Southeast Missouri (5-6) at SIUE (5-4)

Series Information
Dates: Friday-Saturday, March 12-13, 2021
Schedule: Friday, 2 p.m., CT / Saturday, 1 p.m., CT (DH)
Location: Edwardsville, Ill.
Facility: Simmons Complex (1,000)
Series: SEMO leads, 20-8 
Last Meeting: SIUE 3, SEMO 2 (Mar. 17, 2019 | Edwardsville, Ill.)
Head Coaches: Andy Sawyers (180-129 overall; 93-102 at SEMO; 48-45 OVC). Sean Lyons (70-109 overall; 70-109 at SIUE).

Follow the Redhawks
Radio: SEMO ESPN 93.5 FM & 1220 AM (Erik Sean)
Watch: ESPN+ Game 2 | Game 3
Live Stats: Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 
Twitter: @SEMObaseball
Game Notes: Southeast Missouri Notes (PDF)

Probable Starting Pitchers
Game 1 - Dylan Dodd, LHP (SEMO) / David Llorens, LHP (SIUE)
Game 2 - Noah Niznik, LHP (SEMO) / Jake Bockenstedt, RHP (SIUE)
Game 3 - TBA (SEMO) / Kaid Karnes, LHP (SIUE)

Redhawks Open OVC Play 
Southeast Missouri (5-6) opens Ohio Valley Conference play with a three-game series at SIU Edwardsville (5-4) this weekend. The Redhawks and Cougars play a single game at 2 p.m. Friday before wrapping things up with a 1 p.m., CT doubleheader Saturday.

Follow the Redhawks
Fans can listen to all games of Southeast Missouri's series with SIU Edwardsville at SEMO ESPN 93.5 FM and 1220 AM. Erik Sean will call the action. Video for Saturday's doubleheader is available at ESPN+. Live stats can be accessed at SIUECougars.com. Twitter updates provided @SEMObaseball.

OVC Openers
Southeast Missouri is 18-11 all-time in Ohio Valley Conference openers. That mark includes a 3-1 record under Head Coach Andy Sawyers. SEMO has opened conference play with a win in three-straight seasons.

March 12
Friday marks exactly one year from the time a global COVID-19 pandemic brought college athletics to an abrupt halt. On Mar. 12, 2020, the NCAA canceled its men's and women's basketball tournaments and conferences across the country changed plans for games in the months ahead. That decision affected championships in all winter and spring sports, including baseball. Southeast Missouri dropped a 6-4 midweek contest at longtime rival Southern Illinois in its final game of the shortened 2020 campaign a day before the decision to cancel play was made.

OVC Schedule
The Redhawks begin their 30-game Ohio Valley Conference slate in Edwardsville, Illinois this weekend. Each of Southeast Missouri's three-game series in conference play will be contested over two days with a single game on Friday and a doubleheader Saturday with the exception of the Redhawks home series vs. UT Martin (May 20-21) That series will be played on Thursday and Friday. SEMO hosts UT Martin, Austin Peay (Mar. 19-20), Jacksonville State (Apr. 2-3), Tennessee Tech (Apr. 16-17) and Eastern Kentucky (May 7-8), and visits SIUE, Eastern Illinois (Mar. 26-27), Murray State (Apr. 9-10), Belmont (Apr. 30-May 1) and Morehead State (May 14-15) in league action this year.

Series History
Southeast Missouri and SIU Edwardsville meet for the 29th time since SEMO joined the NCAA Division I ranks in 1992. The Redhawks hold a 20-8 lead in the all-time series during that span. SEMO went 10-4 in the last 14 matchups between these clubs. The Redhawks last won a series in Edwardsville during the 2015 campaign. SEMO clinched the series win by taking the final two games by a combined score of 32-8. The Redhawks won game two, 10-0, and game three, 22-8, that year.

Something in Common
Southeast Missouri and SIU Edwardsville are tied for first in the Ohio Valley Conference in stolen bases. Both the Redhawks and Cougars have 18 stolen bases entering this weekend's series. SEMO ranks 23rd in the nation in stolen bases through 11 games this year.

Redhawks Beat Illinois State
The Redhawks posted their second series win of the season and first at home when they won three of four games against Illinois State (Mar. 5-7) in Cape Girardeau last weekend. Southeast Missouri, which also claimed its first series victory against Missouri Valley Conference member ISU in program history, snapped a 12-game losing streak in its series against the Redbirds.

