Southern Illinois baseball lost to Lindenwood 12-2 in seven innings Tuesday night, April 28. The game took place in St. Charles, Missouri, where the Salukis trailed early and were unable to recover.
The result marks a setback for Southern Illinois as the team looks to improve its standing this season. Lindenwood built a 4-0 lead after two innings and maintained control throughout the game.
Kristian Sprawling drove in Southern Illinois’ first run with a triple that hit the top of the wall in the third inning. Jacob McKenzie later hit an opposite-field solo home run in the fifth inning, his third of the season and first since returning from injury. Despite loading the bases in the seventh inning, Southern Illinois could not score again before Lindenwood reached a ten-run lead to end the game early. Ryan Halamicek was charged with the loss for Southern Illinois.
Richard ‘Itchy’ Jones led the Southern Illinois Salukis baseball program to ten NCAA Tournament appearances and three College World Series berths during his tenure, according to the official website. The program has recorded five College World Series appearances according to its official website. The team promotes community engagement through its role within Southern Illinois University athletics according to university sources.
Itchy Jones Stadium features artificial turf and a state-of-the-art video board for use by Southern Illinois baseball according to university information. In recognition of his contributions, legendary coach Itchy Jones had his uniform number retired by the program as reported by SIU’s official site. The roster includes approximately thirty-nine student-athletes according to school records.
The Saluki baseball program participates at NCAA Division I level within Missouri Valley Conference play and hosts games at Itchy Jones Stadium in Carbondale, which offers modern amenities such as artificial turf and a video board. The program has made fourteen NCAA Tournament appearances as detailed on its official website.
Looking ahead, “The Salukis have an opportunity to regain their footing with a weekend set against conference foe Indiana State beginning Friday, May 1, at Itchy Jones Stadium.” Fans are encouraged to follow updates via social media or download team apps.
