Roughly a week before the inaugural game at Itchy Jones Stadium, coach Ken Henderson and former coach Dan Callahan’s widow, Stacy Callahan, turned on the stadium lights for the first time.

The clubhouse, formerly known as Richard “Itchy” Jones clubhouse, is now named after Callahan. Callahan died in 2010 from neurotropic melanoma.

The field kept the name “Abe Martin Field” after Glenn “Abe” Martin who was SIU’s baseball coach for 19 years. The stadium is now named Itchy Jones Stadium after SIU’s most successful coach, Richard Jones.

“It’s named after me,” Jones said. “But we have to remember the fact that it was the players here that made it possible for this facility to [be] named after me.”

Jones left the Salukis in 1991 to coach the Illini and was rooting for both teams over the weekend. Illinois’ coach Dan Hartleb graduated from SIU in 1989 and served as a graduate assistant under Jones at SIU, then as an assistant for him at U of I.

SIU (10-8) had a four-game losing streak before hosting the University of Illinois (7-9) this weekend, but picked up a series win.

Before the first game, Jones threw out two ceremonial first pitches, first to senior catcher Matt Jones and then to Hartleb.

The voice of the Salukis, Mike Reis, said a lot of people contributed to the stadium. He said former baseball players were upset when the basketball and football teams received new facilities but baseball did not.

Reis said he was just starting in media when Jones was coaching and had almost 20 years of experience when Callahan was hired and became good friends with him. Reis said Callahan cared about Reis’ opinion.

“If he was still with us, his name wouldn’t be on [the clubhouse],” Reis said. “He wouldn’t allow it, he’d fight that and he would win that because he never liked the attention.”

Callahan’s oldest daughter and SIU graduate, Alexa Callahan, said her dad would spend holidays working.

“This is where he spent most of his time, working in the clubhouse,” Alexa said. “That’s where the recruiting gets done and this is where we spent a lot of time growing up too.”

The clubhouse and scoreboard were two parts of the stadium that were not renovated because of the budget. Alexa said SIU made the right choice in keeping the clubhouse the way it is for now.

“I loved Abe Martin Field, but this is definitely more modern and gives them a chance to compete,” Alexa said.

Reis said he still has a positive relationship with Callahan’s family.

“His family meant a lot to me,” Reis said. “His dad listened to every word that we broadcasted. Callahan was only coaching home games toward the end of his career. Reis said their last conversation has stuck with him.

“The last cogent conversation I had with Cal was in the dugout in the old ballpark, and it was clear he wasn’t going to make it much longer,” Reis said. “He said, ‘Reisser, the thing that bothers me the most is not that I won’t see a new ballpark here, but that I never got us to the NCAA’s.'”

Reis said Callahan didn’t feel justified in asking for a new stadium because the team didn’t go to the national tournament for many years.

“Dan would have been really proud of this facility,” Stacy said.

Reis is also honored with the stadium. Greg Cook, the largest donor of the project, named the “Mike Reis Press Box.”

The entire project cost $4.2 million, with the press box being $200,000.

“He could have picked his kids; he could have picked whomever,” Reis said. “The fact that Southern didn’t talk him out of it, the fact that nobody talked him out it, the fact he wouldn’t let me talk him out of it, and I tried to, it means the world to me.”

The Salukis lost Friday 5-1, but won both games of Saturday’s doubleheader. The first win Saturday was the hundredth career victory for Henderson.

“The hundredth victory is a big win for our club because we needed to win a baseball game,” Henderson said. “We lost five in a row to win in our own stadium and it was a big win for the kids; beyond that, it’s just another win for us.”

Senior Todd Eaton gave up four runs in the first inning Saturday, but the Salukis’ 16 hits were enough to win 6-5, which was Eaton’s first win of the season. Freshman infielder Ryan Sabo led the team in hitting by going 3 for 4 with three RBIs and a run scored. Senior Tyler Dray recorded his fourth save of the season.

Junior Aaron Hauge pitched seven scoreless innings in the rubber match to get his second win of the season. Freshman Dyllin Mucha recorded his first collegiate hit and went 3 for 4 with an RBI. Illinois was able to score twice in the ninth off of senior Derek Fogel, but the Salukis won 3-2. Freshman Kyle Pruemer recorded his second save.

“We think we can compete with anyone in the nation when it comes down to our weekend pitchers and bullpen and hitters,” Hauge said.

The Salukis play at 4 p.m. Tuesday against Eastern Illinois University at Itchy Jones Stadium.

Aaron Graff can be contacted at [email protected], on Twitter @Aarongraff_DE or 536-3311 ext. 269