Southeast Baseball

Veteran Southeast Missouri State baseball coach Andy Sawyers has been in the business of guiding young athletes long enough to see something concerning when it begins to appear on the horizon.

Through two innings of its NCAA Baseball Regional opening game at Mississippi on Friday, Southeast Missouri State was getting exactly what it wanted AND needed out of senior pitcher Dylan Dodd.

The Southeast Missouri State baseball program will be on the national stage for the first time since 2016 tonight, as the Redhawks battle site host Mississippi (7 p.m., ESPN3) in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament in Oxford, Miss. However, given the make-up of the SEMO roster, as well as the production that fifth-year coach Andy Sawyers has gotten in recent big games from his younger athletes, it may not be another five years before his team finds its way back to the NCAA Tournament.

When you are one of the top baseball programs in the Southeastern Conference, you have the luxury of pitching depth at your disposal. Such is the case with Mississippi, which will NOT throw its top pitcher against Southeast Missouri State in the NCAA Tournament opener on Friday, but let’s not shed a tear for the No. 1-seed Rebels (41-19), after all, Derek Diamond is still a Major League draft pick (40th round by Arizona).

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The bad news for the Southeast Missouri State baseball team is that it “played one of the more poor games” it had experienced during the 2021 season with the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament championship on the line on Saturday. The positive is that the Redhawks season remains alive.

Veteran Southeast Missouri State baseball coach Andy Sawyers praised his team’s “sticktoiveness” following its opening win over Austin Peay on Thursday in the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament in Jackson, Tenn.

Following his team’s 11-8 opening-round win against Austin Peay in the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament on Thursday, Southeast Missouri State baseball coach Andy Sawyers said he “was really proud of our guys’ composure (and) their ‘sticktoiveness.’”

The Southeast Missouri State baseball squad did what it was expected to do in the opening round of the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament on Thursday in Jackson, Tenn.

It’s easy to look at Southeast Missouri State senior pitcher Dylan Dodd and realize why the Redhawks just won their fifth Ohio Valley Conference regular-season championship.

Lipscomb starting pitcher Ike Buxton was nearly untouchable on Friday, throwing seven scoreless innings, shutting down a very hot Southeast Missouri State offense, as the Bison shut out the Redhawks, 3-0. SEMO had five runners in scoring position for the game, including two in the top of the ninth, but could not drive anyone of them in...

Dylan Dodd was again outstanding, throwing seven shutout innings with eight strikeouts as Southeast Missouri State took the series-opener over Lipscomb Thursday, 3-2. Dodd was again flat-out nasty, allowing just five Lipscomb hitters to reach base against him. He faced 26 hitters and did not allow a walk...

Southeast Missouri State infielder Tyler Wilber went 3-for-4, narrowly missing hitting for the cycle Saturday, as the Redhawks overcame a five-run deficit to pull off a 7-6 series-clinching win over Eastern Kentucky. SEMO recorded its ninth series win of the season and seventh in Ohio Valley Conference play...

Southeast Missouri State senior pitcher Dylan Dodd was named Ohio Valley Conference Pitcher of the Week on Monday, making it the second time the left-hander has accomplished the honor this season and the fourth time in his career. A native of Danville, Illinois, Dodd allowed just two hits while striking out eight in a 12-0 shutout of Belmont on Friday. ...

Dylan Dodd allowed just two hits and struck out eight over seven innings, to lead Southeast Missouri State to its 20th win of the season, shutting out Belmont, 12-0, in game one of a three-game series on Friday. Dodd put together another spectacular performance on the mound, retiring 20 of the 22 hitters he faced. He no-hit the Bruins for five innings and retired Belmont hitters in order during the second, third, fifth, and sixth innings...

Tyler Wilber and Lincoln Andrews combined for eight hits, four runs, and five RBI as Southeast Missouri (19-15) blew out Austin Peay (14-24), 16-3, Wednesday. The game was called after seven innings due to severe weather in the Clarksville area. SEMO erupted for a season-high 16 runs and 19 hits in its largest win of the season. Five players finished with multiple hits and multiple runs in the Redhawks overpowering display...

