OVC's Hottest Teams Square Off In Three-Game Series - Jacksonville State University Athletics

JACKSONVILLE – The Ohio Valley Conference's two hottest teams will square off at University Field this weekend, when Jacksonville State and Southeast Missouri play a three-game series.

The Gamecocks (22-21, 20-11 OVC) will wrap up their 2021 regular season against the first-place Redhawks (26-14, 21-5 OVC) with a series that will begin with a 1 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday and wrap up with a 1 p.m. single game on Sunday. Tickets can be purchased at the gate, and fans ages 18 and under and JSU students receive free admission.

Sunday's game will be Senior Day for the Gamecocks, who will honor four players that will be wrapping up their careers at University Field and one that didn't get to finish due to COVID-19. Alexus Jimmerson, Jada Terry, Nicole Rodriguez and Reagan Watkins will be the members of the 2021 team that will be honored, while Ryann Luna will also be honored after her senior season was cut short in 2020.

The series will be a big one regarding seeding in next week's OVC Tournament at Choccolocco Park in Oxford. Both the Gamecocks and Redhawks have clinched one of the four spots in the field, but this weekend will tell where they are seeded in the event.

The Redhawks are battling for the OVC's regular season title, leading second-place Eastern Kentucky by just over a game in the standings. SEMO needs to have a better weekend at JSU than EKU has against Austin Peay in order to secure the league championship.

The Gamecocks enter the series having won 17 of their last 22 games after starting the season with a 5-16 record and a 4-7 mark in league play. The biggest turnaround in Division I from the first half to the second has seen JSU win 16 of their last 20 conference games and clinch one of the top four spots in the standings. The Redhawks are the OVC's hottest team, having won 19 of their last 22 games.

JSU leads the all-time series with SEMO, 40-7 but has dropped four of the last seven meetings. The two shared the 2019 OVC regular season title before SEMO won the tournament after beating the Gamecocks twice in the championship round. JSU won the previous three tournament crowns.

During JSU's last 22 games, the Gamecocks have hit .273 with a 1.93 earned run average after hitting just .244 with a 4.23 ERA over the first 21 games. Rodriguez is 6-4 with two saves and a 1.53 ERA in her last 13 appearances, while Jimmerson is 3-0 with a 0.69 ERA during the Gamecocks' hot streak.

At the plate, Jimmerson is batting .352 with seven homers over the last 22 games, second on the team to Jada Terry's .377 average during that same span. Sidney Wagnon has been hot of late, going 9-for-17 (.529) over the past six games.

SEMO leads the OVC in pitching with a 2.66 ERA and is second in hitting with a .292 average. Rachel Rook leads the Redhawks in the circle with a 17-8 record and a 2.17 ERA, while Ashley Eillis has belted 17 homers and driven in 44 runs at the plate.

All three games of the series will be broadcast on ESPN+.

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Players Mentioned

Alexus Jimmerson

Ryann Luna

Nicole Rodriguez

Jada Terry

Sidney Wagnon

Reagan Watkins

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