#4 Southeast Missouri (37-20) at #12/#1 Louisville (38-18-1)

Date: Friday, June 3, 2022
First Pitch: 1 p.m., CT
Location: Louisville, Ky.
Facility: Jim Patterson Stadium (4,000)
Louisville Regional: #1 Louisville (38-18-1) | #2 Oregon (35-23) | #3 Michigan (32-26) | #4 Southeast Missouri (37-20)

NCAA Regional Information
Dates: Friday-Monday, June 3-6, 2022
Radio: ESPN 93.5 FM & 1220 AM (Erik Sean)
Video: ESPN+ (Mike Couzens, Roddy Jones)
Live Stats: NCAA.com
Twitter: @SEMObaseball
Postseason Media Guide: Southeast Missouri (PDF)
Louisville Regional Bracket (PDF) | NCAA Baseball Championship Bracket (PDF) | 2022 NCAA Regionals & Super Regionals Program | NCAA Louisville Regional Central

NCAA Tournament Bound  
Southeast Missouri (37-20) makes its second-straight NCAA Tournament appearance in 2022. #4 SEMO is headed to the Louisville Regional and will face host and #12/#1 Louisville (38-18-1) Friday. First pitch is set for 1 p.m., CT at Jim Patterson Stadium.

Follow the Redhawks 
Video for Friday's matchup is available at ESPN+. Listen on the radio at ESPN 93.5 FM and 1220 AM. Erik Sean will call the action. Live stats can be accessed at NCAA.com. Twitter updates provided @SEMOBaseball.

Louisville Regional
#12/#1 Louisville (38-18-1), #2 Oregon (35-23), #3 Michigan (32-26) and #4 Southeast Missouri (37-20) are the teams heading to the NCAA Regional in Louisville, Kentucky this weekend. SEMO has never faced Michigan or Oregon in its program history. Meanwhile, the Redhawks are 1-0 all-time against Louisville. SEMO beat Louisville, 16-8, on Apr. 22, 1996 in Kentucky.

History Made
Southeast Missouri makes back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances for the first time in program history. SEMO punched its ticket in after winning the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament in both the 2021 and 2022 seasons. The Redhawks, this year's OVC preseason favorite, finished second behind Belmont in the regular-season standings before going 3-1 and beating the Bruins in the "Winner Take All" championship game to move on to the NCAA Tournament.

NCAA Tournament Appearances
The Redhawks are in the NCAA Tournament for the fifth time in program history. Southeast Missouri made the field of 64 in 1998, 2002, 2016, 2021 and 2022. SEMO is the first Ohio Valley Conference school to win back-to-back OVC Tournament titles since Austin Peay accomplished the feat in 2012 and 2013.

NCAA Tournament History
Southeast Missouri is 1-8 all-time over its previous four trips to the NCAA Tournament. Here is a look at SEMO's NCAA Tournament history.

1998 Midwest Regional
Wichita, Kan.
5/21 vs. Wichita State - L, 4-7
5/21 vs. Georgia Tech - L, 5-14

2002 Tuscaloosa Regional
Tuscaloosa, Ala.
5/31 vs. Alabama - W, 7-4
6/1 vs. Florida Atlantic - L, 6-12
6/1 vs. Alabama - L, 4-7

2016 Starkville Regional
Starkville, Miss.
6/3 vs. Mississippi State - L, 5-9
6/4 vs. Louisiana Tech - L, 4-9

2021 Oxford Regional
Oxford, Miss.
6/4 vs. #12 Ole Miss - L, 3-6
6/5 vs. Southern Mississippi - L, 0-21

Sawyers in the NCAA Tournament
Andy Sawyers makes his second NCAA Tournament appearance as Southeast Missouri's head coach in 2022. Sawyers is in his sixth year at SEMO and is the third head coach in program history to lead the Redhawks to the NCAA Tournament. Mark Hogan (1998, 2002) and Steve Bieser (2016), currently head coach at Missouri, are the others. Sawyers is no stranger to the postseason as this year marks his 14th trip to the NCAA Tournament.  Before his recent back-to-back NCAA Tournament berths at SEMO, Sawyers made the tournament during  previous coaching stints at Nebraska (2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007), Texas A&M (2008, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014) and Kansas State (2009, 2010). He also coached in two NCAA College World Series as an assistant at Nebraska in 2005 and associate head coach at Texas A&M in 2011.

