Southeast Missouri (14-8, 6-0 OVC) at UT Martin (7-14, 2-4 OVC)
Series Information
Dates: Thursday-Saturday, Mar. 24-26, 2016
First Pitch: 6 p.m. / 6 p.m. / 3 p.m.
Location: Martin, Tenn.
Stadium: Skyhawk Park
Series: Southeast leads 56-16-1
Head Coaches: Steve Bieser (113-84, Fourth season); Rick Robinson (24-49, Second Season)
 
Media Information
Radio: SEMO ESPN 1220 AM  / Erik Sean | Listen Live
Live Video: OVCDigitalNetwork.com (Friday)
Live Stats: Game One | Game Two | Game Three
Twitter Updates: @SEMObaseball
Game Notes: Southeast Missouri | UT Martin
 
Probable Starting Pitchers
Thursday: LHP Joey Lucchesi (4-1) vs. RHP Alan Rickman (0-0)
Friday: RHP Clay Chandler (2-0) vs. RHP Alex Evans (0-3)
Saturday: LHP Robert Beltran (2-1) vs. LHP Dom Bazzani (0-4)
 
Leading Off
• Southeast Missouri baseball (13-8) takes its 6-0 OVC record to UT Martin (7-14, 2-4 OVC) for a three-game series this weekend.
• The Redhawks are riding their third four-game winning streak this season.
• Southeast scored a season-high 18 runs in the 18-10 win over Harris-Stowe Tuesday.
• Southeast is coming off a series sweep of OVC rival Morehead State over the weekend. Southeast used two walk-off wins en route to the sweep.
• Southeast swept the OVC Player of the Week selections with Hunter Leeper (Co-Player) and Jacob Lawrence (Pitcher).
• The Redhawks are 56-16-1 against UT Martin all time. Southeast has won 11 consecutive meetings with the Skyhawks and 16 of the last 17.
• Seven of the Redhawks 12 home runs have come in the last four games.
• The Redhawks' weekend starting pitching staff has combined for a 1.73 ERA, 116 strikeouts, and a 8-2 record in 15 combined starts.
• LHP Joey Lucchesi ranks tied for first in the nation in strikeouts with 52 this season.
• Southeast drove in 10 runs with two out against Harris-Stowe, bringing their two-out RBI total to 55 this season, 47% of their RBI.
• Trevor Ezell is riding a 28-game on base streak dating back to last season. Ezell has hit safely in his last six games.
 
Redhawks Rundown
Battle with the Skyhawks
Southeast Missouri baseball (14-8, 6-0 OVC) will take its four-game winning streak on the road for a three-game series at UT Martin (7-14, 2-4 OVC) this weekend. The Redhawks and Skyhawks will begin the series Thursday at 6 p.m. Friday's game will also begin at 6 p.m. with the series finale on Saturday set to start at 3 p.m.
 
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 GoSoutheast.com. Live Twitter updates are available on the official Twitter page of the Redhawks, @SEMObaseball.
 
Let's Recap
The Redhawks finished last week going 4-1. Southeast began the week splitting a midweek series at in-state foe Missouri. Southeast won game one behind Jacob Lawrence's stellar outing on the mound and Hunter Leeper's offense at the plate. Southeast returned home to host OVC rival Morehead State. Leeper knocked a pair of two-run home runs to lift Southeast to a 5-1 victory in game one. Branden Boggetto played hero in game two with a walk-off home run in game two to secure the series win, 5-4. A bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the 10th inning in game three drove in the winning run for Southeast, earning the sweep and improving Southeast's conference record to a perfect 6-0. The Redhawks picked up a victory over Harris-Stowe in their first home midweek series of the season. The Redhawks came out on top in the slugfest, 18-10. Ryan Rippee recorded three doubles, tying a school record, and drove in five runs on the contest.
 
What's Ahead
The Redhawks return to the friendly confines of Capaha Field for a five-game home series beginning next Tuesday against Maryville University. The Redhawks and Saints will throw the first pitch at 5 p.m. Tuesday. SIUE comes to town over the weekend for a three-game OVC series. Southeast will wrap up the homestand with a Tuesday game against Arkansas State.
 
Series History
Southeast Missouri holds a commanding 56-16-1 lead over UT Martin in the all-time series. The Redhawks have won 11-consecutive meetings and 16 of the last 17 meetings with the Skyhawks. Southeast swept the series a season ago in Cape Girardeau. The Redhawks outscored the Skyhawks 34-6 in the three-game series including shutting them out in game two, 13-0.
 
Scouting the Skyhawks
UT Martin topped Alabama A&M in non-conference action to begin last week before being swept in OVC play at Tennessee Tech. Nick Pribble led the team with a .313 batting average last week including three RBI and two runs scored; he had three hits in the non-conference win over A&M. Matt Hirsch added a team-high four runs scored for the Skyhawks last week. Relievers Patrick Bernard, Alan Rickman and Adam Rimmer each did not allow an earned run in two relief appearances apiece last week. In the victory over Alabama A&M seven different pitchers saw action with Shane Seckinger picking up the win; the Skyhawks staff allowed only one base runner over the final three innings. The Skyhawks fell to No. 6 Ole Miss on Tuesday, 8-2. Fletcher Johnson led the team going 3-for-5 with a run scored. Austin Taylor hit a two-run home run in the first inning to put UTM ahead 2-0.
 
Going Yard
After a slow offensive state, the Redhawk bats have been heating up in the last few games. Seven of the Redhawks' 12 home runs have come in the last four games. The four games have also been the first in which Southeast has gone long in consecutive games this season. Southeast has won every game that they hit a home run.

Sweeping the Weekly Honors
Hunter Leeper (Co-Player) and Jacob Lawrence (Pitcher) each earned adidas® Ohio Valley Conference weekly honors this week. Leeper finished the week hitting .400 (8-for-20) with eight total RBI. He hit two home runs, both in game one of the series against Morehead State. He put up three hits and three RBI in game one at Missouri. Jacob Lawrence earned his first win Tuesday at Missouri. Lawrence pitched eight innings of one-run baseball, scattering six hits, and striking out 11 Tiger hitters in the game, a new career best.
 
Tailgate Dates Announced
The Department of Athletics announced five free tailgate games for the 2016 baseball season. The five tailgates will begin April 2 and run through May 3.

Apr. 2 - Wings Etc. and River Eagle Distributing
Apr. 16 - Jimmy Johns and Kohlfeld Distributing
Apr. 26 - Bluff City Beer (food and beverages)
Apr. 29 - Bank of Missouri and River Eagle Distributing
May 3 - Wings Etc. and Kohlfeld Distributing
 
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 six ERAs in the OVC, led by Lucchesi's 0.97 clip. The three have combined for a 1.73 ERA and have struck out 116 batters. Together, the three are 8-2 in their 15 starts on the mound. Lucchesi leads the country with 52 strikeouts this season.
 
Key Two-Out Hitting
The Redhawk offense has capitalized on two-out situations in its 22 games this season. In all, the Redhawks have scored 131 runs on the season, 117 of which were driven in. With two out, Southeast has recorded 55 runs batted in this season, 47% of the Redhawks' total RBI. The Redhawks have 70 two-out hits this season and hit .277 with two down in an inning.
 
Going Streaking
Trevor Ezell has reached base safely in all 21 games he has played in this season. Dating back to 2015, he has been on base in each of his last 28 games. Hunter Leeper is currently riding a 16-game on base streak. Both have hit safely in each of their last six games.