# 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 (2014, 2015, 2016).
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 (losing out to the University of Southern California Trojans both times) and as third-place finishers twice.
| Year | Record | Pct | Notes |
| 1966 | 0–2 | .000 | Eliminated by Valparaiso |
| 1967 | 1–2 | .333 | Eliminated by Western Michigan |
| 1968 | 6–2 | .750 | Eliminated by USC in championship game College World Series (2nd place) |
| 1969 | 3–2 | .600 | Eliminated by Ole Miss College World Series (7th place) |
| 1970 | 2–2 | .500 | Eliminated by Ohio |
| 1971 | 7–3 | .700 | Eliminated by USC in championship game College World Series (2nd place) |
| 1973 | 2–2 | .500 | Eliminated by Minnesota |
| 1974 | 7–3 | .500 | Eliminated by USC in CWS semifinals College World Series (3rd place) |
| 1976 | 0–2 | .000 | Eliminated by Michigan |
| 1977 | 6–2 | .750 | Eliminated by Arizona State in CWS Semifinals College World Series (3rd place) |
| 1978 | 2–2 | .500 | Eliminated by Oral Roberts |
| 1981 | 1–2 | .333 | Eliminated by Oral Roberts |
| 1986 | 1–2 | .333 | Eliminated by Texas |
| 1990 | 2–2 | .500 | Eliminated by San Diego State |
| TOTALS | 40–30 | .571 | |

## Head coaches

| Coach | Years | Record |
| Lance Rhodes | 2020–present | 166–93 |
| Ken Henderson | 2011–2019 | 241–294–1 |
| Dan Callahan | 1995–2010 | 442–447–1 |
| Sam Riggelman | 1991–1994 | 82–114–1 |
| Itch Jones | 1970–1990 | 738–345–5 |
| Joe Lutz | 1966–1969 | 130–48–2 |
| Abe Martin | 1947–1965 | 277–155–2 |
| William McAndrew | 1921–1924 | 20–6 |

## Notable former players

* Sam Coonrod, current Major League Baseball pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies
* Jim Dwyer, Retired Major League Baseball outfielder
* Steve Finley, Retired Major League Baseball center fielder, 5-time Gold Glove winner, 2-time All-Star
* Jason Frasor, Major League Baseball pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays, Chicago White Sox, Texas Rangers and Kansas City Royals
* Joe Hall, Retired Major League Baseball outfielder
* Jerry Hairston Jr., Major League Baseball second baseman for the San Diego Padres
* Duane Kuiper, Retired Major League Baseball second baseman, announcer, commentator for EA Sports baseball video games
* Al Levine, Former Major League Baseball pitcher currently pitching for the Newark Bears of the independent Atlantic League.
* Dan Radison, current Major League Baseball 1st base coach for the Washington Nationals
* Dave Stieb, Retired Major League Baseball pitcher, 7 Time All-Star, Pitched No-Hitter on September 2, 1990.
* Bill Stein, Retired Major League Baseball infielder