2021 NCAA Softball Tournament Tempe Regional preview, players to watch, predictions and more

Southern Illinois has the most wins of any team in the Tempe Regional of the 2021 NCAA Softball Tournament but fell to the No. 4 seed.

The Southern Illinois Salukis have accumulated more wins than the other teams present in the Tempe Regional, but that doesn’t mean they’re the best team there. Of course, the fact that they’re the No. 4 seed doesn’t mean that this team can’t potentially be dangerous. The Salukis have earned their wins and are looking to get some more respect.

Season overview

Southern Illinois got off to an incredible start, going 16-0 before they stumbled for the first time. This is a team that has shown it can win game after game, going up and winning whenever asked to do so. The Salukis hit a rough skid at the end of the regular season, getting swept by the University of Northern Iowa, but they then went on to win the MVC Tournament, getting revenge over Northern Iowa in the process.

Best wins

Two of the biggest wins for Southern Illinois came while the Salukis weren’t home. In Starkville, before Mississippi State got rolling, Southern Illinois handed the Bulldogs a loss in the eighth inning. And then to cap off Southern Illinois’ MVC title quest, the Salukis defeated University of Northern Iowa, who had recently just swept Southern Illinois.

• February 21 at Mississippi State University – 6-5 in eight innings
• May 15 vs. University of Northern Iowa – 2-0 in Evansville, Indiana

Worst losses

That sweep to the University of Northern Iowa to close out the regular season could’ve derailed all momentum Southern Illinois had throughout the season. The Salukis were able to push past all that, but those losses are still pretty rough.

• May 8 at University of Northern Iowa – 5-7
• May 8 at University of Northern Iowa – 0-1
• May 9 at University of Northern Iowa – 0-3

Players to watch

• Jenny Jansen – Jansen is a key leader for SIU at the plate with a .325 batting average and nine home runs. She’s also a perfect 10 for 10 when stealing bases.
• Maddy Vermajen – Vermajen is a major threat once she’s able to get on base. She has a .300 batting average, has five home runs and has stolen 27 bases on 32 attempts.
• Sarah Harness – Harness leads her team with a 1.56 ERA and 208 strikeouts through 188.1 innings pitched. So far, she has a 22-6 record.

Final thoughts

Southern Illinois has a solid NCAA Softball team. They’re flying under the radar a bit and may be unnoticed by many, but Southern Illinois might have what it takes to challenge, astonish, and potentially upset someone in the Tempe Regional.

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