Southeast Missouri at College of Charleston
 
Dates: Friday-Sunday, February 16-18, 2018
Site: Charleston, S.C.
Facility: Patriots Point (2,000)
Series: First Meeting
Head Coaches: Andy Sawyers (29-26 overall, 29-26 at SEMO, 16-14 OVC). Chad Holbrook (200-106 overall, First Year at CofC).
 
Series Schedule (Probable Starting Pitchers)
Friday – 3 p.m., CT (Joey Burris, RHP, SEMO vs. Evan Sisk, LHP, CofC)
Saturday – 1 p.m., CT (Logan Spalt, RHP, SEMO vs. Griffin McLarty, RHP, CofC)
Sunday – 11 a.m., CT (Daniel Bergtholdt, LHP or Carlos Vega, RHP, SEMO vs. TBA, CofC)
 
Media Coverage
Radio: ESPN 92.9 FM (Erik Sean)
Video: CofCSports.com (Friday & Sunday only)
Live Stats: Friday | Saturday | Sunday
 
Redhawks Travel to South Carolina for Opening Weekend
Southeast Missouri's baseball team opens its 2018 season with a three-game series at the College of Charleston this weekend. First pitch of the series is Friday at 3 p.m., CT. The Redhawks and Cougars also play on Saturday at 1 p.m. and Sunday at 11 a.m.
 
Series History
This year marks the first meeting between Southeast and the College of Charleston. The Cougars are members of the Colonial Athletic Association.
 
Opening Day Games
The Redhawks are 11-15 all-time in season-opening games during their NCAA Division I era (since 1992). Southeast started a season with a victory in three of the last five years. Andy Sawyers won his first season-opener as an NCAA Division I head coach when the Redhawks beat UT Arlington, 4-3, in 2017.
 
Roster Talk
Southeast's 37-man roster includes six seniors, 18 juniors, nine sophomores and four freshmen. The Redhawks welcome 22 newcomers to this year's squad.
 
Burris Gets the Nod
Fifth-year senior right-hander Joey Burris will start Friday's season-opener. Burris recorded a 2-1 record in 20 appearances a year ago. He had 25 strikeouts and tied for third on the team with two saves as all but one of his appearances were in relief. Friday marks the first Friday start of Burris' career. His only start prior to this year came in midweek action at Arkansas State on Apr. 4, 2017.
 
Wright On
Danny Wright returns after a mammoth rookie season. Wright boasted a team-high .376 batting average with 43 runs scored, 67 hits, 13 doubles, three triples, five home runs and 36 RBIs in 2017. He also registered a .567 slugging percentage and .472 on-base percentage, while ranking second on the team with nine stolen bases. Wright collected 22 multiple-hit performances and seven multi-RBI games. He earned First-Team All-Ohio Valley Conference, OVC All-Freshman Team and OVC All-Tournament honors, and was named a Freshman All-American by Perfect Game USA and Rawlings Sporting Goods, The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and Collegiate Baseball Newspaper. Wright makes his debut as the Redhawks starting center fielder Friday after playing second base a year ago.
 
Gagan Secures Preseason All-America Honors
Senior first baseman Tristen Gagan was named a Third-Team Preseason All-American by Collegiate Baseball on Dec. 18. The 2018 Collegiate Baseball Preseason All-Americans feature a remarkable mix of talented NCAA Division I baseball players across the USA. A native of Ramona, Oklahoma, Gagan started 54 games for the Redhawks last season. He led Southeast with 13 home runs and 62 RBIs. Gagan also ranked second on the team with 15 doubles and third with a .567 slugging percentage. Gagan collected multiple hits a total of 17 times and rated among Ohio Valley Conference leaders in RBI (5th), sacrifice flies (t3rd, 6), putouts (2nd, 461) and fielding double plays (1st, 51). He hit .331 with 23 runs scored, 10 doubles, a triple, eight home runs and 42 RBIs in league play.

Ezell is Back
Redshirt-junior Trevor Ezell recovered from a back injury that limited him to seven games in 2017. Ezell collected eight hits, six runs scored, a double, one triple, one home run and five RBIs prior to his injury. He was an All-Ohio Valley Conference selection and National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Freshman All-American in 2015, and was a Louisville Slugger Preseason All-American by Baseball America in his last full season of competition in 2016.
 
Redhawks Fifth in OVC Preseason Poll
Southeast was picked to finish fifth in the 2018 Ohio Valley Conference Preseason Poll. The Redhawks accumulated 115 points in the overall voting by OVC Head Coaches and Sports Information Directors. Tennessee Tech is this year's preseason favorite after earning 15 first-place votes and 192 points. Morehead State (181 pts.), Jacksonville State (156 pts.) and Belmont (148 pts.) were also picked ahead of the Redhawks. Murray State (104 pts.), Austin Peay (103 pts.), Eastern Illinois (62 pts.), SIU Edwardsville (57 pts.), UT Martin (52 pts.) and Eastern Kentucky (42 pts.) completed the predicted order of finish. Morehead State outfielder Niko Hulsizer was named Preseason OVC Player of the Year and Belmont right-hander Dylan King was tabbed Preseason OVC Pitcher of the Year.
 
Year Two for Sawyers
Andy Sawyers enters his second year as Southeast Missouri's head coach. Sawyers guided Southeast to an overall record of 29-26 and fifth-place finish in the Ohio Valley Conference with a 16-14 mark during his head coaching debut in 2017. He has 19 years of coaching experience.
 
Redhawk Baseball
The 2018 campaign marks Southeast's 59th season overall and 27th at the NCAA Division I level. Southeast won three Ohio Valley Conference regular-season titles, one OVC Tournament crown and appeared in one NCAA Tournament in the last four years. The Redhawks also made the OVC Tournament a league-record 24 years in a row.