Preview | Southern takes midweek road trip to SIUE - Southern Illinois University Athletics

CARBONDALE, Ill. - Southern Illinois baseball will head to Southern Illinois University Edwardsville for its final midweek road trip of the season Wednesday, May 7, in Edwardsville, Ill. First pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m.

HOW TO FOLLOW ALONG

Saluki fans stream the game on ESPN+, follow along with live stats, or keep up on Twitter @SIU_Baseball.

THE PROBABLE STARTERS
RHP Tyler Timmerman (5-2, 4.66 ERA) vs RHP Gabriel Nutter (0-2, 7.94 ERA)

QUICK HITS

Southern enters the matchup at 32-15 overall and 13-8 in Missouri Valley Conference play after dropping two of three at Murray State last weekend.
SIU is a combined 25-5 when scoring seven or more runs.
The Salukis are 24-0 this season when leading after six innings.

THE MATCHUP

SIUE enters Tuesday at 23-22 overall and is 15-6 in Ohio Valley Conference play after taking two of three from Western Illinois last weekend.
The Cougars are batting .266 as a team and are led by Daniel Gierer with a .329 average. Mack Mitchell leads the team and the OVC (T-1st) with 17 home runs, powering a team slugging percentage (.455) that ranks second in the conference. Chase Bloomer has 43 RBIs to lead the Cougars.
The pitching staff holds a combined 6.54 earned run average and is second in the conference with 382 strikeouts.

THE SERIES

The Salukis and Cougars played twice in 2024, with Southern taking both games.
Southern leads the all-time series 32-9 and has won three straight including 12 of the last 13 matchups.
SIU is 21-2 at home in this series.

TEAM NOTES

The Salukis now sit alone in third place in the MVC, one game ahead of fourth-place Belmont and one game behind second-place Murray State.
The Salukis have hit 79 home runs (2nd in MVC, T-21st in NCAA), an average of 1.68 per game (2nd in MVC, T-18th in NCAA).
SIU is 18-3 when hitting two or more home runs in a game.
Offensively, the team has been strong all season, ranking first in the MVC with 395 runs scored and averaging 8.40 runs per game, third in the conference.
The Salukis boast a power lineup, ranking second in the MVC in slugging percentage (.523, 21st in NCAA)
The team's 17 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 263 walks (second in the MVC, T-27th in NCAA), leading to a .409 on-base percentage (second in the MVC).
The Salukis have been aggressive on the base paths, stealing 63 bases to rank second in the MVC, averaging 1.34 per game.

On the mound, the team has posted a 5.18 ERA, second-best in the MVC.
The bullpen has been effective, recording 10 saves.
Saluki pitchers have outperformed their opponents, as their 5.18 team ERA is significantly better than the 7.86 ERA posted by opposing staffs.

INDIVIDUAL NOTES

Tim Simay leads the team with a .338 batting average.
Jordan Bach leads the team and is third in the MVC with 19 doubles.
Matt Schark paces the lineup with 63 hits and 59 RBIs (1st in MVC). He has a .639 slugging percentage (7th in MVC), the highest among everyday starters.
John Lemm leads the Salukis and is seventh in the MVC with a 1.058 OPS.
10 players have at least 20 RBIs, and six have 30.

Alec Nigut has a 4.01 ERA which is fifth in the MVC, while holding opponents to a .251 batting average, seventh in The Valley.
Sam Frizzi has been lights out in relief, recording a 2.22 ERA with a 1.20 WHIP and six saves in 19 appearances. The six saves are tied for first in the MVC.
Dylan Petrey has been a reliable bullpen arm, striking out 45 batters in 41.2 innings while holding opponents to a .244 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 191-111.

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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Preview | Southern takes midweek road trip to SIUE

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Players Mentioned

Sam Frizzi

Jaxon Holder

John Lemm

Alec Nigut

Dylan Petrey

Matt Schark

Tim Simay

Tyler Timmerman

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