Game 1-3
Southeast Missouri (0-0) at Memphis (0-0)
 
Game Information: 
Dates: Friday, February 14 – TBD
Times: Friday: 2:05 & 5:05 p.m. | TBD
Location: Memphis, Tenn. 
Venue: FedExPark Avron Fogelman Field
Series: Memphis leads 27-20 (Last meeting, 2019)
 
Head Coaches: 
SEMO: Andy Sawyers (217-197 Overall | Ninth Season)
Memphis: Matt Riser (23-32 Overall | Second Season)
 
Follow the Redhawks: 
X: @SEMOBaseball
Live Stats: gotigersgo.com
Watch: Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3
Listen: Real Rock 99.3 FM (Erik Sean)
 
Game Notes (PDF)
Media Guide (PDF)
 
Baseball Opens 2025 Season at Memphis this Weekend
Southeast Missouri Baseball (0-0) will begin the 2025 campaign on the road at American Athletic Conference-member, Memphis (0-0), this weekend beginning on Friday, February 14. Friday will feature a doubleheader beginning at 2:05 p.m., CT. followed by the series conclusion at a 'To Be Determined' date and time from FedExPark in Memphis. 
 
Schedule Change
The series has been altered due to potential weather in the Memphis area as the series was originally scheduled for a Friday, Saturday, and Sunday affair. The series has been pushed up to a Friday doubleheader followed by the third game to be announced later.  
 
Series History
This weekend will mark the 48^th, 49^th, and 50^th time these two have met on the baseball diamond and the first time since 2019. In his nine seasons, Andy Sawyers has faced the Tigers just two times. Most recently, the Redhawks defeated Memphis in Cape Girardeau by a final score of 7-6 (3/19/19). Memphis holds the all-time series lead with a 27-20 advantage. 
 
2024 Campaign
SEMO Baseball is coming off a 36-27 record last season including an 18-9 OVC record and its sixth OVC Baseball Tournament Championship in program history. The Redhawks reached its third NCAA Tournament in the last four seasons and the sixth in program history. In addition, SEMO Baseball reached its first NCAA Tournament Regional Final appearance after defeating both Louisiana Tech and #5 national seed Arkansas, eventually falling to Kansas State to conclude the season. 
 
The Schedule
The Redhawks will play a 55-game regular season in 2025 including 30 games from the friendly confines of Capaha Field. SEMO will play a full 27-game Ohio Valley Conference slate beginning at UT Martin (March 21-23) and concluding at home against Little Rock (May 15-17) before the 2025 Ohio Valley Conference Tournament in Marion, Illinois (May 21-24). SEMO will face off with non-conference opponents in Memphis, Austin Peay (2/19), Northern Illinois (Feb. 21-23), Arkansas State (2/26), Purdue Ft. Wayne (Feb. 28-Mar. 2), Missouri (Mar. 4), Indiana State (Mar. 7-9), Evansville (Mar. 11& Apr. 1), Jacksonville State (Mar. 14-16), Middle Tennessee (Mar. 18 & Mar. 25), Southern Illinois (Apr. 8 & 22), and Murray State (Apr. 15 & 29). 
 
Andy Sawyers
Head coach Andy Sawyers enters his ninth season at the helm of SEMO Baseball. In nine seasons, Sawyers is 217-197 overall and holds an Ohio Valley Conference record of 113-82. Sawyers has led the Redhawks to three OVC Tournament titles (2021, 2022, 2024) and one OVC regular season championship (2021). He has been named the Ohio Valley Conference 'Coach of the Year' one time in his career (2021) at Southeast. 
 
The Roster
The 2025 roster is made up of 36 players including 17 returners and 19 newcomers to the program. 
 
Returners
Infielder Brooks Kettering, infeidler Bryce Cannon, utility Ty Stauss, LHP Haden Dow, RHP Brian Strange, and RHP Sam Heyman headline 17 returning players who were on the team in 2024. 
 

