Salukis vying for first regular season crown since 1990 at Illinois State this weekend

The Southern Illinois University baseball team can clinch at least a share of its first Missouri Valley Conference regular season title since 1990 with a series win over Illinois State this weekend. The Salukis, who need two wins to post back-to-back 40-win seasons for the first time in program history, will take on the Redbirds beginning Thursday at 5 p.m. Friday's tilt begins at 3 p.m. while Saturday's series finale will get underway at 1 p.m. Southern holds a one-game lead over the Evansville Purple Aces with three games remaining. The Aces host last-place Valparaiso this weekend. The surging Salukis, meanwhile, have won seven-straight and are set to face an Illinois State squad that has lost eight of its last 10.

Notes

SIU is bidding for its 8th MVC regular season title this weekend when it plays at Illinois St. and its first since 1990. The Salukis, 14-4 in the MVC, are one game ahead of second place Evansville, 13-5. SIU's never led the MVC going into the final weekend of the regular season. SIU's guaranteed of its highest MVC finish since 1990, first or second.
SIU has won all 6 MVC series it has played to date in 2022. It's three-game sweep of Indiana St. last weekend is the Salukis' only MVC series sweep of the season. SIU's never swept every MVC series in one season. The 1990 MVC regular season champion Salukis did not lose a series, but they split a pair of series while winning 3.
Should SIU win at least two games this weekend at ISU, Southern will have posted back-to-back 40 win seasons for the first time ever.
SIU has 78 wins the last two seasons (40 in 2021). The SIU record for total wins in consecutive seasons is 87 (37 in 1973 and 50 in 1974). #2 is 86 (50 in 1974 and 36 in 1985). The 1976 and 1977 teams combined for 80 victories.
SIU's NCAA RPI is 71. Illinois State's is 173.
SIU's won the last two series it has played at ISU's Duffy Bass Field (2016 and 2018). ISU beat SIU in a 2019 MVC Tourney game at ISU.
SIU is the winningest road team in the MVC (15), is 23-7 at home, and leads the MVC in overall wins (38).
Coach Lance Rhodes is 54-17 at home in his 3 seasons as SIU's Coach, 33-20 on the road and 3-2 at neutral sites.
Rhodes, 90-39 overall in 3 years at SIU, is the second fastest to 90 career wins in SIU history (129 games). Itchy Jones is the fastest to 90 victories as he scored his 90th win in his 111th game as SIU's coach in 1972.
SIU has 29 MVC wins total the last three seasons (there was no 2020 MVC season). SIU won 25 MVC games total the previous three years (2017-19).
SIU, which finished first or second in every key MVC offensive stat category in 2021, is 2nd in the MVC in BA, #3 in HRs, #1 in R, #1 in RBIs, #1 in hits, and #3 in Slug % in 2022. The Salukis also lead the MVC in walks and are 2nd in the MVC in fewest strikeouts.
SIU is averaging 1.4 HR/G in 2022. It averaged 2.1 HR/G enroute to the school's single season home run record of 84 in 2021.
SIU has 406 runs scored in 2022 and is the 5th highest scoring team in SIU history (8 runs/game). The school record for runs in one season is 480 (1990; 7/game). The 2021 Salukis are #2 all-time in runs scored with 442 (7.4/game).
JT Weber set the SIU single-season HR record on 5/10/22 at SIUE when he hit a grand slam home run in the first inning. It was his 18th home run of the season and the 35th of his career. He has not homered since that game (3 games). Weber is 2nd to Robert Jones (36, 1983-1986) in career homers.
Weber (207 career games) is the only player in the top 10 in Saluki history in career HRs (2nd-35), RBIs (6th-150) and R (7th-160).
Weber is pre-season First Team All-MVC. He is #5 in the MVC in BA, #1 in R, #2 in hits, tied for #2 in HRs, and #2 in RBIs.
SS Kaeber Rog is #2 in the MVC in BA, #1 in H, #3 in RBIs, tied for #6 in HR. Rog leads the MVC in BA in MVC-only games (.424).
1B/3B Ryan Rodriguez has delivered two walk off winners in 2022. His 10th inning walk off 2R HR beat Illinois 7-5 on 3/20/22 in Carbondale. He reached base on a Bradley error in the bottom of the 9th inning at SIU on 4/2/22 driving in the winning run in SIU's 6-5 win. Rodriguez delivered a third game winning hit when he doubled in the winning run 4/22/22 at DBU in the 8th inning of a 7-6 win.
SIU has 4 walk-off wins this season. In addition to Rodriguez' heroics above, OF Nathan Bandy gave SIU a 7-6 win over SIUE on April 16 with a walk off RBI single. OF Jack Rigoni won the 4/26/22 SEMO game with a walk-off homerun leading off the bottom of the 11th inning.
OF Nathan Bandy had a 28-game reached base streak snapped at DBU on 4/24. It is tied for 4th longest streak in SIU history. He is hitting .368 in MVC-only games, good for 3rd place.
2B Grey Epps is tied for the MVC lead in RBIs in conference-only game, 21.
RP Trey McDaniel (Senior; Williamsville, Mo.) is in 2nd place in career saves (31). #1 is Ryan Netemeyer (2015-18) with 37. McDaniel (8-1-3 in 2022) is SIU's all-time leader in appearances with 118. McDaniel is in 3rd place in MVC career appearances and is 5th in MVC career saves. He is 2nd in the MVC in ERA in conference games only. McDaniel leads the MVC in wins with 8 and leads the MVC in conference-only wins, 5.
RP Matthew Steidl has appeared in 6 of SIU's 9 games in May. He pitched a total of 17 innings, allowed 3 runs and earned 3 saves. He has 5 MVC saves for the season. He is 2nd in the MVC in ERA and #6 in Ks.

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