Southern Illinois University BaseballSouthern Illinois ...€¦ · nation in DPs per game. Th e...

2006 Media Guide21

Southern Illinois University BaseballSouthern Illinois University Baseball

NCAA College World Series inʻ68, ʻ69, ʻ71, ʻ74, ʻ77

NCAA Tournament Appearances inʻ66, ʻ67, ʻ68, ʻ69, ʻ70, ʻ71, ʻ73ʻ74, ʻ76, ʻ77, ʻ78, ʻ81, ʻ86, ʻ90ʻ74, ʻ76, ʻ77, ʻ78, ʻ81, ʻ86, ʻ90ʻ74, ʻ76, ʻ77, ʻ78, ʻ81, ʻ86, ʻ90ʻ74, ʻ76, ʻ77, ʻ78, ʻ81, ʻ86, ʻ90

Quick Facts

In this section...

Head Coach Dan Callahan ......... 22-23Associate Head Coach Ken Henderson ....................... 24Assistant Coaches ...................... 25Athletics Director Paul Kowalczyk/ Baseball Support Staff ............ 26

2006 Media Guide

Southern Illinois University Baseball

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NCAA Tournament Appearances inʻ66, ʻ67, ʻ68, ʻ69, ʻ70, ʻ71, ʻ73ʻ74, ʻ76, ʻ77, ʻ78, ʻ81, ʻ86, ʻ90


Head Coach Dan Callahan

Dan Callahan enters his 12th year looking to guide Southern

Illinois University to its fourth 30-win season in fi ve years. Since taking over the helm of one of collegiate baseball’s most storied programs, Callahan has recorded a total of 289 wins, which rank sec-ond-best of any head coach in Saluki baseball history. He also helped produce 19 Major League draft picks and 12 fi rst-team all-Missouri Valley Confer-ence selections. Four of his student-athletes have even gone on to win either the league’s “Player,” “Freshman” or “Newcomer-of-the-Year” award. However, it’s been the last four years, where Callahan’s Salukis have really shined. In 2005, SIU won 38 games, marking the most victories in a season under Callahan. P.J. Finigan became the fi rst MVC Player-of-the-Year under Callahan’s tutelage, as the Salukis fi nished third in the MVC with an overall 38-21 and 15-9 record. Before that, Callahan guided the Dawgs to back-to-back 30-win campaigns in 2002 and 2003. He also led SIU to the MVC Tournament Championship in 2003 and 2004, where it fell one win shy of garnering the league’s automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament. SIU’s 2003 MVC Champi-onship appearance was the Salukis’ fi rst in 13 years. By fi nishing among the top-four in the league four-straight seasons, the Salukis have not only established themselves as one of the elite teams in the MVC, but they have become a strong

pitching and defensive unit along the way. All three of SIU’s starting pitchers garnered all-conference honors and were chosen in the top-20 rounds of the Major League Baseball draft last season. Left-hander Tyler Norrick, right-hander P.J. Finigan and left-hander Bryan Rueger were a big reason why the Dawgs ranked second in the Valley and 19th in the nation with a 3.38 ERA. Defensively, SIU turned 68 or more double plays in two of the last three years, and as a result, ranked among the top-10 in the nation in DPs per game. Th e Salukis turned a school record 72 double plays and led the nation with 1.3 a game in 2003. A year later, the Dawgs had 68 twin

killings and ranked ninth in the country. Also, Callahan’s 2002 club led the MVC in overall defense with a .969 fi elding percentage, as it tied for 14th in the nation and fell just two points shy of tying the school record (.971). In addition to their suc-cess on the fi eld, Callahan’s student-athletes have been impressive in the class-room, as well. Twenty-four of his players have earned MVC scholar-athlete acco-lades, and one was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-America Team. In 17 years as a head coach at the college level, Callahan has graduated all but two student-athletes who have been a part of his program for two or more years. Th ough this statistic

excludes some players who have joined the profes-sional ranks, several of these student-athletes have returned to campus during the off season to complete their degrees. Callahan fi nished his master’s degree at SIU in 1987 and was appointed head coach at Eastern Illinois University in the fall of 1988. In his six years at Eastern, Callahan led the Panthers to a pair of conference championships. Prior to Eastern Illinois, Callahan fi rst came to SIU in 1985 as a graduate assistant under former Saluki head coach Richard “Itch” Jones, who recently retired as head coach at the University of Illinois. During his stay at SIU, the Salukis went 115-65 and advanced to the


