Andrew Evans and Julio Guerrero of Southern Illinois University were recognized with specialty awards ahead of the Missouri Valley Conference Baseball Tournament, according to a May 19 announcement from the league. Evans was named SIU’s first Pitcher of the Year since the award began in 1987, while Guerrero shared Co-Defensive Player of the Year honors with UIC’s Vidal Colon—the first time a Saluki has received this recognition.
The announcement comes as Southern Illinois prepares to face Evansville in its opening game of the tournament. The team had several players selected for All-Conference teams: Evans on First Team; Guerrero and Troy Shepard on Second Team; Jaden Flores and Dawson Hargrove received Honorable Mention; Flores and Guerrero were also named to the All-Defensive Team.
Southern Illinois closed out its regular season by winning two out of three games against Valparaiso. Kristian Sprawling has been performing strongly, reaching base in 20 consecutive games—the longest streak for any Saluki this season—and hitting .436 over his last ten games. Pitcher Dylan Petrey enters postseason play with a 1.80 earned run average over his last nine appearances, holding opponents to a .208 batting average. Petrey was also recognized on the MVC Scholar-Athlete list for his academic achievements.
The Salukis’ roster features significant experience, including returning power hitters Michael Mylott and Gabe Petrucelli who helped set a school record with 113 home runs last season. On the mound, key pitchers like Meade Johnson and Petrey return alongside new addition Andrew Evans, who transferred from Kansas State.
Head coach Lance Rhodes is in his seventh season at SIU, having led the team to back-to-back seasons with more than forty wins for the first time in program history. Under Rhodes’ leadership, SIU reached its 200th win earlier this year against North Dakota State.
The Southern Illinois Salukis baseball program has made five College World Series appearances under coaches such as Richard ‘Itchy’ Jones—who led them to ten NCAA Tournament berths—and promotes community engagement through its role within university athletics programs according to the official website. Itchy Jones Stadium serves as their home field and features artificial turf along with a modern video board dedicated to honoring Coach Jones’ legacy.