• Kettering: 2024 All-OVC Freshman team, All-OVC Tournament Team, 2^nd Team All-OVC, First Team All-NCAA Regional Team. 
• Stauss: 2024 SEMO batting champion (.329 AVG.), 70 hits, nine home runs, 52 RBIs, .545 slugging percentage.
• Dow: 2024 team-high 79.0 innings pitched, 5.13 ERA, team-high 58Ks, opponent batting average of .280
• Strange: team best 5-2 overall record, 56 Ks, 77.1 innings pitched, opponent batting average of .277
• Heyman: 5-4 overall record, pitched 6.1 innings in OVC Championship final (Winning pitcher). 

 
Newcomers
The 2025 squad features 19 newcomers including four freshman and 15 junior college transfers. 

• Freshman: Outfielder Caleb Champion, catcher Tank Sims, RHP Kayden Kohlberg, LHP Matt Wnukowski

 

• RHP Kolton Lyman (Kirkwood CC), INF Mikey Rocha (Santa Ana College), OF Demitri Shakotko (Cloud County CC), INF Carson Schrack (Coffeyville CC), INF Andrew Ramirez (Mt. San Antonio College), RHP Cameron Marchi (St. Charles CC), INF Jack Opoien (Navarro College), Catcher Liam Forsyth (Chabot College), RHP Matthew Lorenzano (Mt. San Antonio College), RHP Caden Kickhaefer (Butler CC), RHP Mason Pennington (NEO), LHP John Klus (Cloud County CC), LHP Cade Perkins (Cowley County CC), LHP Jackson Kranawetter (John A. Logan), RHP Nathan Mertens (ELAC), 

 
Picked First
Southeast Missouri Baseball was picked to win the Ohio Valley Conference ahead of the 2025 campaign. The Redhawks, who are coming off the program's sixth OVC Tournament Championship in 2024, received 13 first-place votes and 157 points from the league's head coaches and communicators. 
 
Receiving five first-place votes was Little Rock who garnered 144 points and a second-place predicted finish. Tennessee Tech (118) rounded out the top three in the preseason poll, followed by Morehead State who received one first-place vote (107), and Eastern Illinois (92) to round out the top five. 
 
SIUE received a first-place vote (89) landing sixth with UT Martin (69), Southern Indiana (57), Lindenwood (45), and Western Illinois (22) following behind.
 
National Coverage
Three Redhawks landed on the 2025 'Top 100' lists according to D1Baseball.com in utility player Ty Stauss, infielder Brooks Kettering, and first baseman Bryce Cannon. The trio return to lead the Redhawks offense in 2025. Kettering was also named the Preseason 'Player of the Year' in the OVC by D1Baseball. 
 
Preseason 'Player to Watch' 
This season, the Ohio Valley Conference selected a player from each institution to watch for ahead of the 2025 season. Infielder Brooks Kettering was named by the league's head coaches and communicator as the Southeast Missouri representative on the list. Kettering started 62-of-63 games a season ago hitting .308 in his first season in Cape Girardeau. He recorded nine home runs, 12 doubles, 40 RBIs, and finished with 76 hits. 
 
Michael Mugan
Center fielder Michael Mugan returns to the Redhawks in 2025 after his first season with the team, tying for the team-high in hits with 76 (Kettering, 76). In 2024, Mugan had the second-highest batting average on the team ending the season with a .311 mark over 244 at-bats. The Seaside, California-native blasted 12 home runs, seven doubles, a triple, and drove in 49 RBIs. He recorded a slugging percentage of .496 and ended the year with a .391 on-base percentage. 
 
From the Bullpen
LHP Alex Hayes, RHP Gavin Johnston, and #25 Ethan Osborne will return as the most familiar arms out of the SEMO bullpen. Hayes finished the 2024 campaign with 38 strikeouts out of the pen with a 7.12 ERA over 36.2 innings pitched. Johnston, who's season was cut short due to injury, made 23 appearances over 28.1 innings pitched. He recorded 26 strikeouts while surrendering just 12 walks. Osborne tied for the team-high in appearances last season with 24, making just one start. Osborne pitched 34.1 innings while punching out 31 opposing hitters. 
 
Behind the Dish
Catcher Shea McGahan returns to the Redhawks after his first season in Cape Girardeau after a standout season behind the dish. McGahan gunned down 14 baserunners attempting to steal a base out of 25 attempts for a .641 mark. Out of 311 chances, McGahan recorded 270 putouts and committed just four errors all season. He fielded his position at a .987 mark.