SOFTBALL NOTES AND LINKS: FGCU/FOUR POINTS BY SHERATON INVITATIONAL

By Tony McDaniel, siusalukis.com

Looking to 2018… 

• The Salukis return six starters and two of their three pitchers from the 2017 MVC Championship team.
• In total, 12 of Southern’s 18 players lettered in 2017.
• Four Salukis, senior infielder Sydney Jones, junior pitcher Brianna Jones, sophomore second baseman Maddy Vermejanand sophomore outfielder Susie Baranski, were all Preseason All-MVC selections.Southern tied Illinois State for the most selections to the team in the Conference with four.
• The Salukis were picked second in the Valley by the league’s Coaches.Illinois State was picked first and the Salukis were just one vote behind the Redbirds and one point ahead of Northern Iowa in third place.Southern and Northern Iowa are tied with the most first-place votes with three a piece.

So far… 

• The Salukis are 4-4 on the season and are outscoring opponents 37-29.
• The Salukis have 11 home runs through 8 games, the most through as many games since 2003.
• Starting pitcher Brianna Joneshas struck out 35 batters in 31 innings.She’s 4-0 on the season and has allowed just 19 hits, 7 earned runs and 5 walks.
• On Feb.17, Southern beat Georgetown 13-4.It was the biggest win and most runs scored in a five-inning game since March 14, 2017 when SIU defeated Southern Utah 14-2.

Milestone/Record watch… 

• Southern’s long time head coach Kerri Blaylockis approaching several big career records and milestones.
• As of 2/21 she is…
• Two wins from 634 which would surpass Kay Brechtelsbauer for the all-time lead at Southern.
• 15 games from the 1,000th of her career.She is projected to manage that game on March 14 at UT – Martin barring cancellations.
• She is 8 wins from her 300th in MVC play.She will be the third coach in Conference history to win that many games.

More on Blaylock… 

• Blaylock is the only coach to lead an MVC team to five-straight NCAA tournaments.She did so from 2003-07.
• She has the second-best winning percentage (.645) of any coach in the MVC with more than 500 wins.
• She is one of just two coaches in the program’s 51-year history.Kay Brechtelsbauer is the program’s only other coach.

Nationally Ranked Statistically 

(Top-50 only) 

• Maddy Vermejanis second in the nation in hit by pitch per game.She’s been hit five times in eight games, an average on 0.63.
• Kyleigh Deckerhas been hit four times in eight games and is 16th in the nation with an average of 0.50.
• Vermejan is 28th in nation in on-base percentage at .621.
• Katelyn Massais 15th in the nation in home runs with 4.
• She is also 12th in the nation in home runs per game with an average of 0.50.
• Massa is 44th in the nation in RBI per game.She has 11 in 8 games for an average of 1.38 per.
• Her 1.000 slugging percentage is the 27th best in the nation.
• Brianna Jonesis 38th in the nation in strikeouts with 35.
• Jones has won four games this year; good for 21st in the nation.
• As a team, the Salukis are 14th in the nation in home runs per game.SIU has hit 11 in eight games for an average of 1.38.
• Southern is 32nd in the nation in team slugging percentage at .490.

MVC Leading Salukis… 

• Vermejan is tops in the Valley in hit by pitch with 0.63 per game.Her .621 on base percentage is the MVC’s best.
• Katelyn Massaleads the MVC in home runs and home runs per game.She’s hit 4 in 8 games for an average of 0.50.
• Brianna Jonesleads the Conference in strikeouts with 35 and is tied for the lead in wins with 4.

Starting Fast… 

• The Salukis are 3-0 this season when they score first, or score in the first inning, or when leading after one inning.Adversely, the team is 0-3 when trailing after the first inning.

Youth Movement… 

Of Southern’s starters in 2017, three of them were freshmen.They were; outfielder Susie Baranski, second baseman Maddy Vermejan and catcher/ DP Katelyn Massa.

