Southeast Missouri (9-7) at Missouri (13-5)
Series Information
Dates: Tuesday-Wednesday, March 15-16, 2016
First Pitch: 6 p.m. / 4 p.m.
Location: Columbia, Mo.
Stadium: Taylor Stadium
Series: Southeast trails 9-21
Head Coaches: Steve Bieser (108-83, Fourth season); Tim Jamieson (969-543-2, 21^st season)
 
Media Information
Radio: SEMO ESPN 1220 AM (Erik Sean, Jess Bolen) | Listen Live
Live Video: SEC Network+ - Game One | Game Two
Live Stats: Game One | Game Two
Twitter Updates: @SEMObaseball
Game Notes: Southeast Missouri
 
Probable Starting Pitchers
Tuesday: RHP Jacob Lawrence (0-1) vs. LHP Michael Plassmeyer (1-1)
Wednesday: LHP Adam Pennington (0-0) vs. RHP Ryan Lee (2-1)
 
Leading Off
• The Redhawks (9-7) will bring their seven-game road swing to a close with a pair of games at in-state foe Missouri (13-5) this week.
• Southeast is coming off a three-game road sweep of Eastern Kentucky to begin the 2016 OVC schedule.
• The Redhawks trail the all-time series to Missouri, 9-21. Under Steve Bieser, the Redhawks are 2-1 in Columbia, including defeated the Tigers a season ago when they were nationally ranked. This is the first multi-game series between the Redhawks and Tigers since April 3-4, 2007.
• The Redhawks' weekend starting pitching staff has combined for a 1.54 ERA, 95 strikeouts, and a 7-2 record in 12 combined starts.
• Joey Lucchesi ranks tied for first in the nation in strikeouts with 42 this season.
• Jacob Lawrence (0-1) will make the start against Missouri on Tuesday. Lawrence earned the win in last year's meeting with the Tigers. Adam Pennington (0-0) is scheduled to start Wednesday's matchup.
• Steve Bieser is now 3-6 against the Southeastern Conference his in four years. He has two wins over Missouri.
 
Redhawks Rundown
Show Me Showdown
Southeast Missouri baseball (9-7) will take its three-game winning streak to in-state foe Missouri (13-5) for a two-game midweek slate. The Redhawks and Tigers will begin the series Tuesday at 6 p.m. and will play game two Wednesday at 4 p.m. from Columbia, Missouri.
 
Follow the Redhawks
This week's series will be broadcast live on SEMO ESPN 1220 AM. Erik Sean will provide play-by-play on the broadcast. Sean will be joined by Jess Bolen who will provide analysis. Fans can download the SEMO ESPN app to listen to live broadcasts of Redhawks baseball all season long. Live stats will be available on MUTigers.com. Live Twitter updates are available on the official Twitter page of the Redhawks, @SEMObaseball. The series will also be broadcast live on the SEC Network+.
 
Let's Recap
The Redhawks began its seven-game road swing with a pair of games at No. 13 Ole Mis last week. The Redhawks dropped both ends of the two-game series against the Rebels. Southeast fell in game one 10-2. The Redhawks held a 4-2 advantage going into the bottom of the seventh inning but two two-run innings in the seventh and eighth lifted the Rebels past the Redhawks, 6-4. Southeast opened the 2016 Ohio Valley Conference slate at Eastern Kentucky this weekend. The Redhawks won a tight 2-1 contest behind a complete game performance from Joey Lucchesi. The offense sprung to life in game one of Saturday's doubleheader, highlighted by a pair of home runs by designated hitter Chris Osborne, lifting Southeast to a 7-3 victory. Game two of the doubleheader was a 12-inning affair. The Redhawks plated a trio of runs in the top of the 12th inning to complete the three-game sweep of the Colonels, 4-1.
 
