Daily Egyptian

WEDNESDAY

DAILY EGYPTIAN JUNE 5, 2013

DAILYEGYPTIAN.COM

SINCE 1916

VOLUME 98, ISSUE 140

Pulliam reaches a new level

Legislators restore university budget TYLER DIXON Daily Egyptian State officials decided to keep the university’s funding equal to the last fiscal year after a legislative session Friday.

The session, between Illinois Congress and House representatives, allowed the university to regain their original budget for the fiscal year, despite Governor Pat Quinn’s plans to cut funding to higher education budget by 5 percent. The cut would have decreased the SIU budget by $11 million, from last year’s $203 million to around $192 million.

Since the state agreed to keep the university’s budget at $203 million, individual schools of study were able to have their funding restored, SIU President Glenn Poshard.

He said the School of Pharmacy and the Simmon’s Cancer Institute in the School of Medicine received about $1.2 million each.

The university was also able to re-appropriate about $78 million for renovations and repair projects at SIU’s Carbondale and Edwardsville campuses.

The Carbondale campus re-appropriated $16.5 million to Morris Library, $4.2 million to the Communications Building, $4.3 million to the Transportation Education Center and $7.4 million to the maintenance department, Poshard said in an email.

He said the restored budget will help keep tuition and fees low and allow the university to remain affordable.

“The university is moving in the right direction and I see hundreds of positive things on campus everyday,” Poshard said.

While the university’s budget was determined at Friday’s session, the governor and legislators have yet to resolve the pension reform problem.

Gov. Quinn said Tuesday he may call a special session to discuss pension reform, but legislators would have to set aside their differences first.

Chris Mooney, a political science professor at the University of Illinois Springfield, said in an Associated Press article that calling a special session could be a bad idea if a resolution can’t be found.

“If the governor calls a special session without a deal being made, it’s just going to be more embarrassment,” Mooney said in the article.

According to the same article, Illinois’ five public employee retirement systems are less than $100 billion short of what is needed to pay benefits.

Please see BUDGET | 3

CHRIS ZOELLER | DAILY EGYPTIAN

A steel worker guides a steel beam Tuesday through the roof of the former Pulliam Hall Gym. The beams are being used to create a new floor within the gymnasium. The construction is part of the $8,250,000 Pulliam Hall Renovation plan approved by the Board of Trustees in November. The gym and pool areas were decommissioned last year to make room for new studios, classrooms and faculty offices.

New policy limits semester course drops MATT DARAY Daily Egyptian Students will now have to be careful about the number of courses they drop in a semester.

A new policy, effective this summer, allows undergraduate students to drop a maximum of six credit hours or 50 percent of total semester enrollment, whichever is greater, in any given semester with a three-hour limit for summer semesters. The policy, which will be implemented Monday,

limits students to a maximum of 12 dropped credit hours over 60 hours of enrollment.

Any course dropped after the official date to receive a full refund is defined as a dropped course. Courses dropped as a full withdrawal for a term are not affected and are not counted in the total allowed withdrawals.

Jim Allen, associate provost for academic programs, said the purpose of this policy is to retain the number of students enrolled in classes at the university and discourage them from

dropping all their classes.

“It’s primary focus was on what we’ve learned what happens to students who drop all their courses from a semester,” he said. “We find out people who do, don’t come back.”

While the reasons for departure may vary, students who drop all their courses usually don’t return to the university for an extended period of time, Allen said.

He said the policy was also put in place to allow students who are giving up on a semester to retain their passing

grades and provide less schoolwork to receive their degrees should they return.

Allen said while the policy may seem strict, it is meant to help students succeed in their academic efforts.

“It’s our commitment to student success and it may seem odd by imposing a restriction like this on how many hours a student can drop,” he said. “But we find in the longterm interest, they improve, they give (classes) a good shot.”

Rod Sievers, university spokesman,

said one of the main reasons for the policy is because when students drop classes, it could affect their financial aid.

