Forecast erases first game of Southeast Missouri State baseball series

The Southeast Missouri State baseball team's third visit of the season to a Sun Belt Conference squad has been revised.

Southeast (7-5) and Arkansas-Little Rock (6-6) were scheduled to play a two-game series featuring contests tonight and Wednesday.

Because of severe storms expected to hit the Little Rock area today, tonight's game has been canceled. The teams still are slated for a 3 p.m. contest Wednesday and there is a chance tonight's canceled game will be made up as part of a doubleheader.

The Redhawks are coming off a three-game weekend sweep at the hands of perennial Sun Belt power Troy. Southeast suffered losses by scores of 9-0, 2-1 in 10 innings and 7-2.

Southeast opened the season by taking two of three at Louisiana-Lafayette, another perennial Sun Belt power.

UALR is not as accomplished as either Troy or Louisiana-Lafayette. The Trojans went 29-25 last year -- 12-16 in the Sun Belt -- for their first winning record since 2003.

Southeast was outhit just 26-22 by Troy but was outscored 18-3. It marked the first time the Redhawks had just three runs in a three-game series since 2006.

Although the Redhawks' offense struggled at Troy, the pitching remained strong. Southeast pitchers allowed only eight earned runs and their ERA for the season moved to 2.67. Southeast carries a .275 batting average.

"Our pitching was very good, but their pitchers just neutralized our offense," Southeast coach Mark Hogan said.

UALR is hitting .280 and has a 4.19 ERA.