Southeast Missouri (17-5) at Saint Louis (12-9)

Series Information
Date: Tuesday, March 29, 2022
First Pitch: 3 p.m., CT
Location: St. Louis, Mo.
Facility: Billiken Sports Center (500)
Series: SEMO leads, 37-29
Last Meeting: SEMO 16, SLU 5 (Mar. 1, 2022 | Cape Girardeau, Mo.)
Head Coaches: Andy Sawyers (222-148 overall; 135-123 at SEMO; 68-55 OVC). Darin Hendrickson (919-513-1 overall; 429-339-1 at SLU).

Follow the Redhawks
Radio: ESPN 93.5 FM & 1220 AM (Erik Sean)
Live Stats: SLUBillikens.com
Twitter: @SEMObaseball
Game Notes: Southeast Missouri (PDF)

Probable Starting Pitchers
Bryce Grossius, RHP (SEMO) / Scott Youngbrandt, RHP (SLU)

Redhawks Close Out March  
Southeast Missouri (17-5) closes out March with a midweek trip to Saint Louis (12-9) Tuesday. First pitch is set for 3 p.m., CT at the Billiken Sports Center.

Follow the Redhawks
Listen live on the radio at ESPN 93.5 FM and 1220 AM. Erik Sean will call the action. Live stats can be accessed online at SLUBillikens.com. Twitter updates available @SEMOBaseball.

Series History
Southeast Missouri will wrap up its home-and-home series with Saint Louis Tuesday. Tuesday's game marks the 67th meeting between the teams. SEMO leads the series, 37-29, and has won the last three games against the Billikens. The Redhawks started the month with a 16-5 victory over SLU on Mar. 1 and will end the month against the Billikens this week.

17 Wins
The Redhawks and Eastern Illinois are tied for first in the Ohio Valley Conference standings after each team swept during opening weekend of conference play on Mar. 25-27. Southeast Missouri (17-5, 3-0) leads the OVC in wins and carries a three-game winning streak into Tuesday's midweek tilt.

How Sweep it is!
Southeast Missouri swept in four of their first five series this season. Southeast Missouri posted series sweeps vs. Bellarmine (Feb. 26), Bradley (Mar. 4-5), Valparaiso (Mar. 12-13) and SIU Edwardsville (Mar. 25-27). All of those came at Capaha Field. The four series sweeps are the most in a season under Head Coach Andy Sawyers. In all, the Redhawks have 12 series sweeps with Sawyers at the helm. SEMO did not sweep one opponent during its 2021 campaign.

OVC Openers
With its 2-1 win over SIU Edwardsville (Mar. 25), Southeast Missouri moved to 19-12 all-time in Ohio Valley Conference openers. That mark includes a 4-2 record under Head Coach Andy Sawyers. SEMO has opened conference play with a win in four of its last five seasons.

Last Time vs. Saint Louis
Andrew Keck went 4-for-5 with a grand slam, double, four runs and a career-high seven RBI to lead Southeast Missouri to a commanding 16-5 win over Saint Louis on Mar. 1. The 16 runs came during a streak where the Redhawks scored 10 or more in seven-straight contests (Feb. 27-Mar. 8). 

Race to 20 Wins
The Redhawks could pick up their 20th win of the season as early as Saturday when they are at Austin Peay (Apr. 2). If that happens, it would be the quickest Southeast Missouri recorded 20 wins in a season since Apr. 3, 2016. That year, the Redhawks got their 20th win vs. SIU Edwardsville (20-11) in Cape Girardeau.

Strong OVC Start
Southeast Missouri won each of the first two games of its Ohio Valley Conference opening series against SIU Edwardsville (Mar. 25-27) on a two-out double in the middle innings. In game one, Ben Palmer doubled off the left field wall to score Joel Vaske and Ty Stauss in teh bottom of the fifth inning. Tyler Wilber then doubled home Jevon Mason and Stauss with two outs in the bottom fo the sixth during game two. Andrew Keck and Palmer each homered to lift the Redhawks to a 5-2 win in the series finale. SEMO began OVC play with a series sweep for the first time under Head Coach Andy Sawyers and first time since 2016.

Perfect at Home
The Redhawks are undefeated at home with a 13-0 record this season. Southeast Missouri won 15 of its last 16 matchups at Capaha Field dating back to the 2021 campaign. The Redhawks are 84-41 at home under Head Coach Andy Sawyers. The most home victories by a Sawyers coached team stands at 18 in both 2017 and 2018, his first two years as SEMO's skipper. The Redhawks last won their first 13 home games in a season during the 2016 campaign. SEMO and Eastern Illinois are the only Ohio Valley Conference schools without a home loss this year, although the Panthers have not played at home yet this season.