“Many students were dropping classes without regard or without thinking about the impact of their financial aid,” he said. “A lot of financial aid requirements say you have to take so many hours, you got to have a certain grade and grade point average.”

Please see POLICY | 3

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 5. ‡ PAGE 2

The Weather ChannelÂŽ 5 - day weather forecast for Carbondale, IL Today

Thursday

Friday

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Sunday

85° 65°

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81° 67°

Isolated T-Storms

PM T-Storms

Partly Cloudy

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10% chance of

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About Us

40% chance of precipitation

Reaching Us

The Daily Egyptian is published by the students of Southern Illinois University Carbondale 50 weeks per year, with an average daily circulation of 15,000. Fall and spring semester editions run Monday through Friday.

Summer editions run Wednesday through Thursday. All intersession editions will run on Wednesdays. Free copies are distributed in the Carbondale and Carterville communities. The Daily Egyptian online publication can be found at www.dailyegyptian.com.

Mission Statement The Daily Egyptian, the student-run newspaper of Southern Illinois University Carbondale, is committed to being a trusted source of news information, commentary and public discourse, while helping readers understand the issues affecting their lives.

Copyright Information Š 2013 Daily Egyptian. All rights reserved. All content is property of the Daily Egyptian and may not be reproduced or transmitted without consent. The Daily Egyptian is a member of the Illinois College Press Association, Associated Collegiate Press and College Media Advisers Inc. and the College Business and Advertising Managers Inc.

Phone: (618) 536-3311 Fax: (618) 453-3248 Email: editor@dailyegyptian.com Editor-in-Chief: Tiffany Blanchette ............. ext. 252 Campus Editor: Matt Daray ......................... ext. 255 Photo Editor: Tiffany Blanchette ............. ext. 251 Design Chief: Nicholas Burke ................... ext. 252 Web Desk: Josehn Issangya ................. ext. 257 Advertising Manager: Lisa Cole ............................. ext. 237 Business Office: Chris Dorris ....................... ext. 223 Ad Production Manager: Annmarie Nichols .......... ext. 244 Business & Ad Director: Jerry Bush ........................... ext. 229 Faculty Managing Editor: Eric Fidler .......................... ext. 247 Printshop Superintendent: Blake Mulholland ............. ext. 241

Publishing Information The Daily Egyptian is published by the students of Southern Illinois University Carbondale and functions as a laboratory for the department of journalism in exchange for the room and utilities in the Communications Building. The Daily Egyptian is a non-profit organization that survives solely off of its advertising revenue. The Daily Egyptian receives no student fees or university funding. Offices are in the Communications Building, Room 1259, at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Carbondale, Ill., 62901. Bill Freivogel, fiscal officer.

,OOLQRLV PXVW DGRSW œIUDFNLQJ¡ UXOHV KLUH H[SHUWV TAMMY WEBBER $VVRFLDWHG 3UHVV CHICAGO — High-volume oil and gas extraction probably won’t begin in earnest in Illinois until next year because the state first must adopt rules and hire dozens of new employees to help regulate an industry eagerly pushing into new territory.

Gov. Pat Quinn promised a quick signature on a measure the Legislature approved last week that would impose the nation’s strictest regulations on hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,� which he says would create thousands of sorely needed jobs in southern Illinois.

But it will take three to six months for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to adopt rules to mirror the Legislature’s regulations. The agency must hire more than 50 engineers, inspectors, lawyers and other experts for its regulatory program. And companies that want to drill first must register and qualify to frack in the state before applying for a permit.

All that will take many months and perhaps as long as a year, industry and environmental groups said. “I think that fracking should not move forward in Illinois until the whole

process ... is completed,� said Henry Henderson, director of the Natural Resource Defense Council’s Midwest office. His group helped negotiate the regulations, which stemmed from an unusual collaboration between lawmakers, regulators, industry and environmental groups. “There is a significantly serious process before us to ensure the technology to enforce the rules is in place,� he said.

