Southeast Missouri (13-6) vs. Saint Louis (10-8)
Tuesday, March 18
5 p.m.
Cape Girardeau, Mo.
Capaha Field
Head Coaches
Steve Bieser: 39-39, second season
Darin Hendrickson, sixth season
Radio: ESPN 1220 AM
Play-by-Play: Erik Sean
Audio Webcast: ESPN1220.com
Live Stats: GoSoutheast.com
Twitter Updates: @SEMObaseball, @GoSoutheast
Game Notes: Southeast Missouri
 
I-55 Feud
The Southeast Missouri baseball team will return home to open a four-game home stand with the Saint Louis Billikens Tuesday. First pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m. from Capaha Field. Southeast is coming off a three-game sweep of Ohio Valley Conference opponent Eastern Kentucky, remaining unbeaten in OVC play and extending their winning streak to seven games. Alex Winkelman will be given the ball for the Redhawks on Tuesday as he faces Robert Plohr for the Billikens. 
 
Let's Review
Southeast Missouri was a perfect 4-0 last week in running its overall winning streak to seven games. The Redhawks won a non-conference game with Missouri State to begin the week and then swept Eastern Kentucky to begin conference play 6-0, the best start for the team since it began the 2009 season 7-0. Southeast is currently the only undefeated team in Conference play and holds a two-game lead over a quartet of teams.
 
Ranked BA
As of March 9, the Redhawks' .303 team batting average ranked 25th nationally. After going 4-0 this past week, the team batting average has risen to a hefty .319. Updated statistical rankings come out Monday evening.
 
There's No Place Like Home
14 of the Redhawks' 19 games this season have been on the road. Southeast is 8-6 in road matches thus far. Rain, cold, snow and ice have been to blame for the lack of home games this season. While at home, the Redhawks are sporting a perfect 5-0 record. Southeast has moved four regularly scheduled home games to opposing locations and cancelled a two-game midweek series.
 
OVC Player of the Week. Again.
Derek Gibson earned his second-straight OVC Player of the Week honor after hitting .625 (10-for-16) with six runs scored, two doubles, a home run, 10 RBI, a .938 slugging percentage and a .579 on-base percentage as Southeast Missouri ran its winning streak to seven games with a perfect 4-0 week. The senior started the week by going 2-for-4 with the game-winning home run against in-state rival Missouri State. He started the Eastern Kentucky series by going 3-for-3 with a run scored and five RBI as Southeast won 15-8. He followed that by going 4-for-5 with two runs scored, two doubles and three RBI in a 13-11 Redhawks victory and capped the weekend with a 1-for-4 performance with a run scored and RBI in the series finale (a 9-4 Southeast win). Gibson, who enters this week with a 12-game hitting streak, currently leads the OVC with a .463 batting average (and is batting a league-best .652 in six Conference contests this season).
 
Solid OVC Start
After week two of Ohio Valley Conference play, the Redhawks lead the league in conference batting (.380 batting average) and rank third in pitching (4.17 ERA). Derek Gibson's .652 average sits atop the league in OVC contests. In OVC games, the Redhawks lead in batting average (.380), on base percentage (.454), runs scored (61), hits (84), triples (4), hits per game (14.00), and runs scored per game (10.17). Southeast's perfect 6-0 start is the best since 2009, when the Redhawks began conference play 7-0 that season.
 
What's on Tap?
The Redhawks' four-game home stand will wrap up with a three-game series against OVC opponent Morehead State Friday through Sunday. Southeast will look to keep their perfect OVC record alive against the Eagles. The Redhawks will hit the road once again for four more games. Southeast is slated to take on No. 21/24 Mississippi State next Tuesday in Starkville then head to UT Martin for more OVC action.