Preview | Salukis Host Missouri State in Weekend Series Starting Sunday

Photo by: Nicole Fox

Preview | Salukis Host Missouri State in Weekend Series Starting Sunday

04/05/2025 | 10:00:00 | Baseball

By: Tim McCaughan, SIUSalukis.com

CARBONDALE, Ill. – Winners of eight-straight games, Southern Illinois baseball returns to action this weekend with a three-game series against Missouri State starting on Sunday. Both teams sit atop the Missouri Valley Conference at 5-1 entering the third weekend of conference play. Mo State was picked to win the League in the Mid-Season Poll while the Salukis were picked second.

THE SCHEDULE (Updated due to weather Sunday morning -- originally a Sunday doubleheader starting at 1 p.m.)
Sunday – 5 PM
Monday – 1 PM
Monday – 4 PM

HOW TO FOLLOW ALONG

Saluki fans can catch the action on ESPN Plus. Luke Martin and Kirk Champion will have the television calls for the series.
Fans can also follow along via live stats or on Twitter @SIU_Baseball.

THE PROBABLE STARTERS
LHP Alec Nigut (5-0, 1.67 ERA) vs RHP Michael Yusypchuk (2-1, 4.66 ERA)
RHP Meade Johnson (0-2, 4.46 ERA) vs LHP Tyler Charlton (4-1, 4.78 ERA)
RHP Jackson Payne (1-0, 6.53 ERA) vs RHP Jason Schaaf (1-0, 9.00 ERA)

QUICK HITS

Southern Illinois enters the weekend series at 21-7 overall and 5-1 in Missouri Valley Conference play.
SIU swept Bradley last weekend on the road, outscoring the Braves 51-19 over three games.
The Salukis have won eight straight games, including a 3-0 shutout of Lindenwood on Tuesday on the road.
SIU sits at 12-3 in home games while going 9-4 in road games.
Nine Salukis have recorded five or more multi-hit games, led by Matt Schark with 12 multi-hit games this season in 28 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 seven innings.

THE MATCHUP

The Bears (14-13, 5-1 MVC) have won seven of their last eight games, scoring 99 runs over that span and hitting .350 with 20 home runs and a .646 slugging percentage.
Zack Stewart (38), Nick Rodriguez (25), Caden Bogenpohl (24) and Taeg Gollert (23) and all have at least 23 homers in their MSU careers, and the current roster has combined for 159 round-trippers in their time at Mo State.
Missouri State's pitching staff leads the MVC and ranks 42nd nationally with 9.9 strikeouts per nine innings. The Bears' 2.32 K/BB ratio also leads the Valley and ranks 60th nationally.

THE SERIES

SIU trails in the all-time series with the Bears, 81-50, including a 20-38 record against Mo State in Carbondale.
SIU has won just four out of the last 10 meetings between the two programs.
The Salukis salvaged the series finale last season in Springfield, 18-11 to take one game of the series. SIU fell in game one of the series 11-4, before dropping the middle game 7-5.

TEAM NOTES

The Salukis lead the MVC and rank 14th nationally with 51 home runs, averaging 1.82 per game.
Southern Illinois boasts a .303 team batting average, good for second in the MVC and 56th nationally.
The Salukis have totaled 60 doubles and 11 triples, ranking in the top 20 nationally for extra-base hits.
With 167 walks drawn, SIU ranks first in the MVC and 27th in the nation in free passes.
The team is first in the MVC in slugging percentage at .547, also ranking 17th nationally.
SIU leads the Missouri Valley with 252 runs scored, ranking 28th nationally with an average of nine runs per game.
The Salukis have recorded 48 stolen bases, tied for second in the conference, averaging 1.71 per game.
SIU's on-base percentage of .421 is second in the MVC and 40th in the country.
The team has out-hit its opponents in 17 of 21 wins, holding a 17-1 record when doing so.
Southern Illinois has hit two or more home runs in 15 games, winning 14 of them.

The Salukis' staff ERA sits at 5.23, which ranks first in the Missouri Valley Conference.
Opponents are hitting just .260 against SIU pitching, with only 16 home runs allowed in 28 games.
The staff has struck out 238 batters in 241 innings, good for 8.9 strikeouts per nine innings, ranking third in the MVC.
SIU pitchers have allowed only nine hits per nine innings, placing them first in the MVC.
With a WHIP of 1.50, the Salukis' staff ranks among the MVC's most efficient.

INDIVIDUAL NOTES

Matt Schark leads the team in home runs (11), RBIs (41), and total bases (85), slugging an impressive .733.
Jordan Bach has scored a team-high 30 runs and is hitting .355 with a .467 OBP and 13 doubles.
Tim Simay has been a spark in the lineup, batting .356 with a .505 OBP and nine-for-nine in stolen base attempts.
Gabe Petrucelli is hitting .306 with seven home runs and 20 RBIs, and also ranks second on the team with six steals.
Jaxon Holder is third on the team with 25 RBIs and is hitting .329 with a .462 OBP.
Mason Schwalbach has quietly produced 21 RBIs and five home runs, hitting .279 over 22 games.
John Lemm has launched seven home runs with a .580 slugging percentage, driving in 24 runs.
Kaleb Hall has contributed with four home runs and 19 RBIs, while maintaining a .402 OBP.
Cecil Lofton is hitting .278 with 32 hits, 21 RBIs, and a .995 fielding percentage at first base.
Michael Mylott has knocked in 16 runs and hit four home runs while slugging .463.

Alec Nigut leads the rotation with a 1.67 ERA, 5-0 record, and 31 strikeouts over 32.1 innings.
Sam Frizzi has notched a team-high four saves and holds a 1.88 ERA across 10 appearances.
Dylan Petrey has compiled 30 strikeouts in 21.2 innings, with a 2.91 ERA and 3-2 record.
Tyler Timmerman is 4-1 with a 3.00 ERA, giving the Salukis valuable starts across 30 innings. He pitched eight shutout innings on the road at Lindenwood last Tuesday. He allowed just two hits and struck out six Lions.
Meade Johnson has struck out 35 batters in 34.1 innings, showing strong swing-and-miss capability.

STREAKS & MISCELLANEOUS NOTES

Tim Simay holds the team's longest current reached base streak at 18 games.
Matt Schark has the longest hit streak of the season at 13 games.
The Salukis have totaled 77 multiple-hit games, led by Matt Schark (12) and Jordan Bach (11).
Schark also leads with nine multiple-RBI games, followed by Jaxon Holder (seven) and Mason Schwalbach (seven).
Southern Illinois is 15-0 when leading after seven innings and has gone 3-0 in shutouts this season.

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 180-103 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.