DNR Director Marc Miller said the agency must spend about $5 million to get the program off the ground.

The Legislature included $6.1 million in the state budget for the next fiscal year, which begins July 1, but Miller said the agency has enough financial flexibility to begin hiring right away.

Drillers will pay an $11,000 fee to the DNR for each permit, but it will be a while before the agency collects enough money to make the program self-sufficient, Miller said. “In order to do this well, we will need to have these people on board to carry out,� the regulations, he said. “We will need many more people than in the past to do the work and do it well.�

That’s partly because energy companies, which already have leased hundreds of thousands of acres, are

eager to begin fracking, but also because the legislation requires that the DNR issue a permit within 60 days of receiving an application.

Fracking uses a high-pressure mixture of water, sand and chemicals to crack and hold open thick rock formations, releasing trapped oil and gas. Combined with horizontal drilling, it allows access to formerly out-of-reach deposits.

Until now, Illinois had no regulations specifically aimed at highvolume fracking. Companies didn’t even have to say what method they used to extract oil and gas, so the DNR had no way of knowing whether it had begun or how extensively. State records indicate that at least one company has begun high-volume fracking.

The regulatory bill creates a template for the DNR’s rules. Among its provisions: Oil and gas companies must test water before, during and after drilling, and are held liable if contamination is found after drilling begins. It also requires companies to tell the DNR what chemicals they use and control air pollution, provides for public hearings and allows residents to sue if they believed they had been harmed.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 5, PAGE 3

Farmers face tough decisions from delays DAVID PITT Associated Press DES MOINES, Iowa — It’s decision time for many Midwest corn farmers stuck in one of the wettest springs ever: Plant late in ground that’s been too wet, replant corn in muddy fields or collect crop insurance.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture said 91 percent of the nation’s corn crop is in the ground but just 74 percent of the plants have emerged. But some states — leading corn producer Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri and North Dakota — are much further behind.

“We’ve had as much rain in the last month and a half as we did last whole growing season,” said Kevin Rempp, 55, who farms in central Iowa near Montezuma.

Only 88 percent of Iowa’s corn crop has been sowed. Normally, it’d be finished by now. Rempp is fortunate to have higher ground, and all 1,200 acres of corn and soybeans are planted.

“It’s just one of those deals where Mother Nature has given us a different hand to play this year and we’re trying to make the best of it,” he said.

If the skies clear and the growing season is favorable, it’s still possible to have an abundant corn harvest, which would help moderate price

swings and keep food and beverage prices steady. So far, weather concerns have driven corn prices up nearly 10 percent in the past week and a half.

But farmers can’t look too far into future when they’re faced with water-logged fields. Wisconsin lags the most with just 74 percent of the crop in the field.

John Ruedinger, 57, has only 100 of his 1,300 acres of corn in and about 50 of the several hundred acres of alfalfa he plans to grow to feed the 1,200 cows on his dairy farm near Van Dyne, Wis. The problem is rain keeps coming an inch or two at a time, saturating the heavy clay soil. With little sun and temperatures hovering about 10 degrees lower than usual, fields aren’t drying.

“About the time it dries up, we get another shot of rain,” he said.

Corn farmers who choose to plant unfinished fields or go back and replant this late will see a sizable reduction in the grain they harvest this fall, said Roger Elmore, an Iowa State University agronomy professor and a corn specialist.

In central Illinois, John Olsson finds himself woefully behind in planting his 700 acres of corn, figuring he’s about 70 percent done. Last year at this time, he was already on to planting 600 acres of soybeans.

2013 Southern Illinois Budget Appropriations Morris Library...........................................................$16,560,755 Transportion Education Center............................$4,359,069 Communication Building.......................................$4,255,400 Maintenance...............................................................$7,413,000 School of Pharmacy.................................................$1,250,000 Simmon’s Cancer.......................................................$1,200,000 SOURCE | SIU PRESIDENT GLENN POSHARD

BUDGET CONTINUED FROM

1

As the Illinois Congress and House struggled to cooperate during the last legislative session, Sen. Matt Murphy said leadership was an issue.