League Opening Series Wins
Southeast Missouri goes after a series win to start Ohio Valley Conference play for the second-straight season. SEMO won its league-opening series, 2-1, at UT Martin in 2020. That was the only conference series the Redhawks played due to the shortened campaign because of COVID-19. If SEMO wins the series at SIU Edwardsville this weekend, it will mark the first time since 2015 and 2016 where the Redhawks began OVC play with a series victory in back-to-back years.

Big Weekend for Wilber
Shortstop Tyler Wilber hit a team-best .615 to lead Southeast Missouri in its series victory over Illinois State (Mar. 5-7). Wilber went 8-for-13 at the plate with two runs scored, a double and four RBI. He hit safely and had a RBI in all four games of the series. Wilber also collected multiple hits in three of his four starts against the Redbirds. He tops SEMO hitting .410 with six runs, 16 hits, six RBI and five walks through 11 games this season. Wilber ranks third in the Ohio Valley Conference in batting average as one of three players in the league hitting over .400 in 2021. Eastern Illinois' Trey Sweeney (.429) and Tennessee Tech's Gavin Johns (.412) are the others. Additionally, Wilber carries a four-game hitting streak into this weekend's series against SIU Edwardsville.

Complete Game for Niznik
Left-hander Noah Niznik tossed a complete game victory to give Southeast Missouri a 5-1 victory over Illinois State (Mar. 6). Niznik recorded his first win of the season after striking out four and walking nin in seven innings. He allowed only one earned run, as well. It marked the third complete game and matched the longest outing of Niznik's career.

First Win for Miller
Freshman right-hander Kyle Miller picked up the win in his first career start when he defeated Illinois State (Mar. 7). Miller worked six innings, striking out three and walking one. He also gave up six hits and allowed just one run. Miller improved to 1-1 with a save in four appearances and one start this year.

Yard Work
Catcher Wade Stauss launched a three-run home run in back-to-back days during Southeast Missouri's series vs. Illinois State (Mar. 5-7). Stauss hit the first of those two bombs in the bottom of the third inning of game two. He then homered again in that same inning to grab SEMO the lead during the series finale. Stauss leads the Redhawks with three home runs and nine RBI this year. He is also tied for first in the Ohio Valley Conference in home runs.

Leeper Walk Off
Freshman third baseman Peyton Leeper delivered a sinking line drive base hit in the bottom of the 10th inning to give Southeast Missouri a 4-3 walk off win over Illinois State (Mar. 5). Danny Wright led off the Redhawks final at-bat with a single up the middle and Jevon Mason was hit by a pitch. Ty Stauss advanced both runners on a sacrifice bunt. With two outs after Connor Basler flied out to right, Leeper singled home the winning run on his first career walk off hit. 

Triple Time
Peyton Leeper is tied for first in the nation and leads the Ohio Valley Conference with three triples this season. Leeper tripled in two of his last three contests. He is among eight players with three triples thus far. Collin Burns (Tulane), Chris Cannizzaro (Bucknell), Luis DeLeon (N.C. Central), Preston Jones (Oregon State), Corey Rosier (UNC Greensboro), Joe Simourian (Navy) and Brayden Taylor (TCU) are the others. Leeper also leads the OVC with 11 walks.

Ralls Nails Down First Save
Sophomore right-hander Hunter Ralls pitched effectively for three innings to claim his first career save against Illinois State (Mar. 7). Ralls recorded five strikeouts and allowed two hits in three scoreless innings. He did not allow a walk, as well. It was the fourth relief appearance of Ralls' career.

Dodd on the Hill
Left-hander Dylan Dodd (1-0) will get the ball for Friday's series opener at SIU Edwardsville. Dodd will make his 12th career Ohio Valley Conference start on the mound. He is 3-3 with 62 strikeouts in 60.2 innings through 11 career starts against league opponents. Dodd's most strikeouts in a game against any OVC opponent actually came at SIU Edwardsville on Mar. 15, 2019. He struck out 11, walked none and allowed only one run on five hits in 5.2 innings en route to beating the Cougars that game.

10-Strikeout Performance
Dylan Dodd was again magnificent on the mound during his second start of the season. Dodd wound up getting a no-decision against #2 Arkansas (Feb. 25). He finished with 10, strikeouts, walked two and allowed just two runs on three hits. Dodd struck out two in each of the first three innings and sat the Razorbacks down in order in the second. He also no-hit Arkansas through 2.2 innings. It marked the third time where Dodd struck out 10 or more during his career.

