Game 22
Southeast Missouri (14-7) at Evansville (5-13)
 
Game Information: 
Date: Wednesday, March 18 
Time: 6 p.m.
Location: Evansville, Ind. 
Venue: Charles H. Braun Stadium
Sawyers vs. UE: 3-4
 
Head Coaches: 
SEMO: Andy Sawyers (349-256 overall; 261-229 at SEMO; 10^th Season)
UE: Wes Carroll (18^th Season)
 
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X: @SEMOBaseball 
Live Stats: Statbroadcast
Listen: SEMO ESPN 93.5 FM or 1220 AM (Erik Sean)
 
Game Notes (PDF)
Media Guide (PDF)

Baseball Continues Road Stretch Wednesday at Evansville
Southeast Missouri Baseball (14-7) will play a Wednesday midweek contest with Evansville (5-13) concluding a four-game road stretch. The Redhawks and Aces will meet at Charles H. Braun Stadium on March 18 with first pitch slated for 6 p.m., CT. in Evansville, Indiana. 
 
Sawyers vs. UE
The Redhawks and Aces will meet for the eighth time under head coach Andy Sawyers, and the second time this season. Overall, SEMO is 3-4 in games against Evansville in Sawyers' 10 seasons at the helm of the program including a victory earlier this season. SEMO lost 7-6 a season ago in Evansville. 
 
Earlier this Year
The Redhawks hosted Evansville earlier this season back on March 3 as SEMO exploded for 13 runs on 11 hits en route to a 13-4 victory over UE. LHP Ben Snider picked up the win as he held the Aces offense in check over 4.0 innings without allowing a run on three hits. He punched out a career-high five opposing hitters as he picked up his first win of the season in that game. The top two hitters in the lineup in Caleb Klein and Cal Sullivan both left the yard via the long ball as three Redhawks had multi-hit and multi-RBI days against UE. The victory marked the second-straight victory on this nine-game winning streak. 
 
Weekend Sweep
Southeast Missouri secured its second sweep of the season as they took all three games from Wright State this past weekend. The Redhawks secured a pair of victories in Saturday's doubleheader with a 4-2 and 6-0 victory before clinching the sweep on Sunday in a 3-2 thrilling victory. RHPs Mason Pennington and Andrew Carroll were the winning pitchers on Saturday as they improved their records to 4-0 and 3-1, respectively. LHP Jackson Kranawetter pitched the final 2.0 innings on Sunday afternoon and picked up his first victory of the season. The pitching staff allowed just four runs to a Wright State offense who has won the Horizon League for five-straight seasons, as six Redhawk pitchers pitched in the series without surrendering a run. Saturday's game two, 6-0 victory, marked the first shutout for the Redhawks in 2026. 
 
March On
The Redhawks are in the middle of a nine-game winning streak after a sweep of Wright State over the weekend. The winning streak is the second longest win streak under Coach Sawyers as the longest came during the 2022 campaign when the Redhawks won 11 in a row. SEMO has completed two series sweeps (Milwaukee & Wright State) and secured single wins over Miami (OH), Evansville, and Missouri State. SEMO is currently 9-0 in the month of March with their last loss coming on the final day of February to Miami (OH). 
 
Top Defense
SEMO Baseball has been one of the country's best defenses through the first 21 games of the season. SEMO holds a .986 fielding-percentage which ranks first in the Ohio Valley Conference and fourth in all of division I baseball. This past weekend, the Redhawks did not commit a single error and are 10-3 in games this season without committing an error. 
 
Shutout
The Redhawks picked up their first shutout of an opponent this season in Saturday's game two at Wright State. SEMO now ranks second in the Ohio Valley with one shutout and rank 43^rd in the country in shutouts. Florida, Georgia, and Southern California lead the country with five shutouts this season. 
 
Get Right on Road
The Redhawks got back to the .500 mark on the road this season with the series sweep at Wright State. SEMO was 1-4 going into the weekend in Ohio before taking all three and now sit at 4-4 away from Capaha Field in 2026. SEMO's only win on the road before this past weekend was an 8-7 victory at Western Kentucky (2/21) earlier this year.
 
