CARBONDALE, Ill. – The Southern Illinois baseball program announced the 2020 schedule today. The Salukis host 27 games at Itchy Jones Stadium, and the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament will be held in Carbondale for the first time since 1986.
The Salukis will play 13 games against teams that made the 2019 NCAA Tournament and 21 games against teams that finished last year in the top-100 of the RPI.
The Lance Rhodes era will begin with a four-game series at Jackson State (Feb. 14-16). The nonconference schedule is highlighted by the Tony Gwynn Legacy and a three-game home series vs. Illinois. The Salukis will face perennial powers Arizona and USC in San Diego at the Tony Gwynn Legacy. Illinois, which made the NCAA Tournament last year, is coached by SIU alum Dan Hartleb.
“Our nonconference schedule is balanced,” Rhodes said. “We have several great challenges that give our guys the opportunity to compete with some of the top programs in the country. Those games are exciting, but we’re also focused on using every game in the nonconference schedule as an opportunity for growth, both individually and as a team, heading into our league.”
Northern Illinois comes to SIU for a three-game series March 6-8 for SIU’s home-opening weekend. The Salukis also host Eastern Michigan (March 20-22) and SIU Edwardsville (April 17-19) in non-conference play.
The Salukis open MVC play at Evansville (March 27-29) and host three of the seven league weekend series. SIU hosts Bradley (April 3-5), Valparaiso (April 24-26) and Indiana State (May 8-10). Indiana State is one of three MVC opponents that won multiple games in the 2019 NCAA Tournament, along with Dallas Baptist (April 9-11) and Illinois State (May 14-16). SIU travels to Missouri State for a three-game series May 1-3.
“The quality of the MVC speaks for itself—it was the sixth-best conference in the nation last year, with two teams that advanced to regional finals,” Rhodes said. “There will be some incredibly high-level baseball games at Itchy Jones Stadium every weekend, with several future big-leaguers on the field most weekends. We’re excited to be a part of that, and to compete against it, and hopefully help the league grow even more.”
In mid-week games, SIU has home-and-home series with Murray State, Arkansas State, Belmont, Austin Peay, and Southeast Missouri. In single games, SIU travels to Illinois, hosts Memphis (April 28), and faces Saint Louis in Sauget, Ill. for the annual rivalry in the final mid-week of the season.
Overall, SIU opens the year with 12 games on the road and ends the regular season with four road games. In between, SIU will play 27 of 38 games at Itchy Jones Stadium. The Salukis have also expanded its home night games, with 16 of the 27 home games set to begin at 6 p.m. CT. All mid-week home games will start at 6 p.m.
