Southeast Missouri (0-0) at Lamar (0-0)
Series Information
Dates: Friday, Feb. 19-Sunday, Feb. 21
First Pitch: 6 p.m., 2 p.m., 1 p.m.
Location: Beaumont, Texas
Stadium: Vincent-Beck Stadium
Series: First Meeting
Head Coaches: Steve Bieser (99-76, 4^th season); Jim Gilligan (1,320-975-5, 39^th season)

Media Information
Radio: SEMO ESPN 1220 AM (Todd Bonacki) | Listen Live
Live Video: Big Red Sports Network
Live Stats: LamarCardinals.com
Twitter Updates: @SEMObaseball
Game Notes: Southeast Missouri | Lamar

Probable Starting Pitching Rotations
Friday: LHP Joey Lucchesi (0-0) vs. RHP Will Hibbs (0-0)
Saturday: RHP Clay Chandler (0-0) vs. RHP Jason McKinley (0-0)
Sunday: LHP Robert Beltran (0-0) vs. Fernando Martinez (0-0)

Leading Off
-The 2016 season for NCAA Division I baseball begins Friday, Feb. 19.
-Southeast Missouri baseball is coming off back-to-back OVC Championships seasons. Southeast has gone a combined 45-15 in OVC play the last two seasons.
-The Redhawks were tabbed to win the OVC in 2016 with 19 first-place votes in the OVC Preseason Poll.
-Reigning OVC Pitcher of the Year Joey Lucchesi returns for his senior season. Lucchesi was tabbed as the OVC Preseason Pitcher of the Year.
-First baseman Ryan Rippee and shortstop Branden Boggetto picked up Preseason All-OVC honors.
-The Redhawks return six of eight position players from last year, four of which were honored as All-OVC Team members last season.
-Steve Bieser enters his fourth season at the helm of the Redhawks. Bieser is 99-76 in three seasons as head coach.
-Southeast is 2-1 in season openers under Bieser; 5-5 in the last 10 openers.
-Southeast Missouri and Lamar will meet for the first time ever this weekend.
-The Redhawks will play their first eight games on the road before playing the home opener on March 4 against Central Arkansas.

Redhawks Rundown
'Tis the Season
The reigning back-to-back Ohio Valley Conference Champion Southeast Missouri State baseball team (0-0) will open the 2016 season Friday with a three-game set with the Lamar University Cardinals (0-0). The three-game series will begin under the lights Friday at 6 p.m. followed by a Saturday first pitch at 2 p.m. and 1 p.m. on Sunday.

Follow the Redhawks
This weekend's series will be broadcast live on SEMO ESPN 1220 AM. Todd Bonkaci will provide play-by-play on the broadcast. Fans can download the SEMO ESPN app to listen to live broadcasts of Redhawks baseball all season long. Live stats are available online at LamarCardinals.com. Live Twitter updates are available on the official Twitter page of the Redhawks, @SEMObaseball. The game will also be streamed for free on LamarCardinals.com.

Tabbed to Three-Peat
Ohio Valley Conference head baseball coaches and sports information directors have tabbed the Redhawks to win the OVC in 2016. The Redhawks received 19 first-place votes of the 22 ballots cast. The Redhawks will look to win their third-straight OVC championship in 2016. Jacksonville State was picked to finish second while Austin Peay (two first-place votes) was tabbed third in the preseason polling.

Preseason Pitcher of the Year
Senior left-handed pitcher Joey Lucchesi was named the 2016 Preseason OVC Pitcher of the Year, the league announced last week. Lucchesi finished his first season in a Redhawk uniform with a 7-2 record and a 3.17 ERA. Lucchesi began the season coming out of the pen before settling in to a starting role at the beginning of conference play. He was 7-1 in league games with a 2.13 ERA. Lucchesi held the league's best ERA (3.17), opponent batting average (.192), and strikeouts (93). Lucchesi also earned First Team All-OVC praises.

Preseason All-OVC Team
In addition to Joey Lucchesi, senior first baseman Ryan Rippee and senior shortstop Branden Boggetto were named to the Preseason All-OVC team. Rippee and Boggetto each earned Second Team All-OVC accolades in 2015.

What's Ahead
Immediately following its three-game set with Lamar, the Redhawks will travel to Lorman, Mississippi for a single game with Alcorn State on Monday. The Redhawks and Braves are set to begin at 1 p.m. The Redhawks will be back in action at Arkansas - Pine Bluff next weekend, Feb. 26-28.

Heading to the South(land)
This weekend will be the first of three series with a Southland Conference team this season. In his three years, Steve Bieser has faced only one Southland team (New Orleans, 2013). The Redhawks swept UNO in the season opener in 2013. Other Southland opponents are Central Arkansas (March 4-6) and Stephen F. Austin (May 13-15).

Preseason Road Warriors
Of the Redhawks' first 26 games, they will play 18 on the road. Reversely, Southeast will play the majority of the second half of the season at home. Of their last 30 games, 19 will be played at Capaha Park. The home opener is slated for the weekend of March 4-6 when Central Arkansas comes to town.

A Lot of New Faces
The 2016 roster features 18 newcomers this season. Of the 18 newcomers, 13 are transfers from both junior colleges and NCAA Division I institutions. The Redhawks will see five true freshmen on the roster this season.

One More to One Hundred
Fourth-year head coach Steve Bieser is only one win away from achieving his 100th career head coaching victory. His career record is currently 99-76. His last milestone victory of 50 wins came on April 13, 2014 vs. Austin Peay.

NCBWA Preseason Poll
Southeast Missouri was listed as having received votes in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Preseason Top 35 Poll. Southeast received votes in the NCBWA Top 30 poll late last season.

Preseason Louisville Slugger All-Americans
Senior Ryan Rippee and sophomore Trevor Ezell were each named to Collegiate Baseball newspaper's Louisville Slugger Preseason All-American in December.

Perfect Game Top 100 Seniors
Perfect Game USA named three Redhawk seniors to its Top 100 Seniors list. Among the list were Branden Boggetto (90), Joey Lucchesi (63), and Ryan Rippee (70).

Second Basemen Power Rankings
D1baseball.com released its second basemen power rankings Tuesday. Sophomore Trevor Ezell was ranked 37th on the list of the top 50 second basemen in the country. Ezell started all 59 games in his rookie campaign, starting 33 at third, 17 in left, eight at second, and 1 as the designated hitter.

You're Here A Lot
Senior right-handed pitcher Alex Siddle is on track to break Southeast's all-time appearances record. Siddle has appeared in 67 games in his three years in a Redhawk uniform. He currently ranks fourth on the list. The record, held by Jason Swearingen (1995-98) is 76 appearances. Siddle has averaged 22 appearances each season of his three-year career.

Seeing Double
Entering his senior season with 43 carer doubles, Branden Boggetto needs seven doubles to crack the career top-10 list in the category. Boggetto nearly broke the single-season doubles record in 2015 with 23, which ranked sixth nationally. The career record is 68 (Zach Borowiak, 2000-03).

Coaching Staff Changes
Matt Borgschulte returns to Southeast as the Redhawks' new hitting coach. Borgschulte served as the volunteer assistant in 2015. His other duties will include assisting with recruiting, preforming administrative duties related to the baseball program, as well as coaching the outfielders. Southeast's new volunteer assistant is former Siena College assistant coach Joe Migliaccio. Migliaccio's main responsibilities include defensive development of the position players as well as assisting with the offense.