Henderson Signs Extension with SIU Carbondale Baseball

Southern Illinois University at Carbondale head baseball coach Ken Henderson signed a contract extension to continue as the head baseball coach through the 2014 season.

In his third season at Southern Illinois the Saluki head coach went 31-28 in 2012. Henderson is entering his 23rd season at Southern Illinois Carbondale as he joined the Saluki staff in 1990.

Illinois Baseball Players Fairing Well With Dubois County Bombers

Three college baseball players from Illinois are contributing to the Dubois County Bombers success this season as the Bomber play for the Prospect League Championship this week.

Third baseman Cody Daily hit .263 this summer with 2 homers, 7 doubles and 30 rbi's is from Granite City, Illinois and attends Southern Illinois University in Carbondale.  Cody also was voted to the mid-season all-star team.

Pitchers Ryan Billo, Nelson Marchan and Jon Rashid have also combined for four victory's on the mound for the Bombers.  Billo is from Orland Park, Illinois and attends the University of Evansville, Marchan is from Elmwood Park, Illinois and attends Central Methodist and Rashid is from Skokie, Illinois and attends North Central College.

Forsythe, Wiesemeyer Earn Missouri Valley Baseball Players of the Week

Southern Illinois Cody Forsythe and Illinois State's Ty Wiesemeyer earn the Missouri Valley Baseball Players of the week awards for the week ending April 22nd.

Senior outfielder Ty Wiesemeyer earned the Player of the Week award by hitting .471 and slugging .824 along with an on base percentage of .526 last week.  Ty had 10 rbi's and three extra base hits, including a grand slam, a triple and a double.  Wiesemeyer is a senior at Illinois State University, a transfer from Heartland Community College and lives in Troy, Illinois.

Southern Illinois Carbondale junior Cody Forsythe won the Pitcher of the Week award by throwing a complete game shutout against Creighton last week.  Cody gave up only four singles and a double while striking out five in the Saluki's 4-0 win.

Cody is from Calvert City, Kentucky.   

Bircher, Sivertsen Named Missouri Valley Baseball Players of the Week

Joe Bircher and Jordan Siversten have been named Missouri Valley Conference baseball Players of the Week for the week ending April 8th.


Bradley Senior pitcher Joe Bircher earned the Pitcher of the Week by throwing a complete game 2-1 victory over Missouri State.  Bircher struck out 12 and did not walk a batter in the win.  LHP Bircher is a senior at Bradley.


Southern Illinois Carbondale's Jordan Siversten won the Player of the Week award by hitting .563 with four home runs and 12 rbi's last week.  Six of Jordan's nine hits were for extra bases on the week.  Jordan is a senior at SIU and lives in Richmond Illinois.

Top Performances by Illinois Players in the Missouri Valley Conference Last Week

Top performances from Illinois baseball players last week in the Missouri Valley Conference.

Illinois State senior outfielder Ty Wiesemeyer had nine hits in a three game series against Southeast Missouri State last week.  Ty had three doubles and six rbi's along with scoring four times.  Wiesmeyer is from Troy Illinois.

Sophomore infielder Donny Duschinsky from Southern Illinois Carbondale went 8-16 at the plate last week.  Duschinsky drove in eight runs, hit a grand slam, a double and a triple.  Donny is from Elk Grove Illinois.

LHP Joe Bircher from Bradley University in Peoria Illinois earned a 6-2 win last week going seven innings and striking out 10. 

Junior RHP Chris Razo from Illinois State got his first Division I victory last week throwin five innings allowing one run on 3 hits with six K's.

Missouri State RHP Clay Murphy threw 6 2/3rd's innings striking out four and not allowing an earned in MSU's victory over Oklahoma State last week.  Murphy is from Wolf Lake Illinois. 

Illinois State Baseball Picked to Finish 5th in the MVC

In the annual poll by Missouri Valley coaches Illinois State is picked to finish 5th in 2012.  Missouri State who returns seven position players and seven pitchers from last years squad.

