Southern Illinois Salukis
2023 Southern Illinois Salukis baseball team
Founded1947; 77 years ago (1947)
UniversitySouthern Illinois University
Head coachLance Rhodes (4th season)
ConferenceMVC
LocationCarbondale, IL
Home stadiumItchy Jones Stadium
(Capacity: 2,000)
NicknameSalukis
ColorsMaroon and white[1]
   
College World Series runner-up
1968, 1971
College World Series appearances
1968, 1969, 1971, 1974, 1977
NCAA regional champions
1977
NCAA Tournament appearances
1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1981, 1986, 1990
Conference tournament champions
1977, 1978, 1981, 1990
Regular season conference champions
1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1981, 1984, 1986, 1990, 2022

The Southern Illinois Salukis baseball team represents Southern Illinois University in NCAA Division I college baseball. They are part of the Missouri Valley Conference. Twenty-four Saluki Baseball alumni have gone on to the Major Leagues.

History

On June 20, 2019, Southern Illinois University Director of Athletics Jerry Kill announced Lance Rhodes as the program's new head coach. Rhodes is a Sikeston, Missouri, native, and joined the Saluki baseball program from the University of Missouri, where he had served as the head assistant and recruiting coordinator. Prior to his time at the University of Missouri, Rhodes served as the recruiting coordinator at Southeast Missouri State University; helping them to three years of program dominance by winning three straight Ohio Valley Conference championships (2014, 2015, 2016).[citation needed]

SIU baseball started as a club sport in 1921, lasting until 1924. From 1925 until 1946, the school did not have a baseball program.

In 1947, Abe Martin revived the program as an intercollegiate sport and it has remained ever since, being an elite program in the late 1960s through the 1980s.

SIU plays its home games at Itchy Jones Stadium.[2]

SIU in the NCAA tournament

SIU has a proud history in the NCAA baseball tournament, held in Omaha since 1950 and at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium from 1950 through 2010. They have made the College World Series 5 times and finished as the national champion runner-up twice (losing out to the University of Southern California Trojans both times) and as third-place finishers twice.

Year Record Pct Notes
1966 0–2 .000 Eliminated by Valparaiso
1967 1–2 .333 Eliminated by Western Michigan
1968 6–2 .750 Eliminated by USC in championship game
College World Series (2nd place)
1969 3–2 .600 Eliminated by Ole Miss
College World Series (7th place)
1970 2–2 .500 Eliminated by Ohio
1971 7–3 .700 Eliminated by USC in championship game College World Series (2nd place)
1973 2–2 .500 Eliminated by Minnesota
1974 7–3 .500 Eliminated by USC in CWS semifinals
College World Series (3rd place)
1976 0–2 .000 Eliminated by Michigan
1977 6–2 .750 Eliminated by Arizona State in CWS Semifinals College World Series (3rd place)
1978 2–2 .500 Eliminated by Oral Roberts
1981 1–2 .333 Eliminated by Oral Roberts
1986 1–2 .333 Eliminated by Texas
1990 2–2 .500 Eliminated by San Diego State
TOTALS 40–30 .571

[3]

Head coaches

Coach Years Record
Lance Rhodes 2020–present 96–42
Ken Henderson 2011–2019 241–294–1
Dan Callahan 1995–2010 442–447–1
Sam Riggelman 1991–1994 82–114–1
Itch Jones 1970–1990 738–345–5
Joe Lutz 1966–1969 130–48–2
Abe Martin 1947–1965 277–155–2
William McAndrew 1921–1924 20–6

[3]

Notable former players

See also

References

  1. ^ Missouri Valley Conference Style Guide (PDF). August 29, 2022. Retrieved February 26, 2023.
  2. ^ "SIU dedicates Itchy Jones Stadium with grand opening - Southern Illinois University". Southern Illinois University. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
  3. ^ a b "History of SIU baseball from 2010 media guide". Retrieved June 14, 2010.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Southern Illinois University Baseball Players Who Made it to the Major Leagues". Retrieved June 23, 2007.


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