Preview | Baseball looks to keep positive momentum, hosts Lindenwood in midweek matchup

CARBONDALE, Ill. - Southern Illinois baseball will look to catch fire in a midweek matchup with Lindenwood Tuesday at 6 p.m. in Carbondale, Ill. The Salukis are coming off two key wins over Missouri Valley Conference foe Illinois State and will look to head to another Valley weekend on a winning streak.

HOW TO FOLLOW ALONG

Saluki fans listen, follow along with live stats, or keep up on Twitter @SIU_Baseball.

THE PROBABLE STARTERS
The starters have yet to be determined.

QUICK HITS

Southern enters the matchup at 30-13 overall and 12-6 in Missouri Valley Conference play after taking two of three from Illinois State last weekend.
SIU is a combined 22-5 when scoring seven or more runs.
The Salukis are 22-0 this season when leading after six innings.

THE MATCHUP

Lindenwood enters Tuesday at 22-22 overall and is 9-8 in Ohio Valley Conference play after taking two of three from Western Illinois last weekend.
The Lions are batting .283 as a team (2nd in the OVC) and are led by Kam Edwards with a .356 average. Jake Radosevich leads the team with nine home runs, powering a team slugging percentage (.461) that ranks first in the OVC. Sam Grunberg has 38 RBIs to lead the Lions.
The pitching staff holds a combined 5.14 earned run average, the second-lowest in the OVC. They lead the conference in strikeouts (357) and have walked the least amount of batters (127).

THE SERIES

The Salukis will look to sweep the season series after a 3-0 win over the Lions in St. Charles on April 1.
Southern leads the all-time series 4-0 following the Lions' transition to Division I in 2022, with a 2-0 record in Carbondale.

TEAM NOTES

The series win this past weekend was the first over Illinois State since 2022.
The Salukis have hit 72 home runs (2nd in MVC, tied for 21st in NCAA), an average of 1.67 per game (2nd in MVC, 19th in NCAA).
SIU is 17-3 when hitting two or more home runs in a game.
Offensively, the team has been strong all season, ranking first in the MVC with 369 runs scored and averaging 8.58 runs per game, third in the conference.
The Salukis boast a power lineup, ranking second in the MVC in slugging percentage (.525, 17th in NCAA)
The team's 16 triples are the most in the MVC and tied for 17th in Division I baseball.
Four everyday players have a batting average of over .300.
Patience at the plate has paid off, as the Salukis have drawn 240 walks (second in the MVC, T-35th in NCAA), leading to a .411 on-base percentage (second in the MVC).
The Salukis have been aggressive on the base paths, stealing 61 bases to rank second in the MVC, averaging 1.42 per game.

On the mound, the team has posted a 5.31 ERA, second-best in the MVC.
The bullpen has been effective, recording 10 saves.
Saluki pitchers have outperformed their opponents, as their 5.31 team ERA is significantly better than the 8.05 ERA posted by opposing staffs.

INDIVIDUAL NOTES

Cecil Lofton was named the Missouri Valley Conference's Player of the Week after hitting .438, posting a .938 slugging percentage and a .500 on-base percentage on the week. In Friday's loss to Illinois State, the Resaca, Ga., native collected seven RBIs, one shy of the program record.
Tim Simay leads the team with a .338 batting average.
Jordan Bach leads the team and is tied for second in the MVC with 19 doubles.
Matt Schark paces the lineup with 59 hits, 15 home runs and 56 RBIs (1st in MVC). He has a .674 slugging percentage (4th in MVC), the highest among everyday starters. Schark also leads the team in OPS at 1.085 (7th in MVC).
10 players have at least 20 RBIs.

Alec Nigut has a 3.42 ERA which is fourth in the MVC, while holding opponents to a .243 batting average, fifth in The Valley.
Sam Frizzi has been lights out in relief, recording a 2.00 ERA with a 1.19 WHIP and six saves in 18 appearances. The six saves are tied for first in the MVC.
Dylan Petrey has been a reliable bullpen arm, striking out 44 batters in 36.0 innings while holding opponents to a .239 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 189-109.

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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