Coaches Preseason Poll:
1. Missouri State
2. Creighton
3. Wichita State
4. Indiana State
5. Illinois State
6. Southern Illinois
7. Bradley
8. Evansville

Illinois State returns five starters which include Kevin Tokarski who was an honorable mention All-MVC last year.  On the mound closer Kenny Long will also be back for 2012.

Southern Illinois Carbondale has eight position players and two starting pitchers returning for 2012.  Also back is slugger Chris Serritella who was injured in 2011.

Bradley brings back seven position players and eight pitchers including starter Joe Bircher.

Players from Illinois on The 2012 All-MVC Preseason Team:
Chris Serritella, Southern Illinois
Mike Hollenbeck, Illinois State
Mike Gerber, Creighton
Jordan Sivertsen, Southern Illinois
Mike Tauchman, Bradley
Kenny Long, Illinois State

Chris Serritella From Southern Illinois Baseball Named as Quality Pro Prospect

Southern Illinois Saluki's firstbaseman Chris Serritella was noted by Collegiate Baseball as one of the quality pro prospects that have a chance to be drafted in the first two rounds of the 2012 Major League Baseball Free Agent Draft.

Serritella, who is a redshirt junior, was drafted in 2011 despite missing the entire 2011 season with an injury.  Chris was and All-MVC first team member in 2010 and was the MVP of the Prospect League last summer.

Southern Illinois Saluki Baseball Sign Five to National Letters of Intent

Southern Illinois University at Carbondale baseball program announced the signing of five student athletes to National Letters of Intent for 2012.

Head baseball coach Ken Henderson announced the following five baseball players for 2012:

Catcher Matt Jones from Central Arizona Community College.

Catcher/1st baseman Zach Stoner from Rockford Boylan Catholic High School in Rockford Illinois.

Right handed pitcher Bryce Sablotny is a transfer from Lincoln Land Community College in Springfield Illinois.

Right handed pitcher Anthony Shimkus from Chatham Glenwood High School in Illinois.

Right handed pitcher Jacob Williams from Monticello HS in Illinois

Southern Illinois Baseball Alum Jason Frasor Signed by Chicago White Sox for 2012

Southern Illinois University baseball alumnus Jason Frasor had his option picked up by the Chicago White Sox for the 2012 season.  Frasor was traded to the Sox from the Blue Jays on July 27th.

Frasor pitched three seasons at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale and was drafted in the 33rd round by the Tigers in 1999.

Chris Serritella from Southern Illinois Baseball Named Prospect League Player of the Year

Chris Serritella, Southern Illinois University, captures the Prospect League Player of the Year award by leading the league in home runs (14) and rbi's (60) and coming in fourth in batting average at .361.

Chris also helped lead the Quincy Gems to their second league championship in the three year history of the Prospect League with a 5-0 victory over the West Virginia Miners.

Chris will be a senior at Southern Illinois University and is from Glenview Illinois.

Southern Illinois Baseball's Chris Serritella Hit Three Homers Yesterday Night

Quincy Gems and Southern Illinois Saluki Chris Serritella went 4-4 with three home runs and double with 5 rbi's and it wasn't enough for the Gems as Terre Haute defeated Qunicy 10-8 last night in Prospect League Action.  Serritella now leads the Prospect League with 10 home runs on the season. 

Four other homers were hit last night - one each by Andrew Hecht (Quincy), S. Bruno (Terre Haute), N. Johnson (Terre Haute) and J. Loeffler (Terre Haute).

Dray, Zimmerman Named Louisville Slugger Freshman All-Americans

Tyler Dray

Tyler Dray from Southern Illinois Carbondale and Jeff Zimmerman from Northern Illinois University have been named to the 2011 Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American Baseball Team selected by Collegiate Baseball.


LHP Dray recorded 8 saves with a 3.41 ERA, 24 K's in 29 innings pitched this season for the Salukis.  Tyler lives in Rockford Illinois and attended Rockford Boylan Catholic high school.



