Carbondale Reporter

Southern Illinois University's baseball team is set to face Tennessee Tech in a three-game series starting Saturday in Cookeville, Tennessee. The games were initially scheduled for Friday but were postponed due to inclement weather earlier in the week.

The series schedule includes games on Saturday at 2 p.m., Sunday at 1 p.m., and Monday at 1 p.m. Fans can follow the live stats or stay updated via Twitter @SIU_Baseball.

Southern Illinois comes into this series after losing two out of three games against Texas Rio Grande Valley in their season opener. The team is relying on returning players like Jordan Bach and Matt Schark, who is back after a season-ending injury last year. On the pitching front, the Salukis will depend on Al Holguin, Tanner Gerdes, and Cole Koonce.

Head coach Lance Rhodes leads Southern Illinois for his sixth season. He has guided the team to more than 40 wins in two of the past four seasons. His current overall record stands at 160-98, with a conference record of 58-35.

Tennessee Tech has started their season strong with a 5-0 record, including a sweep over Le Moyne and a victory against Belmont. They are predicted to finish third in the Ohio Valley Conference preseason poll. Key players include Nicho Jordan and sophomore Mack Whitcomb. On the mound, Jaxon Pease leads a talented group that includes Jack Brafa, Drew Mattox, and Juan Vargas.

The upcoming matchup will be the tenth meeting between Southern Illinois and Tennessee Tech. The Salukis have won six of these encounters. Historically, home teams have dominated this fixture.

Last season, Southern Illinois ranked highly nationally for walks and hits, placing them among top-performing teams in these categories.

Michael Mylott emerged as Southern's top hitter during their opening series at Texas Rio Grande Valley with five hits from ten plate appearances. Dylan Petrey impressed from the bullpen with over three innings of scoreless pitching.

In terms of pitching rotation for this series: Jordan Huskey will start on Friday night; Alec Nigut will take Saturday's game after an impressive no-hit performance; Meade Johnson is set for Sunday's game following strong showings both previously and throughout his junior college career.

The Missouri Valley Conference will announce its preseason poll on March 17 ahead of league play beginning March 21.

Southern Illinois' next home series is scheduled against Southern Indiana and Bowling Green starting February 28 at Itchy Jones Stadium.

A previously planned home game against UT Martin was rescheduled to March 26 due to weather concerns in southern Illinois.

For more updates on Saluki baseball news or information about their games, fans can follow them across various social media platforms including X (@SIU_Baseball), Facebook (Facebook.com/SalukiBaseball), Instagram (@SIU_Baseball), or through their mobile app available on major app stores.