It’s become an exciting season for Sycamore baseball considering how they started the season, barely being .500 early on into the year.
           The Sycamores have continued to inch towards the NCAA Top 25 rankings the last couple weeks as they continue to receive votes. The Sycamores are currently ranked in two other national polls that are considered by the NCAA, however not in the one that matters.
           This past weekend, the Sycamores hosted Southern Illinois in a three-game contest, with one being moved to Monday due to weather.
           In the first game, on Saturday, the Sycamores bats continued to heat up as the trees tallied six runs in the game on thirteen hits. However, pitcher Matt Jachec suffered halfway through the game, giving up two runs in the third from Southern Illinois’s Bennett Eltoft. Jachec would later give the Salukis the lead on a homerun from Mathieu Vallee that would give the Salukis a 5-4 advantage.
           Jachec has been the glue in the rotation this year for the Sycamores, but this just wasn’t his day. The Sycamores, though, would prevail, tying the game at five with a single from Adam Pottinger and later taking the lead on a throwing error on a Grant Magill bunt that would give the Sycamores the win, 6-5.
           In game two of the series, there’s nothing to really say other than complete domination. The Sycamores not only won the game 10-0, but the game ended in seven innings to make it a short, but great day for the Sycamores.
           In the final game of the series Monday afternoon, the Sycamores continued to see success from beginning to end. The Salukis took the lead early, however with a strong outing in the sixth inning, the Sycamores were able to take not only the game, but the sweep of the series in a 7-2 win.
           After the sweep of the Salukis, the Sycamores are now winners of 14 straight games, including one over No. 4 Vanderbilt last week. This also marks the greatest start in MVC for the Sycamores as they surpassed the threshold of a former 12-2 start in MVC play.
           The Sycamores will travel this weekend to take on in-state conference rival, the Evansville Purple Aces. The Purple Aces currently sit fourth in the Missouri Valley Conference after defeating Murray State and Lipscomb.