What a Run
#2 Southeast Missouri's path through this year's Ohio Valley Conference Tournament was anything but easy. In its OVC Tournament opener vs. #6 Tennessee Tech, SEMO dropped an 11-10 contest in a four hour and two minute affair that followed a four hour and 48 minute rain delay. That game finished up after midnight on May 26. After that the Redhawks turned around quickly to play a 10 a.m. game vs. #5 SIU Edwardsville which they won, 14-6. SEMO then beat #6 TTU, 5-2, to advance to the title game, where it took down #1 Belmont, 5-4, in 10 innings.

Rackers Rises for Top Performance of the Season
Right-hander Jason Rackers, who pitched just one inning vs. #6 Tennessee Tech (May 26), was unavailable until the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament title game due to illness. Rackers received a IV at a local hospital and recovered to start the championship matchup vs. #1 Belmont (May 28) two days later. He put together his best performance of the season working a career-long 9.2. innings with a career-best eight strikeouts. He also gave up three runs on seven hits and walked just one. Rackers was named the OVC Tournament's Most Valuable Player following that effort. He pitched no more than seven innings in any of his appearances prior to that start.

OVC Tournament Record
Southeast Missouri walked an Ohio Valley Conference Tournament record 17 times vs. #5 SIU Edwardsville (May 27). SEMO trailed, 5-1, when it drew seven walks to key an eight-run fifth inning and pull off its comeback win. 

That's a First
The Redhawks made the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament as a #2 seed for the sixth time in their program history this season. Southeast Missouri won its first OVC Tournament crown as a #2 seed in 2022. SEMO was also a #2 seed in 2000, 2002, 2003, 2011 and 2018. The Redhawks improved their record to 8-9 all-time as a #2 seed at the OVC Tournament.

Big Bashes
While walks decided Southeast Missouri's victory over SIU Edwardsville (May 27), it was home runs that were the difference in the Redhawks final two Ohio Valley Conference Tournament wins. Against Tennessee Tech (May 27), Andrew Keck launched a three-run home run to break a 2-2 tie in the bottom of the eighth innings. Keck's long ball came after Brett Graber advanced Jevon Mason on a sacrifice bunt and Tyler Wilber was intentionally walked. Mason and Wilber then homered in the top of the 10th inning to seal SEMO's extra inning win over Belmont (May 28) in the title game.

NCAA Tournament Experience
Fifteen players make their second-straight NCAA Tournament appearance for Southeast Missouri. That group includes Tyler Wilber, Jevon Mason, Andrew Keck, Lincoln Andrews, Danny Sperling, Peyton Leeper, Ty Stauss, Brett Graber, Bryce Grossius, Noah Niznik, Collin Wilma, Fischer Rausch, Austin Williams, Blake Cisneros and Hunter Ralls, All of them played in the 2021 NCAA Tournament.

OVC All-Tournament Team
Southeast Missouri placed six players on the Ohio Valley Conference All-Tournament Team. Tyler Wilber, Jason Rackers, Lincoln Andrews, Andrew Keck, Blake Cisneros and Jevon Mason earned those postseason honors.

OVC Tournament Titles
This year's Ohio Valley Conference Tournament title is Southeast Missouri's fifth all-time. The Redhawks have the second-most OVC Tournament championships in the conference behind Austun Peay (6), which left the league for the Atlantic Sun. SEMO has won three OVC Tournament crowns in the last six years.