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Head Coach Dan Callahan

The Callahan FileNCAA Central Regional in 1996. Callahan fi rst started his coaching career at Springfi eld Lanphier High School before accepting the head coaching position at his alma mater, Springfi eld High School, in 1984. Callahan directed his clubs to a 42-23 record, including a runner-up fi n-ish at the 1985 Illinois AA Tournament during that stint. As an athlete, the Springfi eld, Ill., native played four years of varsity baseball, two at the Uni-versity of New Orleans and two at Quincy College. He graduated from Quincy in 1981 and went on to pitch in both the San Diego Padres and Seattle Mariners’ organizations. Callahan and his wife, Stacy, have two daughters, Alexa (14) and Carly (10), and reside in Carterville, Ill. His parents, Ann and Gene, live in Springfi eld, Ill. His father is retired after serving as Director of Governmental Relations for Major League Baseball. He is also a former member of SIU’s Board of Trustee’s.

At Southern Illinois UniversityYear Overall Conf. Fin. Tourn.1995 21-30 8-21 8th N/A1996 29-26 18-12 3rd t6th1997 23-32 13-15 5th t3rd1998 19-35 11-21 8th N/A1999 25-29 9-22 8th N/A2000 26-30 15-17 t5th 6th2001 19-36 10-21 8th N/A2002 32-24 17-15 4th t6th2003 30-25 17-13 3rd 2nd2004 27-32-1 15-16-1 4th 2nd2005 38-21 15-9 3rd 4thTotals 289-320-1 148-182-1 -- --

At Eastern Illinois UniversityYear Overall Conf. Fin. Tourn.1989 31-19 6-2 2nd 2nd1990 24-30 4-7 2nd 3rd1991 27-32 9-2 1st t3rd1992 24-30 13-7 1st 3rd1993 23-23-1 9-6-1 N/A t3rd1994 24-24 14-8 2nd N/ATotals 153-158-1 45-33-1 -- --

Career Record 442-478-2

Personal InformationBirthday .......................... Sept. 11, 1958Age ................................ 47Birthplace ........................ Springfi eld, Ill.Education Bachelorʼs Degree ........... Quincy College, 1979-81 New Orleans, 1976-78 Masterʼs Degree ............. Southern Illinois, 1987Wife ............................... StacyDaughters ........................ Alexa (14), Carly (10)Parents ........................... Gene and Ann

Contact Coach Callahan:SIU Baseball Clubhouse

Southern Illinois UniversityCarbondale, IL 62901-6702

Phone: (618) 453-3794Fax: (618) 453-4731E-Mail: [email protected]

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Associate Head Coach Ken Henderson

The Henderson File

Ken Henderson enters his 16th season as Southern Illinois

University’s veteran associate head coach. In addition to recruiting and camp duties, Henderson is in charge of hitting and infi eld defense. Under Henderson’s guidance, the Salukis have ranked nationally in at least one defensive category in three of the last four seasons. Henderson led the Saluki defense to an impressive .969 fi elding percentage, as the Salukis led the Missouri Valley Conference and fi nished tied for 14th in the nation in 2002. Th en, in both 2003 and 2004, SIU ranked among the top-10 in double plays per game, while topping the nation in 2003 and fi nishing ninth in 2004. Off ensively, Henderson has directed the Salukis to some impressive numbers, as well. SIU hit over .300 in four years under Henderson’s watch. In fact, during the 1987 and 1998 seasons, Henderson orchestrated two of the most powerful off ensive units in school history. Th e 1997 squad shattered the school record with 75 home runs, while the 1998 team followed close behind with 73. In 2005, Henderson coached the top-two hitters in the Valley -- P.J. Finigan and Kevin Koski. Finigan, the league’s Player-of-the-Year, garnered fi rst-team all-conference honors after hitting a MVC best .388, while Koski, also a fi rst-team

pick, hit .380. With Finigan and Koski paving the way, Henderson’s off ense fi nished in a second-place tie among league foes. Since joining the Saluki staff , Henderson has been nothing but successful. He has coached 16 hitters, including 10 infi elders, who have been drafted professionally in 15 years. Also serving as SIU’s interim head coach in 1994, he led the Salukis to a 12-8 record during that span. Prior to joining the Maroon and White in 1991, Henderson served as an assistant coach at Oral Roberts, where he assembled several recruit-ing classes that ranked among the nation’s elite by Collegiate Baseball. And, in 1997, he helped guide the Golden Eagles to a runner-up fi nish at the NCAA West Regional. A 1983 graduate of Missouri Southern State,

Henderson played for one of the nation’s top NCAA Division II programs. Following graduation, he began his coaching tenure at his alma mater, before moving on to coach at Kansas State from 1984-86.

