Salukis and Sycamores Battle on Alumni Weekend

Friday, May 1

6 PM

Southern Illinois University

Indiana State

Blake Kimball fires a pitch during SIU's 7-5 loss to Murray State Sunday, April 26, 2026, at Itchy Jones Stadium in Carbondale, Ill.

Photo by: Zuzanna Gaik

04/30/2026 | 12:06:00 | Baseball

By: Jordan Kruse, SIUSalukis.com

CARBONDALE, Ill. - Southern Illinois Baseball hosts Indiana State for Alumni Weekend beginning Friday, May 1, at Itchy Jones Stadium. This season, the Salukis are featuring the 1986 team who played in an NCAA regional led by future MLB All-Star Steve Finley. The team will be honored prior to Saturday's first pitch.

FOLLOW THE GAME

Friday — 6 p.m. | Live Stats | Watch
Saturday — 6 p.m. | Live Stats | Watch
Sunday — 1 p.m. | Live Stats | Watch

THE PROBABLE STARTERS

Friday — Andrew Evans (5-2, 2.44 ERA) vs. Ryan Karst (2-1, 3.20 ERA)
Saturday — Troy Shepard (2-3, 4.10 ERA) vs. Ty Brooks (5-2, 4.10 ERA)
Sunday — TBA vs. TBA

AROUND THE HORN

SIU dropped two of three to Murray State over the weekend, now sitting at 8-7 in Missouri Valley Conference play, good for fifth in the standings. The Salukis sit at 8-7 in Missouri Valley Conference play, good for fifth in the league standings.
Charlie Miller is in the midst of a dominant stretch out of the bullpen, not allowing a run over his last 9.2 innings pitched. He threw a season-high 4.1 scoreless frames Sunday against Murray State.
Gabe Petrucelli slashed .364/.533/.727 during last week's games, including a home run in Tuesday's midweek matchup with SEMO and a clutch two-run double to tie the game late against Murray State Sunday.
Julio Guerrero made the most of his return to the starting lineup, collecting four RBIs in his first start since March 31 on Saturday in a comeback victory over Murray State.
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 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 213-142 record at SIU, reaching the 200-win mark in a March 3 victory over North Dakota State.

THE MATCHUP

Southern Illinois (17-26, 8-7 MVC) vs. Indiana State (24-20, 10-5 MVC)
Common non-conference opponents: SIUE (INS: 1-1, SIU: 0-1)
SIU leads the all-time series 107-98 with a 59-33 record at Itchy Jones Stadium. The Sycamores took two of three in Terre Haute in 2025.
The Sycamores have arguably been The Valley's best offensive team in 2026, leading the conference with 332 runs scored. They also rank first in The Valley with 745 total bases, 310 RBIs, 205 base on balls, 102 doubles (12th nationally), 58 home runs, 173 extra-base hits and a .480 slugging percentage.
Mason Roell leads ISU and is third in the MVC, hitting .372. Carter Beck has been the best slugger, cranking 11 home runs and leading The Valley with 47 RBIs
Saturday's starting pitcher, Ty Brooks, is seventh in the MVC with a 4.10 ERA among qualified pitchers.
The Sycamores have collected 10 saves, second in the MVC.

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 have an experienced roster, including only a handful of underclassmen, and rely heavily on leadership with experience in the Saluki Baseball program.

IN THE BATTER'S BOX

ON THE MOUND

SIU brings back key arms to anchor the pitching staff, including Meade Johnson and Dylan Petrey. 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 has been one of The Valley's best arms this season.
The Salukis are currently second in The Valley with a 5.73 team ERA and lead the league in opponent batting average at .250, allowing the fewest hits per nine (8.32, 45th in NCAA) and second in the MVC in strikeouts per nine (8.64).
The bullpen has collected eight saves, tied for fourth in the conference.

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.

Kye Watson was the top Saluki hitter in the opening series at Oral Roberts. The redshirt freshman from Lititz, Pa., went 5-for-11 at the plate and hit two solo homers in his debut series for Southern.
Julio Guerrero is second in the Missouri Valley Conference with 18 stolen bases and is tied for the SIU lead with six home runs. He ranks in The Valley's top 10 in slugging percentage (.560, 8th).
Cecil Lofton leads the MVC with six sacrifice flies and is tied for the team lead with six home runs.
Kristian Sprawling has been a baseball magnet, taking 16 hit-by-pitches in 94 at-bats, third in The Valley.
Andrew Evans is second in The Valley and 37th in the nation in ERA (2.44) and has 71 strikeouts, leading in the MVC. He also sports the league's fifth-best opponent batting average at .212, and the best WHIP (1.12) among qualified pitchers.
Troy Shepard is second in the league with an opponent batting average of .205, tied for seventh with a 4.10 ERA, third with a 1.18 WHIP, and tied for third with 61 strikeouts.
Southern Illinois leads the MVC with a .972 fielding percentage.

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.