Salukis host the Purple Aces for three-game series

The Southern Illinois University softball team returns to Charlotte West Stadium this weekend to host the Evansville Purple Aces for a three-game series beginning Saturday, April 10. This weekend's matchup pits the top two highest scoring teams in the Missouri Valley Conference this season with all three games available to be streamed on ESPN+.

Schedule Adjusted

Due to inclement weather in Saturday's forecast, this weekend's series schedule has been adjusted.
The Salukis and Purple Aces will play one game beginning at 1 p.m. on Saturday followed by a doubleheader beginning at Noon on Sunday.
All three contests will be available on ESPN+ or ESPN3.

Sign up for the Saluki Softball Fundraiser

Southern's 22nd annual fundraising dinner has been set for April 30, 2021 at Charlotte West Stadium.
The cost is $20 and all proceeds will benefit Saluki softball.
Info on how to sign up is available here.

All-time vs. the Purple Aces

• The Salukis and the Purple Aces will meet for the 97th time Saturday with SIU holding a commanding 68-28 lead in the all-time series that dates back to 1986.
• SIU has won eight-straight, and nine of the last 10, against Evansville.
• The Salukis are 42-10 at home against the Purple Aces which includes a 24-7 record at Charlotte West Stadium.
• The Aces' last series win came in 2016, when it won two of the three one-run games between the two squads in Evansville.
• Since the MVC went to three-game series in 2001, Southern has only lost four series (2002, 2003, 2013, 2016) to the Aces.
• Head coach Kerri Blaylock, a 1988 Evansville alumna, is 40-20 all-time as SIU's skipper against the Purple Aces.
• Blaylock still holds numerous Evansville career pitching records including career wins (79), innings pitched (883.2 IP), complete games (127) and shutouts (42).

Two of the top-hitting freshmen on display

• Bailey Caylor ranks 14th in the MVC, and second amongst MVC freshmen, with a .329 batting average.
• Only Evansville freshman Marah Wood (.354) is hitting for a higher average this season.
• Caylor has hit in three different spots in the order (2/7/9) and is hitting an astounding .410 (16-for-39) in 16 games when hitting in the lower third of Southern's lineup. Conversely, the freshman from Tipton, Ind. is hitting .250 (10-for-40) in 13 games when hitting second.

Top-two scoring offenses in the Valley

• Southern (5.22) and Evansville (5.21) are the two highest scoring teams in the Valley thus far this season.

Broke out the Brooms

• The Salukis completed their first three-game sweep of the Loyola Ramblers since 2015 with a 3-0 win on April 3.
• Southern outscored Loyola, 25-1, during the three-game sweep and SIU's pitchers, who came into the weekend with the best ERA in the MVC, combined to allow just one run on 10 hits in 19 innings of work.
• SIU's one run allowed was the fewest its allowed in a three-game sweep since it allowed just one run to Illinois State on March 25-26, 2016.
• It marks the ninth time since the MVC went to three-game series in 2001 that Southern has held its opponent to one or fewer runs in a three-game sweep.
• Southern's 10 runs in the sixth inning of its game one win over Loyola were its most runs in an inning since SIU plated 10 in the second inning of a 20-1 win over Valpo on March 23, 2019
• It was also Southern's second-straight sweep in MVC play.

Cracked the Top-3

• Katelyn Massa totaled 4 RBIs in SIU's three-game sweep of the Loyola Ramblers last weekend.
• With her 4 RBIs, Massa cracked the top-three of SIU's all-time RBI list.
• Massa currently ranks third in school history with 138 career RBIs. She needs 18 RBIs to break the all-time career RBI record, set by Shaye Harre.

SIU's all-time RBI leaders

155 - Shaye Harre (2014-17)
147 - Jayna Spivey (2011-14)
138 - Katelyn Massa (2017-pres.)
137 - Taylor Orsburn (2011-14)

Moved into third

• Maddy Vermejan scored four runs last week for the Salukis to inch closer to the school record for career runs scored.
• Vermejan's 154 career runs are the third-most in program history.
• Vermejan, who ranks 22nd nationally with a 1.19 runs scored per game average, needs to score nine runs to pass Mallory Duran-Sellers for the most runs scored in school history.

SIU's all-time runs scored leaders
162 - Mallory Duran-Sellers (2009-12)
159 - Colleen Holloway (1990-93)
154 - Maddy Vermejan (2017-pres.)
150 - Becky Lis (1994-97)

Finding a way

• Jenny Jansen has reached base safely in 14-straight games, which is the second-best streak by a Saluki this season.

Everyone gets a turn

• Southern has showcased its depth all season, as 18 of SIU's 19 players have started at least one game this season and all 16 hitters have recorded at least one at-bat.
• Elizabeth Warwick is the only player this season to hit in all nine spots of SIU's batting order.

Double-digit hits

• Southern pounded out a season-high 10 hits in its 12-1, six inning win at Loyola on April 2.
• It was SIU's most hits in a game since it recorded 10 against Northern Illinois on March 6, 2020.
• Two of SIU's 10 hits were triples- which marked the first time since Feb. 10, 2019 (vs. Miss. Valley State) that Southern has socked two three-baggers in the same game.

MVC Pitcher of the Week

• Sarah Harness was named the Missouri Valley Conference Pitcher of the Week for the third time this season earlier this week.
• Harness went 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA in seven innings of work this past week.
• The Bowling Green, Mo. native allowed just three hits- one of which went for extra bases and she held opponents to a .125 batting average. She also struck out eight and walked just two.

Leading the League in Scoring runs/keeping them off the board

• The Salukis lead the Missouri Valley Conference in both scoring (5.22 runs per game) and earned run average (1.78).
• Southern is one of 10 teams nationally to lead their conference in both categories.
• They are joined by: George Washington (A-10), Wichita State (AAC), Miami (Ohio) (MAC), Norfolk State (MEAC), Fresno State (Mountain West), St. Francis (NEC), UCLA (Pac-12), Boston (Patriot), South Dakota State (Summit League)

Full game notes are available here.

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Players Mentioned

Bailey Caylor

Sarah Harness

Jenny Jansen

Katelyn Massa

Maddy Vermejan

Elizabeth Warwick

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