A native of Vinita, Okla., Henderson, 45, has coached 22 years at the NCAA Division I level. He, and his wife, Pam, reside in Carterville, Ill., with their two sons, Keegan (11) and Connor (6).

Personal InformationBirthday ..................... September 28, 1960Age ........................... 45Birthplace ................... Vinita, Okla.Education Bachelorʼs Degree ...... Missouri Southern St., ‘83Wife .......................... PamSons .......................... Keegan (11), Connor (6)Coaching Experience Assistant Coach ......... Missouri Southern State (1983) Assistant Coach ......... Kansas State (1984-86) Assistant Coach ......... Oral Roberts (1987-89) Assistant Coach/ Associate Head Coach ...Southern Illinois (1990-present)

Contact Coach Henderson:SIU Baseball Clubhouse

Southern Illinois UniversityCarbondale, IL 62901-6702

Phone: (618) 453-3794Fax: (618) 453-4731


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Assistant Coaches

Pitching Coach ◆ Third Season Pitching Coach Pitching Coach Third Season Third Season

Bryan Wolff

Bryan Wolff sets to begin his third season as the Salukis’ pitching

coach. Under Wolff , SIU’s pitching staff fi nished second in the MVC and ranked 19th in the nation with a 3.38 ERA last season. All three of the Salukis’ starting pitchers were also selected in the top-20 rounds of the Major League Baseball Draft, including second-team all-conference pick Tyler Norrick, who returns to campus for his senior year in 2006. Norrick was projected to be this year’s MVC Pitcher-of-the-Year by Baseball America. SIU’s one-two-three combination of Norrick, P.J. Finigan and Bryan Rueger compiled a 3.22 ERA, 23 wins, 273 strikeouts, 95 walks and seven complete games in 2005. Each of the three also earned all-conference honors, with Finigan taking the league’s Player-of-the-

Year award. A native of nearby Herrin, Ill., Wolff pitched at Oral Roberts University and was an 18th-round draft pick of the San Diego Padres (1993) prior to making his coaching debut as SIU’s pitching coach in 2004. He played professionally for 10 years in the Padres’, Kansas City Royals’, Hous-ton Astros’, Minnesota Twins’ and Chicago Cubs’ organizations. Wolff participated in two Major League spring training camps and spent parts of four seasons pitching at the AAA level. He has also been giving pitching lessons locally for several years. Wolff and his wife, Jennifer, reside in Herrin with their two sons, Jaxon (6) and Dylan (2). Wolff will complete his Bachelor’s Degree in Recreation Management this spring.

Outfi eld Coach ◆ Second Season Outfi eld Coach Outfi eld Coach Outfi eld Coach Second Season Second Season Second Season

Tony Etnier

Tony Etnier is in his second year coaching the Saluki outfi elders.

Etnier served as an assistant coach at Blackburn College for two years prior to joining SIU’s staff last season. Etnier has all three of SIU’s starters returning to an outfi eld which could potentially be the best in the MVC in 2006. Before joining the coaching ranks, Etnier was a starter at Blackburn. A pitcher and third baseman, he was voted fi rst-team all-conference, team MVP and St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Player-of-the-Year in 2002. He established single-season records for strikeouts and hits in a game, while leading the Beavers to both

their fi rst conference championship and regional berth. In addition to his accomplishments at Blackburn, Etnier was also a starting third baseman and pitcher at both Lindsey Wilson and Olney Central College. Also included in his playing career is a short professional pitching stint with the Cook County Cheetahs of the Frontier League, where he pitched 25 innings. Etnier graduated with a Physical Education degree from Blackburn College in 2003. He is currently pursuing a master’s degree in sport management at SIU.

Student Assistant First Season

Student Assistant Student Assistant Student Assistant

Greg Andrews

Greg Andrews is in his fi rst year as a student assistant coach with

the Dawgs. A native of Peoria, Ill., Andrews started at second base for four years prior to signing with the Chicago Cubs as free agent. Andrews won the Abe Martin Award, earned second-team all-MVC

honors and was named to the Valley’s all-tournament team twice throughout his Saluki career. He ranks among SIU career leaders in games played, at-bats, doubles, home runs and total bases.

