The SIU baseball team (13-9) has the potential to get back to the Missouri Valley Conference championship game for the first time since 2012.

SIU was picked to finish the conference in fifth in the preseason, but they have enough talent to prove that wrong.

There are 15 freshmen on the roster and some have been the best players on the team this year. Freshmen pitchers Kyle Pauly and Chad Whitmer will be starters by their junior season. Pauly has 15 strikeouts in 19.2 innings and has an ERA of 1.37. Whitmer has a 2-0 record with a 2.45 ERA.

Either Pauly or Whitmer could replace freshman Connor McFadden in the rotation as the team’s fourth starter. McFadden’s only problem is his control. He has pitched two outings where he did not give up a hit, but he had eight walks and three earned runs in those games. SIU is 3-1 in games this season when McFadden was a starter. He has been improving, but Pauly or Whitmer would fit better in the rotation as of now.

The team’s first three starters have kept them in almost every game this season. Junior pitcher Aaron Hauge is the team’s best starter right now. In five outings, he has only allowed four earned runs and he shut out both Purdue University and the University of Illinois in his last two starts.

Junior Sam Coonrod throws the hardest, but has yet to get a win this season. He is pitching well, but has not received enough run support. He threw six scoreless innings in his last start against the Boilermakers and the Salukis had a one run lead when he left the game. SIU’s bullpen gave up two runs, which gave Coonrod a no decision.

Senior Todd Eaton was the team’s closer last year and has filled in as a starter this season. His biggest issue has been getting out of the first inning. In six outings, he has given up 10 first inning runs. After that, he is nearly flawless. He is the second starter right now, but could be third in the rotation.

The bullpen has been the best part of the team. Five SIU relief pitchers have perfect ERA’s including senior Tyler Dray. Dray has four saves in four opportunities and has eight strikeouts; he is the most reliable option to go to late in a close game.

Senior first baseman Cody Daily has the hottest bat on the team by far. Daily has 12 hits and posted a .545 batting average during the last five games. He also has doubled at least once in each of those outings. Daily leads the team with a .351 batting average.

Senior shortstop Jake Welch was a preseason All-Missouri Valley Conference shortstop. Welch was batting only .143 throughout the first nine games this season. Welch has a four-game streak with two hits and has brought his batting average up to .303. He has hits in 12 of the last 13 games, posted a .407 batting average, one home run and six RBIs as the Salukis’ leadoff man.

Freshman second baseman Connor Kopach has been playing excellent defense this season, but his batting has suffered. Second base is one position that is still up for grabs. Kopach is batting .157 and has an on base percentage of .218. Senior Ryan Rosthenhausler is batting .271, and has been hitting well recently. He will probably be the starter going forward. Kopach could be used as a defender late in a game.

The Salukis play Wednesday at 3 p.m. at Murray State University and begin conference play this weekend at Missouri State University.