Carbondale Reporter

Southern Illinois University's softball team is set to host the 2025 Saluki Invitational this weekend at Charlotte West Stadium in Carbondale, Illinois. The tournament will feature Southern Illinois (5-13, 0-0) competing against Wisconsin (13-7, 0-0) and Northern Illinois (5-8, 0-0) on both Saturday and Sunday.

The Salukis recently participated in the 2025 Coach B Classic, where they achieved a record of 4-1. They secured victories over Central Arkansas, Purdue, and Purdue Fort Wayne but lost one game to Central Arkansas. Key performances included Anna Carder's two-run homer against Central Arkansas and Emma Austin's game-winning single against Purdue.

SIU has faced Wisconsin three times previously, with Wisconsin leading the series 2-1. Their last encounter was at the 2013 Saluki Invitational, where Wisconsin won 7-3. Southern Illinois' only victory over Wisconsin occurred in 2009 with a score of 3-0.

In their history with Northern Illinois, SIU has split their all-time matchups evenly. The teams last met during the Hilltopper Spring Fling last season when SIU emerged victorious with a score of 12-3. Northern Illinois' most recent win against SIU was in 2017.

Fans can follow the Salukis for updates on Twitter at @SIU_Softball, on Facebook at Facebook.com/SalukiSoftball, and on Instagram at @SIU_Softball. Additionally, information is available through the "Salukis" Mobile App on both the App Store and Google Play Store.