POLICY CONTINUED FROM

1

Sievers said the policy only affects undergraduate students because graduate students do not drop as many classes since they are already in their fields of interest.

The idea for the policy came from the academic policies task force; a group formed by Chancellor Rita Cheng to investigate what policies could be used to promote academic success, Sievers said. He said the group

JOSEHN ISSANGYA | DAILY EGYPTIAN

“There couldn’t be a more stunning indictment of your failure of leadership than this right here,” Murphy said.

The pension reform problems have caused concern for some state officials, like Sen. Dan Duffy.

“It should be a top priority before we do anything else. Everyone’s losing out,” Duffy said.

is also working on other policies to be implemented in the future, including the number of times a student can take a class.

Some students have varied opinions on the drop policy but don’t think it would affect them much.

Trey Brown, a junior from Carbondale studying science, said he thinks the policy is fair for all students.

“If a student starts something and doesn’t want to, I guess you could put a limit on how many times they can start something and finish it,” he said.

Janelle Johnson, an undecided

sophomore from Chicago, said the policy is fair but does put a restraint on students.

“I think it’s half and half,” she said.

“I understand why they put a limit because some people do go overboard with how many classes they drop and not taking as many classes as they should, but I also feel that it should be up to the student because it’s their money.”

Tyler Dixon can be reached at TDixon@dailyegyptian.com or 536-3311 ext. 254.

Matt Daray can be reached at mdaray@dailyegyptian.com or 536-3311 ext. 254.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 5 ‡ PAGE 4

Salukis streaming with pride

CHRIS ZOELLER | DAILY EGYPTIAN

Graduates look on as streamers are shot through the air at the close of the 2013 Graduation Ceremony May 11 at SIU Arena. The ceremony was the last of three held that day. Frank Abagnale Jr., a security and fraud expert affiliated with the FBI whose life was depicted in in the film “Catch Me If You Can,� was the keynote speaker for all three ceremonies.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 5, PAGE 5

Rising river threatens towns JIM SUHR Associated Press ST. LOUIS — Mississippi River communities scrambling Tuesday to fend off the rain-engorged waterway got discouraging news: More rains looming across much of the nation's midsection threatened to slow the potential retreat of the renegade river.

Such an outlook may not be welcomed in the northeast Missouri town of West Alton, where a makeshift levee's breach Monday fanned worries that the 570-resident town — which was mostly swept away by a flood in 1993 — would be inundated again. A voluntary evacuation advisory before the breach was fixed was heeded by just 15 percent of the town's residents, but "everyone else is ready to go at a moment's notice" if the hastily shored-up barrier shows signs of giving way, Fire Chief Rick Pender said Tuesday.

For now, he said, “everything is stable,” with much of the flooding corralled in a railroad bed acting as a town-protecting channel.

“There are some spots not looking pretty (as defenses), but they're still holding the water back,” Pender told The Associated Press by telephone.

“Everyone is just monitoring the sandbags and barriers, waiting for this water to come down.”

The latest National Weather Service forecasts suggest that was to happen later Tuesday. But more rains expected in coming days, from St. Louis north to Minnesota and westward across some of the Great Plains, stood to drop another inch of precipitation here and there, adding more water to the Missouri River and the Mississippi River into which it feeds, National Weather Service hydrologist Mark Fuchs said.

“We’re not talking about huge

amounts, but any amount when the soil already is wet is going to slow the rivers’ retreat,” Fuchs said from his St. Louis-area office. “If you take that into account, there’s not going to be a big drop in the river levels any time soon.”

Across the river in Illinois, in the 28,000-resident city of Alton north of St. Louis, floodwaters already forced the closure of the local casino and the scenic “Great River Road” leading out of it to the north. By late Monday, floodwaters had swamped some of the Clark Bridge linking the city to West Alton, halting traffic from making it into Missouri.

