Preview | Baseball travels to Lindenwood for Midweek matchup Tuesday

CARBONDALE, Ill. – Southern Illinois baseball puts its seven-game winning streak on the line against Lindenwood Tuesday in St. Charles, Mo. at 3 p.m.

HOW TO FOLLOW ALONG

Saluki fans can catch the game on ESPN Plus.
Fans can also follow along via live stats or on Twitter @SIU_Baseball.

THE PROBABLE STARTERS
RHP Tyler Timmerman (3-1, 4.09 ERA) vs TBA

QUICK HITS

Southern enters the matchup at 20-7 overall and 5-1 in Missouri Valley Conference play after sweeping Bradley last weekend.
SIU is 8-4 in road games.
Nine Salukis have five or more games with multiple hits. Matt Schark leads the way with 12 multi-hit games this season in 27 games. Jordan Bach joins Schark as the only Saluki with four three-hit games.
The Salukis are 2-0 in extra-inning games this season. Both wins came in 10 innings against UIC.
SIU is a combined 18-2 when scoring six or more runs.
Southern Illinois has outscored opponents in the first three innings of play 61-36.
Southern is 15-0 this season when leading after six innings.

THE MATCHUP

Lindenwood enters Tuesday at 14-14 overall and 4-2 in Ohio Valley Conference play after sweeping UT Martin last weekend.
The Lions have won five straight games dating back to March 22.
BU is batting .311 as a team and is led by Tyler Thompson with a .394 average. Sam Grunberg and Jake Radosevich lead the team with seven home runs each. Grunberg and Bryson Arnette hold the team lead with 25 RBIs each.
LU's pitching staff holds a combined 6.16 ERA in 28 games and has struck out 202 batters while walking 93 in 238.1 total innings.

THE SERIES

SIU leads the series with Lindenwood 3-0, with the last matchup being an 8-2 Saluki win in Carbondale.
The teams played their first matchup on April 4, 2023, after Lindenwood transitioned to Division I.

TEAM NOTES

Southern is coming off a historic weekend at Bradley. On Friday, March 28, the team scored 25 runs, the most since 2013. For the series, the team compiled 51 runs, 47 hits, 10 doubles, eight home runs, 49 RBIs, 83 total bases, eight stolen bases, a .669 slugging percentage and a .506 on-base percentage.
The Salukis lead the Missouri Valley Conference with 51 home runs, ranking 11th nationally while averaging 1.89 homers per game (10th in the country).
SIU is 14-1 when hitting two or more home runs in a game.
Offensively, the team has been dominant, ranking first in the MVC with 249 runs scored and averaging 9.2 runs per game, which is second in the conference.
The Salukis boast a power lineup, leading the MVC and 13th nationally in slugging percentage (.558).
The team's 10 triples are tied for the most in the MVC and tied for 25th nationally.
The Salukis lead the conference in total hits (288) and rank 39th nationally. As a team SIU is batting .309 (second in the MVC, 37th nationally) with five everyday players hitting over .300.
Patience at the plate has paid off, as they have drawn 164 walks (most in the MVC, T-24th nationally), leading to a .427 on-base percentage (second in the MVC).
The Salukis have been aggressive on the basepaths, stealing 43 bases to rank second in the MVC, averaging 1.59 per game.

On the mound, the team has posted a 5.40 ERA, the best in the MVC, while allowing 9.48 hits per nine innings (second in the conference).
The Salukis pitching staff holds a 5.43 ERA and has recorded 232 strikeouts over 232.0 innings.
Saluki pitchers have held opponents to a .271 batting average while limiting extra-base hits to just 14 home runs and 8 triples.
The bullpen has been effective, recording 7 saves and holding opponents to a .266 average in relief appearances.
The starting rotation has produced 20 wins in 27 games, with Alec Nigut leading the way at 5-0.
Saluki pitchers have kept free passes in check, issuing just 120 walks compared to the 232 strikeouts.
The staff has been solid with runners on base, allowing only 169 runs across 27 games.
Opposing hitters have struggled to generate power, slugging just .398 against Saluki pitching.
Saluki pitchers have outperformed their opponents, as their 5.43 team ERA is significantly better than the 8.87 ERA posted by opposing staffs.

INDIVIDUAL NOTES

Tim Simay leads the team with a .362 batting average and boasts the team's longest reached base streak at 17 games.
Jordan Bach leads the team in doubles (13).
Matt Schark paces the lineup with 40 hits, 11 home runs, and 40 RBIs (leads The Valley), posting a .757 slugging percentage, the highest among everyday starters. Schark leads all hitters with six multi-RBI games, including three four-RBI outings. The third baseman had three home runs and 12 RBIs in the Bradley series.
11 different players have recorded at least 10 RBIs, and seven have at least 20.
Gabe Petrucelli leads the team in OPS at 1.200.

Alec Nigut has been dominant on the mound, boasting a 1.67 ERA and a .180 opponent batting average (both best in The Valley) across six starts. His ERA ranks 16th in the nation.
Sam Frizzi has been lights out in relief, recording a 2.03 ERA with a 0.98 WHIP and three saves in nine appearances.
Dylan Petrey has been a reliable bullpen arm, striking out 30 batters in 21.2 innings while holding opponents to a .225 average.
Tyler Timmerman has been the primary midweek starter and is coming off a strong performance at UT Martin where he went 5.2 innings, striking out six and allowing just one earned run.
Al Holguin made his first start of the season Wednesday, March 26, against UT Martin, pitching four shutout innings and striking out a career-high eight batters in a combined shutout of the Skyhawks.
Meade Johnson has logged the most innings for the Salukis with 34.1, striking out 35 batters while limiting opponents to a .231 batting average.

MIDSEASON POLL AND AWARDS

Southern Illinois was picked to finish second in the Missouri Valley Conference Preseason/Midseason Poll, the MVC announced on March 17. The Salukis picked up 86 points and four first-place votes while Missouri State was tabbed the favorite with 90 overall points and five first-place votes. Shortstop Jaxon Holder (SS) and left-hander Alec Nigut (SP/LHP) were selected as Preseason All-MVC players.

WHAT'S BACK FOR THE SALUKIS

Jordan Bach is the lone Saluki returner from the 2024 starting lineup, where he split time in the outfield and at the catcher position. Bach batted .299 and tallied six home runs to go along with 35 RBIs.
Redshirt senior Matt Schark returns after missing most of 2024 with an injury. He was a member of the All-MVC Honorable Mention team in 2023 when he hit 11 home runs and drove in three game-winning RBIs.
Consistent with previous seasons under Rhodes, the Salukis will have over 20 new pieces as the season begins with the roster consisting of 17 seniors, 15 juniors, and just two sophomores on the roster. SIU carries no freshmen on the 2025 roster.

RHODES AT THE HELM

Lance Rhodes enters his sixth season at the helm of the program, leading the team to 40 or more wins during two of the last four seasons -- including the first back-to-back 40-win seasons in program history (2021 & 22).
Rhodes holds an overall record of 179-103 and a 63-36 mark in Missouri Valley Conference play.

FOLLOW THE SALUKIS
Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Salukis by following the team on X 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.

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