Salukis Host Cougars for Final Midweek Matchup

Tuesday, May 12

6 PM

Southern Illinois University

SIUE

Jack MacIntosh celebrates an inning-ending strikeout during Southern Illinois' 8-5 loss to Indiana State Friday, May 1, 2026, at Itchy Jones Stadium in Carbondale, Ill.

Photo by: Abby Harris

05/11/2026 | 4:10:00 | Baseball

By: Jordan Kruse, SIUSalukis.com

CARBONDALE, Ill. - Southern Illinois baseball wraps up midweek play, hosting SIUE Tuesday night at Itchy Jones Stadium.

FOLLOW THE GAME

Tuesday — 6 p.m. | Live Stats | Watch

THE PROBABLE STARTERS

Dawson Hargrove (0-1, 3.24 ERA) vs. Ryan Coon (0-0, 8.18 ERA)

AROUND THE HORN

SIU swept Belmont and clinched a spot in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament over the weekend.
Kristian Sprawling has been scorching hot over his last 10 games, slashing .405/.522/.649. He carries a 14-game hitting streak into the week.
Troy Shepard delivered a dominant outing during Southern Illinois' 9-4 victory over Belmont Saturday in Nashville, and was rewarded with an MVC Pitcher of the Week honor Monday. The southpaw threw eight complete innings, allowing just one solo home run to the first batter he faced. He also added seven strikeouts to his ledger while walking just one batter. He currently ranks in the Missouri Valley Conference's top 10 with a 3.51 ERA (fifth), four wins (tied for ninth), 73 strikeouts (third) and leads the conference with a 1.12 WHIP. He and fellow starter Andrew Evans have combined for four games of eight-plus complete innings, the first time Southern has received four such performances since 2019.
Gabe Petrucelli slashed .538/.571/.846 during Southern Illinois' sweep of Belmont this past weekend. He notched a Division I career high with four hits in Sunday's 13-4 win with an RBI and one of his four doubles during the series. He also made an impact on the basepaths, swiping two bags on the weekend. The Rocklin, Calif., native is riding a five-game hitting streak.
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. The roster consists of 13 seniors, 15 juniors, three sophomores, and just two freshmen.

THE MATCHUP

Southern Illinois (21-28) vs. SIUE (19-29, 9-9 MVC)
Common opponents: Bradley, Evansville, Illinois State, Indiana State, Lindenwood, SEMO, Southern Indiana (SIUE: 10-7, SIU: 9-10)
SIU leads the all-time series 34-10 with a 22-2 record at Itchy Jones Stadium. The Cougars took the season's first matchup 16-6 in Edwardsville.
The Cougars currently sit at the top of the Ohio Valley Conference standings, sporting an 18-6 record in league play. They swept Eastern Illinois in Charleston over the weekend.
SIUE has been one of the nation's top slugging teams, ranking 10th with 97 home runs this season. Ryan Niedzwiedz has smacked 26 by himself, which ranks fourth in the nation. He has also driven in 63 runs, tied for 20th in the country.

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 5.48 team ERA and lead the league in opponent batting average at .251, allowing the fewest hits per nine (8.36, 41st in NCAA) and collecting the most strikeouts per nine (8.8).
The bullpen has collected 10 saves, third 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 tied for second in the Missouri Valley Conference with 18 stolen bases and leads SIU with eight home runs. He ranks ninth in the MVC with a 5.61 slugging percentage.
Cecil Lofton is tied for second in The Valley with six sacrifice flies.
Kristian Sprawling has been a baseball magnet, taking 21 hit-by-pitches in 149 plate appearances, third in The Valley.
Andrew Evans is second in The Valley and 29th in the nation in ERA (2.50) and has 83 strikeouts, leading in the MVC. He also sports the league's third-lowest opponent batting average at .215, and the second-lowest WHIP (1.14) among qualified pitchers.
Troy Shepard is second in the league with an opponent batting average of .198, fifth with a 3.51 ERA, first with a 1.12 WHIP, and third with 73 strikeouts.

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.