Friday, February 24
Jacksonville, AL
3 PM
Southern Illinois University
at
Jacksonville St.
Southern Travels to Jacksonville State for Weekend Series
02/23/2023 | 4:18:00 | Baseball
CARBONDALE, Ill. – Southern Illinois baseball opens a three-game weekend series at Jacksonville Stats Friday. It's the first weekend series with the Gamecocks since the 2018 season when SIU played JSU in Oxford, Ala.
THE SCHEDULE
Friday – 3 p.m. | ESPN+
Saturday – 3 p.m.
Sunday – 1 p.m. | ESPN+
PROBABLE STARTERS
Game 1 • SIU RHP Ben Chapman (1-0, 5.40 ERA, 5.0 IP) vs JSU RHP AJ Causey (0-0, 7.20 ERA, 5.0 IP)
Game 2 • SIU RHP Easton Dermody (0-0, 11.25 ERA, 4.0 IP) vs JSU RHP Tanner Jones (0-0, 6.75 ERA, 4.0 IP)
Game 3 • SIU RHP Paul Bonzagni (0-0, 4.50 ERA, 4.0 IP) vs JSU LHP Eli Zielinski (0-0, 19.29 ERA, 2.1 IP)
AROUND THE HORN
• Head coach Lance Rhodes enters his fourth season at the helm of the program, leading the team to 40 or more wins during the last two seasons -- the first back-to-back 40-win seasons in program history.
• SIU returns 18 players from 2022 and will still be one of the most experienced teams in the nation. 33 of the 35 players are in at least their third year or more of collegiate baseball.
• Southern Illinois reliever Matthew Steidl and shortstop Kaeber Rog were named to the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper 2023 Preseason All-American Teams -- the first time in program history that the Salukis have had two preseason All-Americans on the same team to start the year.
• Kaeber Rog has an on-base streak of 25 games extending back to April 29 of last season.
• SIU has hit 10 home runs and 10 doubles in five games -- to put together a .522 slugging percentage.
• The Salukis have broken the single-season home run mark in the last two years (88-2022, 84-2021).
• SIU currently leads the MVC in home runs (10), runs (37), hits (50), total bases (94), and triples (2).
• Jake Combs put together the best outing from any SIU starter last weekend, going five innings allowing only one run, four hits, and striking out three in the win versus Towson.
LAST TIME OUT
• Saluki baseball is coming off a 14-13 loss on the road to Austin Peay in midweek action. SIU belted four home runs in the game, including two off the bat of Nathan Bandy.
• SIU looked to have tied the game with a three-run pinch-hit home run from Noah Cook in the top of the ninth. After an appeal by APSU Cook was called out at home for not touching home plate and credited with a two-run triple.
NEW BLOOD
• Junior transfer Steven Loden had a debut to remember for the Salukis on opening day. The second baseman connected on a pair of home runs in the win while driving in four. He became just the eighth player in program history to homer for their first career hit and the fourth ever to homer in his first at bat. Teammates Bennett Eltoft and Cole Christman also belted home runs in the same game to join the group of eight Salukis to have their first hit be a home run.
ROG
• Kaeber Rog had one of the best statistical seasons in program history in his first season as a Saluki in 2022. The Willemstad, Curacao native tallied the fourth-most hits in a single season in program history (89) and his 21 doubles and 14 home runs are tied for the sixth-most in school history. One of only two Salukis to start every game this season, Rog tallied 25 multi-hit games, which included 10 games with three or more hits, and hit a conference-best .405 in MVC play. The switch-hitting shortstop earned the MVC's Joe Carter Player of the Year award as well as the league's Newcomer of the Year honor, becoming just the second player in conference history to win both in the same season.
THE MATCHUP
• Jacksonville State enters the weekend 1-3 overall after facing Georgia during opening weekend and Samford in a midweek contest. The Gamecocks took the series opener against Georgia 8-5 before dropping the next two games with the Bulldogs. JSU dropped its midweek game with Samford 7-6.
• The two programs have met 24 times previously with the first game coming in the 2009 season in Carbondale. Jacksonville State leads the series 13-11 overall and is 8-5 at home against the Salukis. The last series with JSU came in the 2008 season when JSU swept the Salukis.
UP NEXT
The Salukis will open their home slate on Tuesday, February 28 when the team plays host to Saint Louis. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. from Itchy Jones Stadium. Admission is free-of-charge.
