Southeast Missouri (0-0) at Louisiana-Monroe (0-0)
Date: Friday-Sunday, February 14-16, 2020
Time: Frid. 4 p.m, CT; Sat. 3 p.m., CT; Sun. 10 a.m., CT
Location: Monroe, La.
Ballpark: Warhawk Field (1,800)
Series: First Meeting
Last Meeting: First Meeting
Head Coaches:
Andy Sawyers (166-115 overall; 79-88 at SEMO; 46-44 OVC)
Michael Federico (50-62; Third season)
Media:
Radio: SEMO ESPN 1220 AM (Erik Sean)
Stats: Friday | Saturday | Sunday
Series History
This weekend marks the first meeting between Southeast Missouri and Louisiana-Monroe.
Follow the Redhawks
Fans can listen this weekend's game on the radio at SEMO ESPN 1220 AM with Erik Sean calling the action. Live stats are available at GoSoutheast.com. Twitter updates provided @SEMObaseball.
Niznik & Wilber Earn Preseason All-OVC Honors
Southeast Missouri shortstop Tyler Wilber and pitcher Noah Niznik earned Preseason All-Ohio Valley Conference honors for the upcoming 2020 campaign. Both Wilber and Niznik earned All-OVC honors at the conclusion of the 2019 season. Wilber led the OVC in both batting average (.383) and on-base percentage (.480), while accumulating 80 hits, 19 doubles and 40 RBI. Niznik sported a 3.63 ERA which ranked him fourth in the OVC in that category last season. EKU senior Nick Howie was selected as the OVC Preseason Player of the Year and Belmont sophomore Joshua South was tabbed Preseason Pitcher of the Year.
Wilber Named Collegiate Baseball Preseason All-American
Southeast Missouri junior shortstop Tyler Wilber was named a Third-Team Preseason All-American by Collegiate Baseball. Last season, Wilber led the Redhawks in batting average (.383), hits (80), doubles (19), triples (3), RBI (40), slugging percentage (.531) and on-base percentage (.480). He was one of two players who started every game in 2019. Wilber posted 27 multiple-hit games, most on the team. Wilber was selected as First-Team All-Ohio Valley Conference at the conclusion of the 2019 campaign. The Rossmoor, California native was one of the league-high 153 SEMO student-athletes selected for the OVC Commissioner's Honor Roll.
The 2020 Campaign
The Redhawks are scheduled to play a total of 32 games at Capaha Field this upcoming 2020 season. SEMO will play the first four games on the road before returning to Cape Girardeau for back-to-back four-game series against Northern Illinois (Feb. 21-23) and Ohio (Feb. 28-Mar.1).The Redhawks face two Southeastern Conference foes in Kentucky and Missouri.
Southeast Returnees
The Redhawks have 15 returnees on their 2020 squad. Included in that total are eight seniors, six sophomores and one junior. The seniors include Connor Basler, Keegan Meyn, Peyton Faulkner, Danny Wright, Austin Blazevic, Justin Dirden, Dylan Dodd and Nathan Bock. Basler and Wright have spent their entire college careers in a Redhawk uniform.
Welcome to NCAA Division I Baseball
A total of 19 players will have the opportunity to experience their first game as a NCAA Division I baseball student-athletes during opening weekend against Louisiana-Monroe (Feb. 14-16). Landon Hahn (UTL), Caleb Feuerstake (OF), Noah Jacobsen (INF), Braden Spawr (C), Casey Sole (C), Derek Beauchamp (RHP), Lincoln Andrews (INF), Rance Pittman (RHP), Aaron Schromm (LHP), Peyton Leeper (UTL), Ryan Vogt (RHP), Michael Hojnacki (RHP), Fischer Rausch (RHP), Collin Wilma (RHP), Austin Williams (RHP), Dylan Needham (RHP), Braden Cox (RHP), David Webb (RHP), Hayden Malenfant (RHP) all look forward to their first NCAA Division I action.
Redhawks Seventh in OVC Preseason Poll
SEMO, which begins its fourth year under head coach Andy Sawyers, was picked seventh in this year's OVC Predicted Order of Finish. The Redhawks tallied 94 points in the overall voting by OVC Head Coaches and Sports Information Directors. Jacksonville State is this year's preseason-favorite after receiving 19 of 21 first-place votes. Eastern Kentucky, Austin Peay, Belmont, Morehead State and Murray State were also picked ahead of SEMO. Eastern Illinois, Tennessee Tech, UT Martin and SIU Edwardsville completed this year's poll..
Streaks Carry Over
Tyler Wilber ended the 2019 season with an 18-game reached base safely streak. This is the longest streak of any of the Redhawks returnees. Danny Wright brings a four-game hitting streak into the 2020 season. Wright also has an eight-game reached base safely streak from a year ago.
Redhawk Baseball
The 2020 campaign is Southeast's 61st season overall and 29th at the NCAA Division I level. SEMO won three Ohio Valley Conference regular-season titles, one OVC Tournament crown and appeared in one NCAA Tournament in the last six years. The Redhawks made the OVC Tournament a league-record 25 years in a row before that streak ended in 2019.
