May 11, 2008

By Jeff Honza
www.SIUSalukis.com

CARBONDALE, Ill. - Southern Illinois University secured a spot in the 2008 State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Baseball Tournament Sunday.

SIU, which currently stands at 28-21 overall and 9-12 in the MVC, will join Missouri State, Wichita State, Creighton, Northern Iowa and Bradley in this year's field. The State Farm MVC Tournament will be played May 21-24 at Eck Stadium in Wichita, Kan.

The Salukis make their seventh consecutive trip to the MVC Tournament in 2008. Only SIU, Creighton and Wichita State have made the league's postseason tournament each of the last seven years.

SIU learned it was in the tournament when Indiana State was swept in a doubleheader at Creighton earlier today.

The Salukis have four regular-season games remaining. SIU faces Saint Louis in a wood bat game in Sauget, Ill., Tuesday, before hosting Evansville in its final conference series, May 15-17.

Seedings for all six teams headed to this year's MVC Tournament are to be announced. SIU can finish no higher than fifth in the league standings.