Approaching 150 Strikeouts
Dylan Dodd is 19 strikeouts away from getting 150 in his Southeast Missouri career. Dodd recorded 139 strikeouts in 121.2 innings to date. He currently ranks fifth among SEMO's all-time career leaders in strikeouts/9 innings (10.32) and seventh in walks/9 innings (2.52). Dodd also leads the Ohio Valley Conference with 26 strikeouts and 19 innings pitched so far.

Career Hit 200
Danny Wright registered the 200th hit of his career with a two-RBI single that gave Southeast Missouri a 5-2 lead in the eighth inning of game one at #2 Arkansas (Feb. 25). Wright finished with three RBI in that contest.

Basler Fifth in Career Stolen Bases 
Connor Basler stole at least one base in each of the first three games of the 2021 campaign. As a result, Basler moved into a three-way tie for fifth among Southeast Missouri's all-time career stolen base leaders. He, Kerry Robinson (1993-95) and Kenton Parmley (2009-12) share the fifth-place spot with 46 stolen bases. Denver Stuckey (2000-03) currently holds the record with 52. Basler stole a base in each of his first three games of a season for the first time in his Redhawk career.

Double-Digit Hits 
Southeast Missouri registered 10 or more hits for the fourth time this season when it pounded out 11 vs. Illinois State (Mar. 7). The Redhawks posted a season-best 11 hits on three occasions. SEMO is 3-1 in games where it gets 10 or more hits.

Stauss Brothers 
Brothers Wade and Tyler Stauss were in Southeast Missouri's lineup together for the first time in the series finale at South Alabama (Feb. 21). Wade started at catcher and his younger brother, Ty, was in left field for that contest. They have been in the starting lineup together a total of four times this year.

Redhawks Sweep OVC Honors
Southeast Missouri seniors Austin Blazevic and Dylan Dodd swept the Ohio Valley Conference Player and Pitcher of the Week honors on Feb. 22. A first baseman from Plainfield, Illinois, Blazevic won this year's first OVC Player of the Week accolade, while Dodd, a left-hander from Danville, Illinois, claimed the first OVC Pitcher of the Week award in 2021.Blazevic and Dodd gave SEMO its first sweep of the league's accolades during the opening week of a season in eight years. Jason Blum (Player) and Zack Smith (Pitcher) was the last duo to complete that sweep on Feb. 18, 2013. Blazevic hit .455 with five runs scored, a double, walk and one RBI to lead SEMO to a series victory at South Alabama (Feb. 19-21). He finished the series with multiple hits in back-to-back games. In Sunday's finale, Blazevic rallied the Redhawks in the ninth inning where they scored three runs to get a 6-5 lead. He started the inning with a single and SEMO sent eight hitters to the plate during its big inning. Then, after USA tied things up in the bottom of the ninth, Blazevic ripped a double down the right field line to score Danny Wright for the go-ahead run all the way from first base. Meanwhile, Dodd struck out eight and allowed only one walk in six innings to lead SEMO to a season-opening 4-2 win over USA on Feb. 19. He moved to 2-1 in his career on opening day. Dodd got stronger as the game went along en route to nailing down his first win of 2021. He retired 12 of the last 13 hitters he faced before giving way to Bryce Grossius in the seventh. Dodd pitched back-to-back 1-2-3 innings in the fifth and sixth frames. The OVC Pitcher of the Week honor marks the third of Dodd's career and the OVC Player of the Week laurel is the second of Blazevic's time in a SEMO uniform.

Season 63
The 2021 campaign is Southeast Missouri's 63rd year of college baseball. The Redhawks are in their 30th season as an NCAA Division I program. SEMO is 1,369-1,123-10 all-time and 835-736-1 at the NCAA Division I level since the inception of its baseball program. The Redhawks have a 409-283-1 record in Ohio Valley Conference play. SEMO won four OVC regular-season titles (2002, 2014, 2015, 2016), three OVC Tournament crowns (1998, 2002, 2016) and made three NCAA Tournament appearances (1998, 2002, 2016) in program history.