Southeast Missouri State broke out the bats on the road to beat Austin Peay in blowout fashion, 16-3, on Wednesday in Clarksville, TN. The game lasted seven innings due to severe weather in the area. Austin Keck went 3-for-5 with two home runs to raise his batting average to .312 on the season. Tyler Wilber and Lincoln Andrews each plated a team-high four hits. Wilber drove in a game-high five runs to add to his team-leading total of 37 RBI on the season...

Another day, another stellar showcase by Dylan Dodd. The Southeast Missouri State ace went 6.2 innings allowing two runs on five hits and two walks with eight strikeouts to lead the Redhawks to a 7-3 win over Tennessee Tech on Friday. Dodd has struck out eight or more batters in eight of his nine starts so far this season. He has also allowed no more than three runs per start in eight of his last nine starts...

Southeast Missouri State freshman infielder Lincoln Andrews had a career-high three hits Tuesday, leading his Redhawks to an 8-1 win over OVC foe UT Martin. Andrews finished at 3 for 5 in the game, smashing a double, along with two singles, scoring a run, and driving in a run...

The Ohio Valley Conference announced on Tuesday that the Baseball Championship will be held on May 27-29 at The Ballpark at Jackson in Jackson, Tenn. “We are excited to have the OVC Baseball Championship back at The Ballpark at Jackson,” OVC Commissioner Beth DeBauche said in a statement. “There is a level of comfort in going back to a place that has been so good to our league in the past.”...

Tyler Wilber went 3 for 5, driving in two RBIs as well as knocking in the go-ahead run Friday to capture Southeast Missouri State Head Coach Andy Sawyers' 100th career win, to down Jacksonville State, 6-5. With two on in the sixth inning, and the Redhawks trailing 5-4, Wilber laced a single to left field off Gamecock's hurler Jackson Tavel, bringing home both pinch-runner Brett Graber and Wade Strauss, to put SEMO on top for good...

Southeast Missouri State junior Tyler Wilbur was named the Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Week Monday, his first time doing so in his collegiate career. Wilbur hit .611 with nine RBIs, a pair of doubles, and two runs scored for the Redhawks last week...

In his pursuit of a career record, Southeast Missouri State senior Connor Basler reached a milestone for something else. The speedy second baseman hit his first career home run in the second inning of a 9-8 extra-inning loss to Missouri State on Tuesday...

Missouri State rallied for five runs in the final two innings to edge Southeast Missouri State in extra innings, Tuesday, at Capaha Field. SEMO took a 3-0 advantage in the bottom of the second, as Connor Basler hit the first home run of his career, a two-run shot to left field, followed by a Danny Wright triple that scored Jevon Mason...

Southeast Missouri State shook off its exasperating defeat at the hands of their rival earlier in the week with a comeback victory at Eastern Illinois on Friday at Charleston, Ill. SEMO entered the series in a three-way tie with Murray State and Tennessee Tech for first place in the Ohio Valley Conference. The win keeps the Redhawks on top with a 5-2 record in conference play...

Wednesday’s game between Southeast Missouri State and Southern Illinois felt like a homecoming for Saluki head coach Lance Rhodes. Rhodes played high school baseball at Sikeston and started his college career at St. Louis before finishing at SEMO. He was on the coaching staff during the Redhawks’ best years in recent memory and experienced life in the SEC at Missouri before getting his first head coaching job...

The Southeast Missouri baseball team split a pair of extra-inning games with Austin Peay Saturday, defeating the Governors in the first game of a double-header, 6-5 in 11 innings, before dropping the nightcap, 12-11, in 12 innings. The Redhawks won the weekend series despite losing the last of the double-header 2-1, winning Friday, 6-3...

Former Southeast Missouri State pitcher and assistant coach Lance Rhodes returns to Capaha Field for the first time as an opposing coach, leading Southern Illinois to a standalone rivalry game with the Redhawks on Tuesday. “I’m sure there’ll be some weird feeling whenever I’m on the first base side dugout, whenever I spent four years over on the third-base side,” Rhodes said. ...

SEMO catcher Wade Strauss had a hit and two RBIs while relief pitcher Austin Williams slammed the door on Austin Peay, pitching two scoreless innings, to give the Redhawks a 6-3 win, Friday. Strauss found a fourth- inning pitch to his liking and drove the ball to right field, plating both his younger brother Ty Strauss and infielder Conner Basler to extend the SEMO lead to 4-1...