FOLLOW THE SALUKIS
Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Salukis by following the team on Twitter at @SIU_Baseball, on Facebook at Facebook.com/SalukiBaseball and on Instagram at @SIU_Baseball. Fans can also download the "Salukis" Mobile App on the App Store or Google Play Store.
THE SCHEDULE
Friday – 3 p.m. | ESPN+
Saturday – 3 p.m.
Sunday – 1 p.m. | ESPN+
PROBABLE STARTERS
Game 1 • SIU RHP Ben Chapman (1-0, 5.40 ERA, 5.0 IP) vs JSU RHP AJ Causey (0-0, 7.20 ERA, 5.0 IP)
Game 2 • SIU RHP Easton Dermody (0-0, 11.25 ERA, 4.0 IP) vs JSU RHP Tanner Jones (0-0, 6.75 ERA, 4.0 IP)
Game 3 • SIU RHP Paul Bonzagni (0-0, 4.50 ERA, 4.0 IP) vs JSU LHP Eli Zielinski (0-0, 19.29 ERA, 2.1 IP)
AROUND THE HORN
• Head coach Lance Rhodes enters his fourth season at the helm of the program, leading the team to 40 or more wins during the last two seasons -- the first back-to-back 40-win seasons in program history.
• SIU returns 18 players from 2022 and will still be one of the most experienced teams in the nation. 33 of the 35 players are in at least their third year or more of collegiate baseball.
• Southern Illinois reliever Matthew Steidl and shortstop Kaeber Rog were named to the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper 2023 Preseason All-American Teams -- the first time in program history that the Salukis have had two preseason All-Americans on the same team to start the year.
• Kaeber Rog has an on-base streak of 25 games extending back to April 29 of last season.
• SIU has hit 10 home runs and 10 doubles in five games -- to put together a .522 slugging percentage.
• The Salukis have broken the single-season home run mark in the last two years (88-2022, 84-2021).
• SIU currently leads the MVC in home runs (10), runs (37), hits (50), total bases (94), and triples (2).
• Jake Combs put together the best outing from any SIU starter last weekend, going five innings allowing only one run, four hits, and striking out three in the win versus Towson.
LAST TIME OUT
• Saluki baseball is coming off a 14-13 loss on the road to Austin Peay in midweek action. SIU belted four home runs in the game, including two off the bat of Nathan Bandy.
• SIU looked to have tied the game with a three-run pinch-hit home run from Noah Cook in the top of the ninth. After an appeal by APSU Cook was called out at home for not touching home plate and credited with a two-run triple.
NEW BLOOD
• Junior transfer Steven Loden had a debut to remember for the Salukis on opening day. The second baseman connected on a pair of home runs in the win while driving in four. He became just the eighth player in program history to homer for their first career hit and the fourth ever to homer in his first at bat. Teammates Bennett Eltoft and Cole Christman also belted home runs in the same game to join the group of eight Salukis to have their first hit be a home run.
ROG
• Kaeber Rog had one of the best statistical seasons in program history in his first season as a Saluki in 2022. The Willemstad, Curacao native tallied the fourth-most hits in a single season in program history (89) and his 21 doubles and 14 home runs are tied for the sixth-most in school history. One of only two Salukis to start every game this season, Rog tallied 25 multi-hit games, which included 10 games with three or more hits, and hit a conference-best .405 in MVC play. The switch-hitting shortstop earned the MVC's Joe Carter Player of the Year award as well as the league's Newcomer of the Year honor, becoming just the second player in conference history to win both in the same season.
THE MATCHUP
• Jacksonville State enters the weekend 1-3 overall after facing Georgia during opening weekend and Samford in a midweek contest. The Gamecocks took the series opener against Georgia 8-5 before dropping the next two games with the Bulldogs. JSU dropped its midweek game with Samford 7-6.
• The two programs have met 24 times previously with the first game coming in the 2009 season in Carbondale. Jacksonville State leads the series 13-11 overall and is 8-5 at home against the Salukis. The last series with JSU came in the 2008 season when JSU swept the Salukis.
UP NEXT
The Salukis will open their home slate on Tuesday, February 28 when the team plays host to Saint Louis. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. from Itchy Jones Stadium. Admission is free-of-charge.
FOLLOW THE SALUKIS
Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Salukis by following the team on Twitter at @SIU_Baseball, on Facebook at Facebook.com/SalukiBaseball and on Instagram at @SIU_Baseball. Fans can also download the "Salukis" Mobile App on the App Store or Google Play Store.
Players Mentioned
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