SEMO, Lindenwood finally meet on the diamond

After months of anticipation, Southeast Missouri State and Lindenwood will finally meet on the diamond on Friday, April 28, at 6 p.m. at Capaha Field.

The weekend series is not only the first time these two teams meet as in-state Ohio Valley Conference rivals, but Friday also marks the first-ever game between these two schools. Lindenwood enters this series as a first-timer in Division I, while SEMO is the two-time defending OVC Tournament champion.

Lindenwood struggled early in the season, but the Lions have held their own seemingly well in conference play, going 5-7 to improve their 9-32 record. The Lions are currently tied with SIUE for fifth in the conference standings, while SEMO (23-19, 11-4) is a game out of first place, behind Morehead State (9-3) and ahead of OVC newcomer Little Rock (10-5).

Saxony Lutheran alum Eli Brown is set to make his collegiate Capaha Field debut on Saturday at 2 p.m. Brown previously pitched at Capaha Field for the Cape Catfish of the Prospect League over the summer and punched out 42 batters over 49.2 innings.

The sophomore from Perryville leads the Lions in ERA (5.54) and has an opponent batting average of .257 and 49 strikeouts in 52.2 innings. In his last two appearances, Brown has allowed a total of two earned runs over 11 innings with 11 strikeouts.

The Lions are hitting .222 with a .637 slugging percentage as a team, and are led by outfielder Joe Copeland, who is batting .310, slugging .442, and is second in RBI with 16.

The Redhawks are led by the trio of Jevon Mason, Chance Resetich, and Josh Cameron, who are all hitting over .400 in conference play. Mason has started all 15 conference games in left field and is batting .448 with a 1.206 OPS. Resetich improved his batting average to .406 after hitting a home run on Tuesday against Southern Illinois. Coming from the junior college ranks, Cameron leads the Redhawks during the OVC slate with nine home runs and 23 RBIs while having a .404 batting average.

"The biggest difference is just the speed of the game," Cameron said on the difference between junior college and NCAA Division I baseball. "If you let the game speed up on you, it's gonna speed up on you, but you get to that point where you can slow down the game, you start to get your timing built up, and once you slow down the game and it starts to come to you, good things happen."

The series will conclude on Sunday at 1 p.m.