Fifth-Longest Home Winning Streak
Southeast Missouri's 13-game home winning streak is currently the fifth-longest in the nation this season. Tennessee (24 games), North Carolina (20 games), Virginia (18 games) and Connecticut (18 games) complete the top-five longest home winning streaks thus far.

Best Start in Division I Era
The Redhawks began the 2022 season at 13-1, their best start in their NCAA Division I era. Southeast Missouri moved to the D-I ranks in 1992. SEMO's 13-1 start tied with the 1973 team which also won 13 of its first 14 contests.

RPI Update
Southeast Missouri enters the week with a RPI rating of 29. SEMO currently holds the highest RPI of any team in the Ohio Valley Conference. This year is the highest SEMO has ranked in RPI under Head Coach Andy Sawyers. The Redhawks other RPI rankings with Sawyers at the helm include 87th (2021), 136th (2017), 200th (2018, 2020) and 259th (2019).

Miller Gets Pair of Saves
Right-hander Kyle Miller pitched five scoreless innings out of the bullpen en route to picking up two saves in Southeast Missouri's sweep of SIU Edwardsville (Mar. 25-27). Miller struck out four and allowed only one hit in three innings during game one. In the series finale, he struck out three and gave up just one hit in two more scoreless innings. For the weekend, Miller struck out seven, walked two and scattered two hits in five innings. He has allowed only one earned run in 21.2 innings through nine relief appearances this season. Miller ranks third in the Ohio Valley Conference with four saves.

Graber Rises
Outfielder Brett Graber is Southeast Missouri's leading hitter with a .356 batting average. Graber initially took over as the Redhawks top hitter after a strong series against Missouri State (Mar. 19-20). Graber hit .454 (5-for-11) with two runs scored, one RBI, a double and two walks in three starts against the Bears. He had multiple hits in each of the first two games of the series. Graber also reached base in all 21 of 22 games this season.

Yard Work
Southeast Missouri has homered in 17 of its 22 games and hit a series-best 10 round-trippers vs. Valparaiso (Mar. 12-13). SEMO finished with a season-high five home runs in two games -- vs. Bradley (Mar. 4); vs. Valparaiso (Mar. 13). Twenty-four of the Redhawks home runs have come against Missouri Valley Conference teams. SEMO ranks third in the Ohio Valley Conference with 37 home runs.

Single-Season Home Run Marks
With its 37 home runs this season, Southeast Missouri tied its total of 37 in 52 games a year ago. The single-season school record during SEMO's NCAA Division I era is 92 home runs in 2000. The most home runs hit in a season under Head Coach Andy Sawyers stand at 54 by his first SEMO team in 2017. Here are the Redhawks top-five single-season home run marks since they turned Division I in 1991-92.
92 home runs -- 2000
90 home runs -- 1998
76 home runs -- 2010
71 home runs -- 2009
70 home runs -- 2003

Series Wins
The Redhawks claimed wins in 18 of their last 21 series dating back to their COVID-shortened 2020 campaign. At one time, Southeast Missouri posted 11-consecutive series wins during that stretch.

Atop the OVC
As a team, Southeast Missouri leads the Ohio Valley Conference in walks (127) and wins (17). Individually, Tyler Wilber leads the league in RBI (34). 

Quality Start
Right-hander Jason Rackers matched his longest start of the season when he allowed only one run and struck out six in six innings of a no-decision vs. SIU Edwardsville (Mar. 25).  Rackers leads the Redhawks in strikeouts (31) and innings pitched (29.1) this season.

Bullpen Gets it Done
Southeast Missouri's bullpen did not allow a run in its entire series vs. SIU Edwardsville (Mar. 25-27). SEMO's relievers combined to pitch 12.1 scoreless innings and allowed only three hits in that span. The bullpen also accounted for 11 strikeouts, two wins and two saves

They Did That Twice?
In each of the final two games of its series against Valparaiso (Mar. 13), Southeast Missouri homered three times and scored six runs in an inning. SEMO trailed, 6-3, in game one before Peyton Leeper, Tyler Wilber and Lincoln Andrews homered in the bottom of the fourth. That six-run inning lifted the Redhawks to a 16-6 win as SEMO scored the final 13 runs of the game. In game two, the Redhawks were down, 3-0, when Jevon Mason, Wilber and Brett Graber homered as part of a six-run third inning. SEMO later won that contest by a score of 10-8. The Redhawks fell behind in the first inning during every game against Valparaiso before sweeping the series with three come-from-behind victories.

