Carbondale Reporter

The Southern Illinois University (SIU) baseball team is preparing for its final regular season series against Valparaiso, with hopes of clinching the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) regular season championship. Currently, the Salukis hold a 15-9 record in MVC play and trail Missouri State by two games and Murray State by one game. The outcome of this weekend's games could result in a three-way tie if SIU sweeps Valparaiso and Murray State wins two out of three against Missouri State.

The schedule for the weekend series includes games on Thursday at 3 p.m., Friday at 1 p.m., and Saturday at 1 p.m. Fans can follow the action via ESPN Plus, with Todd Ickow and Leo Staudacher providing commentary. Luke Martin will handle radio coverage on the Varsity Network, while live stats and updates will be available on Twitter @SIU_Baseball.

Southern Illinois enters this series with an overall record of 36-16 after winning two out of three games against Evansville last weekend. The team has been performing well offensively, setting a new program record for home runs in a season with 89.

Matt Schark has been particularly impressive, earning National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) National Co-Hitter of the Week and MVC Player of the Week honors. Schark hit five home runs during the Evansville series and set single-season records for both home runs and RBIs.

Valparaiso comes into the matchup with an overall record of 8-39 and has lost their last 20 games. Key players include Liam Patton and Kevin Denty, who have contributed significantly to their team's offense despite their struggles this season.

Historically, SIU leads the all-time series against Valpo with a slight edge but has faced challenges when playing away from home. This weekend presents an opportunity for SIU to extend its winning streak against Valpo.

In addition to team accomplishments, several individual players have achieved notable performances throughout the season. These include Jaxon Holder's on-base percentage, Kaleb Hall's batting average, Gabe Petrucelli's run-scoring abilities, Sam Frizzi's pitching prowess, among others.

Head coach Lance Rhodes continues to lead SIU through another successful season as they aim for back-to-back conference titles under his guidance.

Fans can stay updated on all things Saluki Baseball through various social media platforms or by downloading their mobile app available on major app stores.