The USI baseball team is set to play its home opener Thursday, Feb. 19 against Oakland University at USI Baseball Field. The team returns from a four-game road trip in Bakersfield, CA, where they played California State University. The team won two out of the four games, on Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 14-15.
Last season, the Screaming Eagles finished the year with a sixth-best conference record of 15-12 with Head Coach Chris Ramirez’s first season at the helm. The Screaming Eagles scored 6.8 runs per game throughout the season, but ultimately got outscored by 45 runs. Southern Indiana ultimately got battered by the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in the first round of the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament with a score of 10-1.
Still, it was a strong first season, bringing incredible moments such as USI’s walk-off win against Bellarmine University April 23, 2025.
Some key players to watch this season include Khi Holiday, graduate outfielder, Parker Martin, junior infielder and Cole Kitchens, junior infielder.
Last season, Kitchens was a major power presence in the lineup, leading the team in home runs (12) and batting average (.371). Parker Martin provided considerable run support, batting in 40 runs throughout the season (2nd on the team). Holiday was a constant scoring threat due to his speed on the bases, as he led the team in stolen bases (24) while only being thrown out three times.
The team will need to replace Cameron Boyd, junior outfielder, who transferred to Ohio University of the Mid-American Conference. Boyd was another power hitter who hit six home runs and batted in 36 runs. He also stole the second-most bases on the team (18). So far this season, Patrick McLellan, senior outfielder, has taken up the challenge of replacing Boyd’s place on the team, as he has already batted in 7 runs through three games on eight hits.
However, the key to growing from last season will be through pitching, as it is much easier to win games when you don’t give up a ton of runs, which was a bit of a flaw with last season’s team. For this season, Jake Porter, senior pitcher, and Abdriel Figuera, junior pitcher, will be crucial for the pitching staff. Porter pitched 50 innings last season and gave up 6.12 earned runs per game, which is fine, but could certainly be better. Figuera pitched 38 innings last season and gave up 4.89 earned runs per game, which is better than Porter, on a smaller scale. If both keep their ERAs below five, Southern Indiana could see improvement. USI’s ERA stood at 6.89 last season, so if that number can drop below six, then the Screaming Eagles could certainly be a threat in the Ohio Valley Conference.
Some intriguing non-conference matchups this season include games at University of Missouri Tuesday, Mar. 10, a three-game road trip to Southern Illinois University from Friday, Mar. 13 to Sunday, Mar. 15, and a weeknight road matchup against Purdue University Wednesday, April 29. The Matchup against Missouri is a major test of the team’s fortitude against a Southeastern Conference opponent, which is followed by another test against the Salukis. The Purdue Boilermakers are another solid power four opponent, which will test the Screaming Eagles.
As for USI’s projection in conference play, they are currently ranked seventh in the Ohio Valley Conference preseason poll, so some viewers within the conference believe that they are due for regression. That is certainly bulletin board material to motivate the team to prove the doubters wrong. They can start working towards that this Thursday, February 18, when they host Oakland University at 5 p.m. at USI Baseball Field for their home opener. They will play a four-game series against the Golden Grizzlies with games Friday, Feb. 20, at 1 and 4 p.m.