Salukis announce 2023 schedule
01/10/2023 | 4:23:00 | Softball
The Salukis' schedule consists of eight opponents that finished the 2022 season in the NCAA's top-100 RPI (rating percentage index), four of which are MVC opponents - UNI, Missouri State, Belmont, and Murray State. SIU's non-conference schedule is highlighted by 2022 top-25 opponent Ole Miss as well as Kansas, UNC Greensboro, and DePaul with all four of those matchups taking place in February.Â
"I'm just so excited to see a team with this much chemistry on the field," head coach Jen Sewell said. "We have make sure our pre-conference schedule has some big RPI opportunities. We need to take care of business with our opponents as a whole but we will have some opportunities for big wins. We talk openly as a team about how to go about being a mid-major in a tough RPI schedule. Although due to our success it's hard to hide and sneak up on teams anymore."Â
Following an eight-game road trip to the FGCU Kickoff and Puerto Vallarta Challenge, the Salukis will play their next 14 games in front of a home crowd at Charlotte West Stadium, which includes hosting the Coach B Classic and Saluki Invitational back-to-back weekends.
"That stretch is always one of favorite times of the season for our program. When we come home to our fans it's a whole different level of excitement," Sewell explained. "Charlotte West Stadium has an incredible home team vibe. I want our players to feel the love and the energy of the fan base but we get to return the favor and say thank you by playing hard in front of them. We've hosted nearly every major Power Five conference in this stadium and some incredible mid and high majors that have been powerhouses in their respective conferences. That says a lot about our stadium, our playing surface, our event staff and our ability to host and provide a big time environment for teams, many who will be making post season runs."
Southern's first home game of the season will be played on Friday, Feb. 24 at 2:15 CT against Northern Kentucky to kickoff the Coach B Classic. Joining NKU at the Coach B Classic from Feb. 24 - Feb. 26 will be DePaul and SIUE. The following weekend Butler, UT Martin, and Loyola-Chicago will make the trip to Carbondale for the Saluki Invitational from Friday March, 3 - March 5 prior to the Valley season beginning.Â
The Salukis open Valley action with a two-game series at home against Missouri State. With 27 MVC game scheduled, SIU will face-off with nine Valley opponents at three games each throughout the season. Southern will play 27 of its final 30 games against Valley opponents with St. Louis and SEMO (2x) being the only exceptions.Â
SIU will finish the regular season with a three-game series in Normal against Illinois State before returning home to Carbondale to host the 2023 Missouri Valley Tournament from May 10 - May 13. The Salukis have hosted the MVC Tournament three times prior, most recently in 2016.Â
"Hosting the MVC Tournament is just so incredibly exciting, not just for our players but for the Southern Illinois community. This is the first year that all teams will make the tournament. Plus we have the addition of three teams so that makes 12 teams over four days to decide a champion," head coach Sewell said. "Knowing that we made sure to do our major field improvements this summer with a laser graded surface, new grass, and a reset of the drainage pattern so the field is performing better than ever. The Valley Tournament host gets viewed by the world on ESPN+ so I'm excited to show off our stadium and our ability to host major championship events."
In addition to hosting the 2023 MVC Tournament, the Salukis will play 24 games home at Charlotte West Stadium against 12 different opponents. Â