Game 37
Southeast Missouri (18-18, 8-4 OVC) at Murray State (22-13, 6-6 MVC)
 
Game Information
Date: Tuesday, April 16
Time: 3 p.m.
Location: Murray, Ky. 
Venue: Johnny Reagan Field
Series: SEMO leads 63-51
 
Head Coaches: SEMO: Andy Sawyers (199-188, 103-77 OVC, Eighth Season); Murray State: Dan Skirka (150-128, 20-19 MVC, Sixth Season)
 
Follow the Redhawks:
Twitter: @SEMOBaseball
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Listen: SEMO ESPN 93.5 FM or 1220 AM (Erik Sean)
 
Game Notes (PDF)
 
Redhawks Travel to Murray State Tuesday
Southeast Missouri Baseball (18-18, 8-4 OVC) will be on the road Tuesday, April 16, when they take on longtime rival, Murray State (22-13, 6-6 MVC) in midweek action. First pitch is slated for 3 p.m., CT. from Johnny Reagan Field in Murray, Ky.  
 
Series History
The Redhawks hold a 63-51 overall advantage ahead of the 115th meeting on the diamond Tuesday. MSU has taken the last two matchups, sweeping the regular season series in 2023. Murray won 11-8 in Murray before stealing a 5-0 win in Cape Girardeau a season ago. 
 
Last Time Out
SEMO picked up a big series win over the weekend in Ohio Valley Conference play, taking two-out-of-three from Southern Indiana in Cape Girardeau beginning with a 1-0 victory on Friday night. LHP Haden Dow tossed a gem to get the Redhawks on track with a 5.0 inning, three hit, no runs allowed day. Dow punched out three Screaming Eagles in his outing.
 
The lone run of the game came in the third inning with a solo home run by first baseman, Bryce Cannon. Cannon launched a ball off USI starting pitcher Grant Parson to give SEMO the 1-0 advantage. 
 
A huge day out of the bullpen, SEMO relievers combined for 4.0 scoreless innings and was capped off by Kyle Miller's second save of the season. 
 
Saturday's contest went the way of the visitors as USI pounded out 17 hits and won the game 12-6. A Jack Ellis two-run home run off SEMO RHP Sam Heyman got the Eagles on the board in the first inning. An RBI base hit would make it 3-0 USI before the Redhawks scored their first run. 
 
An RBI single by second baseman Brooks Kettering in the third inning, scored Caleb Corbin to make it 3-1. But a USI run in the third & fourth innings, and an eventual five-run fifth inning grew the lead to 9-1. 
 
Catcher Shea McGahan and short stop Ben Palmer each hit a solo home run in the bottom half of the fifth, but it wasn't enough as USI held on for the 12-6 win. 
 
After a Tucker Ebest RBI single to center field put USI on the board first in game three, it was all Redhawks from that point forward as SEMO won Sunday's contest, 12-2, in seven innings. Right fielder Josh Cameron blasted his ninth home run of the season in the second inning for the Redhawks' first run of the ball game. An RBI double by McGahan would give SEMO the lead later in the inning. Left fielder Ty Stauss, who finished the day with four RBIs, hit a three-run home run in the third inning to give the Redhawks a 5-1 lead after the first third of the game. 
 
The second three-run home run of the day by SEMO's offense came off the bat of center fielder Michael Mugan who blasted an opposite field home run to give the Redhawks an 8-1 lead in the fourth inning. 
 
A four run, seventh inning allowed SEMO to win the game, 12-2, and the series at Capaha Field. 
 
So Far
Ahead of game 37, the Redhawks are exactly .500 on the season with an 18-18 record and an 8-4 mark in the Ohio Valley Conference. SEMO is 10-9 in the confines of Capaha Field and are 8-9 on the road in 2024. With Sunday's win, the Redhawks won 3-of-4 last week and will head to Tennessee Tech on the weekend, following Tuesday's contest with Murray State. 
 
Long Ball
The Redhawks are utilizing the home run this season, to the tune of 59 total round trippers through 36 games. SEMO ranks T-35 in Division I Baseball with 1.64 home runs per game, led by Ben Palmer who hit his 11th bomb on Saturday afternoon. 15 different Redhawks have registered a home run on the season, outfielder Michael Mugan is second on the team with nine. 
 
Welcome Back, Kyle Miller
RHP relief pitcher Kyle Miller, who missed some time earlier this season, returned to the Redhawks bullpen this week beginning with Tuesday's contest at Southern Illinois. Miller, the all-time saves leader in SEMO history, pitched 2.0 innings in SEMO's extra-innings victory in Carbondale, Ill. and did not allow a hit. He struck out two Salukis and picked up the win in the outing. On Friday night, he earned his second save of the season with a perfect three-up, three-down ninth inning to secure the victory, 1-0, for the Redhawks. 
 
Third Base to Third Base
Third baseman Caleb Corbin hit two-of-his-four triples over the weekend against Southern Indiana. Corbin, a transfer from Iowa Central Community College, has started in 18 games this season for the Redhawks and has a team-high four triples on the campaign. For Corbin, his fourth triple ranks him 14th in the country and first in the OVC in the triples category. 
 
Hits
Center fielder Michael Mugan leads the team with 50 hits on the season. Mugan, a junior from Seaside, Calif., ranks second in the OVC in hits this season. 
 
Swipe a Bag
The Redhawks have been active on the base paths when they get on, to the tune of 30 stolen bases through 36 games. Second baseman Brooks Kettering and outfielder Josh Cameron lead the team with five stolen bases. Between them, they are 10-14 in attempted steals in 2024. 
 
About Murray State
The Racers come into Tuesday's contest with a 22-13 overall record and a .500 record of 6-6 in Missouri Valley Conference play. MSU is hitting .288 as a team, led by Carson Garner with a .341 batting average. Garner has started all 35 games in 2024 for the Racers and leads them in slugging percentage (.699), on-base percentage (.494), RBIs (38), and home runs (13). Dustin Mercer leads the Racers' offense in hits (46) and is fourth on the team in average (.301). Most recently, MSU took two-out-of-three from Southern Illinois in conference play including a 14-1 series-opening win. 
 
Looking Ahead
SEMO Baseball will head back out on the road for a pivotal OVC battle this weekend at Tennessee Tech. The matchup between two of the top teams in the conference will begin on Friday night at 6 p.m. in Cookeville, Tenn.