Saluki Baseball opens season at Jackson State

Southern Illinois (0-0) at Jackson State (0-0) || Feb. 14-16, 2020 || Jackson, Miss. || Braddy Field (800) || Weather

The Southern Illinois baseball program opens the 2020 season with a four-game series at Jackson State. SIU is set for a doubleheader on Saturday (Feb. 15) and single games on Friday (Feb. 14) and Sunday (Feb. 16). Live stats will be available for all four games.

Game 1 - Friday, February 14 // 6 p.m. // Twitter
SIU RHP Mason Hiser (Sr.) - 2019 stats (4-4, 4.79 ERA, 73.1 IP)
JSU LHP Anthony Becerra (Sr.) - 2019 stats (3-6, 5.16 ERA, 75.0 IP)

Game 2 - Saturday, February 15 // 1 p.m. // Twitter
SIU LHP Brad Harrison (Sr.) - 2019 stats (3-1, 3.05 ERA, 44.1 IP)
JSU RHP Nikelle Galatas (Jr.) - 2019 stats (7-5, 4.17 ERA, 105.2 IP)

Game 3 - Saturday, February 15 // 4 p.m. // Twitter
SIU LHP Blake Begner (Jr.) - 2019 stats (6-7, 6.01 ERA, 67.1 IP)
JSU RHP Antonio Valadez (Jr.) - No 2019 stats

Game 4 - Sunday, February 16 // Noon // Twitter
SIU - TBD
JSU LHP Harry Colon (Jr.) - 2019 stats (2-0, 0.00 ERA, 4.1 IP)

AROUND THE HORN

The Lance Rhodes era of Saluki Baseball will begin Friday, Feb. 14 at Jackson State. He was announced as the eighth head coach in program history in late June. Most recently, he was an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Missouri (2017-19). Rhodes pulled in top-35 ranked recruiting classes in each of his three seasons at Mizzou. He also coached at nearby Southeast Missouri from 2013-16.
The Salukis were picked seventh in the preseason Missouri Valley Conference poll.
Fifteen letterwinners return from last years 26-29 squad. All 55 starts from the 2019 season are returning in 2020. Mason Hiser (14 starts), Blake Begner (13), Dylan Givens (11), Brad Harrison (8) and Matthew Steidl (8) accounted for 54 of those 55 starts.
Hiser, Harrison and Begner will start on the mound in the first three games at Jackson State. SIU's starting pitcher in game four will be announced at a later date.
Five freshmen and 10 transfers were added to the mix in 2020.
Transfer infielder Nick Neville started 19 games for South Carolina in 2019 and 13 games for Notre Dame in 2017.
Next years junior college recruiting class was rated twentieth nationally and second outside the Power Five by Perfect Game.
The Salukis return three of its top-four hitters in batting average from a year ago — Philip Archer (.262), J.T. Weber (.261) and Addison Fugitt (.238).
Southern set a school record with 144 stolen bases in 2019, which ranked fifth nationally. SIU has stolen 370 bases since 2017, the most in the MVC by 167.
SIU relief pitcher Trey McDaniel led the MVC and ranked seventh nationally with 14 saves last season. He was one of three Salukis to earn All-MVC honorable mention. His role has been redefined from closer to stopper, and he could see action earlier in games as needed.
Last season, the Salukis ranked 21st nationally in sac flies with 32. Ian Walters ranked third nationally with eight.
Position changes from 2019: J.T. Weber has moved from first base to left field; Ian Walters has moved from third base/left field to second base.
Staff additions: Assistants Tim Jamieson (pitching coach), Nick Magnifico (hitting coach/recruiting coordinator), Ben Brewer (volunteer coach) and Kirby McGuire (graduate assistant) enter their first season with Saluki Baseball.

OPENING WEEKEND

This will be the first-ever meeting between SIU and JSU in baseball.
SIU is 3-8 on opening day since 2010, with season-opening wins in 2014, 2017 and 2019.
Southern opened last year with a three-game series at Nicholls. The Salukis won the opener 6-5, but lost the series, two games to one.
The Salukis last won an opening series in 2017, when they swept Stetson in three games.

2019 MVC LEADERS

Team in stolen bases (144)
Team in sac flies (35)
Team in triples (19)
Team in fewest GDP (13)
Will LaRue - Stolen bases (31)
Trey McDaniel - Saves (14)
Ian Walters - Sac flies (8)

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Players Mentioned

Philip Archer

Blake Begner

Addison Fugitt

Dylan Givens

Brad Harrison

Mason Hiser

Will LaRue

Trey McDaniel

Nick Neville

Matthew Steidl

Ian Walters

J.T. Weber

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