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Athletics Director Paul Kowalczyk

Under the direction of Paul Kowalczyk, Saluki athletics is en-

joying unprecedented success on and off the fi eld.Winning teams, facility improvements and fi nancial stability are hallmarks of the Kowalczyk era, which began in the summer of 2000. Th e 47-year-old Ohio native has changed the culture of Saluki athletics, emphasizing customer service, teamwork and sound business practices. Th e end result — Saluki Pride has never been stronger. Faced with a host of chal-lenges — such as underper-forming revenue sports and deteriorating facilities, Kowalczyk quickly developed a plan when he took charge fi ve years ago. Th e results are amazing. Winning is now commonplace. Th e depart-ment is on solid fi nancial footing, and major facility improvements have taken place and more are planned. Th e football team is com-ing off back-to-back Gateway Conference championships and spent 10-straight weeks ranked #1 in the nation in 2004. Th e success on the gridiron is no accident. Kowalczyk’s fi rst hire was the relatively unknown Jerry Kill, who has rebuilt the football program into a national powerhouse and won national coach-of-the-year honors along the way. Facility improvements for football include a new AstroPlay turf surface, new stadium lights and a renovated locker room. A spacious 7,500-square foot weightroom opened in September. A remarkable turnaround has also taken place in the men’s basketball program under Kowalczyk,

who has been adept at hiring the right coach at the right time. Now led by its third head coach in three years, the Salukis have nonetheless maintained consistency on the court, winning four-straight Missouri Valley Conference championships and earning four-straight at-large bids to the NCAA Tournament in 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005. Th e 2002 club advanced to the “Sweet 16,” gaining unprecedented national media exposure. Th e 2004 squad rose to #15 in the national polls, the highest in school history. An energized fan base is one of the outgrowths of the basketball program’s success. Six sell-outs have taken place at SIU Arena in the last four years, including three in a row to end the 2004 season. Olympic sports have also fl ourished under Kowalczyk. For example, the softball team has advanced to the NCAA Tournament three yearsin a row. In the 2004-05 MVC all-sports trophy race, the Salukis fi nished second, their best showing 10 years.

While many state universities are struggling to make ends meet in the wake of budget cuts, the Salukis are prospering, thanks to increased ticket sales and marketing opportunities, plus fi scal responsibility. Kowalczyk recognized the need for a fund-raising mechanism to defray scholar-ship costs, as well as reward the department’s valued sup-porters. Th us, the new Saluki Athletic Scholarship Fund was born in 2003. Th e SASF has been a huge success, already topping $500,000 an-nually in scholarship money. Facility improvements are yet another major focus of Kowalczyk’s administration, and new structures have been erected or are on the way. Softball’s Charlotte West Stadium, a state-of-the-art facility, opened in the spring of 2003 and has already hosted one Missouri Valley Conference championship. Th anks to a generous gift from alumnus Pete Wittmann, a new $3.4 million academic and training center opened last fall. Success off the fi eld is equally important to Kowalczyk, who is committed to supporting academic and community

service programs for student-athletes. During his tenure, student-athletes have outper-formed the general student body in the classroom. Last year, 51 athletes earned aca-demic all-conference honors, and four were named Aca-demic All-American. Kowalczyk came to SIU from Northwestern Univer-sity, where he was an integral part of the school’s rise to success in the early ‘90s. He began in 1991 as the business manager in charge of fi nance and personnel, and was promoted four years later to associate athletic director for external aff airs. Prior to Northwestern, Kowalczyk spent three years at Kansas State as assistant athletic director for business operations. He began his career in athletics in 1986, working at his alma mater, Kent State, while earning a master’s de-gree. He then accepted a position as business manager for athletics at Portland State. Kowalczyk holds a bachelor’s of business administration in account-ing and a master’s in sports administration from Kent State. He and his wife, Peg, reside in Carbondale.

Under the direction

Baseball Support Staff

Jason KingAsst. AD, Facilities

Mike TrudeDirector of Marketing

Steve FalatP.A. Announcer

Doug MayerGroundskeeper

Mike ReisPlay-by-Play

Chris StoneAthletic Trainer

Alvy ArmstrongEquipment Mgr.

Courtney OsterburStudent Worker

Kathy JonesAssociate Athletic Dir.

Kristian TherriaultAsst. AD, Academics

Ed ThompsonAssistant AD, Head Trainer

Christian SpearsAsst. AD, Compliance

Becky KimballStrength Coach

Jeff HonzaMedia Services

Eric KleinStrength Coach

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