Redhawks Tabbed Fifth in OVC Preseason Poll
The Redhawks accumulated 131 points and one first-place nod in this year's Ohio Valley Conference Predicted Order of Finish voted on by the OVC Head Baseball Coaches and Communication Directors. Belmont is this year's preseason favorite with 188 points and 14 first-place votes, while Jacksonville State (176 pts.), Murray State (136 pts.) and Austin Peay (132 pts.) also rated above the Redhawks. Eastern Kentucky (117 pts.), SIU Edwardsville (78 pts.), Eastern Illinois (73 pts.), Morehead State (57 pts.), Tennessee Tech (66 pts.) and UT Martin (45 pts.) round out the preseason poll.

Wilber and Dodd Earn Preseason All-OVC Honors
Junior shortstop Tyler Wilber and senior left-handed pitcher Dylan Dodd was named to this year's Preseason All-Ohio Valley Conference Team. Statistics were based on the 2019 campaign when determining the 16 players selected to the 2021 Preseason All-OVC squad. A native of Danville, Illinois, Dodd led SEMO with 77 strikeouts in 76 innings through 14 starts that year. He finished with four wins on the mound, second-most on the team. Dodd tied for eighth in the OVC in strikeouts. Wilber, who hails from Los Alamitos, California, led the league in batting average (.383) and on-base percentage (.480), while ranking third in doubles (19) and fifth in hits (80) in 55 starts during the 2019 season. He also scored 43 runs, had a team-high three triples and led the Redhawks with 40 RBI. For his efforts, Wilber garnered First-Team All-OVC accolades. 

Wilber Ranked 17th Among D1Baseball's Top 100 Shortstops
D1Baseball rated Southeast Missouri junior Tyler Wilber 17th among its Top 100 shortstops in the nation. A native of Los Alamitos, California, Wilber was rated among D1Baseball's Top 40 junior hitters in 2020. He ranked second on the team with a .406 batting average in 17 starts during a shortened season due to COVID-19. Wilber led the Redhawks in runs (26), doubles (9), walks (11) and on-base percentage (.494). Wilber was atop the Ohio Valley Conference in runs scored and ranked second in doubles, total bases (48) and total plate appearances (85) when play was suspended. Nationally, he ranked second in runs scored, fourth in runs per game (1.53) and ninth in total bases. UCLA's Matt McLain was tabbed as the No. 1 shortstop on this year's list.

2021 Roster
After all the uncertainties and challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, the NCAA Division I Council decided to allow schools to provide spring sport student-athletes an additional season of competition and an extension on their period of eligibility. Since everyone from 2020 redshirted, Southeast Missouri brings back over 60 percent of its roster. That said, the Redhawks 2021 squad consists of 38 players, including 19 returnees, six position starters and three starting pitchers.

Sawyers in Fifth Year
Andy Sawyers is in his fifth year as Southeast Missouri's head coach. Sawyers, who has been coaching college baseball for more than two decades, is 180-129 in his career as a head coach. That includes a 93-102 record and 48-45 Ohio Valley Conference mark as SEMO's skipper. He has led the Redhawks to two OVC Tournaments (2017, 2018). SEMO's 29 victories in 2017 are currently the most in a season with Sawyers at the helm. 

Over 150 Starts
Two Redhawks have made over 150 starts in their careers. Second baseman Connor Basler tallied a team-high 184 career starts and mainstay center fielder Danny Wright has accumulated 172. Both Basler and Wright are fifth-year seniors after joining Southeast Missouri's baseball program in 2017.

Pro Prospects Return
Shortstop Tyler Wilber, a First-Team All-Ohio Valley Conference selection in 2019, chose to remain at Southeast Missouri after turning down free agent offers from a couple of different professional teams last summer. Left-handed pitcher Dylan Dodd also decided to return after getting offers to play professionally. 

Career Hitters
Southeast Missouri has three players hitting .295 or better for their careers entering this weekend's series. Tyler Wilber leads the way with a .391 career batting average followed by Danny Wright (.300) and Andrew Keck (.295). Wilber, Keck and Wright have combined for a total of 406 hits, 243 runs scored, 73 doubles, 11 triples, 21 home runs and 216 RBI in their careers.

Career Rankings
Tyler Wilber presently ranks third all-time among Southeast Missouri's career leaders with a .391 batting average. Danny Wright is third in hit by pitch (30) and Connor Basler rates seventh in hit by pitch (25) and fifth in stolen bases (46). Dylan Dodd ranks fifth all-time in strikeouts/9 innings (10.32) and seventh in walks allowed/9 innings (2.52).

On Deck
Southeast Missouri plays its first midweek game of the season when it heads to Saint Louis on Mar. 16. First pitch is set for 3 p.m., CT at the Billiken Sports Complex.