Southeast Missouri (28-11, 11-4 OVC) at Belmont (27-14, 9-3 OVC)

Dates: Friday-Sunday, April 29-May 1, 2022
Series Schedule: 
Friday - 5 p.m., CT
Saturday - 2 p.m., CT
Sunday - 1 p.m., CT
Location: Nashville, Tenn.
Facility: E.S. Rose Park
Series History: SEMO leads, 21-12
Last Meeting: SEMO 5, BEL 0 (May 5, 2021 | Nashville, Tenn.)
Head Coaches: Andy Sawyers (233-156 overall; 146-129 at SEMO; 76-59 OVC). Dave Jarvis (1,023-762-2 overall; 698-639-2 at BEL).

Follow the Redhawks
Video: ESPN+ (Friday Only)
Radio: ESPN 93.5 FM & 1220 AM (Erik Sean)
Live Stats: BelmontBruins.com Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3
Twitter: @SEMObaseball
Series Notes: Southeast Missouri (PDF)

Probable Starting Pitchers
Friday - Jason Rackers, RHP (SEMO) / Andy Bean, LHP (BEL)
Saturday - Tommy Windt, RHP (SEMO) / Joshua South, RHP (BEL)
Sunday - TBA (SEMO) / Jalen Borders, LHP (BEL)
 

Top Two OVC Teams Square Off in the Music City This Weekend  
Second-place Southeast Missouri (28-11, 11-4) and Ohio Valley Conference leader Belmont (27-14, 9-3) hook up for a big series in the Music City this weekend. Friday's series-opener is set for 5 p.m., CT at E.S. Rose Park.

Follow the Redhawks 
Video for Friday's series-opener can be accessed online at ESPN+. Listen to all games of the series live on the radio at ESPN 93.5 FM and 1220 AM. Erik Sean will call the action. Live stats for the three-game set can be accessed at BelmontBruins.com. Twitter updates available @SEMOBaseball.

Series History
Southeast Missouri and Belmont meet for the 34th time Friday. SEMO holds a 21-12 lead in the all-time series. The Redhawks won six of the last nine games of the series and have claimed three-straight series wins against the Bruins dating back to 2018.

More on the Matchup
The Redhawks (28) and Bruins (27) have combined for 55 wins this season as the Ohio Valley Conference's current top two teams. Southeast Missouri has scored the most runs (308), while Belmont has given up the fewest (190) in the league thus far. There are six Preseason All-OVC selections between the teams, including Preseason Player of the Year shortstop Tyler Wilber and outfielder Jevon Mason for SEMO, and third baseman Logan Jarvis, outfielder John Behrends and starting pitchers Andy Bean and Joshua Smith for BU. 

Redhawks Drop Midweek Tilt at Southern Illinois on Walkoff Home Run  
Southeast Missouri came up on the short end of a 7-6 extra inning loss at longtime rival Southern Illinois (Apr. 26). SEMO held a 6-1 lead until SIU scored five runs to tie the game in the bottom of the eighth inning. The Salukis then won on a walkoff home run in the bottom of the 11th. SIU used a pair of one-run victories to sweep the home-and-home series this season.

Extra! Extra!
The Redhawks have gone to extra innings in three of their last four games. Southeast Missouri won a pair of 10-inning contests vs. Morehead State before falling at Southern Illinois (Apr. 26). SEMO has been involved in six extra-inning affairs this year and is 5-1 in those matchups.

Andrews Gets 10th Home Run
Lincoln Andrews has hit four home runs in his last three games. Andrews recently picked up his 10th home run of the season with a two-run shot in the top of the eighth inning at Southern Illinois (Apr. 26). He is the fourth Redhawk to reach double-digit home runs in 2022 joining Tyler Wilber (14), Andrew Keck (10) and Jevon Mason (10).

Another Sweep
Southeast Missouri recorded its sixth series sweep of the season when it beat Morehead State (Apr. 22-23). .SEMO won two of its three games against the Eagles by one run in extra innings. The Redhawks came from behind to win all three games.

Approaching 30 Wins
Southeast Missouri is two wins away from reaching 30 this season. When that happens, it will be the second-straight 30-win season under Head Coach Andy Sawyers and 15th in program history. It will also mark SEMO's fifth 30-win campaign in the last eight seasons.

Bombs Away
The Redhawks hit five home runs in a game for the fourth time this season in their series finale against Morehead State (Apr. 23). Lincoln Andrews accounted for three of those round-trippers in the doubleheader. Andrews hit a grand slam in SEMO's 16-9 victory and then homered twice in the Redhawks 9-8 win.

That's a Relief
Kyle Miller posted a pair of victories out of the bullpen last week. Miller recorded 10 strikeouts and did not allow a walk in his two appearances. He struck out five in 2.1 innings during game one of the series and closed out the weekend strong by striking out five more in three scoreless innings against Morehead State.

Redhawks Take Down SEC Member Ole Miss
Tyler Wilber narrowly missed hitting for the cycle to lead Southeast Missouri to a dominating 13-3 win over SEC member Ole Miss (Apr. 19). Wilber went 4-for-6 with three runs scored, a double, home run and three RBI. SEMO, which handed Ole Miss its largest non-conference loss of the season, knocked off a SEC opponent for the first time in five years. The win was also the Redhawks first over a Power Five conference foe since 2019 (3-2, at Purdue). SEMO picked up its third win in 20 meetings with Ole Miss. All three of those victories came in Oxford.

28 Wins
Southeast Missouri leads the Ohio Valley Conference with 28 wins this season. SEMO is one of three teams in the league with 25 or more victories. Belmont (26-14) and Eastern Illinois (25-12) are the others. The Redhawks 10 losses are fewest in the OVC. SEMO is 18th in the nation with a .737 winning percentage.

Williams Strikes Out Nine
Austin Williams recorded a career-high nine strikeouts in his win over Tennessee Tech on Apr. 15. The nine strikeouts are the most in a game by any Southeast Missouri pitcher this season.

Two-Home Run Games
Andrew Keck became the fourth player to get two or more home runs in a game for the Redhawks this season when he homered twice at Tennessee Tech (Apr. 15). Lincoln Andrews (3, at Austin Peay, Apr. 2; 2, vs. Morehead State, Apr. 23), Ty Stauss (2, at Austin Peay, Apr. 3) and Tyler Wilber (2, vs. Valparaiso, Mar. 13) also accomplished the feat.

One Home Loss
The Redhawks saw a program record 17-game home winning streak end with its only loss at Capaha Field on Apr. 12. Southeast Missouri dropped a tight 3-2 contest to longtime rival Southern Illinois in the 91st meeting between the teams. It was the first time SEMO fell at home since May 21, 2021 (9-2, vs. UT Martin). The 17-game stretch was the second-longest home winning streak in the nation at the time.

Midweek Games
The Redhawks scored in every inning en route to blowing out Saint Louis, 16-5, in their 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 twice (Mar. 8, Apr. 5) and Saint Louis (Mar. 29) again, and toppled Ole Miss (Apr. 19). The Redhawks are 5-4 in midweek action this year. 

Great at Home
Southeast Missouri is 20-1 at home this season. The Redhawks won 22 of their last 24 matchups at Capaha Field dating back to the 2021 campaign. SEMO is 91-42 at home under Head Coach Andy Sawyers. The 20 home wins are most in the Ohio Valley Conference and most in a season under Sawyers. The Redhawks last had 20 home wins in a season during the 2010 campaign (21-6).

Second-Best Home Record in the Country
The Redhawks presently have the second-best home record in the nation behind Southeastern Conference member and #1 Tennessee. A total of 19 NCAA Division I programs currently have 20 or more home victories this season.Tennessee (26-1), SEMO (20-1), Virginia (23-2), Texas Tech (20-2), Arkansas (25-3), Wofford (20-3), Mercer (22-4), College of Charleston 20-4), Davidson (22-5), Miami (Fla.) (22-5), LSU (21-5), Louisville (21-5), North Carolina (20-5), Texas State (20-5), Wake Forest (21-6), Florida State (20-7), Houston (20-7), Florida Atlantic (20-8) and McNeese State (20-12) are those clubs.

That Was Fast
With its win over Arkansas State on Apr. 5, Southeast Missouri reached 20 wins in a season quicker than it has ever done under Head Coach Andy Sawyers. The Redhawks 20th win came 25 days sooner than it did a year ago (Apr. 30, 2021). SEMO is one of 27 NCAA Division I teams with 28 or more victories this year. 

Second in the OVC
The Redhawks (11-4) are second in the Ohio Valley Conference standings behind Belmont (9-3). Southeast Missouri's 11 league victories are most in the OVC.

A Look Ahead
Southeast Missouri is on the road for eight-straight games, its longest road stretch of the season. After this weekend's visit to Belmont,  the Redhawks head to Missouri (May 3) and Oklahoma State (May 6-8). SEMO is on the road for 11 of its final 15 games of the regular-season.

Record Home Winning Streak
The Redhawks 17-game home winning streak marked the longest in program history. Southeast Missouri went undefeated through its first 17 home games of a season for the first time ever. Prior to this year, SEMO began the 2000 campaign at 13-0 at home. The Redhawks have the most home victories and best home record in the Ohio Valley Conference. 

Get Out the Brooms!
Southeast Missouri swept eight opponents this season. The Redhawks completed three-game sweeps vs. Bellarmine (Feb. 26-27), Bradley (Mar. 4-5), Valparaiso (Mar. 12-13), SIU Edwardsville (Mar. 25-27),  Murray State (Apr. 8-10) and Morehead State (Apr. 22-23). SEMO also swept its home-and-home series vs. Saint Louis and Arkansas State. The eight series sweeps are the most in a season with Andy Sawyers at the helm. In all, the Redhawks have 16 series sweeps under Sawyers. Interestingly enough, SEMO did not sweep any opponent during its entire 2021 campaign.

Wilber's Hitting Streak Ends at 12 Games
Tyler Wilber's 12-game hitting streak ended vs. Morehead State on Apr. 23. The 12-game stretch is the longest of any Redhawk this season. Wilber recorded multiple hits eight times during his streak.

Comeback Kids
The Redhawks have 20 come-from-behind victories this season, including 11 after they trailed in the first inning. Southeast Missouri came back to win nine of its first 15 Ohio Valley Conference games this year.

Wilber Wins First OVC Player of the Week Honor
Preseason Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year Tyler Wilber won his first OVC Player of the Week honor on Apr. 11. Wilbertook over as Southeast Missouri's top hitter following four-straight multiple-hit performances last week. For the week, he hit .722 (13-for-18) with eight runs scored, a pair of doubles, two home runs, six RBI, a 1.167 slugging percentage and .722 on-base percentage. Wilber hit the go-ahead home run during game two vs. Murray State (Apr. 9) and the tying home run against the Racers on Apr. 10. For the Murray State series alone, Wilber had back-to-back four-hit games and one three-hit contest. He hit .786 with 11 hits in 14 at-bats and boasted a 1.286 slugging percentage in that series. Wilber raised his batting average 63 points from .304 to .367 during that four-game stretch. 

Walk-Off Wins
First baseman Lincoln Andrews snapped a 7-7 tie with a leadoff walk-off home run in the bottom of the 11th inning to give Southeast Missouri an 8-7 come-from-behind win in its series-opener vs. Bellarmine (Feb. 26). The walk-off hit marked the first of Andrews' career. Brett Graber then delivered a RBI-single with no outs in the bottom of the ninth inning to give SEMO an 11-10 win over Murray State (Apr. 10). Graber also hit a walk-off home run to give the Redhawks a 9-8 win in the 10th inning vs. Morehead State (Apr. 23).

Mr. Clutch
Center fielder Brett Graber hit a two-out bases clearing triple to lift Southeast Missouri to its 8-5 midweek win over Arkansas State (Apr. 5). SEMO held a 5-0 lead, but ASU scored four times in the sixth and added another run to tie the game in the top of the seventh. The Redhawks, however, kept their poise and quickly responded during their turn in the seventh. Jevon Mason reached on a one-out error and moved into scoring position on a two-out single by Tyler Wilber. After Mason and Wilber advanced on a wild pitch, Andrew Keck walked to load the bases. Graber, behind 1-2 in the count, then tripled to right to clear the bases and put SEMO ahead. It was the second triple of Graber's career. Five days later, Graber delivered the RBI-single in the bottom of the ninth to send SEMO to an 11-10 walk-off victory over Murray State (Apr. 10).

Redhawks at Capaha
Just how good is Southeast Missouri at home? SEMO is hitting .309 and outscoring opponents by a staggering +92 margin (202-110). The Redhawks hit 44 home runs at Capaha Field for a little over two (2.09) per home contest. Additionally, SEMO has scored 10 or more runs 11 times and collected 10 or more hits a total of 13 times on its home field. Individually, Tyler Wilber boasts a .442 batting average with 29 runs, seven doubles, nine home runs and 32 RBI, while Brett Graber and Andrew Keck follow hitting .434 and .393 at home, respectively.

Single-Season Home Run Marks
With its 68 home runs this season, Southeast Missouri passed its total of 37 homers in 52 games a year ago by a +31 margin. The single-season school record during the Redhawks NCAA Division I era is 92 home runs set by the 2000 club. This year's 68 home runs are the most hit by a Andy Sawyers coached team. Sawyers' 2017 club had the previous mark with 54 round-trippers. 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

14 of 20
Southeast Missouri has won 14 of its last 20 games. SEMO won four in a row from Mar. 25-29 and five in a row from Apr. 3-10 during that stretch. SEMO's longest winning streak of the season stands at 11 (Feb. 26-Mar. 13). 

Five-Game Homestand
The Redhawks wrapped up their second-longest homestand of the season with a 4-1 record. Southeast Missouri beat Arkansas State (Apr. 5) and swept Murray State (Apr. 8-10) before falling to Southern Illinois (Apr. 12).

Marching On
Southeast Missouri finished with a 13-4 record in March, its best in that month under Head Coach Andy Sawyers. In its 17 March contests, SEMO outscored its opponents by a +42 margin (136-94) and hit 28 home runs.

Andrews Notches Career-High in Home Runs 
First baseman Lincoln Andrews went 3-for-4 with a career-high three home runs at Austin Peay (Apr. 2). Andrews homered in each of his first three at-bats of the game with a solo bomb in each of the second and sixth innings, and a two-run shot in the fourth. He became the first Redhawk to hit three home runs in a game since fellow first baseman Matt Tellor accomplished the feat at UT Martin (Mar. 30. 2014).

Wilber Hits 20th Career Home Run
Tyler Wilber hit his 20th career home run to clinch Southeast Missouri's 6-5 win over Austin Peay (Apr. 3). Wilber's solo shot in the top of the ninth inning loomed large in the end of the close contest. He hit his 20th career home run on the day he made his 150th career start as a Redhawk. Wilber was also ranked as the #22 shortstop in the country by D1Baseball during week six (Mar. 28-Apr. 3).

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 has a RPI rating of 53 this week. 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 four earned runs in 27.2 innings through 14 relief appearances this season. Miller ranks tied for third in the Ohio Valley Conference with six saves. He also leads the team and ranks second in the league with five wins (5-2).

OVC Slate
The 24-game Ohio Valley Conference slate for the reigning OVC Champion and preseason favorite Southeast Missouri baseball team started with a series sweep of SIU Edwardsville (Mar. 25-27). The rest of the league schedule includes home series with Murray State (Apr. 8-10), Morehead State (Apr. 22-24) and UT Martin (May 13-15). SEMO's OVC road schedule consists of Austin Peay (Apr. 1-3), Tennessee Tech (Apr. 14-16), Belmont (Apr. 29-May 1) and Eastern Illinois (May 19-21).

Yard Work
Southeast Missouri has homered in 30 of its 39 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 third in the Ohio Valley Conference with 68 home runs. The Redhawks have hit a home run in seven-straight games. The last time SEMO did not homer in a game was at Tennessee Tech (Apr. 14).

Series Wins
The Redhawks claimed wins in 22 of their last 27 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 wins (28), runs scored (308), RBI (294) and strikeouts (pitching) (357). Individually, Tyler Wilber leads the league in RBI (54) and Jevon Mason is first among league leaders in runs (51) and total plate appearances (196). Jason Rackers is tied for first in strikeouts looking (18).

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 14 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 lead the Ohio Valley Conference with 308 runs.

Power Outage
Ten different players have homered for Southeast Missouri this season. Tyler Wilber leads the Redhawks with 14 home runs, while Andrew Keck, Jevon Mason and Lincoln Andrews follow with 10 apiece. Peyton Leeper has six and Ty Stauss has five. Joel Vaske and Brett Graber each have four, Ben Palmer has three and Spencer Parker has two. 

Leeper Tabbed OVC Player of the Week
Southeast Missouri utility player Peyton Leeper won Southeast Missouri's first Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Week honor of the 2022 season on Mar. 14. A native of Mokane, Missouri, Leeper homered in all four of his starts last week helping the Redhawks extend their winning streak to 11 games. He broke SEMO's series-opener against Valparaiso (Mar. 12) open with a grand slam, the first of his career. Leeper then homered in both games of the series-ending doubleheader against the Beacons the following day. His second round-tripper that day was a game-winning two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth inning during the nightcap. Leeper's other home run for the week came in a midweek matchup at Arkansas State (Mar. 8). In the Valparaiso series alone, Leeper finished with three home runs, six runs scored and nine RBI. For the week, he hit .353 with four of his six hits coming via the long ball. He scored nine times, had 10 RBI, boasted a 1.059 slugging percentage, recorded a .500 on-base percentage and was a perfect 3-of-3 in stolen bases. Leeper carries a six-game hitting streak into this week's action. Leeper won the award for the first time in his career. UT Martin right-hander Rhett Fetner (Pitcher of the Week) rounded out the week's honorees.

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 242 hits in his career.

Over 150
Andrew Keck (181) 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 the second player on this year's team to reach 150 or more hits joining Tyler Wilber (242). Jevon Mason became the third player on this year's roster to get over 100 career hits (107).

NCAA Division I Rankings (Top-25)
As of games through Apr. 24 the Redhawks rank among the top 25 NCAA Division I teams home runs per game (13th, 1.7), home runs (13th, 67), slugging percentage (25th, .503) and winning percentage (18th, .737). Individually, Noah Niznik is 18th in games started (10) and Tyler Wilber is 22nd in home runs (14), 11th in RBI (53), 14th in RBI per game (1.4) and 23rd in total bases (111). Jevon Mason rates 16th in runs (50) and 10th in runs per game (1.3), while Kyle Miller is ninth in wins (7). 

Stealing the Show
Andrew Keck is 8-of-12 on the basepaths this season. Keck has 42 stolen bases and is now ninth on Southeast Missouri's all-time career stolen base list. Jevon Mason leads SEMO in stolen bases with 13 in 15 attempts.

Double-Digit Hits
Southeast Missouri registered double-digit hits in 21 games. SEMO is 18-3 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 third in the Ohio Valley Conference with 54 and 47 RBI, respectively. Wilber (16) and Keck (14) have combined for 30 multiple-RBI games this season.

Career Day for Keck
Catcher Andrew Keck went 4-for-5 with a grand slam, double, two singles, four runs scored, two stolen bases and seven RBI to lead Southeast Missouri to its win over Saint Louis (Mar. 1). Keck hit safely in each of his first three at-bats. His four runs and seven RBI are new career-highs, while his four hits match a career-best. Keck leads the team with a .412 batting average.

Grand Slamming
Andrew Keck hit his second grand slam in three days against Saint Louis (Mar. 1). Keck launched his team-high third home run of the season over the left field wall in the bottom of the sixth inning. He smashed his first career grand slam to help send Southeast Missouri to a 10-2 win over Bellarmine (Feb. 27). That round-tripper came in the bottom of the first inning against the Knights.

Mason Plays Strong
Leadoff man Jevon Mason is Southeast Missouri's fourth-leading hitter with a .319 batting average. Mason ranks first on the team in runs (51), tied for third in doubles (11) and tied for second in home runs (10). He is also third on the team in slugging percentage (.613) and  on-base percentage (.423) through 39 starts.

Over .300
Southeast Missouri has four players hitting over .300 through 39 games this season. Tyler Wilber leads the team with a .360 clip, while Andrew Keck (.349), Brett Graber (.338) and Jevon Mason (.319) follow. Those four players have accounted for 159 RBI, as well.

Extra Innings
Six of Southeast Missouri's games this season have gone to extra innings. The Redhawks are 5-1 in such games after beating #22 Dallas Baptist, 7-6, in 12 innings (Feb. 18) and, 6-5, in 10 innings (Feb. 19), Bellarmine, 8-7, in 11 innings (Feb. 26) and Morehead State twice in 10 innings (Apr. 22-23). The Redhawks fell to Southern Illinois, 7-6, in 11 innings (Apr. 26).SEMO played seven extra inning games in 2021 (4-3).

Six-Inning Starts
Left-hander Noah Niznik and right-hander Jason Rackers have combined for five 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 collected six strikeouts when he worked six innings in a no-decision vs. SIU Edwardsville (Mar. 25). Niznik worked six innings with seven strikeouts in a no-decision at Austin Peay (Apr. 2). Most recently, Rackers had a season-high seven strikeouts in a win over Murray State (Apr. 8).

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.

Miller Named OVC Pitcher of the Week
Southeast Missouri sophomore right-hander Kyle Miller won the first Ohio Valley Conference Pitcher of the Week award of the 2022 season on Feb. 21.  Miller picked up his first win of the season at #22 Dallas Baptist on Feb. 18. He came out of the bullpen to toss six scoreless innings to help lead the Redhawks to a 12-inning one-run upset of the nationally-ranked Patriots. Miller struck out four, walked two and allowed only three hits in his first appearance of the year as SEMO posted a series win against a ranked opponent for only the second time in program history.

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 1,422-1,149 all-time and 887-761-1 at the NCAA Division I level since the inception of its baseball program. The Redhawks have a 444-299-1 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. 

2022 Redhawks
The Redhawks 2022 roster consists of 38 players, including four seniors, 16 juniors, nine sophomores and nine freshmen. Southeast Missouri returns five position starters and two starting pitchers. SEMO also has each of its top five hitters back from last season.

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 .378. 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 242 hits, 143 runs, 51 doubles, six triples, 25 home runs and 155 RBI in 163 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.  

163 and Counting
Tyler Wilber has never missed a start in his Southeast Missouri career. The shortstop has started 163 consecutive games as the most experienced player on the roster. Wilber committed only nine errors in 52 starts at short in 2021.

SEMO Spring Fact
Southeast Missouri's baseball (20-1), softball (11-0) and women's tennis (4-2) teams are a combined 35-3 at home this season. All three are reigning Ohio Valley Conference Champions.