What's Ahead
Southeast returns to Capaha this weekend to begin a four-game homestand. The Redhawks will welcome the top offense in the OVC, Morehead State. The Redhawk and Eagles will play a three-game series beginning Friday at 3 p.m. The Redhawks welcome Harris-Stowe next Tuesday, Mar. 22, for the first home midweek game of the season.
 
Series History
The Redhawks and Tigers have met 30 times in the past with Missouri leading the all-time series 21-9. However, under Steve Bieser's direction, the Redhawks have defeated the Tigers two of the last three years. Southeast won last season's meeting 8-5 when the Tigers were ranked No. 21 in the country. It was the first ranked opponent Southeast had beaten since they defeated the University of Arkansas on May 4, 2011. The Razorbacks were ranked No. 16 at the time. This will be the first two-game series the Redhawks and Tigers have played since April 3-4, 2007.
 
Scouting the Missouri Tigers
Missouri enters the series with a 13-5 overall record on the season and are 6-3 at Taylor Stadium. The Tigers are coming off a series loss the Youngstown State at home this past weekend. As a team, Missouri is hitting .265 and outscoring its opponents 109-63. The Tigers are led by Jake Ring who is hitting .348 with 10 RBI, three triples, and 12 runs scored. Tuesday's starter Michael Plassmeyer has started three games and is sporting a 1-1 record and 5.62 ERA in 16 innings. He has fanned only seven hitters and opponents are hitting .308 against the freshman. Ryan Lee, who will start on Wednesday, has made three starts, worked 15 and a third innings, holds a 2-1 record and a 3.52 ERA with nine strikeouts and five walks. The redshirt-sophomore is holding hitters to a .246 batting average. This week's series will be the final games before the Tigers open SEC play at Florida this weekend. The series will also close out an 11-game home stand for the Tigers.
 
The Top Trio
The Redhawks' three weekend starting pitchers, Joey Lucchesi, Clay Chandler, and Robert Beltran, have been nearly unstoppable this season. The three each rank in the top five ERAs in the OVC, led by Lucchesi's 0.93 clip. The three have combined for a 1.54 ERA and have struck out 95 batters. Together, the three are 7-2 in their 12 starts.
 
Laying Down the Law
Jacob Lawrence is set to make his third start of the season on Tuesday. Lawrence made the start against Mizzou on May 5 of last season. Lawrence earned his first win as a Redhawk after allowing three runs in seven and two-thirds innings of work against then-No. 21 Mizzou. Lawrence was so good Tuesday that he was perfect the first time through the lineup and had a one-hit shutout through five innings. He fanned seven total batters, walking none, in his outing.
 
Bieser Against the SEC
In his four years as head coach at Southeast Missouri, Steve Bieser is 3-6 against the Southeastern Conference. Southeast has two wins over Missouri and a win over Arkansas. Last season, Southeast went 2-1 against SEC opponents. Southeast is coming off two losses to nationally-ranked Ole Miss last week. As a whole, the OVC is 1-8 against the SEC this season.
 
The Fork in the Road
Southeast Missouri has entered OVC play at or below .500 in each of the last two seasons 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. This season, the Redhawks began OVC play with a 6-7 overall record.
 
Key Two-Out Hitting
The Redhawk offense has capitalized on two-out situations in its 16 games this season. In all, the Redhawks have scored 84 runs on the season, 72 of which were driven in. With two out, Southeast has recorded 29 runs batted in this season, 40% of the Redhawks' total RBI. The Redhawks have 45 two-out hits this season.
 
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 16 games. Extending back to last season, Ezell's on base streak is now 23.  Gandolfo is currently riding a seven-game hitting streak.
 
Doubling Down
Branden Boggetto cracked Southeast's career doubles list at EKU last weekend. Boggetto currently ranks tied for ninth with 50. Boggetto ranks second among all active NCAA DI players in the category. Boggetto nearly broke the single-season doubles record in 2015 with 23, which ranked sixth nationally a season ago. The career record is 68 (Zach Borowiak, 2000-03).