Seven Redhawks Earn All-OVC Honors
Seven Southeast Missouri players earned All-Ohio Valley Conference honors for the 2022 season, the league announced May 24 prior to the start of its postseason tournament. Shortstop Tyler Wilber garnered first-team accolades for the second time in his career, while catcher Andrew Keck, outfielder Brett Graber, starting pitcher Jason Rackers and relief pitcher Kyle Miller claimed second-team laurels. Pitchers Ethan Osborne and Anthony Klein landed on the league's All-Freshman Team, as well. A native of Los Alamitos, California, Wilber has earned either first or second-team All-OVC recognition in every season at SEMO outside of the COVID-19 shortened 2020 campaign. He is hitting .321 with 48 runs, 69 hits, 14 doubles, 16 home runs and 68 RBI. He leads the team in hits, home runs and RBI, and ranks third in batting average and second in runs scored. Wilber tops the OVC and rates 17th nationally in RBI. He is four away from breaking SEMO's all-time single-season RBI record. One of 16 semifinalists for the 2022 Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year Award, Keck is riding the best season of his career to date. He is the Redhawks second-leading hitter with a .335 batting average. Keck, who hails from St. Louis, accumulated 41 runs scored, 68 hits, 15 doubles, two triples, 14 home runs and 59 RBI in 51 starts behind the plate. He ranks second on the team in hits, doubles, home runs, RBI, stolen bases (11) and on-base percentage (.400), while boasting a team-high .635 slugging percentage. Keck is among OVC leaders in slugging percentage (8th), RBI (5th), home runs (t6th) and total bases (9th, 129). Additionally, he has thrown out eight runners on the basepaths this year. Graber, who hails from Sacramento, California, enters the postseason as SEMO's top hitter. In his second year of Division I baseball, he is hitting .342 with 37 runs, 67 hits, a team-high 16 doubles and three triples, eight home runs, 42 RBI and 33 walks. Graber also has 11 stolen bases as one of three players who started all 53 games. In addition, he has four walk-off hits as the Redhawks starting center fielder. After pitching at Southeastern Conference member Tennessee, Rackers transferred to SEMO for his final season. A native of Jefferson City, Missouri, Rackers put together a 5-3 record and 4.60 ERA in 14 appearances and 12 starts. He leads the Redhawks in strikeouts (68) and innings (74.1), and ranked third on the team in wins as SEMO's game one starter on weekends. Rackers leads the OVC in strikeouts looking (26), ranks sixth in strikeouts and ERA, and tied for fifth in innings pitched. Miller, Osborne and Klein anchor a bullpen that has been strong for the Redhawks pitching staff all season. A native of Eureka, Missouri, Miller holds an 8-4 record with a team-best 3.00 ERA and six saves in 22 relief appearances. He struck out 45 and walked 13 in 42 innings as opponents are hitting just .216 against him. Miller is second in the OVC in wins and fourth in saves. Osborne, who is from Ashland, Missouri, is 2-1 in 13 appearances and four starts in his rookie campaign. He struck out 26 and walked only six in 26.1 innings of work. Two of Osborne's starts were during midweek action, while the other two came in SEMO's game three slot on weekends. Klein, a native of St. Louis, ranks second among SEMO's relievers with 34 strikeouts in 28.1 innings. He appeared in 19 games and is 1-0 with his first career win coming in his hometown when he tossed 3.2 scoreless no-hit innings with five strikeouts to beat Saint Louis on Mar. 29. OVC regular-season champion Belmont won three of the conference's specialty awards with outfielder Guy Lipscomb tabbed Player of the Year, left-hander Anthony Bean named Pitcher of the Year and Dave Jarvis voted Coach of the Year. Eastern Illinois shortstop Chris Worcester earned OVC Freshman of the Year.

Sawyers Records 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 155-138 all-time as an NCAA Division I head coach. He is 67-42 overall and 33-18 in the Ohio Valley Conference with one OVC regular-season title, two OVC Tournament crowns and a pair of NCAA Tournament berths since the start of the 2021 campaign.

