Southeast Missouri (6-7, 0-0 OVC) at Eastern Kentucky (7-5, 0-0 OVC)
Series Information
Dates: Friday-Sunday, March 11-13, 2016
First Pitch: 3 p.m. / 1 p.m. / 12 p.m., CT
Location: Richmond, Ky.
Stadium: Turkey Hughes Field
Series: Southeast leads 39-38
Head Coaches: Steve Bieser (105-83, Fourth season); Edwin Thompson (7-5, First Season)
 
Media Information
Radio: SEMO ESPN 1220 AM (Erik Sean) | Listen Live
Live Video: OVC Digital Network
Live Stats: EKUSports.com
Twitter Updates: @SEMObaseball
Game Notes: Southeast Missouri | Eastern Kentucky
 
Probable Starting Pitchers
Friday: LHP Joey Lucchesi (2-1) vs. RHP Eric Nerl (2-0)
Saturday: RHP Clay Chandler (1-0) vs. RHP Hunter Dunn (1-1)
Sunday: LHP Robert Beltran (2-1) vs. LHP Alex Hamilton (1-2)
 
Leading Off
• Southeast Missouri (6-7, 0-0 OVC) begins Ohio Valley Conference play at Eastern Kentucky (7-5, 0-0 OVC) this weekend. First pitch of Friday's series opener is set for 3 p.m., CT.
• 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.
• Southeast has entered OVC play at or below .500 in each of the last two seasons then went on to win consecutive titles.
• The Redhawks are in the midst of a seven-game road swing spanning nine days.
• Southeast Missouri holds 39-38 advantage in the all-time series. The Redhawks have won the regular season series over the Colonels each year under head coach Steve Bieser.
• EKU enters the series in third place in the league with a 7-5 record. The Colonels have an explosive offense with a second-best .322 batting average and 109 runs scored this season.
 
Redhawks Rundown
Defending the Title Starts Now
Southeast Missouri baseball (6-7, 0-0 OVC) will open Ohio Valley Conference play this weekend with a three-game set at Eastern Kentucky (7-5, 0-0 OVC). With the start of OVC play, Southeast will begin the defense of its back-to-back OVC titles. The Redhawks and Colonels will begin the series Friday at 3 p.m., CT.
 
The Redhawks are coming off consecutive OVC regular season titles. In the its last two seasons, Southeast is 45-15 in league play and has lost only two weekend conference series, one each season.
 
Follow the Redhawks
This weekend's series will be broadcast live on SEMO ESPN 1220 AM. Erik Sean 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 will be available on EKUSports.com. Live Twitter updates are available on the official Twitter page of the Redhawks, @SEMObaseball. The series will also be broadcast live on the OVC Digital Network, weather permitting.
 
Let's Recap
The Redhawks began its seven-game road swing with a pair of games at No. 13 Ole Mis this week. Southeast fell in game one of the series 10-2. Southeast held on to a 1-0 lead through three and a half innings until the Rebels broke the game open with a four-run fourth inning. Down 2-1 in game two, Brian Lees used a two-out bases-loaded two-run single to open a 4-2 lead on Ole Miss in the sixth inning. The Rebels used a two-run home run in the seventh to tie the game and scored the go-ahead runs in the bottom of the eighth to put the game to bed, 6-4.
 
What's Ahead
The Redhawks will return to the Show Me State for a midweek series at Missouri next Tuesday and Wednesday. The Redhawks and Tigers will throw the first pitch at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday and 4 p.m. Wednesday from Columbia. Southeast will return to Capaha Field for a three-game conference series against Morehead State Mar. 18-22.
 
Series History
In the all-time series, Southeast holds a slim 39-38 advantage over EKU. The Redhawks have won the three-game series each of the last three seasons. When Southeast was in Richmond two years ago, the Redhawks began OVC play sweeping the series. The Redhawks are 7-3 in its last 10 meetings with EKU.

Scouting the EKU Colonels
EKU enters OVC play with a 7-5 record, good enough for third in the league. The Colonels are under the direction of first-year head coach Edwin Thompson. EKU was picked to finish eighth in the OVC Preseason poll after finishing eighth a season ago with a 12-17 OVC record. OVC Preseason Co-Player of the Year Kyle Nowlin is currently hitting .304 on the season. Nowlin has scored 12 runs, knocked seven home runs, and driven in 18 runs while tallying an .826 slugging clip. Mandy Alvarez leads the team with a .439 batting average, registering 25 hits, hitting four home runs, and driving in 19 runs this season with a .702 slugging percentage. The EKU offense ranks second in the league with a .322 team batting average and 109 runs scored this season with 16 total home runs. Its pitching staff ranks third with a 4.24 team ERA and 86 combined strikeouts.
 
The Fork in the Road
Southeast Missouri has entered OVC play at or below .500 in each of the last two season and gone on to win the regular season crown. Southeast began league play at Belmont in 2014 with a 6-6 record. Last year, Southeast was 4-6 going into league play against Eastern Kentucky.
 
Keep the National Recognition Coming
Junior right-handed pitcher Clay Chandler has been named Louisville Slugger National Pitcher of the Week by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper as well as earning his second adidas® Ohio Valley Conference Pitcher of the Week honor this season. Chandler picked up co-pitcher of the week accolades two weeks ago and Joey Lucchesi earned OVC and national honors last week. Chandler threw eight scoreless innings in his third start of the season against Central Arkansas Saturday. Chandler allowed just two hits while striking out 14 hitters and allowing zero walks. At one point, Chandler struck out eight-straight hitters. Chandler suffered a no decision after UCA plated the lone run of the game in the top of the ninth inning off a Redhawk reliever.
 
Three Consecutive OVC Pitchers of the Week
The Redhawks have had an OVC Pitcher of the Week each of the first three weeks of the season. Clay Chandler has earned the honor twice (Feb. 22, Mar. 7) and Joey Lucchesi earned it once (Feb. 29). No team in the OVC has ever earned three-straight pitchers of the week to begin a season until now.
 
Key Two-Out Hitting
The Redhawk offense has capitalized on two-out situations in its 13 games this season. In all, the Redhawks have scored 71 runs on the season, 62 of which were driven in. With two out, Southeast has recorded 27 runs batted in this season, 44% of the Redhawks' total RBI. The Redhawks have 39 two-out hits this season and statistically hit better with two out.
 
Going Streaking
Dan Holst's 12-game hitting streak was snapped after going hitless in Wednesday's game at Ole Miss. However, Trevor Ezell, and Garrett Gandolfo join Holst in having reached base safely in all 13 games. Extending back to last season, Ezell's on base streak is now 20. 
 
Now Appearing…
Senior right-handed pitcher Alex Siddle is on track to break Southeast's all-time appearances record. Siddle has appeared in 70 games in a Redhawk uniform. He currently ranks tied for second on the list. Siddle's 70 appearances ranks 24th among active Division I players in pitching appearances. The Southeast record, held by Jason Swearingen (1995-98) is 76 appearances. Siddle has averaged 22 appearances each season of his three-year career.