CARBONDALE, Ill. (March 25, 2022) -- The Loyola University Chicago softball team is back to Missouri Valley Conference play as they head to Carbondale to take on the Salukis of Southern Illinois. 

LAST TIME OUT
The Ramblers played their first series of the Valley season against Bradley. Following the three games, Loyola ended up with a 2-1 record, their best start since 2015. Following this series, freshman Peyton Pepkowski earned MVC Pitcher of the Week with a 0.00 ERA across 14 innings while registering 14 strikeouts along the way. 

SCOUTING THE SALUKIS
Southern Illinois is having an average start to the season. They started conference play with two tough opponents in Northern Iowa and Missouri State. The Salukis lost all three games to the Panthers and went 1-1 with the Bears. The Salukis have a very strong offense. They rank 51st for their on-base percentage, racking up a .384, while recording averaging 5.61  in scoring to sit in 54th.

Although it isn't a glamorous category, Sidney Sikes ranks fifth in the NCAA for the number of times she has been hit by a pitch, averaging .43 per game. Three Salukis hit above .300, but Rylie Hamilton has the best numbers on the team. Her batting average sits at a .368 heading into this series. 

On the mound, Sarah Harness has been instrumental for the Salukis. She's 68th in the NCAA for the number of strikeouts she has earned so far this season with 83. However, Madi Eberle has the lowest ERA for Southern Illinois as she boasts 2.70 in her 57 innings pitched. When it comes to fielding, Southern Illinois has outperformed their opponents as they have a .964 fielding percentage.

WHEREABOUTS
All three games of this series will be played in Carbondale at the Charlotte West Stadium. The games on both Saturday and Sunday will begin at 1 p.m. Saturday will feature a double header while there will only be one game on Sunday. A live stream will be available for all three games through ESPN+ and live stats will also be available.