#24 ILLINOIS (9-4) at SOUTHERN ILLINOIS (8-9) // March 17-18, 2018 // Carbondale, Ill. (Weather) // Itchy Jones Stadium (2,000 // Turf) // SIU Game Notes PDF

---

Southern Illinois hosts No. 24-ranked Illinois for a three game series this weekend at Itchy Jones Stadium. The teams will play a noon doubleheader on Saturday and a single game at 1 p.m. on Sunday. 

GAME 1 – Saturday, March 17 // 12 p.m. // ESPN3 | Live Stats

---

SIU RHP Michael Baird (1-1, 2.42 ERA, 26.0 IP)
ILL RHP Quinn Snarskis (1-0, 2.70 ERA, 20.0 IP)

GAME 2 – Saturday, March 17 // 3 p.m. // ESPN3 | Live Stats

---

SIU LHP Jamison Steege (1-1, 3.42 ERA, 23.2 IP)
ILL LHP Andy Fisher (1-0, 3.20 ERA, 19.2 IP)

GAME 3 – Sunday, March 18 // 1 p.m. // ESPN3 | Live Stats

---

SIU LHP Brad Harrison (3-0, 1.12 ERA, 24.0 IP)
ILL RHP Ty Weber (2-1, 3.63 ERA, 22.1 IP)

AROUND THE HORN

---

• Southern Illinois hosts No. 24 Illinois for a three-game series at Itchy Jones Stadium this weekend.
• SIU leads the all-time series, 38-36. The Salukis won two of three against Illinois each of the last two seasons.
• Illinois is ranked No. 24 in the Baseball America poll and No. 25 by Collegiate Baseball.
• SIU went 3-4 against ranked teams last year; SIU swept No. 26 Tennessee Tech and lost all four games (one in the MVC Tournament) against Missouri State.
• Connor Kopach (.431) and Alex Lyon (.410) are the top two hitters in the MVC. Kopach is the national leader in stolen bases with 15.
• Brad Harrison is expected to make his first weekend start of the season on Sunday. Harrison earned back-to-back MVC Pitcher of the Week awards after throwing shutouts at Belmont (Feb. 27) and at SEMO (March 6).
• Harrison has an active streak of 20 consecutive innings without allowing an earned run.
• SIU ranks third nationally with 49 stolen bases. In the last seven games, SIU is 28-for-32 (87.5 percent) stealing bases.
• In NCAA Division I, Kopach ranks first in stolen bases, fourth in hits, and sixth in runs scored.

SALUKIS HOST ILLINI AT ITCHY JONES STADIUM

---

• The Southern Illinois baseball team hosts No. 24 Illinois for a three-game series on March 17-18.
• Due to forecasted rain, Friday’s series opener was postponed to a Saturday doubleheader, starting at noon.
• SIU has won two of three over Illinois in each of the last two seasons. In the last 10 meetings, the teams are 5-5.
• Illinois head coach Dan Hartleb is an SIU alumnus and played for Itchy Jones at SIU.
• Former SIU head coach Itchy Jones, for whom the Saluki baseball stadium is named, also coached at Illinois and won 474 games for the Illini.
• When Itchy Jones Stadium was dedicated in 2014, the first-ever series at the new park was against Illinois. The Illini won the first game, but the Salukis won the series.

RUN WITH US

---

• SIU has stolen 49 bases in 17 games. Southern’s 49 steals rank third in the nation.
• In the last seven games, SIU is 28-for-32 stealing (87.5 percent).
• Connor Kopach leads the nation with 15 stolen bases.
• Four of the top six base stealers in the MVC are Salukis: Kopach (1st), Nikola Vasic (t-2nd), Addison Fugitt (t-4th) and Alex Lyon (t-4th).
• The MVC’s second-best base stealing team, Bradley, has 21 stolen bases. SIU has 49.
• Last year, SIU stole 100 bases, which led the MVC by 42 and ranked 14th nationally. This year, SIU is on pace (2.88 stolen bases per game) to eclipse 150 stolen bases.
• The school record for stolen bases is 139 by the 1971 College World Series runners-up, coached by Itchy Jones.

HARRISON MOVES TO THE WEEKEND ROTATION

---

• Southern Illinois lefty Brad Harrison is scheduled to make his first weekend start of the year on Sunday. Harrison earned the spot with a 1.12 ERA over four mid-week starts.
• Harrison has earned the MVC Pitcher of the Week award in each of the last two weeks. He pitched a two-hit shutout at Belmont (Feb. 27) and followed that up with eight shutout innings at SEMO (March 6).
• Harrison enters the weekend with an active streak of 20 consecutive innings without allowing an earned run. His streak of 19 consecutive scoreless innings was snapped Tuesday after two SIU errors in the second inning gave Arkansas State three runs.
• During Harrison’s 19-inning scoreless string…
  • Opponents were 4-for-61 against him (.066)
  • 27 strikeouts, 2 walks

SALUKI SENIORS AMONG ACTIVE LEADERS IN NCAA DIVISION I

---

• Southern Illinois returns only four major contributors from the 2017 team — Michael Baird, Logan Blackfan, Connor Kopach and Ryan Netemeyer.
• Each of the four has been one of the best in the country at his respective role for the duration of his career. Among active Division I players…
  • Michael Baird ranks 5th in innings pitched.
  • Logan Blackfan ranks 3rd in doubles.
  • Connor Kopach ranks 3rd in stolen bases and sixth in triples
  • Ryan Netemeyer ranks 4th in saves.