Baseball Set to Play Cambria Classic at U.S. Bank Stadium

Friday, March 6

3 PM

Southern Illinois University

Omaha

03/05/2026 | 12:20:00 | Baseball

By: Jordan Kruse, SIUSalukis.com

CARBONDALE, Ill. - Southern Illinois will make a special non-conference trip to play in the Cambria Classic at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minn., beginning Friday.

THE SCHEDULE

Friday — 3 p.m. vs. Omaha | Live Stats | Watch
Saturday — 11 a.m. vs. UNLV | Live Stats | Watch
Sunday — 10 a.m. vs South Dakota State | Live Stats | Watch

AROUND THE HORN

Southern Illinois defeated North Dakota State 9-4 on Tuesday night. Cecil Lofton led SIU with four RBIs, while Julio Guerrero stole two bases and collected three hits.
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.

RHODES AT THE HELM

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 200-123 record at SIU, reaching the 200-win mark in Tuesday's victory over the Bison.

SERIES HISTORY

Southern Illinois and Omaha have not played since June 5, 1959, a 6-1 win for the Mavericks.
UNLV leads the all-time series, winning five of the six games, all taking place in Las Vegas. The last game was on Feb. 15, 1998, where the Runnin' Rebels beat SIU 15-8.
SIU has won four of the five meetings with South Dakota State, with all matchups in Carbondale during the 2005 and 2006 seasons.

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 first in The Valley with a 4.34 team ERA and an opponent batting average of .235.

HISTORIC 2025 OFFENSE

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, including eight by Sam Frizzi.

HOT STARTS

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.
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 three home runs, tied for fourth in the MVC. He has also taken eight walks, tied for ninth.
Michael Mylott and Kye Watson have two home runs each, tied for seventh in the MVC thus far.
Julio Guerrero leads the MVC with 10 stolen bases in the young season. He is also tied for fourth with four doubles.
Andrew Evans is fifth in the MVC with a 2.50 ERA and tied for second in opponent batting average (.167). He is also tied for third with 19 strikeouts.
Troy Shepard is sixth in the league with an opponent batting average of .213.

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.