Southern Illinois University announced on March 26 that its baseball team will begin an eight-game homestand by hosting Utah Tech for a three-game series at Itchy Jones Stadium, starting Friday, March 27.
The upcoming matchup marks the first meeting between Southern Illinois (9-14) and Utah Tech (16-9). The Salukis aim to rebound after falling 8-2 to UT Martin earlier in the week. The games are scheduled for Friday at 6 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m., and Sunday at 1 p.m., with live stats and radio broadcasts available.
Southern Illinois returns much of its offensive power from last season, when it set a school record with 113 home runs. Key players include Michael Mylott and Gabe Petrucelli, who headline a lineup that helped lead the Missouri Valley Conference in several offensive categories last year. Julio Guerrero has been consistent recently, recording hits in five straight games and leading the conference with 16 stolen bases this season. Andrew Evans is slated as Friday’s starting pitcher and currently holds a league second-best ERA of 2.12.
Head coach Lance Rhodes is in his seventh season guiding the Salukis, having reached his 200th win earlier this month. Under Rhodes’ leadership, SIU achieved back-to-back seasons with over forty wins for the first time in program history during the years 2021 and 2022.
Utah Tech enters the series after competing against several strong West Coast teams such as BYU, Santa Clara, Fresno State, and UNLV. Petey Soto Jr. leads Utah Tech hitters with a .395 batting average while Brandon Kosel tops Western Athletic Conference pitchers with a league-best ERA of 1.88.
Looking ahead, Southern Illinois was picked to finish second in this year’s Missouri Valley Conference preseason poll behind Murray State. Six Saluki players were named to the MVC Players to Watch list: Tim Simay, Dylan Petrey, Kaleb Hall, Meade Johnson, Cecil Lofton, and Gabe Petrucelli.
