Salukis host Redbirds for weekend

Southern Illinois (17-16, 1-5 MVC) vs. Illinois State (22-15, 5-1 MVC) // April 19-21, 2019 // Carbondale, Ill. (Itchy Jones Stadium) // SIU Game Notes PDF

Southern Illinois hosts Illinois State for a three-game series. The first 100 fans on Saturday will receive a free pair of sunglasses. The Salukis are 12-4 at home this year, the program's best home start since 2007. The Redbirds, at 5-1, are in a tie for first place in the Missouri Valley Conference.

Be sure to follow @SIU_Baseball on Twitter for schedule and weather updates.

Game 1 - Friday, April 19 - 6:30 p.m. // ESPN3 | Audio (also on TuneIn) | Live Stats | Twitter

SIU RHP Mason Hiser (3-1, 4.93 ERA, 38.1 IP)
ILS LHP Brent Headrick (3-3, 5.25 ERA, 48.0 IP)

Game 2 - Saturday, April 20 - 2 p.m. // ESPN3 | Audio (also on TuneIn) | Live Stats | Twitter

SIU RHP Dylan Givens (3-4, 5.51 ERA, 50.2 IP)
ILS RHP Jeff Lindgren (3-2, 5.18 ERA, 48.2 IP)

Game 3 - Sunday, April 21 - 1 p.m. // ESPN3 | Audio (also on TuneIn) | Live Stats | Twitter

SIU LHP Blake Begner (3-4, 5.87 ERA, 37.1 IP)
ILS LHP Matt Walker (2-5, 5.40 ERA, 40.0 IP)

AROUND THE HORN

Southern Illinois hosts Illinois State for a three-game series at Itchy Jones Stadium.
Two upcoming giveaways at Itchy Jones Stadium:
- April 20 vs. Illinois State - 100 pairs of free sunglasses
- April 30 vs. Illinois - 100 free t-shirts with the new SIU athletics logo
Southern's remaining schedule is one of the toughest in the nation...
- 13 of the final 19 games against top-50 RPI teams
- Each of the next eight games are against top-100 RPI teams
- 11 of the next 12 against top-100 RPI
The Salukis are off to a 12-4 start at Itchy Jones Stadium this year, the program's best home start since 2007. SIU started 15-1 at home that year. Dating back to the end of last year, SIU is 14-4 in its last 18 home games.
SIU is 26 games over .500 at home since the start of the 2016 season (65-39-1 (.624)).
Southern Illinois ranks third in the nation in stolen bases per game (2.85). Southern's 94 stolen bases rank sixth nationally.
Nikola Vasic (17), Will LaRue (16), Addison Fugitt (14), and Ian Walters (13) rank 2-3-4-5 in the Missouri Valley Conference in stolen bases.
SIU ranks eighth in the nation with 24 sacrifice flies. Ian Walters ranks third individually with seven sac flies.
Nikola Vasic has seven multi-hit games in the last 18 games.
Trey McDaniel leads the MVC and ranks eighth in the nation with nine saves.
Grey Epps is hitting .375 with a double, a triple, a home run and three stolen bases in his last five games. Epps is slugging .750 in that span, and hit a home run in his hometown of Clarksville, Tenn., on Tuesday.
Dawg Bites: SIU is outscoring opponents 52-29 in the first two innings. The Salukis are 12-4 when they score first ... SIU is 16-2 when tied or leading after six innings ... SIU is 5-1 in its last six one-run games.

MVC LEADERS

Team in sac flies (24)
Team in stolen bases (94)
Team in triples (12)
Ian Walters in sac flies (24)
Trey McDaniel in saves (9)

STREAKS & NOTES

Nikola Vasic has reached base in 79 of 91 career games (87%).
Ian Walters has reached base in 28 of 33 games this year. In 3 of the 5 games Walters has not reached base, he has still recorded at least one RBI.
Ian Walters is 14-for-18 in getting a runner home from third with less than two outs (78%).
Addison Fugitt is 30-for-31 stealing in his career (96.8%). He was picked off and tried to advance on Feb. 27 at Belmont, snapping a streak of 18-straight stolen bases without being caught to start his career. He still has not been traditionally caught stealing in his career.
SIU is 5-1 in its last six one-run games.
Matt DeSomer has five-straight appearances without allowing an earned run.
Saluki Baseball has led the MVC in turning double plays in five of the last six seasons.

For a complete set of game notes in PDF format, click here.

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Players Mentioned

Blake Begner

Matt DeSomer

Grey Epps

Addison Fugitt

Dylan Givens

Mason Hiser

Will LaRue

Trey McDaniel

Nikola Vasic

Ian Walters

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