This Week in Saluki Athletics: April 27-May 3

04/27/2026 | 2:40:00 | General

By: Peter Borkowski

CARBONDALE, Ill. – The penultimate week of school has arrived at Southern Illinois. Likewise, spring sports in Saluki Athletics are reaching the conclusions of their seasons. After women's golf concluded their run at the Missouri Valley Conference Championship last week, men's golf is completing their stay this week. Meanwhile, softball and track and field wrap up their regular seasons this week, while continues their march to the playoffs.

Softball (29-15, 18-6)
Softball appeared in just two games this week, splitting a doubleheader at Murray State on Tuesday.

Game one ended 4-3 in favor of SIU. Hayden Kurtz hit the game-winning home run for the Salukis in the sixth inning while Emily Williams also drove a run in. In the circle, Emily Delgado picked up the win after throwing 2.2 innings of hitless ball in relief.

The Racers completed the split by winning game two, 3-0. Amanda Knutson was the only Saluki to muster up more than one hit while Hailey Lucas pitched 4.1 innings in her start, allowing two runs.

The regular season concludes this week for Southern. On Wednesday, April 29, they welcome SIUE for a non-conference match at 6:30 p.m. The Salukis then travel to UIC for a weekend series. On Friday, May 1, they play at 2:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. before concluding the series at 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 2.

Baseball (17-25, 8-7)
It was a tough week for baseball, who fell three times in four games.

They first lost 5-1 to SEMO on Tuesday. Gabe Petrucelli hit a homer for SIU while the bullpen work of Charlie Miller, Jack MacIntosh, and Blake Kimball combined for one run across 5.1 innings.

SIU then welcomed Murray State for a weekend series, which kicked off on Friday with a 13-1 Murray State win. Kyle Mager drove in SIU's lone run.

The Salukis evened the series with a 7-6 walk-off win on Saturday. Bryce Habuda was the walk-off hero while Julio Guerrero had a big game, collecting four RBIs. On the mound, Troy Shepard turned in a solid start, allowing three runs across six innings.

Murray State took the series win on Sunday by defeating Southern 7-5. Petrucelli and Cecil Lofton both drove in multiple runs for SIU while Miller was excellent out of the bullpen, allowing no runs across 4.1 innings of relief work.

Another four games await Southern this week. On Tuesday, April 28, they travel to St. Charles, Missouri, to face Lindenwood at 5 p.m. SIU then hosts Indiana State for a weekend slate and Alumni Weekend. They face off at 6 p.m. on Friday, May 1, 6 p.m. on Saturday, May 2, and 1 p.m. on Sunday, May 3.

Track and Field
Track and field is preparing for their final meet before the conference championships as they head to the Jim Green Invite this Friday, May 1, and Saturday, May 2.

Women's Golf
Women's golf participated in the MVC Championship this past week, finishing in seventh place. Kayla Sayyalinh was the highlight of the tournament for SIU, placing second with a score of +13. Calli Smith and Allie Santos also picked up top-30 finishes.

Men's Golf
Men's golf started the week at the Hawkeye Invitational, finishing 7-under par for a second-place finish. Ben Keil, Anthony De Schutter, Jaeseung Na, and Blake Saffell all placed in the top 13.

The Salukis are currently in action at the MVC Championships, which run through Tuesday, April 28.

Follow the Salukis
Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Salukis by following the team on X at @SIUSalukis, on Instagram at @siusalukis , and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SalukiAthletics/. Fans can also download the "Salukis" Mobile App on the App Store or Google Play Store.