Wilber Breaks Single-Season RBI Record
Tyler Wilber broke Southeast Missouri's all-time single-season RBI record when he finished with three runs batted in vs. SIU Edwardsville (May 27). Wilber has 73 RBI this year and surpassed the previous mark of 71 by Matt Tellor in 2014. He is just the third player in program history to get 70 or more RBI in a season.

Keck Gets 200th Hit
Catcher Andrew Keck recorded the 200th hit of his career on a game-tying solo home run in  the top of the ninth inning during the Ohio Valley Conference championship game vs. Belmont (May 28). Keck's homer sent the game to extra innings. He has 200 hits, 116 runs, 136 RBI and 26 home runs in his career.

Cisneros Gets it Done
Left-handed reliever Blake Cisneros had an excellent Ohio Valley Conference Tournament pitching in crucial situations. In three appearances, Cisneros tossed 6.1 scoreless innings while allowing only two hits along the way. He struck out five during that span, as well. Additionally, Cisneros recorded the final out on a strikeout to earn the save in Southeast Missouri's Ohio Valley Conference Championship clinching win over #1 Belmont (May 28).

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. He now has a total of 260 in his career.

37 Wins and Counting
Southeast Missouri, the first team in the Ohio Valley Conference to reach 30 wins this season, picked up its 37th victory Belmont (May 28). 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 37 wins rank tied for second-most in a season in program history. The Redhawks are just two victories away from tying the program record of 39 wins done by the 2016 team under then head coach and current Missouri head coach Steve Bieser.

Most in Six Years
The Redhawks 37 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 (37-20) is among five teams in the Ohio Valley Conference with 30 or more wins this season. Belmont (39-20), Eastern Illinois (33-20), Tennessee Tech (30-27) and Murray State (30-25) are the others. 

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 126 games, making five Ohio Valley Conference Tournaments, winning one OVC regular-season title, two OVC Tournament crowns, and securing a pair of NCAA Tournament berths 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 finished with 11 series victories.  The 11 series wins matched the most in a season under Head Coach Andy Sawyers (11, 2021).

Redhawks Break Single-Season Home Run Record
Southeast Missouri broke a program record with 95 home runs this season. SEMO's 95 bombs pass its total of 37 homers in 52 games a year ago by a +58 margin. The Redhawks previous single-season NCAA Division I record was 92 set by the 2000 club. Here are SEMO's top-five single-season home run marks since they turned Division I in 1991-92.
95 home runs -- 2022
92 home runs -- 2000
90 home runs -- 1998
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.

Wilma is Back
Right-hander Collin Wilma returned from a stress fracture injury to make his first start on the mound in over a year at Missouri (May 3). Wilma worked 1.1 innings with one strikeout in a loss against the Tigers. He also gave up two runs on one hit. Wilma last pitched at Belmont on May 1, 2021 before making his first appearance and start of the season at Missouri. He has appeared in five games and logged four starts this year.

Extra! Extra!
The Redhawks have gone to extra innings eight 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 and edged Belmont, 5-4, in 10 innings to win the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament on May 28. The Redhawks are 7-1 in those matchups.

10 or More Home Runs
Four Redhawks have 10 or more home runs this season. Tyler Wilber leads the team with 18 round-trippers, while Andrew Keck follows close behind with 17. Lincoln Andrews and Jevon Mason round out that group with 15 and 14, respectively. Wilber (3rd), Keck (4th) and Andrews (7th) are all among the Ohio Valley Conference's top 10 leaders.

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 Matchups
#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 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 37 wins this season. The Redhawks 20 losses are tied for fewest in the OVC. 

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 reached the feat.

17-Game Home Winning Streak
The Redhawks saw a program record 17-game home winning streak end with its 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). 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) had the second-best home record in the nation. Maryland (24-2) was first. Tennessee followed with a 34-3 mark.

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).  

