Southern Illinois University
Illinois St.
Salukis open MVC Tournament play on Thursday
05/11/2022 | 7:28:00 | Softball
All-time at the MVC Tournament
• The Salukis are 52-52 all-time at the MVC Tournament
• SIU won the MVC Tournament a year ago, after it disposed of Drake, Illinois State and UNI to win its second MVC Tournament title in the last five years.
* Southern also won tournament titles in 2017 and 1991.
The Salukis have advanced to the MVC Tournament Championship game seven times, most recently in 2021. Southern made it to the championship game in 2018, 2017, 2012, 2010, 2007, 2004. SIU also advanced to the Gateway Championship game in 1991 and 1992.
The last team to repeat as MVC Tournament Champions was the 2019 Drake Bulldogs. Drake (2018-19) joined Creighton (2003-05) and Missouri State (1996-98) as the only programs to win consecutive MVC Tournament titles.
All-time as the third seed
* The Salukis will serve as the third seed for the 12th time in the last 24 seasons (dating back to 1998).
* Southern holds an 11-15 all-time record as the third seed and has advanced to the conference title game three times while being the third seed.
* SIU won the MVC Tournament title for the first time since 1991 as the third seed in 2017, and also advanced to the title game in 2007 and 2018 as the third seed.
* The third seed has advanced to the MVC title game in three of the last four full seasons (excluding 2020).
* The Salukis advanced to the 2018 MVC Tournament title game as the third seed. Southern defeated Illinois State, 2-0 before disposing of Missouri State, 9-8 in the semifinals.
Southern fell, 4-1 to Drake in the MVC Tournament title game. It marked the last time (2017-18) in which SIU has advanced to back-to-back MVC Tournament title games.
All-Conference honors
* Southern tallied four all-conference honors and an all-defensive team selection.
* Jenny Jansen, Rylie Hamilton and Sarah Harness earned spots on the All-MVC First Team while Elizabeth Warwick was selected to the Second Team.
* Sidney Sikes, meanwhile, was named to the MVC All-Defensive Team.
Next hit is No. 250
* SIU's all-time leading hits leader, Jenny Jansen's next hit will be the 250th of her career.
* She will become the seventh player in Missouri Valley Conference history with 250 career hits if and when she gets No. 250. Jansen currently ranks seventh in Valley history in career hits with 249.
Five-Straight Dubs
* The Salukis come into the conference tournament having won five-straight games after sweeping both Evansville and Illinois State.
* Southern's five-game win streak is its longest to enter the MVC Tournament since 2005.
Regular Season Batting Crown
* Southern hit a league-best .291 as a team during the 2022 regular season.
* It marks just the fourth time in the last 22 seasons that the Salukis have led the Valley in batting average, but it is the second time in the last three complete seasons (ignoring shortened 2020 season) that SIU has accomplished the feat.
* Southern last led the league in batting average in 2019 when it hit .303 en route to the program's 12th NCAA Tournament appearance.
Also led the league in:
On-base percentage (.404). Second-straight season SIU has led the league in OB and SIU ranks 11th nationally.
Runs (277) - first time leading the MVC in category since 2018. Fourth time in last 10 seasons.
Walks (200) - Second-straight season SIU has led the league in walks.
