Game Notes: Softball at The Snowman: Alex Wilcox Memorial Tourney

The Southern Illinois University softball team heads to Starkville, Miss. to take part in The Snowman: Alex Wilcox Memorial Tournament, hosted by Mississippi State. The Salukis are slated to take on No. 22/24 Mississippi State, Mississippi Valley State And Stephen F. Austin during the two-day event. Southern is coming off a weekend in which it went 3-0 at the Black and Gold Invitational and allowed just one run (unearned) and scattered nine hits in 21 innings.

Scouting the Bulldogs (2-0)

The Bulldogs went 25-3 a year ago and were primed for a deep postseason run.
Mississippi State defeated Miami (Ohio) twice to open the 2021 season.
All-American catcher Mia Davidson is back for the Bulldogs. Davidson ranks third among active players with 53 career home runs.
Davidson went 0-for-4 with a pair of strikeouts when the Salukis and the Bulldogs played in 2019.
Fa Leilua returns for her sixth year of college and is one of 12 active players with 50-plus career home runs.
Leilua went 0-for-3 against the Salukis in 2019.

Scouting the Devilettes (0-0)

Mississippi Valley State has yet to play a game this season. The Devilettes went 5-16 in 2020.
The Devilettes were picked to finish ninth in the SWAC.

Scouting the Ladyjacks (0-0)

Stephen F. Austin has yet to play a game this season. The Ladyjacks went 19-4 during the 2020 season.
The Ladyjacks were picked to win the Southland Conference in the conference's annual preseason poll.
Almost all of Stephen F. Austin's infield was selected to the Southland Conference Preseason All-Conference team: Kassidy Wilbur (pitcher), Bryana Novegil (second base), Alex Hedspeth (shortstop), Bailey Richards (catcher) and Shaylon Govan (first base).

All-time vs. Mississippi State

SIU holds a 4-7 all-time record against the Bulldogs.
The Salukis last win over Mississippi State came in 2019 at the Puerto Vallarta Challenge - a 4-1 victory.
Southern's last win over Mississippi State in Starkville: 2002; 2-0 win on Feb. 15.

All-time vs. Mississippi Valley State

This will mark the fifth all-time meeting between the Salukis and the Devilettes.
Southern holds a 4-0 all-time record over Mississippi Valley State, which includes a 7-0 win in the 2007 NCAA Regional that SIU hosted.
The Salukis defeated the Devilettes, 15-3, in the most recent meeting between the two schools during the 2019 season.
SIU tallied eight hits and 15 walks in its 2019 victory over MVSU.

All-time vs. Stephen F. Austin

This will be the fifth all-time meeting between the Salukis and the Ladyjacks.
Southern holds a 4-0 all-time record over Stephen F. Austin in a series that dates back to 1979.
SIU won the most recent meeting between the two programs- a 7-3 victory to open the 2014 season.

History vs. Ranked Opponents

The Salukis will face the No. 22/24 Mississippi State Bulldogs on Thursday, which will mark the fifth-straight season that SIU has faced a ranked opponent.
SIU holds a 29-62 all-time record against teams ranked in the top-25.
Southern's last win over a ranked opponent came in 2019- a 4-1 win over No. 25 Mississippi State in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
The 4-1 win over the Bulldogs was not only SIU's first over a ranked opponent since 2013, but was it first over a SEC foe since 2011.

12-straight wins

Southern has won 12-straight games dating back to last season. SIU won its final nine games before the season was brought to a halt.
It's tied for the fourth-longest win streak in school history and is the longest for the Salukis since 2005.

3-0 start to a season

Southern's 3-0 start is its best to open a season since 2009. The 2009 Salukis started the season 11-0.
SIU is the only MVC program to get through opening weekend without a loss.
The Salukis are one of 17 teams nationally to get off to at least a 3-0 start.

Keeping the bats at bay

Southern is tied with Alabama, Virginia Tech, Presbyterian and San Diego for the lowest earned run average (0.00) in the nation.
SIU has allowed just one run- an unearned run - through its first three games. It is tied for the fewest runs allowed through SIU's first three games in program history. The feat has been done four times; 1983, 1999 and most recently in 2005.
Both the 1999 and 2005 teams started the season 2-1 and both suffered 1-0 losses.

700 Career Wins and counting

The Salukis run-ruled IPFW, 9-0 in six innings on Feb. 28, 2020 to give head coach Kerri Blaylock her 700th career win.
In doing so, she became the quickest to reach the 700-win plateau in MVC history.
Blaylock is the 39th head coach all-time in NCAA DI softball to win all 700 games at the same institution.
Blaylock, SIU's all-time winningest softball coach, enters the 2021 season 31 wins shy of breaking Itchy Jones' school record for most wins by a head coach of any sport.
Blaylock's .645 winning percentage (708-389-1) is the best of any active MVC head coach and ranks her 30th nationally among active DI coaches.
Blaylock's .645 winning percentage is also the highest of any Valley softball coach in league history, minimum 200 career games coached.

MVC Head coaches - Games took to reach 700 wins
Kerri Blaylock (SIU) - 1,078 career games
Melinda Fischer (Ill. St.) - 1,123 games
Holly Hesse (Missour State) - 1,386 games

Fielding at a high level

The Salukis finished the 2020 season ranked 12th in NCAA DI in fielding percentage with a .977 fielding percentage. SIU's 14 errors were the fewest of any Valley team.
It marked the third time in the last five seasons that Southern has finished in the top-15 in the nation in fielding percentage.
SIU finished seventh in 2017 and fourth in 2019.
Southern is the only non-Power 5 school to finish Top-15 nationally in fielding percentage in three of the last five seasons.
The only other programs to finish Top-15 nationally in three of the last five seasons are: Florida, Michigan, Oklahoma and Washington.
Southern currently ranks fifth nationally, and second to Illinois State in the MVC, in double plays per game (1).

2020 Recap

Southern went 15-6 a year ago, which included wins in 15 of its final 16 games before the 2020 season was brought to a halt.
SIU was leading the Missouri Valley Conference in fielding percentage (.977), fewest runs allowed (66) and were second in earned run average (2.77).
Southern also led the Valley in walks drawn (82) and total walks (BB + HBP) with 103.

Taking one for the team

Maddy Vermejan is third for the most hit by pitches (59) of any active NCAA DI player.
Vermejan's 59 career hit by pitches rank second in school history. Allie Vadeboncouer was hit by an astounding 71 pitches while a catcher at SIU from 2011-14.

Cracked the Top-10

Maddy Vermejan cracked the top-10 in school history for runs scored, as her 118 career runs scored are the ninth-most in program history.
She is six runs shy of passing Jen Feldmeier for fifth all-time.

Program of Excellence

Over the last 15 seasons, no Missouri Valley Conference team has won more games than the Salukis have. (does not reflect 2021 results)

SIU - 516 wins
Drake - 456
Illinois State - 452
UNI - 414
Missouri State - 404
Wichita State - 384
Bradley - 328
Indiana State - 317

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