On June 20, 2019, Southern Illinois University Director of Athletics Jerry Kill announced Lance Rhodes as the program's new head coach.

Prior to his time at the University of Missouri, Rhodes served as the recruiting coordinator at Southeast Missouri State University; helping them to three years of program dominance by winning three straight Ohio Valley Conference championships (2014, 2015, 2016).

[citation needed] SIU baseball started as a club sport in 1921, lasting until 1924.

[2] SIU has a proud history in the NCAA baseball tournament, held in Omaha since 1950 and at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium from 1950 through 2010.

They have made the College World Series 5 times and finished as the national champion runner-up twice (losing out to the University of Southern California Trojans both times) and as third-place finishers twice.