Game 4
Murray State (3-0) vs. 
Southeast Missouri (0-3)
Dates: Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2024
Times: 3 p.m. 
Location: Cape Girardeau, Mo. 
Facility: Capaha Field 
Series: Sawyers 13-9 vs. Racers | Last meeting: MSU won 5-0 | May 2^nd, 2023
Head Coaches: SEMO; Andy Sawyers (181-173, Eighth Season) | MSU; Dan Skirka (131-115, Sixth Season)
 
Follow the Redhawks
Radio: 93.5 FM & 1220 AM (Erik Sean)
Watch: 
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Twitter: @SEMOBaseball
 
Game Notes (PDF) 
 
Redhawks Open 2024 Home Slate Wednesday Versus Murray State
Southeast Missouri Baseball (0-3) will play its first game at Capaha Field in 2024 on Wednesday, Feb. 21, when they host Murray State (3-0) in the first midweek contest of the season. First pitch is slated for 3 p.m., CT. in Cape Girardeau.
 
Follow the Redhawks
Listen live on the radio at ESPN 1220 AM and 93.5 FM. Erik Sean will call the action. Live stats are available at SEMORedhawks.com. Twitter updates will be provided @SEMObaseball. For tickets, call (573) 651-2113 or purchase online at SEMORedhawks.com/Tickets.
 
Series History
The Redhawks and Racers are familiar foes to one another. Head Coach Andy Sawyers holds a 13-9 advantage over the former Ohio Valley Conference foe. MSU swept the regular season matchups last year, most recently winning 5-0 in Cape Girardeau on May 2, 2023.
 
Last Time Out
Southeast Missouri dropped all three games in the opening series at Dallas Baptist over the weekend beginning with a Friday afternoon, 9-5 loss. RHP Collin Wilma made his first start of 2024 on the mound with 4.0 innings pitched. Wilma faced 17 batters and allowed just three runs. He recorded a pair of strikeouts and surrendered just one walk. The Redhawks finished with five runs, on eight hits, and recorded just one error. 
 
Game two saw the Redhawks score the first run of the ballgame for the second-straight contest via a Michael Mugan solo blast in the top of the first inning. Mugan would come back around in the third inning and hit his second home run of the day; a two-run shot that would score Brooks Kettering. The Patriots would respond with a four run eighth inning to steal the victory, 8-6, after three-hit days by their catcher Grant Jay and designated hitter Michael Dattalo. 
 
Game three featured OVC Preseason Pitcher Haden Dow's first start on the mound. Dow finished 4.1 innings and registered a strikeout. Short stop Ben Palmer, trailing 5-4 in the top of the ninth, blasted a solo shot over the left field fence to send the game to extra innings. DBU would record a walk-off single against RHP Kyle Miller to win the game in the 11th inning, 6-5.  
 
Redhawks Debut
10 Redhawks made their first appearance in a SEMO uniform over the weekend. Outfielders Michael Mugan and Ian Riley, infielders Brooks Kettering, Caleb Corbin, Bryce Cannon, Shea McGahan and Gavin Baldwin, and pitchers Alex Hayes, Sam Heyman, and Brian Strange all saw action over the weekend.  
 
Stealing Bases
Over the weekend, SEMO utilized it's team speed to its advantage swiping four bases against DBU. The Redhawks stole five bases over the weekend, including a series-high four on Sunday. Five different players recorded a stolen base in Bryce Cannon, Josh Cameron, Brooks Kettering, Peyton Leeper, and Ty Stauss.
 
The Long Ball
The Redhawks recorded four home runs over opening weekend, led by debutant Michael Mugan. Mugan had two home runs in Saturday's contest. Mugan hit a solo blast in his first at-bat and then recorded a two-run home run in his second at-bat of the game. Short stop Ben Palmer hit his seventh home run in his SEMO career on Sunday afternoon. First baseman Bryce Cannon, in his first weekend as a Redhawk, blasted a solo shot to right field in Sunday's contest as well.
 
Starting Pitching
The Redhawks pitching staff pitched 14.1 innings over the weekend. RHP Collin Wilma and Brian Strange made the start(s) on Friday and Saturday, respectively. LHP Haden Dow started on Sunday. Combined, the trio allowed 13 hits and 10 runs. All three recorded strikeouts, led by Wilma and Strange with two apiece. They finished the weekend with a combined 8.18 ERA.
 
Defensively
The Redhawks played a near-perfect series defensively to open the 2024 campaign. Nine Redhawks who started recorded a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage over the three-game set. SEMO recorded just four errors as a team.
 
About Murray State
The Racers come into the Wednesday midweek with a 3-0 record after completing the season-opening sweep of Purdue Fort Wayne on Monday in a series where they combined for 33 runs as a club and held their opponent to just five runs. 
 
The Racers are led offensively by Carson Garner who leads MSU in all offensive categories including batting average (.545), slugging-percentage (1.091), hits (6), and home runs (2). Dan Tauken led the team after the first weekend with eight RBIs.
 
The Racers are coming off a 31-28 overall record in 2023 and a 14-13 Missouri Valley Conference record in their first year in the league. A season ago, Murray was 16-15 in Murray, Ky. and just 13-11 away from home. 
 
Dan Skirka is in his sixth season at the helm of Murray State and currently has a 131-115 overall record in those years.
 
Looking Ahead
Following Wednesday, SEMO Baseball will be back at home over the weekend, Feb. 23-25, for a four-game set with St. Thomas (MN). The weekend will feature a Friday afternoon start at 3 p.m., a Saturday doubleheader beginning at 12 & 4 p.m., and will conclude Sunday at 1 p.m. from Capaha Field.