Southeast Missouri (33-18)
at IPFW (19-31)
Thursday, May 15 - Saturday, May 17
2, 2, 12 p.m., CDT
Fort Wayne, Ind.
Mastodon Field
Head Coaches
Steve Bieser: 59-51, second season
Bobby Pierce: eighth season
Radio: Thursday: 92.9 FM; Friday, Saturday: 1220 AM
Play-by-Play: Erik Sean
Audio Webcast: SEMOESPN.com
Live Stats: GoMastodons.com
Twitter Updates: @SEMObaseball, @GoSoutheast
Game Notes: Southeast Missouri
 
Final Tune Up
Southeast Missouri looks to get back in the win column after dropping its last two games. The Redhawks head to Fort Wayne, Indiana for a three game series with the IPFW Mastodons. The Redhawks and Mastodons met in Cape Girardeau Feb. 21-23. Southeast swept IPFW in the three game series and out-scored them 31-10. This will be the final regular season games for Southeast before the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament next week in Jackson, Tennessee.
 
Looking Back
Southeast Missouri completed the OVC portion of its schedule by taking two of three games from Tennessee Tech to capture the OVC regular season championship. Southeast had finished second in the final OVC standings seven times (1995, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2011), the most second-place finishes in OVC history. The Redhawks were picked sixth in the OVC preseason poll. Senior Derek Gibson hit .600 (9-for-15) with three runs, a double, two triples, a home run and nine RBI last week to extend his hitting streak to 27 games, the longest streak in the OVC this year (and one of 14 that have been 25 games or longer in the OVC in the last 12 years), and be named OVC Player of the Week. Gibson currently ranks second in the OVC in batting (.419) and third in hits (83) and RBI (65). Matt Tellor drove in six runs in three games last week and ranks second in the OVC in that category (66) as well as home runs (15), total bases (66), and slugging percentage (.699). Tellor is only one RBI away from the Southeast single-season record and enters the week with a 14-game hitting streak. Travis Hayes improved to 8-1 on the season by pitching the final four innings of Saturday's extra inning win over Tech; he allowed just one hit and struck out three. Hayes ranks third in the OVC in E.R.A. (2.99) while his eight victories are tied for the most in the league.
 
OVC Player of the Week, Thrice
In three games last week Gibson hit .600 (9-for-15) with three runs scored, a double, two triples, a stolen base, a home run, nine RBI, a 1.133 slugging percentage and a .529 on-base percentage. His play helped Southeast Missouri take two of three games at Tennessee Tech and clinch the OVC regular season championship (its second overall crown and first since 2002). Gibson had two hits, including a three-run double, in Friday's 12-8 victory. He followed that by going 3-for-4 with four RBI and finishing a double shy of the cycle in Saturday's 9-8 12-inning win. Gibson capped the week by going 4-for-5 with a triple and two RBI on Sunday. Gibson currently ranks second in the OVC in batting (.419) and third in hits (83) and RBI (65). This marks the third time this season he has earned OVC Player of the Week honors.
 
2014 OVC Champions
Southeast Missouri clinched the 2014 Ohio Valley Conference Regular Season Championship Friday evening. This is Southeast's second regular season championship; their first since 2002. 2014 is also the first 30-win season Southeast has had since 2011 when the team finished 34-22. The record for wins in a season at Southeast is 37, set back in 2002 and 2000. Southeast's 23 OVC wins this season was an win short of tying a conference recorded for league wins in a season, set by Tennessee Tech in 2013.
 
NCBWA Poll
Southeast Missouri baseball was listed on the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Top 30 Poll as having received votes in the May 12 polling.
 
Going Streaking
Derek Gibson is currently riding a 28-game hitting streak. Gibson's streak is the longest in the OVC this season. The streak ranks tied for ninth in the league's hitting streaks since 2003 list. His 2014 hitting streak is still a game short of his 29-game streak in 2012.
 
Sacrificial Lambs
The Redhawks lead the country in sacrifice flies with 43. Derek Gibson (11) leads the nation while Matt Tellor ranks sixth with 9 of his own.
 
Double Vision
Southeast Missouri is the third-most double play turning team in the nation with 61 double plays turned this season. They lead the nation in double plays per game with 1.22.
 
Speed Racers
The Redhawks have made their presence on the base paths known this season. Southeast leads the OVC in stolen bases as a team with 86, 10 more than Austin Peay, who has the second most. The Redhawks' 86 stolen bags is the 11th best in the nation. Jason Blum ranks second in the league with 20 while Cole Bieser ranks eighth with 12.
 
Team Statistical Rankings
As of Monday, May 12, the Redhawks' .311 team batting average ranks ninth in the nation while their 550 hits ranks ninth. Southeast is the eighth highest run producing team in the country with 369 runs while Southeast ranks sixth in scoring (7.4 runs/game). The team .395 on base percentage ranks 14th while their .433 slugging percentage is ranked 19th.
 
Individual Statistical Rankings
Derek Gibson's .419 batting average is good enough for fifth best in the country while Matt Tellor is 15th with a .393 hitting clip. Gibson's 83 hits are seventh in the country while Tellor ranks tenth with 81. Tellor is fourth in home runs with 15. Tellor is the tenth highest run scorer with 54 while Jason Blum is 14th with 53. Tellor and Gibson, the league's top RBI producers, are the third and fourth highest in the nation with 66 and 65, respectively.
 
What's on Tap?
Southeast Missouri will make their 20th consecutive OVC Tournament appearance next week in Jackson, Tennessee. After winning the regular season, the Redhawks will have a first round bye. Southeast will play the worst seed of games one and two in game five at 7 p.m. Thursday.