Games 19-21
 
Western Kentucky (12-6) at Southeast Missouri (7-11)
 
Game Information
Date: March 15-17
Times: Friday: 6 p.m. | Saturday: 2 p.m. | Sunday: 1 p.m.
Location: Cape Girardeau, Mo. 
Venue: Capaha Field
Series: WKU leads 2-1
 
Head Coaches: SEMO: Andy Sawyers (188-181, Eighth Season); Marc Rardin (45-32, Second Season)
 
Follow the Redhawks
Radio: 93.5 FM & 1220 AM (Erik Sean)
Live Stats: Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3
Watch: Friday (ESPN+) | Saturday | Sunday  
Twitter: @SEMOBaseball
 
Game Notes (PDF) 

Redhawks Host Western Kentucky for Weekend Series at Capaha Field
Southeast Missouri Baseball (7-11) will play host to Conference USA Member Western Kentucky (12-6) for a three-game set this weekend, beginning on Friday, March 15 through Sunday, March 17. First pitch is slated for 6 p.m., 2 p.m., and 1 p.m. over the weekend, respectively. 
 
Series History
The weekend series will feature the Redhawks and Hilltoppers for the fourth, fifth, and sixth meetings all-time between the two and just the first meeting since all the way back in 1995. WKU holds a 2-1 series record over SEMO. 
 
At the Ballpark
The weekend series will feature a pair of promotional events for fans attending Capaha Field beginning with Family Fun Day on Saturday afternoon. Young Redhawk fans get the chance to run the bass on the field after the game and get autographs from SEMO Baseball players. 
 
Ice Cream Sunday will return to the park for the series finale as fans can enjoy free ice cream for the first fans at the ballpark, courtesy of Victoria's Creamery. For more information on all Redhawk promotional items, click here.
 
Last Time Out
Center fielder Michael Mugan finished Wednesday night with a 4-for-5 performance at the plate, including two home runs and three RBIs as SEMO fell to Evansville, 6-5, in extra innings in Evansville, Ind.
 
UE plated the game-winning run in the bottom of the 10th inning with an RBI single to left field by Harrison Taubert to seal the win.
 
LHP Alex Hayes started on the mound and cruised through the first two innings of the ball game. He pitched 2.2 innings on Wednesday night, surrendering three runs on four hits. He punched out three Purple Aces over 13 hitters. 
 
The Redhawks got on the board in the first frame with back-to-back home runs with one out in the first inning. Short stop Ben Palmer hit a towering home run over the left field fence off UE's Kevin Reed. 
 
Center fielder Michael Mugan answered Palmer's solo shot with his own as the Redhawks jumped out to an early 2-0 lead.
 
SEMO would add to the scoreboard with a two-run third inning thanks to Mugan's second home run of the game. 
 
Second baseman Brooks Kettering led off the inning with a single through the right side of the infield. Palmer would ground out to third base to advance Kettering 90-feet, bringing in Mugan. 
 
Mugan crushed his sixth home run of the season, and his second of the game, to straightaway center field off Reed for the second time, to give SEMO a 4-0 lead after the top half of the third. 
 
UE would get on the board in the home half. A leadoff single by UE's right fielder Harrison Taulbert got the offense going for the Purple Aces. An RBI double by Cal McGinnis would plate the first run of the contest for UE. 
 
The second RBI double of the inning got the second run of the game across for UE, this one by Brent Widder. A single by Brendan Hord plated the third run of the inning and after the third, SEMO led 4-3. 
 
With two outs in the fourth inning, SEMO would plate its fifth run of the game off the bat of Kettering. Kettering drilled a single into center field to score designated hitter Gavin Baldwin from second base to grow SEMO's lead to two. 
 
UE responded with a two-run fifth inning to tie the game at five and after six innings, the game was knotted at five. 
 
A scoreless ballgame over the final three innings of regulation helped in large part by RHP Eddie White (0-1) who pitched 3.1 innings, his longest outing of the season. He recorded two strikeouts in his outing. 
 
UE recorded 12 hits in the ball game as five Aces had multi-hit days.
 
Michael Mugan
One of the newest Redhawks on the 2024 roster, Outfielder Michael Mugan has powered his way to a team-high six home runs so far this season, including a pair in Wednesday's contest. Mugan has played and started in all 18 games this season for the Redhawks and has a team-high .644 slugging-percentage. He leads the Redhawks in hits (28), average (.384), total bases (47), and on-base percentage (.471). 
 
Palmer Reaches Base
Short stop Ben Palmer, who has played and started all 18 games at short stop for the Redhawks, has reached base safely in all 18 games this season. In Wednesday's contest, Palmer got the scoring started for SEMO with his first at-bat home run in the first inning to extend his on-base streak. The home run tied him with Mugan for the team-lead in home runs with six. 
 
Weekend Staff
LHP Haden Down and RHP Brian Strange are the Redhawks primary weekend starters so far in 2024. Dow ranks at the top of the staff with a .226 opposing batting average and has pitched a team-high 22.1 innings this season. Strange is second on the team with 19.2 innings pitched and has 19 strikeouts on the season. Dow leads the team with 20 opposing hitters punched out. 
 
Don't Steal
Catcher Shea McGahan has been lethal against opposing base stealers this season. In 13 attempts by Redhawk opponents, McGahan has gunned down six base stealers for a .684 percentage. He has just one error on the season and is fielding his position at a .988-mark. 
 
Score & Hit
This season, SEMO is a combined 7-2 when they score 6-10+ runs in a ball game and are 6-3 overall when they outhit their opponents. On the flip side, SEMO is 0-9 when they score anywhere from zero to five runs on the season and are 1-8 when they are outhit by their opponents. The Redhawks have scored 16 first inning runs, including last night, but are just 3-3 in games where they score in the first inning. 
 
About Western Kentucky
The Hilltoppers are led by second year head coach Marc Rardin and come into the weekend series with a 12-6 overall record after most recently defeating former OVC-member Austin Peay 12-9 on Tuesday night. 
 
Offensively, WKU comes to Cape Girardeau hitting .283 as a team led by Blake Cavill who is hitting .391 and has started all 18 games in 2024. He has a team-high 25 hits, nine doubles, and 20 RBIs. Four Hilltoppers are hitting north of .300 and have double-digit RBIs. 
 
On the mound, Dawson Hill has a team-best 0.50 ERA over 18.0 innings pitched. He has made four starts this season and is 2-0 with a .89 WHIP. He has allowed just one earned run on 12 hits as opponents are hitting just .200 against him. 
 
Jack Bennett has also been one of the featured arms for WKU with a 3.00 ERA over 18.0 innings pitched and is 1-1 overall. He has a team-high 19 strikeouts as hitters are just .221 against him. 
 
WKU has only played three games away from home and are 2-1 in those games with wins over Lipscomb (8-5) and Austin Peay (12-9). Their one loss on the road came against Kentucky on February 27 (5-0).