Baseball never stops for the Salukis

Many SIU baseball players continue playing in NCAA-sanctioned summer leagues during the months following the school year.

"It's a great opportunity for guys to continue to improve and play against top players from around the nation," hitting coach Ryan Strain said. "In the fall we start placing our position players because they're the hardest to place and it can be tough to get players in if you wait too late. Our pitchers we usually place last based on the amount of innings they threw last season, and toward the end everyone is looking for pitching."

The leagues consist of 44-game schedules that last from late May to early August. They use wooden bats instead of the metal ones used in the…