Jack Piatt
Daily Egyptian
Coming off of a 2001 season where the SIU baseball team managed a mere 19 wins, the Salukis were able to bounce back and produce 32 wins and boast their best mark in 10 years.
SIU head coach Dan Callahan feels that even though the losses in the MVC tournament were disappointing, the overall performance of the team was productive.
SIU was picked eight in the preseason coaches poll, but after an outstanding season, SIU cut its rank in half and placed fourth in the MVC conference.
"It's nice to get back to the conference tourney," Callahan said of the Salukis return after a two-year break.
Callahan is pleased with the play of his young team as they stepped up and played hard all season. He mentioned Ryan Welch and Eric Haberer as two freshmen that stood out among the newcomers.
Callahan says the last two years of recruiting have been successful and should pay off in seasons to come.
"Having a large crop of fellow freshmen made the season easier to adjust," Welch said.
Welch was satisfied with the way the season turned out, even though the team did not move deep into the tournament. He said the team has improved since last season.
"Coach Callahan is the main reason I came to SIU," Welch said. "He is a great coach and knows a lot about pitching."
Sophomore pitcher Marshall Tucker, a transfer student from East Central Community College in Union, Mo., said SIU has a cohesive team with potential to do good things next season if they work hard early.
"Callahan is a great coach who is always available on or off the field," Tucker said.
The Salukis had a strong weekend against Wichita State University the weekend before the tournament, but the momentum seemed to dissipate as the No. 3 seed Southwest Missouri State University rallied from behind to defeat the Salukis 14-7.
After the loss, SIU went on to face No. 1 seeded Wichita State and was eliminated from the conference tournament, falling to the Shockers with a score of 17-1.
First baseman Jeff Stanek and catcher Toby Barnett were awarded co-MVP honors for exceptional play this season.
Stanek, along with pitcher/infielder Luke Nelson, was selected in the Major League Baseball Draft on June 4, 2002. Nelson was picked by the San Francisco Giants, and Stanek was selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks.
With last season over and a new group of eager players, SIU baseball looks ahead to next season, where they hope to keep producing wins and make it to the MVC tournament once again.
The team says good-bye to two of their top players in Stanek and Nelson, but they are also saluted for achieving the much sought after ranks of the big leagues.
SIU will also be losing pitcher Bill Clayton, who is leaving the team to get a fresh start at another university.
"Clayton wanted to play more innings and didn't seem to find his fit at SIU," Callahan said.
Reporter Jack Piatt can be reached at jpiatt@DailyEgyptian.com
Published on 11/17/05; 12:24:44 PM