Yet there was reason for optimism: The National Weather Service as of Tuesday afternoon said the river at Alton was expected to crest that evening, some 13 feet above flood stage.

The worst was yet to come south of St. Louis near Cape Girardeau, Mo., where the river was continued to swell higher until reaching a peak Thursday night, again some 13 feet above flood stage.

That rapid rise has produced a feverish sandbagging effort in nearby Dutchtown, where the river threatened to send water into about a third of the homes in the tiny town of about 100 people. It also was threatening to make another nearby community — Allenville, population 117 — an island. In Dutchtown, dozens of prison inmates bussed in were working shoulder to shoulder with other volunteers Tuesday, working to bolster the makeshift barrier.

“So far, the levees are doing fine,” Dutchtown Alderwoman Shirley Moss said. “We still have a lot of water coming this way, and we’re still all out here working. It’s very treacherous, and you just don't know how much you need to do to prevent this water from coming into town.”

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 5 ‡ PAGE 6

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 5, PAGE 7

Level: 1

FOR RELEASE MARCH 30, 2012

THE Daily Commuter Puzzle

Complete the grid so each row, column and 3-­by-­ 3 box (in bold borders) contain every digit, 1 to 9. For strategies on how to SOLUTION solve Sudoku, visit TO THURSDAY’S PUZZLE w w w. s u d o ku . o rg. u k .

THAT SCRAMBLED WORD GAME

by David L. Hoyt and Jeff Knurek

06/05/13

Monday’s Puzzle Solved

Unscramble these four Jumbles, one letter to each square, to form four ordinary words.

Unscramble four Jumbles, Unscramble thesethese four Jumbles, Unscramble four Jumbles, one letter to these each square, one letter to each square, one letter to each square, to form four ordinary words. to form four ordinary words. to form four ordinary words.

ROASE

ROASE ROASE ROASE

©2013 Tribune Media Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

by David L. Hoyt and JeffMedia Knurek Tribune Services. All rights reser

Tribune Media Services, ©2013©2013 Tribune Media Services, Inc. Inc. All Rights Reserved.

SATEY ©2013 Tribune Media Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

All Rights Reserved.

SATEY SATEY SATEY

(c) 2012 Tribune Media Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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Conclusion Scant; meager Shiftless Little fruit pie Most terrible Actress Russo Took the lid off Delicate Die, slangily

47 48 49 50 52 53 55 56 57

06/05/13

Made fun of Kill Hang on to Coffin platform Doing nothing Doris & Dennis Deadly viper Couple Take to court

PRONAH

PRONAH PRONAH PRONAH

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Answer Answer Answer Answer here: here: Answer: here:

6/5

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Pick up the Daily Egyptian each day to test your crossword skills

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www SCRAMBLED WORD GAME THATTHAT SCRAMBLED WORD GAME THAT SCRAMBLED WORD GAME by David L. and HoytJeff and Jeff © 2013 TheKnurek Mepham Group. Distributed

by David L. Hoyt Knurek

Jumble puzzle magazines available at pennydellpuzzles.com/jumblemags

3 Failure to make up one’s mind 4 Scot’s denial 5 Jellies made of meat stock 6 Follow around obsessively 7 His and __ 8 Have a meal 9 Enjoy a snow sport 10 Take out 11 Spoil 12 Painting and drawing 13 Spanish artist 19 Accumulate 21 Haughtiness 24 __ up; sick in bed 25 Heap 26 Young horse 27 Track-and-field competitions 28 Paper sacks 29 Heart doctor’s specialty 30 Tire pattern 32 Certain

Thursday’s Puzzle Solved Thursday’s Puzzle Solved

Jumble puzzle magazines available at pennydellpuzzles.com/jumblemags Jumble puzzle magazines available at pennydellpuzzles.com/jumblemags

DOWN 1 Police spray 2 Once more

3 4

Thursday’s Answers:

by Jacqueline E. Mathews

Jumble puzzle magazines available at pennydellpuzzles.com/jumblemags

ACROSS 1 Primary 5 “...to __, dust to dust...”