Seeing Double
The Redhawks scored double-digit runs nine times this season. Southeast Missouri scored 10 or more runs in seven consecutive games for the first time in program history from Feb. 27-Mar. 8. The Redhawks rank second in the  Ohio Valley Conference with 180 runs.

Power Outage
Nine different players have homered for Southeast Missouri this season. Tyler Wilber leads the Redhawks with eight home runs, while Jevon Mason (6), Peyton Leeper (5) and Andrew Keck (5) follow. Brett Graber, Joel Vaske and Lincoln Andrews each have three, while Ben Palmer and Ty Stauss add two apiece.

Wilber Clears 200 Hits
Tyler Wilber went over 200 career hits in the Redhawks series sweep of Valparaiso (Mar. 12-13). Wilber hit a team-high .500 in the series. He had four runs, six hits, three home runs, seven RBI and a 1.250 slugging percentage against the Beacons. Wilber got his 200th career hit on a two-out single in the bottom of the eighth inning during game two of the series. He now has 212 hits in his career.

Over 150
Andrew Keck (158) surpassed 150 hits in his career against Valparaiso (Mar. 12-13). Keck hit .357 with a run scored, home run and two RBI against the Beacons. He is SEMO's top hitter with a .375 batting average and is the second player on this year's team to reach 150 or more hits joining Tyler Wilber (212).

NCAA Division I Rankings (Top-25)
As of games through Mar. 27, the Redhawks rank among the top 25 NCAA Division I teams home runs per game (15th, 1.7), home runs (21st, 37) and win-loss percentage (15th, .773). Individually, Noah Niznik is 17th in games started (6), Tyler Wilber is 11th in RBI (34) and 12th in RBI per game (1.5), and Jevon Mason is 19th in runs per game (1.3).

Stealing the Show
Andrew Keck is a perfect 6-of-6 on the basepaths this season. Keck has 40 stolen bases and is now ninth on Southeast Missouri's all-time career stolen base list.

Midweek Games
Southeast Missouri scored in every inning en route to blowing out Saint Louis, 16-5, in its first midweek game of the season on Mar. 1. SEMO established season-highs in runs (16) and hits (16) against the Billikens. SEMO also beat Arkansas State (Mar. 8), 14-6, on the road. The Redhawks are 2-2 in midweek action this year.

Double-Digit Hits
Southeast Missouri registered double-digit hits in 10 games. SEMO is undefeated at 10-0 in games when it gets 10 or more hits. It finished with a season-high 16 hits vs. Saint Louis (Mar. 1) and Valparaiso (Mar. 13).

RBI Guys
Tyler Wilber and Andrew Keck are first and sixth in the Ohio Valley Conference with 34 and 25 RBI, respectively. Wilber (10) and Keck (7) have combined for 17 multiple-RBI games this season.

Mason Plays Strong
Leadoff man Jevon Mason is Southeast Missouri's fourth-leading hitter with a .295 batting average. Mason ranks first on the team in runs (30), second in doubles (6) and home runs (6), and is third in RBI (19). He is also second on the team in slugging percentage (.614) and third in on-base percentage (.427) through 22 starts.

Over .300
Southeast Missouri has three players hitting over .300 through 22 games this season. Brett Graber leads the team with a .356 clip, while Andrew Keck (.353) and Tyler Wilber (.322) follow. Those three players have accounted for 74 RBI, as well.

Walk This Way
Southeast Missouri players hold four of the first seven spots among Ohio Valley Conference leaders in walks. Jevon Mason (2nd, 21), Peyton Leeper (3rd, 19), Brett Graber (t4th, 18) and Tyler Wilber (t7th, 16) occupy those places. Those four are responsible for 74 of SEMO's league-leading 127 bases on balls.

Early and Often
Southeast Missouri has jumped on opponents early through its first 22 games this season. In the first four innings alone, SEMO has scored a combined 94 runs, including 22 in the first, 18 in the second, 39 in the third and 15 in the fourth. Fifty-two percent of the Redhawks runs have come in the first four innings of play. SEMO is outscoring opponents 94-78 in that span. 

Six-Inning Starts
Left-hander Noah Niznik and right-hander Jason Rackers have combined for three six-inning starts this season. Niznik went six innings to beat Bellarmine for his first win on Feb. 27 allowing just one run on five hits. He also struck out two and walked one in his longest start since pitching seven innings in a no-decision vs. Austin Peay (Mar. 20, 2021). Rackers picked up his second victory of the year after scattering four hits, giving up three runs and striking out four in six innings at Missouri State (Mar. 19). He then tied a season-high six strikeouts when he worked six innings in a no-decision vs. SIU Edwardsville (Mar. 25).

