illinois University

Nicholls State University

02/07/2019 | 12:15:00 | Softball

By: By Alex Underwood, SIUSalukis.com

The Southern Illinois softball team opens the 2019 season on Friday at the Lion Classic, hosted by Southeastern Louisiana in Hammond, La. SIU will play five games in a three-day span, Feb. 8-10, at North Oak Park against Nicholls State, Southeastern Louisiana, San Joe State and Mississippi Valley State.

Live stats and live streaming will be provided at the Lion Classic. In addition to the stats and streaming, live updates will be posted on the Saluki softball Twitter account.
Live Stats Link: https://lionsports.net/sidearmstats/softball/summary
Live Stream Link: https://lionsports.net/watch/

LION CLASSIC SCHEDULE

Friday, Feb. 8
Field One
1 p.m. - Southern Illinois vs. Nicholls
3 p.m. - Southern Illinois vs. Southeastern Louisiana
5 p.m. - Northern Illinois vs. Southeastern Louisiana
Field Three
3 p.m. - Northern Illinois vs. San Jose State
5 p.m. - Mississippi Valley State vs. San Jose State

Saturday, Feb. 9
Field One
11 a.m. - Northern Illinois vs. Mississippi Valley State
1 p.m. - Northern Illinois vs. Southeastern Louisiana
3:30 p.m. - Mississippi Valley State vs. Southeastern Louisiana
5:30 p.m. - Nicholls vs. San Jose State
Field Three
1 p.m. - Nicholls vs. Southern Illinois
3:30 p.m. - San Jose State vs. Southern Illinois

Sunday, Feb. 10
Field One
10 a.m. - San Jose State vs. Nicholls
12 p.m. - Mississippi Valley State vs. Southeastern Louisiana
Field Three
10 a.m. - Southern Illinois vs. Mississippi Valley State
12 p.m. - Nicholls vs. Northern Illinois

2018 IN REVIEW

• The Salukis went 31-22 and 12-12 in MVC play.
• It was Southern's third-straight year with over 30 wins.
• Southern advanced to the Missouri Valley Conference title game for the second-straight year.
• The team went an impressive 13-3 in neutral site games.
• Earned conference series wins against Bradley, Evansville and Loyola.
• Salukis' Maddy Vermejan, Katelyn Massa, Brianna Jones, Sydney Jones and Jenny Jansen earned All-MVC honors.
• Vermejan was also named MVC Defensive Player of the Year.
• Massa became the second Saluki catcher in the last 20 years to repeat on the All-MVC First Team.
• Southern led the Valley in runs (249), home runs (47) and RBI (228).
• Brianna Jones led the Valley in wins (26), complete games (26) and innings pitched (232.1).
• Head coach Kerri Blaylock passed Kay Brechtelsbauer to become the all-time wins leader at SIU with 634 in a 10-inning victory over Connecticut.

2019 PREVIEW

• SIU returns 13 letter winners and eight starters, including four who earned All-MVC honors a year ago.
• Six of the returning starters in the lineup batted .260 or better last season.
• Six of the returnees started in over 50 games.
• Southern added five newcomers to the team.
• The Salukis were picked second in the MVC by the league's coaches.
• Drake was projected to win the league.
• Vermejan, Massa and Brianna Jones were selected to the 2019 Preseason All-MVC team.
• Vermejan and Jones make their second and third appearances on the team, respectively, while Massa was named to the team for the first time as a Saluki.
• Blaylock's squad is set to play 24 home games at Charlotte West Stadium, 15 games on the road and 14 at a neutral site.
• Seven of Southern's 53 opponents in 2019 played in the NCAA tournament last year.

PITCHING NEWCOMERS

• Joining Saluki ace Jones on the pitching staff are a pair of transfers in Claire Miller and Holly Marousek.
• Miller transferred from NCAA Division II Southwest Baptist, where she was a two-time all-conference pitcher.
• As a sophomore, she led her conference in both strikeouts and shutouts and finished top-five in the league in innings pitched (195.0), earned run average (1.97), fewest hits per nine innings (4.85) and opposing batting average (.190).
• Marousek spent her freshman season at Lake Land College, where she recorded a 22-5 record with a 2.67 ERA in 34 appearances.
• She helped lead to Lake Land to a 48-18 season and a trip to the NJCAA National Tournament.

SCOUTING THE FIELD

Nicholls
• Overall record of 40-15 and 21-6 in conference play in 2018.
• Projected to win the Southland Conference in the league's preseason poll.
• Returns eight all-conference selections including Southland Pitcher of the Year Megan Landry and Freshman of the Year Jewel Lara.
• Landry is a three-time All-Southland honoree and went 22-7 in the circle with a 1.94 ERA as a junior.
• In Lara's debut season for the Colonels, she batted .344 with 15 extra-base hits and 24 RBI, earning First Team All-Southland honors.
• The Salukis hold a career 5-3 record against Nicholls and have won four out of the last five matchups.
• Three of SIU's past four wins over the Colonels have been by the score of 3-1.
• The two schools last matched up in 2016, which resulted in a 2-0 loss for Southern.
• The game was Eyrika Brandenburg's second career start.

Southeastern Louisiana
• SLU — the hosts of the Lion Classic — finished 2018 with a 38-21 record and 18-8 mark in conference play.
• Projected to place fourth in the Southland Conference.
• Set to return 15 letter winners and five starters from a year ago.
• Utility player Ali McCoy is one of the top returning Lions.
• Last season, she earned Third Team All-Southland.
• She hit .307 at the plate and finished with a 3.94 ERA in five appearances on the mound.
• Southern is 1-2 all-time against SLU.
• In the most recent matchup during the 2016 season, SIU lost 5-4.
• Brianna Jones came in relief and recorded the loss versus SLU for the Salukis — the first of her collegiate career.

San Jose State
• The Spartans were 32-17 and 16-8 in conference play last year.
• Returns two First Team All-Mountain West athletes in Madison Aurin and Cassidy Clark.
• Aurin is a career .346 batter with 23 home runs and recorded a team-high 10 homers and 52 RBI in 2018.
• As a pitcher, she started 27 games and finished the season with a 16-13 record and 3.18 ERA in 165.0 innings of work.
• Clark hit .375 with six doubles and a mere eight strikeouts as a sophomore.
• Southern holds a perfect 3-0 record against San Jose, having faced them three times between 2001-2006.

Mississippi Valley State
• Devilettes went 14-31 and 9-9 in the SWAC in 2018.
• Picked to finish fourth in the SWAC Eastern Division.
• Three players were named to the preseason All-SWAC team.
• Key returner is 2018 Second Team All-SWAC honoree Kailyn Dunn.
• Dunn started 41 games last season and led her team in walks and stolen base percentage.
• The Salukis are 4-0 all-time versus the Devilettes.
• In the previous three matchups, Southern shutout Mississippi Valley by scores of 7-0 (2007), 8-0 (2010) and 5-0 (2017).
• Jones pitched the 30th no-hitter in program history and her first as a Saluki in the 5-0 victory in 2017.