10 Boring event 14 “__ Karenina” 15 T-bone, for one 16 Franc replacer 17 Relinquish 18 Lack of fairness 20 Lamb’s mother 21 Feels achy and feverish 22 High-IQ group 23 Touch one’s mouse button 25 Mrs. Nixon 26 Franciscans & Dominicans 28 Cut in half 31 Desert refuge 32 Makes airtight 34 Ulna’s location 36 LSD, to users 37 Dive forward 38 Genealogist’s diagram 39 Actor __ G. Carroll 40 Hospital units 41 “M*A*S*H” role 42 “You __, you lose” 44 Ridicule 45 Use a crowbar 46 Major division of a long poem 47 Pompous fools 50 Soft cheese 51 Pot cover 54 Sprawling southern farm 57 __ pop; soft drink 58 Place for a wasp’s nest 59 Perspiration 60 Hideous 61 Prepared Easter eggs 62 __ Pig; cartoon character 63 Peepers

2

(Answers tomorrow) (Answers tomorrow) (Answers tomorrow) (Answers tomorrow) Jumbles: AFOOT FAINT OUTWIT EXODUS FAINT OUTWIT Jumbles: AFOOT Jumbles: AFOOT FAINT OUTWITEXODUS EXODUS Yesterday’s Thursday’s Yesterday’s Jumbles: AFOOT FAINT EXODUS Yesterday’s Spraining her ankle in OUTWIT front offortunethe fortuneAnswer: Yesterday’sAnswer: Spraining her ankle in front of the Answer: Spraining herher ankle ininfront ofofthe fortuneAnswers: Spraining ankle front the Answer: teller’s shop a— TWIST OF fortuneFATE teller’s shop was awas — TWIST OF FATE teller’s shop was a— teller’s shop was a —TWIST TWISTOF OF FATE FATE

Aries — Today is an 8 — Imagine the real costs of what you consume. A wise purchase gets you out of a tricky spot. A softer voice works better, and respectful talk leads to opportunities.

Discuss details and numbers.

Cancer — Today is a 7 —Talk privately about finances, and find the funds you need. Cut unnecessary perks. Controversy can be positive.

Maintain your independence. Use your imagination. Stand your ground.

Libra — Today is a 7 — Identify the potential. Check with friends to see who’s interested. You and another, possibly older person are bonded by a shared dream.

Stand up for what you love.

Capricorn — Today is a 7 — Get your junk appraised, and you may find treasure. Curtail thoughtless spending, and keep to the budget. There’s a solvable puzzle. It’s all for home and family. Rest your mind in meditation.

Taurus —Today is an 8 —Someone else’s fantasy comes with perks.

Consider the consequences. Let him or her know what you want. Your status goes up naturally. Meetings could conflict with family time.

Leo — Today is an 8 —Your partner selects imaginative activities.

Speak out about what you want, and avoid an unpleasant scenario. Share hopes and dreams. Associates share their impressions. Be compassionate.

Scorpio — Today is a 7— Imagine ways to improve your home. Gather more data before taking action. Water figures in the plan. Don’t get too grandiose ... just add what’s needed now. Do a special favor for a loved one.

Aquarius — Today is a 7 — It’s a good idea to know what you’re talking about. Read the background documents. Connect with someone who shares your dream. Acknowledge limitations. The truth gets revealed.

Gemini — Today is a 7 — The more you save, the more you can splurge later. Put in the extra effort.

Follow the recipe. Use sparingly.

Advance with help from your team, who bring out your best.

Virgo — Today is a 7 — Others rely on you for common sense.

Last week’s work is in the past.

Follow through on a new idea, even if it seems impossible. Tell your story now. See friends later.

Sagittarius—Todayisan 8 — Make executive decisions. Ask about fringe benefits. New information leads to new savings. Seek spiritual advice to heal an old hurt. Talk over your feelings.

