Southeast Missouri State baseball team looks to avenge drubbing

~ Southeast gets another crack at Salukis after giving up 25 runs in the last meeting

The Southeast Missouri State baseball team plays two mid-week nonconference games for just the second time this season and the first time since early March.

That will test the injury-depleted pitching staff of the Redhawks, who hope today to avenge one of the program's most lopsided losses ever.

Southeast (20-21, 12-9 Ohio Valley Conference) visits Southern Illinois Carbondale (18-21, 2-10 Missouri Valley Conference) in a 3 p.m. start.

The Redhawks then return home to face Division II Missouri-St. Louis (21-15) at 5 p.m. Wednesday.

"It's going to be a tough week for us," Southeast coach Steve Bieser said. "It's going to be very challenging, especially considering our pitching situation."

SIU came to Cape Girardeau on April 9 for the first of the two annual meetings between the regional rivals and hammered the Redhawks 25-3 as Southeast tied a school record for most runs allowed.

Southeast has lost six straight mid-week nonconference games, but that hasn't prevented the Redhawks from putting together a solid conference season.

The Redhawks are fifth in the 11-team OVC, The top six finishers qualifying for the conference tournament. Southeast is riding a league-record 18 straight OVC tournament appearances.

SIU has struggled in MVC play, ranking seventh in the eight-team league. The Salukis are coming off a three-game conference sweep suffered at the hands of Creighton.

The Salukis went 31-28 last year, marking their first winning season since 2008. They went a sixth-place 9-12 in the MVC.

Southeast had won four of the previous five meetings with SIU before the April 9 blowout.

UMSL, which is riding a seven-game winning streak, also should present a solid test for Southeast in Wednesday's contest.

The Tritons, 17-9 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference, are tied for third overall in the 16-team league and are second in the eight-team West Division.

"They've been playing really well," Bieser said. "We have to be careful. We can't just walk in there thinking we're going to win it."

Following this week's nonconference matchups, Southeast resumes OVC play this weekend with a three-game home series against conference co-leader Jacksonville State (22-17, 14-4).

Starting times are 5 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday.