Southeast Missouri (33-17, 15-6 OVC) at Eastern Illinois (30-18, 10-11 OVC)

Dates: Thursday-Saturday, May 19-21, 2022
Series Schedule: 
Thursday - 3 p.m., CT
Friday - 1 p.m., CT
Saturday - 1 p.m., CT
Location: Charleston, Ill.
Facility: Coaches Stadium (500)
Series History: SEMO leads, 43-38
Last Meeting: EIU 8, SEMO 4 (Mar. 27, 2021 | Charleston, Ill.)
Head Coaches: Andy Sawyers (238-162 overall; 151-135 at SEMO; 80-61 OVC). Jason Anderson (148-82 overall: 148-82 at EIU).

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

Probable Starting Pitchers
Friday - Jason Rackers, RHP (SEMO) / Trevor Nicholson, LHP (EIU)
Saturday - Tommy Windt, RHP (SEMO) / Cameron Doherty, RHP (EIU)
Sunday - Ethan Osborne, LHP (SEMO) / TBA (EIU)

Regular-Season Wrap 
Southeast Missouri (33-17, 15-6) wraps up its regular-season with a three-game series at Eastern Illinois (30-18, 10-11) this week. SEMO and EIU open their series Thursday at 3 p.m., CT.

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

Series History
Southeast Missouri and Eastern Illinois hook up for the 82nd time in their series-opener Thursday. SEMO holds a 43-38 lead in the all-time series between the teams. The Redhawks only Ohio Valley Conference series loss during the 2021 campaign came against EIU.

Redhawks Secure Top-Two Seed
Belmont and Southeast Missouri are guaranteed to be the top two seeds in next week's eight-team Ohio Valley Conference Tournament. SEMO will win the OVC regular-season title outright and claim the #1 seed with a sweep of Eastern Illinois and if SIU Edwardsville sweeps Belmont. In the event that SEMO shares the regular-season title with the Bruins (both teams could finish 18-6, 17-7 or 16-8), it will get the #1 seed because it holds the tiebreaker with its series win over Belmont. The Redhawks are in the OVC Tournament for the 27th time in program history. SEMO is the #1 or #2 seed in the OVC Tournament for the sixth time in its last seven trips to the league's postseason fling.

When Will They Play?
Southeast Missouri will open postseason play on Thursday, May 26 as either the #1 or #2 seed. If SEMO is #1, it will play at 10 a.m., CT. If it is #2, it will play at 2 p.m., CT. Opponent will be determined following the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament's first round games on May 25. This year's tournament is scheduled for Wednesday-Saturday, May 25-28 at Wild Health Field in Lexington, Kentucky.

Sawyers Gets 150th Win
Andy Sawyers picked up his 150th career win as a head coach in walkoff fashion when Southeast Missouri edged UT Martin, 7-6, on May 14. Brett Graber hit a two-out, two-RBI double in the bottom of the ninth inning. Sawyers, who is in his sixth year at SEMO, is 151-135 all-time as an NCAA Division I head coach. He is 63-39 overall and 32-16 in the Ohio Valley Conference with one OVC regular-season and tournament title, and one NCAA Tournament berth since the start of the 2021 campaign.

Keck Named to 2022 Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year Award Watch List
Southeast Missouri junior Andrew Keck is one of 98 catchers nominated for the award by their schools in 2022. The watch list will be narrowed down to the semifinalists, whom will be announced on May 19. Ballots will be sent to the national voting committee at the end of May for a vote to determine three finalists. The finalists will be announced June 7. A final vote among the national committee will occur during the College World Series. All finalists will be brought to Wichita, Kansas and the winner will be announced on June 29. 

Let's Finish Strong
With a series win at Eastern Illinois, the Redhawks will close out a regular-season with a series victory for the fourth time in six years under Head Coach Andy Sawyers. Southeast Missouri also posted series wins to conclude the 2017, 2018 and 2021 campaigns.

Graber Rises to the Occasion
Brett Graber had multiple hits in three of his four starts to lead Southeast Missouri to three victories last week. Graber hit .533 with six runs, four doubles, two home runs, eight RBI and one stolen base in that span. He finished at 3-for-4 with two runs, a career-high four RBI, two doubles and a walkoff home run in SEMO's 7-6 game two win over UT Martin (May 14). Graber also had a home run, two hits and three RBI in the Redhawks final midweek game of the season vs. Missouri State (May 10). Additionally, he boasted a 1.200 slugging percentage and .632 on-base percentage, and walked four times.

Keck Approaches 200 Career Hits
Catcher Andrew Keck is approaching 200 career hits. Keck enters the final leg of the regular-season with 196 as a Redhawk. He is also over 100 runs (110) and 100 RBI (128) in his career.

Wilber Reaches 250 Hits
Shortstop Tyler Wilber collected the 250th hit of his career in game one of Southeast Missouri's series vs. UT Martin (May 13). Wilber reached the milestone on an infield single in the bottom of the fifth inning.

We're Not Done Yet
Southeast Missouri, the first team in the Ohio Valley Conference to reach 30 wins this season, picked up its 33rd victory against UT Martin (May 15). The 30-win season is the second-straight with Andy Sawyers at the helm and 15th in program history. SEMO also won 30 or more games for the fifth time in eight years. SEMO's 33 wins are second in the OVC behind Belmont (35-17) and the most in a season under Sawyers. 

Most in Six Years
The Redhawks 33 wins in 2022 are the most in a season since 2016. That year, Southeast Missouri went 39-21 overall, won the Ohio Valley Conference regular-season and tournament titles, and advanced to the NCAA Starkville Regional, hosted by Mississippi State.

30-Win Teams
Southeast Missouri (33-17) is one of three teams in the Ohio Valley Conference with 30 or more wins this season. Belmont (35-17) and Eastern Illinois (30-18) are the others. SEMO is one of 49 teams in the nation with 33 or more victories in 2022.

Senior Salute 
Southeast Missouri recognized its eight seniors before first pitch of its machup with UT Martin on May 14. SEMO's seniors include pitchers Joe Karall, Matt Perego, Noah Stone, Hayden Malenfant, Austin Williams, Blake Cisneros and Jason Rackers, and shortstop Tyler Wilber. This year's senior class has had a hand in the Redhawks winning 122 games, making four Ohio Valley Conference Tournaments, winning one OVC regular-season and tournament title, and securing one NCAA Tournament berth in their careers.

Last Non-Conference Matchup
The Redhawks ended non-conference play with an 18-11 record following its 8-7 walkoff win over Missouri State (May 10). Jevon Mason hit a walkoff home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to give Southeast Missouri the victory. SEMO finished 12-1 against non-league foes at home this year.

Mason Wins It
Jevon Mason hit a walkoff home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to send Southeast Missouri to an 8-7 win over Missouri State (May 10) in its final midweek game of the season. Mason went a perfect 4-for-4 with a double, two singles, one home run, a run scored and three RBI. His four hits marked a new career-high.

Series Wins
The Redhawks claimed wins in 24 of their last 30 series dating back to their COVID-shortened 2020 campaign. At one time, Southeast Missouri posted 11-consecutive series wins during that stretch. This year, SEMO has claimed a total of 11 series victories.  The 11 series wins match the most in a season under Head Coach Andy Sawyers (11, 2021).

Redhawks Third in Single-Season Home Runs
With its 85 home runs this season, Southeast Missouri passed its total of 37 homers in 52 games a year ago by a +48 margin. The 2022 team is now third all-time in single-season home runs during SEMO's NCAA Division I era. The single-season Division I record is 92 home runs set by the 2000 club. This year's 85 bombs are the most by a Andy Sawyers coached team. 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
85 home runs -- 2022
76 home runs -- 2010
71 home runs -- 2009

Home Run Streak
Andrew Keck hit a home run in four-straight games from Apr. 29-May 3. Keck became the second Redhawk to accomplish the feat this season when he hit a solo home run in the top of the sixth inning at Missouri (May 3). Peyton Leeper also homered in four-straight games from Mar. 8-13.

Extra! Extra!
The Redhawks have gone to extra innings seven times this year. Southeast Missouri won a pair of 10-inning contests vs. Morehead State before falling at Southern Illinois (Apr. 26). SEMO then beat Belmont, 5-4, in a series-opening win in 10 innings on Apr. 29. The Redhawks are 6-1 in those matchups.

10 or More Home Runs
Four Redhawks have 10 or more home runs this season. Tyler Wilber leads the team with 16 round-trippers, while Andrew Keck follows close behind with 14. Jevon Mason and Lincoln Andrew round out that group with 13 and 12, respectively. Wilber and Keck rank third and tied for sixth among the Ohio Valley Conference's home run leaders.

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.

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.

Power Five Matchup
#3 Oklahoma State was the third Power Five team Southeast Missouri played during the final leg of its 2022 regular-season. Tyler Wilber narrowly missed hitting for the cycle to lead SEMO 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 to date, 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 recently fell to fellow SEC foe Missouri, 9-3, on May 3 and dropped a three-game series at OSU (May 6-8)..

Second in Wins
Southeast Missouri ranks second in the Ohio Valley Conference with 33 wins this season. The Redhawks 16 losses are tied for second-fewest in the OVC. SEMO is 42nd in the nation with a .660 winning percentage.

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 reached the feat.

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). Additionally, the Redhawks dropped a 9-3 contest at Missouri (May 3). The Redhawks finished at 6-5 in midweek action this year. 

Great at Home
Southeast Missouri finished with a program record 23-2 mark at home this season. The Redhawks won 25 of their last 28 matchups at Capaha Field dating back to the 2021 campaign. SEMO is 94-43 at home under Head Coach Andy Sawyers. The 23 home wins are most in the Ohio Valley Conference and most in a season under Sawyers. The Redhawks last had over 20 home wins in a season during the 2010 campaign (21-6). 

Second-Best Home Record
The Redhawks (23-2) presently have the second-best home record in the nation. Maryland (23-2) also shares that spot. Central Michigan is first with a 17-1 mark of teams that have played a minimum of 18 home games.

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).  

Longest Road Stretch
Southeast Missouri wrapped up its season-long eight-game road trip with a 2-6 record. SEMO won a three-game series at Belmont (Apr. 29-May 1) and fell to Southern Illinois (Apr. 26), Missouri (May 3) and #3 Oklahoma State (May 6-8) during that stretch.

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. 

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.

Comeback Kids
The Redhawks have 23 come-from-behind victories this season, including 11 after they trailed in the first inning. Southeast Missouri came back to win 11 of its 21 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) and a walkoff double to send SEMO to a 7-6 win over UT Martin (May 14).

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 67 (through games of May 3). SEMO currently holds the second-highest RPI 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). SEMO has faced five teams ranked among the top 65 in RPI, including Oklahoma State (12th, 0-3), Dallas Baptist (6th, 2-1), Missouri (64th, 0-1), Ole Miss (38th, 1-0) and Belmont (65th, 2-1). The Redhawks are 5-6 in those contests.

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 made 20 relief appearances this season. Miller ranks fourth in the Ohio Valley Conference with six saves. He also leads the team and ranks second in the league with eight wins (8-4).

Keck Triples and Scores
After Tyler Wilber's game-tying home run in the bottom of the ninth inning vs. Murray State (Apr. 10), Andrew Keck tripled and later scored the winning run in Southeast Missouri's 11-10 victory. The triple was Keck's first of the season. 

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 38 of its 50 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 is second in the Ohio Valley Conference behind Tennessee Tech (87) with 81 home runs. The Redhawks have hit a home run in 15 of their last 18 games.

Atop the OVC
As a team, Southeast Missouri leads the Ohio Valley Conference in RBI (355) and hit by pitch (57). Individually, Tyler Wilber is tied for first in RBI (65) and Jevon Mason is first among league leaders in runs (64). Jason Rackers is first in strikeouts looking (24).

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 16 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 third in the Ohio Valley Conference with 372 runs.

Power Outage
Ten different players have homered for Southeast Missouri this season. Tyler Wilber leads the Redhawks with 16 home runs, while Andrew Keck (14), Jevon Mason (13) and Lincoln Andrews (12) join Wilber with 10 or more homers. Brett Graber has eight, Peyton Leeper has six and Ty Stauss and Ben Palmer each have five. Joel Vaske and Spencer Parker have four apiece. 

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 251 hits in his career.

Over 150
Andrew Keck (196) 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 (251). Jevon Mason became the third player on this year's roster to get over 100 career hits (118).

NCAA Division I Rankings (Top-25)
As of games through May 8 the Redhawks rank among the top 25 NCAA Division I teams home runs per game (19th, 1.7) and home runs (18th, 85). Individually, Tyler Wilber is 12th in RBI (65) and 17th in RBI per game (1.3), and Jevon Mason rates ninth in runs (64) and 14th in runs per game (1.2). Kyle Miller is 16th in victories (8).

Stealing the Show
Andrew Keck is 11-of-16 on the basepaths this season. Keck has 45 stolen bases and is ninth on Southeast Missouri's all-time career stolen base list. Jevon Mason leads SEMO in stolen bases with 17 in 19 attempts.

Graber Goes Off
Outfielder Brett Graber hit a series best .455 with three runs, two doubles, two home runs and eight RBI in Southeast Missouri's three-game set vs. Bradley (Mar. 4-5). Graber went 5-for-11 at the plate. He also walked twice, boasted a 1.182 slugging percentage and finished with a .538 on-base percentage against the Braves. 

Double-Digit Hits
Southeast Missouri registered double-digit hits in 23 games. SEMO is 20-3 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 fourth in the Ohio Valley Conference with 65 and 59 RBI, respectively. Wilber (20) and Keck (17) have combined for 37 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 .315 batting average. Mason ranks first on the team in runs (64), third in doubles (12) and third in home runs (12). He is also third on the team in slugging percentage (.604) and second in on-base percentage (.435) through 50 starts.

Over .300
Southeast Missouri has four players hitting over .300 through 50 games this season. Andrew Keck leads the team with a .354 clip, while Brett Graber (.341), Tyler Wilber (.328) and Jevon Mason (.315) follow. Those four players have accounted for 201 RBI, as well.

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 1,427-1,155 all-time and 892-767-1 at the NCAA Division I level since the inception of its baseball program. The Redhawks have a 446-300-1 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 .371. 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 251 hits, 148 runs, 53 doubles, six triples, 27 home runs and 166 RBI in 174 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.  

174 and Counting
Tyler Wilber has never missed a start in his Southeast Missouri career. The shortstop has started 174 consecutive games as the most experienced player on the roster. Wilber committed only nine errors in 52 starts at short in 2021.

Spring Fever
Southeast Missouri's baseball (23-2), softball (14-0) and women's tennis (4-2) teams went a combined 31-4 at home this season. The women's tennis team won this year's OVC Tournament crown and punched its ticket to the NCAA Tournament for the first time ever. Meanwhile, the SEMO men's track & field team recently won the OVC Outdoor Championships completing a sweep of both the indoor and outdoor crowns.

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.

OVC Tournament Moves to Lexington
For the first time in 2022, the OVC Baseball Championship will be held at the Lexington Legends Ballpark in Lexington, Kentucky on May 25-28. Since 2001, the Championship has been held at four other neutral locations, including Paducah, Kentucky (2001-09), Jackson, Tennessee (2010-16, 2021), Oxford, Alabama (2017-18) and Marion, Illinois (2019).