Pisces — Today is a 7 — Cash flows. Identify what’s needed for effective action. Imagine secret success. Your routine gets tested.

Fulfill a personal fantasy, although there’s no time for romance now.

SPORTS

DAILY EGYPTIAN WEDNESDAY

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JUNE 5, 2013

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DAILYEGYPTIAN.COM

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PAGE 8

CHRIS ZOELLER | DAILY EGYPTIAN

Senior outfielder Nick Johnson reacts to a loss May 18 after the Salukis dropped their regular season closer to Illinois State University at Abe Martin Field. The Redbirds swept the Salukis in the three-game series which gained them a first seed placement in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament held the following week. Seventh-seeded SIU opened the tournament with a win against Wichita State University but was eliminated after dropping the next two games against Indiana State University and Wichita State.

Salukis end on sour note, look forward to next year TREY BRAUNECKER Daily Egyptian After fading out near the season’s end, the SIU men’s baseball team has turned it ‘s attention toward the next season.

The SIU men’s baseball team finished the 2013 season with a three-game series loss to Indiana State May 16-18 and an elimination in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament, ending the season with a 2533 record.

The Salukis beat Wichita State University 5-1 in the first MVC tournament game May 21, but lost 5-0 to Indiana State University in the second game May 22. The team faced Wichita State again May 23 and was eliminated after a 15-0 loss.

Head coach Ken Henderson said the Salukis started out strong against Wichita State at the start of the tournament, but lost their steam after the Indiana State shutout game.

Indiana State pitcher Devin Moore led the complete shutout against the Salukis at the MVC, allowing only seven hits throughout the game.

“We got beat, the pitcher from Indiana State has done well against us all year, we didn’t score on him at their place this year and we didn’t score on him during the tournament,” he said. “Unfortunately, we got off to a bad start and it snowballed from there.”

May 23 vs Wichita State L, 15-0 May 22 vs Indiana State L, 5-0 May 21 vs Wichita State W, 5-1 May 18 vs Illinois State L, 9-8 May 17 vs Illinois State L, 2-0 May 16 vs Illinois State L, 4-3 May 14 vs Saint Louis L, 11-0 Source: siusalukis.com NICHOLAS BURKE | DAILY EGYPTIAN

Henderson said his players trained hard this season, but the team had trouble putting their best effort together as a team.

“It was a disappointing year for us and that is why we need to get better in all areas,” he said. “At times we did everything well. Our pitching was exceptional and we swung the bat just right, but we struggled with bringing all of that together for most of our games.”

Senior pitcher Cody Forsythe said his team showed plenty of promise throughout the year, but ultimately the team’s performance at the end of the season was just average.

“We left the season on a sour note,” Forsythe said. “Overall, I think it was a disappointing season for everyone. It seemed like we could never get enough wins to boost our confidence and play our best this year.“ Forsythe dominated the Shockers in the first MVC game allowing only one run during the second inning and one runner to pass first during the ninth inning.

Henderson said he has seen an improvement with the team’s defense since last season, but the main problem the team faced this year was situational hitting.

The team did well and was positioned to bat in runs the whole year, but struggled with getting just the right hit or pitch near the end of the game, Henderson said.

“We lost a lot of close games,” he said.

“Something like thirty games were decided by two or less runs, but we just could not close the game.”

Henderson said the team gave everything they had, but the pressure of closing the game may have affected their performance.

He said his focus for next season is to help his players work together and improve team performance.

Senior out fielder Donny Duschinsky said the Salukis have plenty of talented players on the team, but the team itself needs to try and work together more if they want to win.

He said after such a disappointing season, it is important to not dwell on past seasons, but look forward to how the team can improve next year.

“I hope the team can be there for each other. I want to be there for the team on and off the field, in the fall, in the spring and in the summer,” Duschinsky said. “I know we are all excited to get back out there, improve ourselves as a team and get ready for next year.”

Trey Braunecker can be reached at TBraunecker@dailyegyptian.com or 536-3311 ext. 254