#5 Eastern Illinois (33-18, 13-11 OVC)/#8 Southern Indiana (17-37, 8-15 OVC) vs. #4 Southeast Missouri (26-29, 14-10 OVC)

Dates: Wednesday, May 24
Times: 4 p.m., CT.  
Location: Marion, Ill.  
Facility: Mountain Dew Park 
Series: SEMO leads 44-43 over EIU; SEMO leads 2-1 over USI
Head Coaches: Andy Sawyers (268-196 overall; 181-169 at SEMO; 95-73 OVC). | Jason Anderson (184-202 at EIU) | Tracy Archuleta (692-474; 21 years)

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#4 Southeast Missouri Face Winner of #5 Eastern Illinois and #8 Southern Indiana Wednesday To Begin 2023 Ohio Valley Conference Tournament
#4 Southeast Missouri (26-29, 14-10 OVC) will begin their title defense in the 2023 Ohio Valley Conference Tournament on Wednesday, May 24, at 4 p.m., CT. in Marion, Ill. The Redhawks will await the winner of #5 Eastern Illinois (33-18, 13-11 OVC) and #8 Southern Indiana (17-37, 8-15 OVC). 
 
Earlier This Season
The Redhawks, Panthers, and Screaming Eagles all played each other earlier this season. 
 
Starting with the Panthers and Screaming Eagles, USI took two-out-of- three from the Panthers in Evansville, Ind. USI tallied 47 total runs over the three- game set. 
 
The Redhawks took two-out-of-three from the Screaming Eagles in the battle of the birds in Evansville, Ind. April 6-8. 
 
The Redhawks won the series finale in seven innings by a final score of 14-2. 
 
SEMO and EIU ended the 2023 regular season against each other resulting in an EIU sweep to hand SEMO its 10th straight loss. 
 
The Panthers took all three games in Cape Girardeau. 
 
Last Time Out
SEMO concluded the regular season with three straight losses to Eastern Illinois May 18-20 in Cape Girardeau, Mo. beginning with a 10-2 Thursday night loss. 
 
The Redhawks could only muster six hits in game one as Peyton Leeper and Brett Graber drove in the only runs of the game. 
LHP Noah Niznik (6-6) took the loss in the series opener lasting just 3.2 innings, allowing six runs on eight EIU hits. 
 
The Panthers jumped out to a 3-0 lead in Friday's contest with an RBI single, RBI triple, and an RBI groundout before SEMO got on the board in the 7th inning. 
 
Jevon Mason reached on a fielder's choice to bring in Graber. With the bases loaded, Peyton Leeper drew a walk to drive in the second run of the game, but EIU would rattle off four runs over the eighth and ninth inning(s) to take it 7-2. 
 
The Redhawks fell in game three by a final score of 4-2. The Redhawks got on the board first with a two-out, RBI single by first baseman Lincoln Andrews. 
 
An RBI single and a three-run, fifth inning home run by EIU was all that was needed as the Panthers held on for a 4-2 win. 
 
LHP Haden Dow (4-3) took the loss in the contest pitching 6.0 innings, allowing just one earned run (4R) on seven hits. 
 
The lefty struckout three in the outing, as the Redhawks concluded the season on a 10-game losing streak. 
 
Elimination Game
Wednesday's Ohio Valley Conference Tournament opener for Southeast Missouri will be an elimination game. The first four games of the tournament are single elimination. Others involved in those matchups include #5 Eastern Illinois vs. #8 Southern Indiana, #6 Tennessee Tech vs. #7 SIU Edwardsville and #3 UT Martin (faces winner of #6 TTU/#7 SIUE). 
 
OVC Tournament History
The Redhawks make their 28th Ohio Valley Conference Tournament appearance in 2023. Southeast Missouri has made the OVC Tournament 27 of the last 28 times the event has been held. The only time SEMO did not make it during that stretch was in 2019, the last time the tournament was held in Marion, Illinois. There was no OVC Tournament held in 2020 due to COVID-19. The Red hawks are 48-48 all-time at the OVC Tournament. 
 
Back-To-Back OVC Tournament Champions
Southeast Missouri won the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament during each of the last two seasons. SEMO won the 2021 Tournament with a 10-1 victory over #2 Murray State in Jackson, Tennessee and upended #1 Belmont, 5-4, in 10 innings to win the 2022 Tournament in Lexington, Kentucky. 
 
The Redhawks won six of their last eight games at the OVC Tournament and goes for its third-straight OVC Tournament crown this week. SEMO has never won three-consecutive OVC Tournament championships in its program history. 

Against The Field
The Redhawks are a combined 17-17 at the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament against the teams in this year's eight-team event. Southeast Missouri is 4-5 against both Eastern Illinois and Morehead State, 1-0 vs. both SIU Edwardsville and UT Mar tin, and 7-7 against Tennessee Tech during postseason play. 
 
Most in the OVC
Southeast Missouri has the most Ohio Valley Conference Tournament titles in the conference. SEMO has won the league's post season fling in 1998, 2002, 2015, 2021 and 2022. Tennessee Tech and Morehead State are second with four apiece, while Eastern Illinois has won the tournament twice. 
 
As A #4 Seed
The Redhawks are in the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament as the #4 seed for the third time in program history. Southeast Missouri was last a #4 seed in the 2009 (Paducah, Ky.) and 2020 (Jack son, Tenn.) tournaments. SEMO dropped its first two games of the tournament in both of those years.