Jeff Zimmerman

1B Zimmerman, who was also named the Freshman Player of the Year in the Mid-American Conference, hit .326 with 11 home runs, 13 doubles and 47 RBI's.  Jeff is from Tinley Park Illinois and attended Victor J. Andrew high
school.

Southern Illinois Saluki Baseball Shuts out Illini Again

The Southern Illinois Saluki baseball team shut out the University of Illinois for the second time this season with a 9-0 victory Tuesday night at the fourth annual Interstate Baseball Classic at Rent One Park. 

Senior RHP Andrew Bever, a transfer from Kankakee Community College, threw 6 scoreless innings allowing only three hits.  Bever also threw eight scoreless innings against the Illini on April 13th has now thrown 14 scoreless innings against Illinois.

Jordan Silversten (Carmel Catholic, Richmond Illinois) went 3-4 at the plate with a double and 2 rbi's, Brock Harding (Rochester Illinois) was 3-5 including a double and 3 rbi's for Southern Illinois. 

Illinois was held to six hits over nine innings, Davis Hendrickson (Macomb Illinois) had two of them.  Pat Sheehan (Springfield Illinois) had the only extra base hit, a double.

Southern Illinois Baseball Coach Ken Henderson Suspended for Bumping Umpire

Southern Illinois University baseball coach Ken Henderson was suspended for three games by the Missouri Valley Conference for bumping an umpire in an 8-2 loss to the University of Illinois.

Henderson was thrown out of the game after arguing a call at second base.  After he was tossed Henderson continued to argue and pushing a second umpire who tried to get in the middle of Henderson and the umpire who made the call.

The three game suspension is mandatory by NCAA rules.

Missouri Valley Conference Baseball Top Performers from Illinois

Top baseball performances in the Missouri Valley Conference last week from Illinois players.

Derek Sprout, Bradley University, Illinois Valley Central High School, the freshman catcher hit .571 with 2 rbi's, a sac bunt and scored three times. 

Infielder Alex Staehely, Creighton University, Benet Academy, the sophomore hit .455 with 10 hits, 4 doubles, and 2 triples and drove in the winning run in a 4-3 10 inning victory over Kansas. 

Matt Mirabal, Illinois State University, Mt. Carmel High School, the junior catcher drove in the winning run in a come from behind victory against UW Milwaukee on Sunday.  In three game stretch Matt went 6-12 with 2 doubles and scored 4 times.

Outfielder Kyle Burnam, Indiana State University, Marshall High School, the junior outfielder went 4-6 at the plate in one game and overall had 2 doubles, 4 rbi's, and scored 4 times.

Jordan Sivertsen, Southern Illinois Carbondale, Carmel Catholic High School, Richmond IL, the junior outfielder went 6-15 at the plate with 3 extra base hits including a home run in a series against South Carolina. 

Left handed pitcher Joe Bircher, Bradley University, Joe went 7 scoreless innings, struck out 7 and gave up only 3 hits in a 4-0 victory.

Left handed pitcher Kenny Long, Illinois State University, Dundee Crown High School, earned a win against UW Milwaukee going 3.2 innings, striking out 6.

Cody Forsythe, Southern Illinois Carbondale, the sophomore pitcher threw a complete game going 8 innings, giving up 7 hits and striking out 6 in a 4-0 loss at South Carolina.


 

Chris Murphy from Southern Illinois Carbondale Named Missouri Valley Player of the Week

Senior outfielder Chris Murphy from Southern Illinois University Baseball was named the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week ending February 21st.

Chris went 7-13 for the Salukis in their opening weekend in the Louisana Tech Classic.  Murphy had at least two hits in all three games as Southern Illinois posted a 2-1 record over the weekend.  Chris also tied his career high with four rbi's and three hits against Nicholls State on Sunday.

Missouri Valley 2011 Pre-Season Top Baseball Players and Teams from Illinois

Top baseball teams and baseball players from Illinois in the Missouri Valley Conference based on how coaches voted in a pre-season poll.