On Baranski…

• Baranski was one of only four players to start in all 57 games.
• She led the team in at-bats (181), hits (53) and runs scored (39).
• She was also second on the team in walks (31) and steals (9).
• Baranski was a preseason All-MVC selection.

On Massa…

• Massa unseated a senior catcher and started in 43 games behind the plate or as a DP.
• She hit .297 with 5 home runs and 22 RBI and struck out only 14 times, the least of any starter last year.
• She was perfect in the field posting a 1.000 fielding percentage while throwing out 11 of 17 potential base stealers.
• She was an All-MVC second team selection in 2017.

On Vermejan…

• Made 54 starts and hit .284 in her freshman season.
• She led the team in batting average during the Conference season hitting at a .350 clip.
• She was third on the team with 7 doubles.
• Posted a .990 fielding percentage, the best of any non-catcher on the team.
• Was selected to the 2017 All-MVC second team and the All-Defensive team and is a member of this year’s preseason All-MVC team.
• Also, several more underclassmen are slated to start this season.Sophomore Kyleigh Deckeris projected to take the bulk of the starts at first and two true freshmen Jenny Jansen and Maris Boelens could see a lot of time in the outfield.

Scouting the Opponents… 

On Wright State..

• Wright State is 0-5 this season and is coming off a week without any competitive softball.The team is being outscored 24-8.
• Last year, the Raiders were 21-31 and 14-10 in the Horizon League.They were just 2-11 in neutral site games.
• As a team, Wright State ranks in the top-100 nationally in only one category, steals.The team is 65th in stolen bases per game averaging 1.40 a game.
• Mercer’s staff of three pitchers has a combined ERA of 7.41.Ashley Sharp’s 5.88 ERA is the best on the team.She’s struck out 12 and walked 9.She’s the only pitcher with more strike outs than walks.
• The Salukis are 5-0 against Wright State all time and last beat the Raiders 8-6 in 2012 at the Coach B Classic.

On Connecticut…

• The Huskies are 5-4 so far this season and are being outscored 25-20.Last year the Huskies were 17- 31 overall and 3-14 in the American.
• UConn ranks in the top-100 nationally in one category.The Huskies are 38th in Earned Run Average at 1.71.
• Chelsea Eckert leads the nation in ERA.She has not allowed an earned run yet in 10.2 innings pitched.She’s 1-0, has struck out 14 and walked 5 batters.
• The Salukis are 3-0 all-time vs.UConn.The teams last met in 1998 when Southern won 3-0.The Salukis are outscoring the Huskies all-time 12-4.

On Stony Brook…

• The Seawolves open their season this weekend.Last year, they were 18-29 and 9-7 in the America East.
• Sophomore Melissa Rahrich is a dual threat player for the Seawolves.She hit .363 with eight home runs and 32 RBI.She also posted a 3.47 ERA and a 12-12 record in 2017 striking out 54 batters and walking 43.
• The Seawolves had five players start in at least 20 games and hit better than .300 in 2017. All five players are back this season.
• This will be the first time SIU and Stony Brook have ever played each other.

On Florida Gulf Coast…

• FGCU is 8-0 this season and have played all their games at home.Last year the Eagles were 30-30 and 8-9 in the Atlantic Sun.
• As a team, the Eagles are top in the nation in team ERA at 0.25 and win/loss percentage.
• Junior Natalie Lopez leads the nation in batting average at .769 and on-base percentage at .842.
• Three Eagles pitchers lead the nation in pitching categories.Morgan White’s 0.00 ERA is the best in the nation.She’s struck out six and walked five in 18.1 innings.Taylor Bauman leads the nation in saves with 6 in 6 appearances.Riley Randolph leads the nation in walks per seven innings.She’s struck out 18 and walked 0.
• Southern is 1-2 against FGCU all-time.The Eagles have won the last two meetings against the Salukis.Southern last won in 2011.