Game 45-47
Southeast Missouri (31-13, 12-6 OVC) at Eastern Illinois (25-15, 12-6 OVC) 
 
Game Information: 
Date: Friday, May 1 – Sunday, May 3
Time: Fri: 6 p.m. | Sat: 5 p.m. | Sun: 1 p.m. 
Location: Charleston, Illinois 
Venue: Frost Field at Coaches Stadium
Sawyers vs. EIU: 12-13
 
Head Coaches: 
SEMO: Andy Sawyers (366-262 overall; 278-235 at SEMO; 10^th Season)
MU: Jason Anderson (264-273; 11^th season)
 
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Listen: SEMO ESPN 93.5 FM or 1220 AM (Erik Sean)
 
Redhawks Travel to Eastern Illinois for Pivotal OVC Battle
Southeast Missouri Baseball (31-12) will return to Ohio Valley Conference play against longtime foe Eastern Illinois (25-15, 12-6 OVC) over the weekend. The two teams will meet on Friday evening at 6 p.m., followed by 5 p.m. on Saturday, and a 1 p.m. series finale on Sunday. The games will take place from Frost Field at Coaches Stadium in Charleston, Ill. 
 
Sawyers vs. EIU
The Redhawks and Panthers will meet on the diamond for a three-game series marking the 26^th, 27^th, and 28^th times under 10^th year Head Coach Andy Sawyers. The Redhawks trail by a 12-13 mark in the series under Sawyers but took the season series in Cape Girardeau a season ago. The Redhawks fell in the opening game of the series at Capaha Field but rallied back in games two and three winning by a combined two runs (5-4, 7-6) to take the series. 
 
Do You Remember?
SEMO and EIU made history last season in the first game of the series having played the longest game in Ohio Valley Conference history. The game lasted 19 innings and ran for five hours and 19 minutes at Capaha Field. It still stands as the longest game played as the eighth inning through the 18^th inning saw no runs scored. EIU took a 6-3 lead in the top of the 19^th inning and held on to win. 
 
Weekend Recap
The Redhawks picked up a crucial series victory over SIUE winning 2-of-3 games this weekend in Cape Girardeau beginning with a 10-3 victory in game one on Friday night. RHP Nathan Mertens (4-2) was dominant, pitching a complete game allowing just two earned runs on four hits. He punched out eight Cougars and did not surrender a walk in the outing. Left fielder Joe Hall powered the Redhawks with a pair of home runs, including a grand slam, and five RBIs driven in. Catcher Tank Sims also homered in the contest to begin the series with a win. The Redhawks scored five runs in the bottom of the seventh inning in Saturday's game two via three-straight, bases loaded walks and an RBI single from Cal Sullivan that scored two more runs to win it 5-1. RHP Mason Pennington got the start and pitched an impressive 5.1 innings allowing just one run. He punched out four in the outing before LHP Jackson Kranawetter came on in the ninth to record his ninth save of the season with the tying run on deck. The Redhawks got on the board in the bottom of the first inning in Sunday's finale, but four runs in the fourth, one in the fifth, and another four runs in the seventh saw SIUE take the final game, 9-2. Ryan Lopetegui drove in the game's first run before Demitri Shakotko hit an eighth inning, solo home run for the Redhawks' second run. 
 
OVC Player of Week
Sophomore Joe Hall of Southeast Missouri Baseball was named Ohio Valley Conference 'Player of the Week', the league announced on Monday morning. Hall, who joined the Redhawks this season from Adams State, helped lead the Redhawks to a 3-1 week last week including a Tuesday victory over Southern Illinois and a weekend series win against SIUE in Cape Girardeau. He finished the week going 8-17 at the plate for a .471 batting average. He recorded a pair of doubles, three home runs, and six RBIs. He recorded a 1.118 slugging-percentage and a .471 on-base percentage. He becomes the second Redhawk this season to win OVC 'Player of the Week' honors, joining teammate Dakota Joggerst (3/23) from earlier this season.
 
Shoved
RHP Nathan Mertens picked up his fourth win of the season on Friday night and tossed his first complete game of 2026. Mertens made his third start of the year and his first since all the way back on February 20 and punched out eight opponents, his second highest strikeout total of the season. Mertens threw the third complete game of the season from a Redhawk pitcher and used just 98 pitches to do so. He has a 4.21 ERA and has only surrendered two walks over 47.0 innings pitched. 
 
Locked at the Top
Southeast Missouri Baseball enters the weekend tied atop the Ohio Valley Conference standings. With a 12-6 record in OVC play, SEMO is in a four-way tie for first place with Eastern Illinois, Little Rock, and SIUE. The Redhawks and Panthers will meet in the third-to-final series of the 2026 regular season. 
 
Dynamic Duo
Center fielder Caleb Klein and DH/OF Joe Hall are the only two Redhawks who have started and played all 44 games this season. Klein leads the team in on-base percentage (.454) typically hitting in the leadoff spot this year. Hall leads the team in hits (66) and batting average (.361) while Klein is second in hits (58) and fifth in batting average (.330). 
 
30 is the Norm
The Redhawks eclipsed the 30-win mark over the weekend against SIUE. SEMO Baseball has now recorded 30 or more wins for the fifth time in 10 seasons under Head Coach Andy Sawyers. In three-of-the-four 30-win seasons under Sawyers, the Redhawks have advanced to the NCAA Regionals. The 2026 season marks the third-straight 30-win season for SEMO Baseball. 
 
#1
RHP Nathan Mertens ranks at the top of college baseball in two separate pitching categories. Mertens leads the country in strikeout-to-walk ratio and walks allowed per nine innings. He has a K/BB ratio of 24.00 and has allowed just 0.38 walks per nine innings. In 47.0 innings, Mertens has punched out 48 opposing hitters and has allowed just two walks. 
 
Makes You Earn It
To go along with Mertens' performance, he recorded the 10^th outing this season without surrendering a walk. He pushed his career total to 16 appearances in a Redhawk shirt without surrendering a walk to his opponents. 
 
Hitting = Winning
Southeast Missouri has outhit their opponent in 23 games this season. In those games, the Redhawks hold an impressive 23-0 record having yet to lose a game where they have more hits than their opponents. The other 21 games, SEMO holds an 8-13 record when they are outhit. Most recently, SEMO defeated SIUE last Saturday being outhit to improve their record. 
 
Hall 'Em In
Designated hitter Joe Hall recorded five RBIs in last Friday's victory over SIUE. The sophomore from Kansas City, Mo., recorded two home runs which resulted in his third game this season with five RBIs. He is currently second on the team in RBIs with 44, just four back of team-leader Cal Sullivan. 
 
That Kid Can Fly
Center fielder Caleb Klein recorded his 12^th stolen base of the season on Sunday afternoon versus SIUE. The Epworth, Iowa-native has three more stolen bags than his next closest teammate (Ryan Lopetegui, 9) and has been caught stealing just four times. He is 12-16 on the year in stolen base attempts.