Game 41
Southern Illinois (16-22) vs. Southeast Missouri (28-12)
 
Game Information: 
Date: Tuesday, April 21
Time: 6:00 p.m.
Location: Cape Girardeau, Mo. 
Venue: Capaha Field
Sawyers vs. SIU: 5-12
 
Head Coaches: 
SEMO: Andy Sawyers (363-261 overall; 275-234 at SEMO; 10^th Season)
SIU: Lance Rhodes (212-140 at SIU; Seventh Season)
 
Follow the Redhawks: 
X: @SEMOBaseball 
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Watch: ESPN+
Listen: SEMO ESPN 93.5 FM or 1220 AM (Erik Sean)
Tickets
 
Redhawks Host Regional Rival Southern Illinois Tuesday Evening
Southeast Missouri Baseball (28-12) returns from a four-game road stretch to take on longtime rival Southern Illinois (16-22) on Tuesday night in Cape Girardeau. The Redhawks and Salukis will meet for the second time this season with first pitch slated for 6 p.m., CT. at Capaha Field. 
 
Tuesday Promos
Tuesday's game will be a special day for our 'four-legged' friends at the ballpark. Fans are allowed to bring their furry friends to the ballpark and can enjoy a free dog toy giveaway. Fans can also enjoy '$2 Tuesdays' at Tuesday's game where all concessions in the park are just $2. 
                                                                
Weekend Series Win
SEMO Baseball took the series over the weekend in Cookeville, Tenn. by defeating Tennessee Tech in the bookend games of the series, beginning with a 13-11 comeback victory in the opener. The Redhawks fell behind 8-0 after the game's first three innings, but multiple runs in innings four-six, four runs in the eighth, and another pair of runs in the ninth completed the comeback. DH Cal Sullivan and RF Ryan Lopetegui each homered twice in the series opening win. The Redhawks suffered a setback on Saturday morning in a 10-4 loss with the game being moved up to 11 a.m. due to a threat of rain in the Cookeville area. The Redhawks got on the board first in the top of the second inning with an RBI single from catcher Tank Sims. A two-run response in the third inning, followed by a five-run fifth inning from TTU pushed them over the line to setup a decider on Sunday. SEMO pounded out 12 hits and scored nine runs to secure the Sunday victory highlighted by home runs from Caleb Klein and Joe Hall. The Redhawks scored a pair of runs in the first and second inning to take a 4-0 lead into the home second. TTU would tie it with a four-run inning as the teams would trade runs up until the eighth inning as the Redhawks lead 8-7 going to the ninth. Hall's homer to left field gave SEMO an insurance run as the Redhawks picked up a 9-7 victory on Sunday. 
 
Savin' Penny
RHP Mason Pennington had an interesting weekend in Cookeville. Pennington, who started Friday night's contest, pitched just 0.2 innings of his start before being replaced in the game. Pennington then turned around and recorded his first career save on Sunday afternoon, coming out of the bullpen for the final 3.0 innings. Pennington picked up his first career save as he did not allow a run or a hit over the final three frames. 
 
Magic 8
LHP Jackson Kranawetter picked up his team-leading eighth save of the season in Friday's 13-11 victory as he pitched the final 2.0 innings against TTU. His eighth save of the season ranks atop the Ohio Valley Conference and ranks 12^thnationally. After two seasons, Kranawetter has now recorded 16 saves in a Redhawk uniform and needs just one more save to tie the program's all-time saves leader, Kyle Miller (2021-2024), with 17. 
 
Double-Digits
First baseman Cal Sullivan finished the weekend recording his 13^th home run of the season. The Ely, Iowa-native hit home runs 12 and 13 in the series opener and continues to lead the club in round-trippers this season. Sullivan ranks third in the Ohio Valley Conference in homers and 40^th nationally. He also ranks third in home runs per game (0.36) and 39^th in the country. 
 
He Scores A lot
Center fielder Caleb Klein has a knack for getting on base and coming around to score. This season, Klein has come around to score 51 times which ranks him second in the OVC in runs scored. He ranks 15^th nationally and is averaging the second-most runs-per-game in the league at 1.28. He ranks 19^th in the nation with that ratio. 
 
Good Eye
Second baseman Brooks Kettering continues to lead the club in walks this season. Kettering, a junior from Springfield, Mo., has 27 walks this season which ranks him second in the OVC, just two back from Joe Connolly of Western Illinois. Kettering has led the Redhawks in walks in each of his first two seasons in Cape Girardeau and currently has a .436 on-base percentage. 
 
Tank Leaves the Yard
Redshirt freshman Tank Sims blasted his first career home run on Saturday afternoon in what was a three-RBI game for the West Plains, Mo.-native. Sims hit a towering two-run homer to right field that brought in Andrew Ramirez and gave SEMO a 3-2 lead in the fourth inning. Sims is hitting .227 this season over 88 at bats (20-88) and has started 26 games behind the dish this season. 
 
Nation's Toughest 
Short stop Andrew Ramirez entered the past weekend as the second toughest hitter in the country to strikeout. After not striking out once in Cookeville, Ramirez has overtaken the top spot as the nation's toughest hitter to strike out. He now sits in first place at one strikeout for every 25.6 at-bats. 
 
OVC's Top Pitching
The Redhawks pitching staff enters this week atop the Ohio Valley Conference in three pitching statistical categories. SEMO is the league's best in strikeouts-per-nine-innings (8.8), strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.97), and walks allowed per nine innings (2.97). 
 
Around the Diamond
Behind SEMO's elite pitching staff, the Redhawks own the nation's third best fielding percentage heading into a new week and rank atop the OVC. SEMO is fielding a staggering .986 on the season and has committed just 20 errors this campaign.