Southern Illinois Salukis baseball


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.
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.

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 and as third-place finishers twice.
YearRecordPctNotes
19660–2.000Eliminated by Valparaiso
19671–2.333Eliminated by Western Michigan
19686–2.750Eliminated by USC in championship game
College World Series (2nd place)
19693–2.600Eliminated by Ole Miss
College World Series (7th place)
19702–2.500Eliminated by Ohio
19717–3.700Eliminated by USC in championship game College World Series (2nd place)
19732–2.500Eliminated by Minnesota
19747–3.500Eliminated by USC in CWS semifinals
College World Series (3rd place)
19760–2.000Eliminated by Michigan
19776–2.750Eliminated by Arizona State in CWS Semifinals College World Series (3rd place)
19782–2.500Eliminated by Oral Roberts
19811–2.333Eliminated by Oral Roberts
19861–2.333Eliminated by Texas
19902–2.500Eliminated by San Diego State

Head coaches

CoachYearsRecord
Lance Rhodes2020–present166–93
Ken Henderson2011–2019241–294–1
Dan Callahan1995–2010442–447–1
Sam Riggelman1991–199482–114–1
Itch Jones1970–1990738–345–5
Joe Lutz1966–1969130–48–2
Abe Martin1947–1965277–155–2
William McAndrew1921–192420–6

Notable former players