High Powered
SEMO Baseball has not been shy when it comes to scoring runs this season through 21 games. The Redhawks are outscoring their opponents 155-118 this season a +37-run differential. The third inning has been the Redhawks' best inning as they have outscored their opponents 33-7 in the third frame. 
 
See Ball, Hit Ball
DH Joe Hall has been on a tear through the first 21 games this season and is the Redhawks' top hitter in the hit column. Hall, who has made all 21 starts this season at designated hitter, has a team-high 32 hits so far and ranks second in the Ohio Valley Conference in hits. His 32 hits rank him 27^th in the country amongst all DI hitters and is averaging 1.52 hits-per-game. 
 
Multiple RBIs
Hall has also been the top RBI producer in the lineup for the Redhawks, primarily from the three-hole in Coach Sawyers' lineup. Hall has driven in a team-high 22 RBIs, including six games this season with multiple RBIs. He ranks fourth in the OVC in RBIs and 131^st in the nation. 
 
1, 2, 3
The Redhawks have settled into the same combination of their first three hitters in the lineup and have found great success in doing so. Center fielder Caleb Klein, first baseman Cal Sullivan, and designate hitter Joe Hall have been SEMO's 1, 2, and 3 hitters, respectively. With Caleb Klein in the leadoff spot the Redhawks are 12-5, Cal Sullivan in the two hole 11-3, and Joe Hall in the third spot SEMO is 12-3 this season. 
 
Shakotko
Outfielder Demitri Shakotko had a career day in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader at Wright State. Shakotko tied his career-high in hits and RBIs in a game with three in each category. Shakotko has recorded each two times in a game in just two seasons at SEMO. 
 
Whatever it Takes
Infielder Brooks Kettering is one of the best situational executioners in the SEMO lineup specifically with his ability to lay down the sacrifice bunt. Kettering leads the Ohio Valley Conference with four sacrifice bunts this season, and 21^st in the country in the same category. 
 
Doubles Leader
First baseman Cal Sullivan enters Wednesday's contest as the leader in the clubhouse in doubles. Sullivan recorded a pair of doubles over the three-game series at Wright State this past weekend, pushing his season total to nine. He leads the OVC in doubles and ranks 27^th in the country in two-baggers. 
 
Penny Lane
RHP Mason Pennington has been a menace on the mound in five starts as opposing hitters have struck out 33 times this season when facing the Collinsville, Oklahoma-native. Pennington leads the OVC in strikeouts so far this season and ranks 76^th in the country of all DI pitchers. He has back-to-back performances of 11 and nine strikeouts, respectively, and has allowed just two walks in his last two starts. 
 
Perfect So Far
Pennington has started five games this season for the Redhawks and in all five of them, SEMO has won the ball game. As a club, SEMO is a perfect 5-0 in those games as he himself improved to 4-0 on the weekend with a 4-2 victory over WSU. Pennington ranks first in the OVC and eighth in the country in victories this season. 
 
Good JoJo
RHP Jojo Keldsen had his longest outing of the season on Sunday afternoon as he pitched 3.2 innings of scoreless baseball against Wright State. Keldsen allowed no runs on three hits and struck out one Raider. He has pitched 12.1 innings this season and has a 6.57 ERA with five strikeouts. 
 
Strikeout > Walks
The Redhawks pitching staff is one of the best in the country at strikeout-to-walk ratio. Through 21 games, SEMO has punched out 151 opposing hitters and surrendered just 56 walks for a 2.88 strikeout-to-walk ratio which ranks them first in the OVC and 33^rd in the nation as a staff. 
 
No Free Passes
With SEMO's 56 walks allowed this season, the Redhawks are amongst the nation's best in walks allowed per nine innings. SEMO is allowing just 3.21 walks per nine which ranks them top of the OVC and 17^th in the country. Auburn leads the country in BB/9 with a 2.06 mark.