Southern Makes Return Trip to UT Martin Tuesday Night

Tuesday, March 24

Martin, TN

5 PM

Southern Illinois University

UT Martin

Bryce Habuda (2) gears up for a pitch during Southern Illinois' 7-6 extra-inning loss to UT Martin on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, at Itchy Jones Stadium in Carbondale, Ill.

Photo by: Zuzanna Gaik

03/23/2026 | 3:16:00 | Baseball

By: Jordan Kruse, SIUSalukis.com

CARBONDALE, Ill. - Southern Illinois baseball is in search of revenge as it makes the return trip to UT Martin Tuesday, March 24, in Martin, Tenn.

FOLLOW THE GAME

Tuesday — 5 p.m. Live Stats | Watch

THE PROBABLE STARTERS

Jackson Smith (0-0, 6.23 ERA) vs. Brandon King (0-3, 7.11 ERA)

AROUND THE HORN

Southern Illinois lost two of three in its opening Missouri Valley Conference series at UIC. After Kaleb Hall hit a go-ahead two-run home run in the ninth inning of Friday's win, the Salukis were walked off in both games of Saturday's doubleheader.
Julio Guerrero was a constant presence last week for Southern Illinois, slashing .400/.550/.933. The Caracas, Venezuela, native tallied a hit in every game, including four of the extra-base variety. In Friday's win at UIC, he delivered his biggest swing of the season with a go-ahead three-run homer in the sixth inning. He added a stolen base to his Missouri Valley Conference-leading total on the season, currently sitting at 16.
SIU hit a school-record 113 home runs last season, with a large portion of that power returning, led by Michael Mylott and Gabe Petrucelli. The pitching staff also brings back experience, including weekend starter Meade Johnson and reliever Dylan Petrey, while several newcomers are expected to play key positions early in the season.
Consistent with previous seasons under Rhodes, the Salukis will have over 20 new pieces as the season begins. The roster consists of 13 seniors, 15 juniors, three sophomores and just two freshmen.

Lance Rhodes is in his seventh season as head coach, guiding SIU to back-to-back 40-win seasons for the first time in program history (2021 & 2022). He owns a 205-129 record at SIU, reaching the 200-win mark in a March 3 victory over North Dakota State.

THE MATCHUP

Southern Illinois (9-13) vs. UT Martin (10-13)
SIU leads the all-time series 38-13, but UT Martin won last week's contest in Carbondale 7-6 in 10 innings.
After defeating the Salukis, UT Martin was swept by SEMO over the weekend.
The Skyhawks lead the Ohio Valley Conference in doubles (54).
Colten Payton ranks fifth in the OVC and leads the team with 35 hits on the season, and is ninth with 25 RBIs.
Andrew Davis is second in the OVC in walks (20) and stolen bases (16).
TJ Grines has been a star on the basepaths in 2026, currently leading the nation with 24 stolen bases. He leads the OVC with 10 doubles. He is tied for third in the OVC with 27 runs scored and is tied for sixth with 33 hits.
TJ Dunsford has been the top slugger with five home runs on the young season. He ranks in the top 10 of the OVC in RBIs (26th, T-5th) and doubles (8, T-6th).

MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE PRESEASON POLL

Southern Illinois was picked to finish second in the Missouri Valley Conference preseason poll. Murray State was selected as the conference favorite, followed by SIU, UIC, Illinois State, and Indiana State.

Six Salukis were named to the MVC Players to Watch list:

Simay led SIU with a .351 batting average last season, while Petrey was a key arm out of the bullpen and earned All-MVC Honorable Mention honors.

The Salukis enter the season with an experienced roster, including only a handful of underclassmen, and relying heavily on leadership with experience in the Saluki Baseball program.

ON THE DIAMOND

Southern Illinois returns big offensive production from last season's lineup, including several of the team's top run producers and power hitters. Petrucelli and Mylott headline a group that helped set the program's single-season home run record.

ON THE MOUND

SIU brings back key arms to anchor the pitching staff, including Meade Johnson and Dylan Petrey. Petrey is expected to play a major role in late-inning situations. The Salukis have also added several transfers, including Andrew Evans, who has been the Friday starter this season. The Kansas State transfer features a fastball that tops out in the mid-90s with multiple wipeout pitches and figures to be a key arm early on.
The Salukis are currently third in The Valley with a 5.65 team ERA and are tied for first with an opponent batting average of .255.
The bullpen has collected six saves, second in the conference.

SIU ranked 25th nationally and second in the MVC with 500 runs scored in 2025, and led the league with 8.8 runs per game.
The Salukis were 42nd nationally with 603 hits.
SIU ranked 10th nationally and first in the MVC with 113 home runs.
Southern ranks sixth nationally and led the MVC with a .555 slugging percentage.
The Salukis were tied for 30th nationally and tied for second in the MVC with 124 doubles.
SIU was second in the MVC and ranked 28th nationally with 17 triples.
The Salukis were tied for 24th nationally and led the MVC with 33 sacrifice flies.
SIU was second in the MVC with 81 stolen bases.
The staff posted five shutouts, tied for 21st nationally and second in the MVC, and boasted 12 saves.

LEAD DAWGS

Kye Watson was the top Saluki hitter in the opening series at Oral Roberts. The freshman from Lititz, Pa., went 5-for-11 at the plate and hit two solo homers in his debut series for Southern, and leads the team with a 1.001 OPS. He ranks fifth in the Missouri Valley Conference, hitting .362, is ninth in on-base percentage (.424), and slugging percentage (.552).
Charlie Miller made the most of his first appearance out of the bullpen, pitching three shutout frames in the opening victory at Oral Roberts. The sophomore struck out three on the day.
Cecil Lofton leads SIU with four home runs, tied for seventh in the MVC. He ranks sixth in slugging percentage (.581).
Tim Simay is tied for ninth in the MVC with six doubles and seventh with 29 total hits. The Atlanta, Ga., native is ninth in the league batting .337, and has seven multi-hit games this season.
Henry Kufa is ninth in The Valley with a .429 OBP.
Julio Guerrero leads the league with 16 stolen bases in the young season and is tied for 21st nationally. He also has seven doubles, tied for fifth in the conference, and 11 total extra base hits, ninth in the MVC.
Andrew Evans is third in the Missouri Valley Conference in ERA (2.48) and has 35 strikeouts, tied for the lead in the MVC. He also sports the league's second-best opponent batting average at .195. He was named the conference's Pitcher of the Week on March 10.
Troy Shepard is fourth in the league with an opponent batting average of .239.
Jack MacIntosh has been lights out from the bullpen with a 1.08 ERA and three saves (third in the MVC).

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