Games 34-36
Eastern Illinois (14-15, 5-3 OVC) vs. Southeast Missouri (19-14, 6-3 OVC)
 
Game Information: 
Dates: Friday, April 11 – Sunday, April 13
Times: Fri: 6:00 p.m. | Sat: 2:00 p.m. | Sun: 1:00 p.m.
Location: Cape Girardeau, Mo. 
Venue: Capaha Field
Sawyers vs. EIU: 10-12
 
Head Coaches: 
SEMO: Andy Sawyers (236-211, 119-85 OVC | Ninth Season)
EIU: Jason Anderson (223-251, 104-132 OVC | Tenth Season)
 
Follow the Redhawks: 
X: @SEMOBaseball 
Live Stats: Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3
Listen: SEMO ESPN 93.5 FM or 1220 AM
Tickets
 
Game Notes (PDF)
Media Guide (PDF)
 
Redhawks Host Eastern Illinois to Resume Conference Play This Weekend
Southeast Missouri Baseball (19-14, 6-3 OVC) will return to conference play with a big weekend series against Eastern Illinois (14-15, 5-3 OVC) this weekend at Capaha Field. First pitch is slated for Friday, April 11 at 6:00 p.m., Saturday, April 12 at 2:00 p.m., and Sunday, April 13 at 1:00 p.m. in Cape Girardeau. 
 
Donate Life Day Friday
Southeast Missouri Baseball has teamed up with Mid-America Transplant to host 'Donate Life Day' at the ballpark on Friday, April 11. The Redhawks will swap out their normal jerseys for special edition blue & green jerseys to raise awareness for organ and tissue donation and to celebrate National Donate Life Month (April). You can get your tickets at semoredhawks.com.
 
Sawyers vs. EIU
The weekend series will be the 23^rd, 24^th, and 25^th meeting with Eastern Illinois for ninth year head coach Andy Sawyers. Overall, Coach Sawyers holds a 10-12 record against the Panthers after sweeping them a season ago in Charleston. The Redhawks scored 56 runs in the three-game series and had a career-day from Cole Warehime who blasted two grand slams in game two's 21-4 victory. EIU last defeated the Redhawks in the 2023 OVC Baseball Tournament. 
 
Recapping it All
SEMO Baseball finished last weekend and midweek action with a 2-2 overall record, winning an OVC series at SIUE before dropping Tuesday's matchup with Southern Illinois. The Redhawks defeated SIUE in the first two games of the series, 9-5 & 5-3, respectively, before falling 6-2 in the series finale. The fourth game in four days (due to SIUE series shuffled because of weather) came on Tuesday at local rival Southern Illinois. Leading 3-1 entering the eighth inning, the Redhawks surrendered a six-run inning as SIU came back to win 7-3. Left fielder Michael Mugan and right fielder Cole Warehime combined for all three RBIs in the contest. 
 
OVC Pitcher of the Week
LHP Jackson Kranawetter was named the Ohio Valley Conference 'Pitcher of the Week' earlier this week, marking the fourth Redhawk pitcher to garner the weekly award. A junior from Campbell Hill, Illinois made two appearances out of the bullpen over the weekend at SIUE and did not allow a hit. He pitched 2.2 innings without allowing a walk and struck out six Cougars en route to picking up his fifth save of the season. He ranks second in the Ohio Valley Conference in saves with five and ranks 29th nationally in the saves category. 
 
In 13 appearances this season, Kranawetter leads the Redhawks with a 1.65 earned-run-average. He has allowed just five earned runs, surrendered just six walks, and has struck out 38 hitters which is the third highest mark on the team. 
 
He recorded a season-high seven strikeouts in 2.2 innings of work earlier this season against Indiana State (3/8) and opponents are hitting just .204 against the lefty, the second highest mark on the team.
 
At Capaha
The Redhawks have enjoyed playing at Capaha Field this season and bring a 10-3 overall record at home into the weekend series. As a team, SEMO is hitting .315 with 130 hits over 430 at-bats in Cape Girardeau. The Redhawks have 23 doubles, eight triples, and 14 home runs as a team. Right fielder Cole Warehime has a .413 batting average at home, the highest mark on the team. SEMO has scored 100 runs, including driving in 92 RBIs, at home this season. 
 
Top Defense
SEMO Baseball is the top fielding team in the Ohio Valley Conference coming into the weekend. As a team, SEMO has a .971 fielding-percentage, two points higher than Tennessee Tech in second place (.969). The Redhawks have committed a league-low 34 errors over 1,158 chances. They have made 826 putouts and have 298 assists. 
 
Top Pitching Staff
The Redhawks also lead the OVC in pitching with a 4.94 team ERA and a 19-14 record. The pitching staff has allowed the fewest walks this season with just 92 which is 39 less than Tennessee Tech (132) in second place. In 33 games, SEMO Baseball has struck out 289 hitters with opponents hitting just .254 against them this year. 
 
BB/9
RHP Nathan Mertens and LHP Haden Dow rank in the top 10 of all NCAA division I baseball in walks-per-nine innings. Mertens has an impressive 0.64 BB/9 ratio as he has 41 strikeouts while surrendering just three walks, ranking him first in all of DI baseball. Dow ranks ninth in BB/9 with a 1.24 ratio. He has struck out 41 hitters while surrendering just six walks. 
 
Top 5
Mertens also ranks among the nations best in overall WHIP. Mertens enters the weekend with a 0.80 WHIP which ranks him third in the country as of April 7. Colton Book of Saint Joseph's and Mason Patel of Georgia Tech are the only pitchers in the country who rank higher than Mertens. 
 
More Hits, More Wins
Entering the weekend, SEMO Baseball has outhit their opponents in 16-of-33 games this year. When the Redhawks outhit their opponents, the Redhawks are an impressive 15-1 overall when accomplishing that feat. 
 
Big Middle Innings
The Redhawks have enjoyed the most success scoring runs this season in the fourth and fifth innings. This year, SEMO Baseball is outscoring its opponents 30-14 in the game's fourth inning and 33-17 in the fifth inning. Overall, that is a 66-30 advantage for the Redhawks in the middle two innings. 
 
Stolen Bases
Over the past weekend, the Redhawks stole six bases marking their highest total in a series so far this season. Three Redhawks are tied for the team-lead with four stolen bases in outfielders Michael Mugan and Caleb Champion, and first baseman Bryce Cannon. As a team, SEMO has stolen 23 bases which ranks them eighth in the league. 
 
Behind the Plate to On Base
Catcher Shea McGahan has been the most successful Redhawk getting on base this season through 33 games. McGahan has an on-base percentage of .462, a team-high, and ranks ninth in the Ohio Valley Conference.  He has recorded 22 hits, drawn 24 walks, and has been hit-by-pitch twice this season. 
 
Over 100 RBIs
Graduate student Ty Stauss, in his fifth season in Cape Girardeau, recorded his 100^th & 101^st RBI over the weekend at SIUE. A career .267 hitter, Stauss has recorded 15 RBIs this season to add to his career total. 
 
Doubles Machine
First baseman Bryce Cannon has been the Redhawks best at recording doubles this season. Through 33 games, Cannon has recorded 10 doubles which ranks him fifth in the OVC in that category. He trails Kannon Coakley of Southern Indiana who has 12 doubles this year. 
 
Impact Leadoff
Sophomore Brooks Kettering is the league's best hitter at drawing walks. With 28 walks so far this season, Kettering leads the Redhawks and the OVC in walks. He also recorded his second career-triple on Monday afternoon at SIUE and swiped his 10^th stolen base of his career, the first of his season. Kettering has a .453 on-base percentage which is second on the team.