Missouri Valley Pre-Season Poll:
#1.  Wichita State
#2.  Illinois State
#3.  Indiana State
#4.  Southern Illinois
#5.  Evansville
#6.  Creighton
#7.  Bradley
#8.  Missouri State

Projected Player of the Year:

Red-Shirt Junior Kevin Tokarski, Illinois State University, .412 batting average, 8 home runs, 25 doubles, 53 rbi's, 33 stolen bases.  Kevin attended Downers Grove North High School and lives in Downers Grove IL.

Top Players to Watch:

Catcher Matt Mirabal, Illinois State University, .323 batting average, 4 home runs, 14 doubles, 42 rbi's.  Matt is from Mt. Carmel High School and lives in Chicago IL.

3B Ryan Court, Illinois State University, .295 batting average, 10 home runs, 14 doubles, 49 rbi's.  Ryan is from Dundee-Crown High School and lives in Sleepy Hollow IL.

Right handed pitcher Corey Maines, Illinois State University, 6 wins 3 losses, 4.60 ERA, 67 strikeouts.  Corey lives in Houston TX.

Left handed pitcher Kenny Long, Illinois State University, 4 wins 4 losses, 9 saves, 1.38 ERA, 74 strikeouts.  Kenny is from Dundee-Crown High School and lives in Fox River Grove IL.

1B Chris Serritella, Southern Illinois University, .374 batting average, 13 home runs, 19 doubles, 64 rbi's.  Chris attended Loyola Academy and lives in Glenview IL.

Outfielder Chris Murphy, Southern Illinois University, .320 batting average, 1 home run, 16 doubles, 31 rbi's, 11 stolen bases.  Chris is from Sewickley PA.

Right handed pitcher Cameron Maldonado, Southern Illinois University.  Cameron is a transfer from Seward County Junior College.

Right handed pitcher Sam Johns, University of Evansville, 5 wins 4 losses, 5.71 ERA, 54 strikeouts.  Sam attended Civic Memorial High School and lives in Bethalto IL.

Outfielder Aaron Conway, Missouri State University, .278 batting average, 7 home runs, 7 doubles, 23 rbi's, 24 stolen bases.  Aaron is from Triad High School and lives in Edwardsville IL.

Southern Illinois University Names Ken Henderson Interim Head Baseball Coach

Director of Athletics Mario Moccia announced that Ken Henderson was named the interim head baseball coach for the 2011 season for the Salukis.

Henderson, who has been with the Saluki baseball program for over 20 years, succeeds his longtime friend Dan Callahan who passed away on November 15th.  Henderson served as interim head coach midway through the 1994 season where he guided the Saluki's to a 12-8 record under his direction.



 

Southern Illinois Salukis Baseball Sign Four for 2012

The Southern Illinois Saluki baseball program announced the signing of four student-athletes to National Letters of Intent for the 2012 baseball season. 

Right handed pitcher Sam Coonrod, Carrollton High School, Carrolton, IL, is a three sport athlete and went 8-1 with a 1.10 era his junior year.

Left handed pitcher Nathan Dorris, Rend Lake College, Marion High School, threw 49 innings last season at Rend Lake College.  Nathan also played in the Prospect League last summer going 2-4 with a 2.91 era for the Richmond River Rats.

Middle infielder J.C. Davis, DuQuoin High School, hit .436, 5 homers, 31 rbi's and 23 stolen bases as a junior.  J.C.'s father also played baseball for the Saluki's.

Outfielder Trevor Murphy, Lemont High School, left handed hitter Murphy hit .296  and stole 11 bases as a junior at Lemont.  Trevor is also a wide receiver on the Lemont football team.

SIU Head Baseball Coach Dan Callahan Loses Battle With Cancer

Southern Illinois University Head Baseball Coach Dan Callahan lost his battle with a rare form of skin cancer neurotropic melanoma.


Callahan, 52, is survived by his wife, Stacy, daughters Alexa and Carly, and his parents Ann and Gene.

Funeral arrangements are pending and SIU will announce its plans to pay tribute to Callahan's life at a later date.

Callahan, the second winningest coach in history at SIU, complied a 442-447-1 record in 16 years at Carbondale.