Southern Illinois pitcher Troy Shepard was named the Missouri Valley Conference’s Newcomer of the Week, according to an April 20 announcement from the league. Shepard is the first player from Southern Illinois to receive this award during the current season.
This recognition comes after Shepard’s standout performance in Saturday’s game against Bradley, where he struck out a Division I career-high 12 batters and allowed only one hit through eight innings. The Washington State transfer carried a no-hitter into the ninth inning and played a key role in Southern Illinois’ 6-2 victory. Currently, Shepard is tied for third in strikeouts within the conference with 56, ranks second in opponent batting average at .198, and holds fourth place in both strikeouts per nine innings (9.45) and WHIP (1.18).
The Southern Illinois Salukis baseball program participates in NCAA Division I as part of the Missouri Valley Conference and hosts its home games at Itchy Jones Stadium in Carbondale, which features artificial turf and a modern video board to support players and fans according to the official website. The team has made five College World Series appearances as well as fourteen NCAA Tournament appearances according to the official website.
Richard ‘Itchy’ Jones led Southern Illinois to ten NCAA Tournament appearances and three College World Series berths during his time as coach according to the official website. In honor of his contributions, his uniform number was retired by the program according to the official website.
The roster includes about 39 student-athletes who also engage with their community through their role within Southern Illinois University athletics according to the official website.
Looking ahead, Southern Illinois will travel for a rivalry game against Southeast Missouri State on Tuesday night with first pitch scheduled for 6 p.m.
