Southeast Missouri (1-3) vs Northern Illinois (1-3)
Date: Fri., Feb. 21; Sat., Feb. 22 (DH); Sun., Feb. 23, 2020
Time: Fri. 3 p.m.; Sat. 12 p.m. (DH); Sun. 1 p.m., CT
Location: Cape Girardeau, Mo.
Ballpark: Capaha Field (2,000)
Series: SEMO leads, 6-1
Last Meeting: NIU 17, SEMO 10 | March 15, 2009
Head Coaches:
Andy Sawyers (167-118 overall; 80-91 at SEMO; 46-44 OVC)
Mike Kungonis (82-145; Fifth Season)
Media:
Radio: SEMO ESPN 93.5 FM &1220 AM (Roger Price)
Stats: Friday | Saturday 1 | Saturday 2 | Sunday
Series History
Southeast Missouri leads Northern Illinois in its all-time series, 6-1. The last time the two teams met was in a four-game series during the 2009 season. The Redhawks won the first three games before dropping the series finale. SEMO defeated NIU 8-6, 11-10, and 15-5 before dropping the finale, 17-10. SEMO swept NIU in the first meeting in 1999, outscoring the Huskies 23-7.
Scouting the Huskies
Northern Illinois is currently 1-3 after dropping its season-opening series to Boston College. NIU fell to Boston College 7-2, 11-10, and 8-5. The Huskies defeated the Eagles 12-3 in eight innings Sunday. NIU started the season with its first 20 games on the road. The Huskies' home-opener will be on Mar. 20, when they open Mid-American Conference play.
Follow the Redhawks
Fans can listen this weekend's game on the radio at SEMO ESPN 93.5 FM and 1220 AM. Live stats are available at GoSoutheast.com. Twitter updates provided @SEMObaseball.
Hot Hitting
Danny Wright has hit safely in every game this young season. Wright is the only Redhawk to record a hit in all four contests. The Dardenne Prairie, Missouri native, had two multiple-hit games during that stretch. Justin Dirden and Andrew Keck have recorded hits in three games.
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.
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..
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.