One surefire way to find out who one of the stars of the baseball team is when you’re at a game for the first time is to see how the dugout reacts to the batter’s walkup song. Southeast Missouri State junior shortstop Tyler Wilber steps to the plate with electronic dance music blaring through the speakers at Capaha Field. The players slap the padded top rail of the dugout in unison synchronized to the beat of his song...

Southeast Missouri State junior infielder Tyler Wilbur went 3 for 4 with a home run, a run scored, and drove in four RBIs, including the go-ahead run in the eighth inning, to lead the Redhawks past Saint Louis Tuesday in St. Louis, 8-6.

Southeast Missouri State fought back to .500 with a doubleheader sweep over SIU Edwardsville on Saturday at Edwardsville. The Redhawks have won three of four series this season. Their only series loss came in a four-game sweep against top-ranked Arkansas...

The sports world completely changed one year ago. The coronavirus pandemic began to become a real thing when two NBA players tested positive and sports leagues quickly went from playing in empty arenas to completely shutting down for months as everyone stayed home fearing infection yet hoping it would shortly pass.

Every successful baseball team needs an ace that the head coach can confidently hand the ball to knowing that his successful start will set the tone of the series. Southeast Missouri State has that ace in senior Dylan Dodd. Dodd returned to SEMO after given an extra year of eligibility due to the coronavirus pandemic cancelling the spring season after two months. He impressed with a 3.37 ERA and 36 strikeouts in 26.2 innings pitched over four starts and was on the MLB Draft radar...

Southeast Missouri State rebounded after being swept on the road by the top-ranked team in the nation by taking three out of four games against Illinois State. The Redhawks capped off their first home series with an 8-1 series win over the Redbirds on Sunday at Capaha Field...

Southeast Missouri State freshman Peyton Leeper hasn’t had a ton of success so far in 2021, but on Friday, the young infielder provided the winning hit for the Redhawks in the bottom of the 10th inning to beat Illinois State 4-3 at Capaha Field.

Southeast Missouri State senior baseball players helped the Redhawks get off to a solid start to the 2021 season this past weekend and were honored by the Ohio Valley Conference on Monday for doing so.

Southeast Missouri (2-1) claimed the first series of the season by mounting a comeback in the ninth inning and defeating South Alabama in 10 innings on Sunday at Mobile, Ala. The Redhawks were down 5-3 going into the ninth inning. Austin Blazevic scored on a wild pitch after leading off the rally with a base hit. A sacrifice fly ball by Wade Stauss tied the game and an RBI single by Andrew Keck gave SEMO the lead...

Southeast Missouri State got off to a strong start to the 2021 baseball season, as senior left-hander Dylan Dodd struck out eight and allowed only one walk to lead the Redhawks to a 4-2 win at South Alabama on Friday in Mobile, Ala.

The lives of everyone within Southeast Missouri have been in “adjust” mode with the pummeling of snow that blanketed the area this week (and more expected to come).

Leading the Southeast Missouri State baseball program has been a challenge for fifth-year coach Andy Sawyers over the past two seasons.

Southeast Missouri State released its baseball schedule on Friday with the start of the season only two weeks away. A new wrinkle to the Ohio Valley Conference slate is replacing Sunday matinees with double-headers on Saturday. The 2021 season will begin on Friday, Feb. 19, at home against Milwaukee. The four-game series includes a double-header on Saturday, which is a theme for this season...

Former Southeast Missouri State great Trevor Ezell never had plans to be a coach. Yet after a year and a half away from SEMO, he returns to the baseball program as staff as the Director of Offensive Player Development, beginning the first step of his new career...

CHARLESTON, Mo. — Two Charleston baseball players signed on the dotted line to continue their academic and athletic careers at the next level. Dawson Crawford signed to pitch at Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau while Luke Nichols signed to Jefferson College in Hillsboro...

Earlier this week, Ohio Valley Commissioner Beth DeBauche wasn’t ready to make any significant adjustments as it related to the 2020 football season. However, she did state that the OVC Board of Presidents would be meeting on July 22 and 29 and may be doing just that.

This summer is nowhere near ready to fade off into memory either from a heat perspective or a baseball one.

Good Sports is a column featured weekly in the Southeast Missourian and on semoball.com. It is primarily designed to showcase people who have impacted the sporting life of Southeast Missouri, so that readers may get to know them more fully. Responses have been edited for clarity and brevity...