Preview | Salukis Prepare for 2025 Snowman Tournament - Southern Illinois University Athletics

Preview | Salukis Prepare for 2025 Snowman Tournament

02/12/2025 | 1:00:00 | Softball

By: Peter Borkowski

CARBONDALE, Ill. – After a couple days back home in Carbondale, Southern Illinois University softball (1-4, 0-0) is ready to hit the road again. Starting on Thursday, it will be in Starkville, Miss., for the The Snowman: Alex Wilcox Memorial Tournament, presented by Newk's Eatery. On Thursday, the Salukis will play the host school, No. 19 Mississippi State (4-1, 0-0). Then, on Friday and Saturday, they will face North Texas (4-1, 0-0) twice and Georgia Tech (4-1, 0-0) once.

Details
-What: The Snowman: Alex Wilcox Memorial Tournament
-Date: Thursday, Feb. 13- Sunday, Feb. 16
-Location: Nusz Park, Starkville, Mississippi
-Opponents: No. 19 Mississippi State | North Texas (twice) | Georgia Tech
-Live Results: Mississippi State (Thursday, 5 p.m.) | North Texas (Friday, 9 a.m.) | Georgia Tech (Friday, 11:30 a.m.) | North Texas (Saturday, 9 a.m.)
-Watch: Mississippi State (Thursday, 5 p.m.)
-Listen: https://thevarsitynetwork.com

Last Time Out
SIU spent last weekend at the Tiger Invitational, hosted by Auburn University. The Salukis went 1-4 at the invitational, picking up an 11-2 run-rule win on Sunday versus Appalachian State. Before that, SIU lost to North Carolina, Appalachian State, and Auburn twice.

Anna Carder was arguably the best bat over the weekend, batting .500 with a 1.506 OPS. She drove in three runs, hit one home run, and was walked six times for a on-base percentage of .706. At the same time, Carder provided strong defense behind the plate, starting all five games at catcher.

Transfers Mikaela Coburn and Maleah Blomenkamp made strong first impressions with the team. Both of them had a batting average better than .350 and reached base at a .333 clip or better.

Following a slow start, Jackie Lis heated up by the end of the tournament, hitting two home runs in the Sunday victory over Appalachian State. Over the five games, Lis hit .294 with five RBIs and a .980 OPS.

In the circle, Emma Gipson was a workhorse for Southern. She pitched 10.1 innings across two starts and only allowed four earned runs for a 2.71 ERA. Meanwhile, Samford transfer McKenzie Newcomb picked up the win for SIU on Sunday when she threw a five-inning complete game versus Appalachian State. She allowed just two runs that game and struck out seven.

The Series and the Matchups
SIU will start the Snowman Tournament against the host school, Mississippi State, who is currently ranked No. 19 in the country. All time, the two have faced off 12 times, with each squad winning six games. The Salukis are currently on a three-game winning streak, last beating Mississippi State in 2022 in Starkville, Miss. The last time Mississippi State won a matchup was a neutral site game in 2017.

This tournament will be the first time SIU and North Texas ever face off. As for SIU's history with Georgia Tech, the Salukis hold a 4-3 edge.

Follow the Salukis
Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Salukis by following the team on Twitter at @SIU_Softball, on Facebook at Facebook.com/SalukiSoftball and on Instagram at @SIU_Softball. Fans can also download the "Salukis" Mobile App on the App Store or Google Play Store.