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 26 come-from-behind victories this season, including 12 after they trailed in the first inning. Southeast Missouri came back to win 11 of its 24 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 64 (through games of May 28). 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 (63rd, 3-1). The Redhawks are 6-6 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 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).

Yard Work
Southeast Missouri has homered in 43 of its 57 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 third in the Ohio Valley Conference behind Tennessee Tech (114) and SIU Edwardsville (99) with 95 home runs. The Redhawks homered in all four of their recent Ohio Valley Conference Tournament games.

Atop the OVC
Individually, Tyler Wilber is tied for first in the Ohio Valley Conference in RBI (73) and Jevon Mason is first among league leaders in runs (70). Jason Rackers is first in strikeouts looking (28).

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 18 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 418 runs.

Power Outage
Ten different players have homered for Southeast Missouri this season. Tyler Wilber leads the Redhawks with 18 home runs, while Andrew Keck (17), Jevon Mason (14) and Lincoln Andrews (15) join Wilber with 10 or more homers. Brett Graber has nine, Peyton Leeper has six and Ty Stauss and Ben Palmer each have five. Joel Vaske has four and Spencer Parker hit 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 260 hits in his career.

200 Hits
Andrew Keck accumulated his 200th career hit vs. Belmont on May 28. Keck is the second player on this year's team to reach 200 or more hits joining Tyler Wilber (260). 

NCAA Division I Rankings (Top-25)
As of games through May 28 the Redhawks rank among the top 25 NCAA Division I teams home runs per game (23rd, 1.6) and home runs (22nd, 86). Individually, Tyler Wilber is 20th in RBI (68) and 24th in RBI per game (1.3), and Jevon Mason rates 20th in runs (65) and 25th in runs per game (1.2). Kyle Miller is 24th 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 16 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 25 games. SEMO is 21-4 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 73 and 67 RBI, respectively. Wilber (22) and Keck (19) have combined for 41 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 .318 batting average. Mason ranks first on the team in runs (70), fourth in doubles (12) and third in home runs (13). He is also third on the team in slugging percentage (.592) and second in on-base percentage (.438) through 57 starts.

Over .300
Southeast Missouri has four players hitting over .300 through 57 games this season. Tyler Wilber and Andrew Keck each lead the team with a .330 clip. Brett Graber (.329) and Jevon Mason (.318) follow. Those four players have accounted for 227 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 1,431-1,158 all-time and 896-770-1 at the NCAA Division I level since the inception of its baseball program. The Redhawks have a 447-302-1 record in Ohio Valley Conference play. SEMO won five OVC regular-season titles (2002, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2021), five OVC Tournament crowns (1998, 2002, 2016, 2021, 2022) and made five NCAA Tournament appearances (1998, 2002, 2016, 2021, 2022) in program history.

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 .367. 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 260 hits, 154 runs, 53 doubles, six triples, 29 home runs and 174 RBI in 181 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.  

181 and Counting
Tyler Wilber has never missed a start in his Southeast Missouri career. The shortstop has started 181 consecutive games as the most experienced player on the roster. Wilber committed only nine errors in 52 starts at short in 2021. He has played every inning of his SEMO career.

What a Spring!
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.

Keck One of 16 Semifinalists for Buster Posey Award
Southeast Missouri catcher Andrew Keck was selected as one of 16 semifinalists for the 2022 Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year Award, The Greater Wichita Area Sports Commission announced. Statistics on each catcher named to the watch list were pulled on May 9, 2022. Key criterion in determining the semifinalists is that they must be the starting catcher for their team in 70% of the games, their batting average must be above .200 and have a minimum of 120 at bats. There were several nominees that did not meet the criteria to move forward in the selection process. Ballots will be sent to the national voting committee at the end of May for a vote to determine the three finalists. The finalists will be announced June 7, 2022. A final vote among the national committee will occur during the College World Series. All finalists will be brought to Wichita and the winner will be announced on June 29, 2022.

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.