USI opens home schedule with huge win over SLU
Next Game: vs. Bowling Green State University • 2/28/2025 | Noon
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Baseball opened the 2025 home schedule with a dominating 11-4 win over Saint Louis University Wednesday afternoon at the USI Baseball Field. USI ends the day 5-2 overall in 2025, while SLU is 3-5 to begin its season.
The USI offense set the tone for the contest, scoring four in the first, and one in the third to take a 5-2 lead. USI junior first baseman Kannon Coakley started the scoring with a RBI double, while sophomore designated hitter Cameron Boyd highlighted the four-run frame with a RBI triple. Boyd would strike again in the third with a RBI single to produce the fifth run of the contest.
After a scoreless fourth for USI, the Eagles put the game out of reach with three runs in the fifth and three in the sixth to lead 11-2. Junior shortstop Clayton Slack had the big RBI triple in the fifth and junior leftfielder BJ Banyon had a two-run single in the sixth to lead the rallies.
The Billikens would get an unearned run in the seventh and a final tally in the ninth before USI closed the door on the 11-4 victory.
Overall at the plate, Banyon, Coakley, and sophomore third baseman Parker Martin had three hits each, while Boyd had a team-high three RBIs.
On the mound, freshman right-hander Sage Stout picked up his second win of the season in relief. Stout (2-0) threw 1.2 innings of scoreless baseball and allowed a walk in facing five batters.
Senior right-hander Hiroyuki Yamada started for the Eagles and picked up the no-decision. Yamada allowed two runs on two hits and four walks, while striking out four in four innings of work.
USI sent a total of six hurlers to the mound and finished with a combined nine strikeouts.
Up Next for the Eagles:
The Eagles are away from the USI Baseball Field for the next eight games, beginning this weekend when they play two games against Bowling Green State University and Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois. USI will play BGSU Friday at noon and Saturday at 4 p.m. while taking on SIU Friday at 4 p.m. and Sunday at 4 p.m.
USI will be playing BGSU, which is 4-2, for the first time in the baseball program’s history. SIU, which was 4-3 to start the year, leads the all-time series with USI, 4-1, after winning last year’s meeting in Carbondale, 7-5.
Due to ever-changing weather in February and March, USI encourages fans to watch for potential schedule changes on USIScreamingEagles.com, X, and Facebook.
