Carbondale Reporter

Southern Illinois University's athletic teams are entering the final stages of their respective seasons as students conclude their academic year. Track and field, softball, and baseball teams are preparing for significant competitions in the coming days.

The track and field team participated in its last meet before the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Tournament at the Jim Green Invitational in Kentucky. Shane Ashton achieved a first-place finish in the 400-meter hurdles with a season-best time of 51.90 seconds. In field events, Darrione Williams won the long jump with a leap of 7.43 meters, while Darius Fuller secured victory in the triple jump with a mark of 13.89 meters. The MVC Tournament will be hosted by Southern Illinois on May 17-18.

The softball team received two weekly MVC honors. Jackie Lis was named Player of the Week after an impressive performance where she hit .700 over four games against UT Martin and Murray State. McKenzie Newcomb earned Pitcher of the Week for her efforts across two appearances, allowing only seven hits and striking out 11 batters over 10.2 innings without giving up an earned run.

During their series against Evansville, Southern Illinois clinched an 11-0 win on Friday, lost 2-0 on Saturday, but won again on Sunday with an 11-1 scoreline to secure their second consecutive MVC Regular Season Championship. The Salukis will begin their MVC tournament play on Thursday, May 8.

In baseball news, Cecil Lofton was named Player of the Week following his contributions to victories over Illinois State and Southeast Missouri. His batting average for that week stood at .438.

Southern Illinois started their week with a victory over Lindenwood and continued Valley play against Murray State over the weekend. They lost the first game but managed to secure a win in Sunday's match with an impressive scoreline of 11-0.

The Salukis have scheduled a non-conference game against SIUE on Wednesday, May 7, followed by Senior Weekend games against Evansville from May 9 to May 11.

For more updates on Saluki athletics, fans can follow them on social media platforms including X (@SIUSalukis), Instagram (@siusalukis), Facebook (SalukiAthletics), or download their mobile app available on both App Store and Google Play Store.