Illinois State (2-3) vs. Southeast Missouri (2-5)

Series Information
Dates: Friday-Sunday, March 5-7, 2021
Schedule: Friday, 3 p.m., CT / Saturday, 12 p.m. CT (DH) / Sunday, 1 p.m., CT
Location: Cape Girardeau, Mo.
Facility: Capaha Field (2,000)
Series: Illinos State leads, 16-3-1
Last Meeting: ISU 18, SEMO 6 (Mar. 12, 2019 | Cape Girardeau, Mo.)
Head Coaches: Andy Sawyers (177-128 overall; 90-101 at SEMO; 48-45 OVC). Steve Holm (45-38 overall; 45-38 at ISU).

Follow the Redhawks
Radio: SEMO ESPN 93.5 FM & 1220 AM (Erik Sean)
Live Stats: Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 | Game 4
Twitter: @SEMObaseball
Southeast Missouri Baseball Notes (PDF)

Probable Starting Pitchers
Friday - Dylan Dodd, LHP (SEMO) / Colton Johnson, LHP (ISU)
Saturday (Game 1) - Noah Niznik, LHP (SEMO / Jordan Lussier, RHP (ISU)
Saturday (Game 2) - TBA (SEMO) vs. Sean Sinisko, LHP (ISU)
Sunday - TBA (SEMO) vs. Cameron Mabee, RHP (ISU)

Redhawks Host Illinois State 
Southeast Missouri (2-5) plays at home for the first time this season when it hosts Missouri Valley Conference member Illinois State (2-3) in a four-game series this weekend. SEMO and ISU will play four games, including a single game Friday (3 p.m.), a doubleheader Saturday (12 p.m.) and another single contest Sunday (1 p.m.).

Follow the Redhawks
Fans can listen to all four games of Southeast Missouri's series with Illinois State at SEMO ESPN 93.5 FM and 1220 AM. Erik Sean will call the action. Live stats are available at GoSoutheast.com. Twitter updates provided @SEMObaseball.

Home-Openers
Southeast Missouri is 19-10 all-time in home-openers in its NCAA Division I era (since 1992). The Redhawks are 2-2 in such games under Head Coach Andy Sawyers. Sawyers' home-opening wins came in 2017 (22-2, vs. Western Illinois) and 2019 (5-1, vs. Western Michigan).

Series History
The Redhawks meet Illinois State for for the 21st time in their series-opener Friday. ISU, a member of the Missouri Valley Conference, leads the all-time series by a count of 16-3-1. SEMO. The Redbirds won 11 of the last 12 matchups between these teams. SEMO and ISU last played each other on Mar. 12, 2019. The Redbirds won that game, 18-6, in Cape Girardeau.

Last Time Out
Southeast Missouri closed out February with a four-game series at #2 Arkansas (Feb. 25-28). SEMO fell to the Razorbacks by scores of 6-5 in 10 innings, 7-3, 9-3 and 11-4. The Redhawks let a three-run lead slip away with one out in the top of the ninth inning of game one, which Arkansas came back to win in 10 innings. 

About Illinois State
Illinois State, picked second in this year's Missouri Valley Conference Preseason Poll is off to a 2-3 start this young 2021 campaign. Southeast Missouri is the second Ohio Valley Conference school ISU faces this year. Both of the Redbirds wins came as part of a doubleheader sweep at SIU Edwardsville on Feb. 23. ISU won those games by scores of 6-1 and 9-1. Most recently, the Redbirds were swept in a three-game series at #16 Oklahoma State (Feb. 26-28). ISU has two players that were selected to the MVC Preseason Team in designated hitter Jordan Libman and starting pitcher Colton Johnson. Outfielder Jack Butler leads the Redbirds with a .455 batting average which is good for fifth in the MVC. 

Against the MVC
Southeast Missouri has faced all eight Missouri Valley Conference baseball schools in its program history. The Redhawks are 49-79 all-time against MVC teams in their NCAA Division I era. SEMO has winning records vs. Bradley (2-0) and Valparaiso (3-0), and is .500 (26-26) vs. its longtime rival Southern Illinois. The Redhawks will also play SIU (Mar. 23) and Missouri State (Mar. 30; Apr. 23-25) out of the MVC this season.

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 131 strikeouts in 114.2 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 18 strikeouts and 12 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.

Multiple Home Runs
Andrew Keck hit his team-high second home run of the season in game three of Southeast Missouri's series at Arkansas (Feb. 27). Keck is the Redhawks second-leading hitter with a .321 batting average. He is one of eight Ohio Valley Conference players who have homered two or more times in 2021.

Offensive Threat
First baseman Austin Blazevic is boasting a team-best .346 batting average as one of three Redhawks hitting over .300 through seven games this season. Blazevic is also tied for first on the team in runs (6) and hits (9), and leads SEMO with a .577 slugging percentage. Andrew Keck (.321) and Tyler Wilber (.308) are the Redhawks other .300 hitters.

Division I Debuts 
Twelve players have made their NCAA Division I baseball debuts at Southeast Missouri so far this season. At South Alabama (Feb. 19-21), freshmen Noah Jacobsen made his first career starts in right field, freshman Ty Stauss made his first start in left field and right-hander Ryan Vogt recorded his first start on the mound. Four others, including freshmen Kyle Miller and sophomores Connery O'Donnell, Austin Williams and Hunter Ralls made their first relief appearances as Redhawks. At #2 Arkansas, Jevon Mason and Braxton Zivic each logged their first starts in the outfield, while Joey Kossina, Joseph Karall and Matt Perego pitched for the first time out of SEMO's bullpen.

Basler Now 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.

Andrews Off to Good Start 
Freshman Lincoln Andrews was one of three Redhawks to hit over .330 during Southeast Missouri's series at South Alabama (Feb. 19-21). Andrews hit .385 with a run scored, five hits and three RBI. He led the Redhawks in hits and RBI during opening weekend. Andrews hit safely in five of his first seven games this year.