What a Weekend!
The Redhawks used a pair of extra inning victories to win their season-opening series on the road at #22 Dallas Baptist (Feb. 18-20). Southeast Missouri stunned the Patriots with 7-6 win in 12 innings on Feb. 18, a game that lasted four-and-a-half-hours. In less than 24 hours, the Redhawks turned around to come-from-behind and beat DBU, 6-5, in 10 innings during another one-run affair. SEMO claimed a series win against a ranked opponent for only the second time in program history. The Redhawks also took two of three at then-#16 Alabama to open the 2009 campaign.

Season 64
The 2022 campaign marks Southeast Missouri's 64th year of college baseball. The Redhawks are in their 31st season as an NCAA Division I program. SEMO is 1,411-1,144 all-time and 877-757-1 at the NCAA Division I level since the inception of its baseball program. The Redhawks have a 435-294-1 record in Ohio Valley Conference play. SEMO won five OVC regular-season titles (2002, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2021), four OVC Tournament crowns (1998, 2002, 2016, 2021) and made four NCAA Tournament appearances (1998, 2002, 2016, 2021) in program history.

OVC Preseason Favorite
Southeast Missouri was tabbed the preseason favorite in the 2022 Ohio Valley Conference Baseball Preseason Poll on Feb. 10. The reigning OVC regular-season and tournament champion, SEMO received eight of the possible 18 first-place nods in the overall voting by league Head Coaches and Communication Directors. SEMO accumulated a total of 114 points, while Murray State – which the Redhawks beat to win the OVC Tournament crown in 2021 – was picked second with four first-place votes and 104 points. Morehead State (93 pts.), Austin Peay (87 pts.) and Belmont (86 pts.) round out the top five, while SIU Edwardsville (55 pts.), Eastern Illinois (50 pts.), Tennessee Tech (43 pts.) and UT Martin (16 pts.) complete the nine-team predicted order of finish. 

Wilber Named OVC Preseason Player of the Year
Senior shortstop Tyler Wilber was voted the 2022 Ohio Valley Conference Preseason Player of the Year. A native of Los Alamitos, California, Wilber started all 52 games last season. A Second-Team All-OVC pick, he was Southeast Missouri's leading hitter witha .378 batting average. Wilber also led the Redhawks in RBI (49), total bases (109), slugging percentage (.542), and hits (76). He finished the regular-season with a league-best .400 batting average. Additionally, Wilber was a semifinalist for the Brooks Wallace Award.

Batting Titles
Tyler Wilber won the Ohio Valley Conference regular-season batting title twice in his career to date. Wilber was hitting .400 at the end of regular-season play in 2021 and hit .383 during the 2019 campaign. 

What a Career!
Tyler Wilber is in his fourth-year as Southeast Missouri's starting shortstop. Wilber has a career batting average of .375. His batting average is the second-highest in a career among players in SEMO's NCAA Division I era behind Todd Shylanski (.387, 1991-92). Wilber ranks fourth all-time among the Redhawks career leaders in batting average and sixth in on-base percentage (.467). He has 212 hits, 124 runs, 45 doubles, six triples, 19 home runs and 135 RBI in 146 starts. 

Mason Secures Preseason All-OVC Honors
Left fielder Jevon Mason joined Tyler Wilber on this year's Preseason All-Ohio Valley Conference Team. Mason, who hails from West Des Moines, Iowa, made the league's All-Tournament Team in his first year as a Redhawk in 2021. He ranked second on the team with a .350 batting average behind Wilber. Mason led Southeast Missouri with 14 doubles and boasted a team-best .447 on-base percentage.  

146 and Counting
Tyler Wilber has never missed a start in his Southeast Missouri career. The shortstop has started 146 consecutive games as the most experienced player on the roster. Wilber committed only nine errors in 52 starts at short in 2021.

From Walk-On to Scholarship
What a rookie season right-hander Kyle Miller had for Southeast Missouri in 2021. Miller, who joined the team as a walk-on, compiled a 4-2 record in 20 appearances and five starts. He rated third on the team with 52 strikeouts in 51.1 innings. Miller picked up his first career save on six outs in the Redhawks season-opening win at South Alabama a year ago and then finished his freshman year by throwing a complete game two-hitter with 10 strikeouts in the Redhawks Ohio Valley Conference Tournament Championship win over Murray State. Miller begins his 2022 campaign as a scholarship player.