Friday, March 14
JACKSONVILLE
2:30 PM
Jacksonville State University
vs
Southeast Missouri
Gamecocks Face Former OVC Rival SEMO In CUSA Tune Up Series
3/13/2025 4:26:00 PM | Baseball
JACKSONVILLE – Jacksonville State's final weekend before Conference USA play starts next weekend will be against a former conference rival as Southeast Missouri comes to Rudy Abbott Field at Jim Case Stadium for a three-game series.
Due to the weather forecast for Saturday, the two former Ohio Valley Conference mates will play a Friday doubleheader like it used to be OVC days before going to three-day weekend series. Friday's twinbill is set for 2:30 p.m. Sunday's finale remains at 1 p.m.
Tickets are available online at JaxStateSports.com. All Jax State students and fans 18 years old and younger are admitted free.
All three games will be streamed on ESPN+. Tommy Wood and Hayden Coker will cover the action via audio stream for Friday's doubleheader, which will not air over the Gamecock Radio Network with Jax State's men's basketball playing in the Conference USA Semifinals at the same time.
SERIES INFO
Friday, March 14 (Game 1 – 2:30 p.m.)
Probable Starters
Jax State: Jackson Phipps (1-1, 3.07 ERA), LHP, Jr.
SEMO: TBA
Live Video: ESPN+
Live Audio: YouTube Audio
Live Stats: JaxStateSports.com
Friday, March 14 (30-45 minutes after Game 1)
Probable Starters
Jax State: Steven Cash (1-0, 4.82 ERA), LHP, Jr.
SEMO: TBA
Live Video: ESPN+
Live Audio: YouTube Audio
Live Stats: JaxStateSports.com
Sunday, March 16 (1 p.m.) SUNDAY FUNDAY - KIDS RUN THE BASE AFTER THE GAME
Probable Starters
Jax State: Karson Bonaparte (1-2,4.41 ERA), RHP, Jr.
SEMO: TBA
Live Video: ESPN+
Live Audio: Gamecock Sports Network
Live Stats: JaxStateSports.com
GAMECOCK STORY LINES
• This weekend's final non-conference series pits two former Ohio Valley Conference rivals against each other with Jacksonville State and Southeast Missouri renewing the rivalry. The two clubs have met 55 previous times with the Gamecocks holding a 28-27 lead in the series. The last time Jax State and SEMO faced off against each other was during the 2021 season with a series in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. The Redhawks claimed the series in the final game of the weekend after the two teams split the first two games. Jax State and SEMO have split the last four series dating back to 2017. The Redhawks won the series in 2017 and 2021 while the Gamecocks posted series wins in 2019 and 2018. The last time Jax State and SEMO faced off against each other was during the 2021 season with a series in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. The Redhawks claimed the series in the final game of the weekend after the two teams split the first two games. Jax State and SEMO have split the last four series dating back to 2017. The Redhawks won the series in 2017 and 2021 while the Gamecocks posted series wins in 2019 and 2018. Jax State and SEMO have also played some classic games in the postseason at the OVC Tournament. They met 13 times in the conference tournament with the last one being an 11-0, complete game victory in the 2018 OVC Tournament in Oxford, Alabama at Choccolocco Park. The OVC crowns typically ran through Jax State and SEMO with the two programs combining for eight regular season titles and 10 OVC Tournament championships dating back to 1995.
• Head coach Steve Bieser will face his alma mater and former program when the Redhawks visit Jacksonville this weekend. Bieser, a 1989 graduate of SEMO and head coach of SEMO from 2013-16, has faced off against his alma mater three previous times when her was the head coach at Missouri. He holds a 2-1 record against the Redhawks.
• The Gamecocks begin the week as the one of the NCAA Division I Baseball leaders in triples. In the first 17 games, Jax State has collected 12 triples (all at home) and ranks second behind Tarleton State, who took over the national lead with 13 triples to date. Senior Drew Collins and redshirt sophomore Cooper Blauser rank eighth in NCAA Division I Baseball with three triples each.
• Two Gamecocks have double digit on-base streaks heading into the weekend. Redshirt freshman Cooper Blauser is riding a 17-game on-base streak. Junior Colton Hegwood extended his hitting streak to 16 games with a hit in the win over Troy. Senior Drew Collins had his 14-game on-base streak snapped at Ole Miss (3/9). Dating back to the last 20 games of the 2024 season and the 17 games in 2025, Collins has reached base in 35-of-the-last-37 games.
Due to the weather forecast for Saturday, the two former Ohio Valley Conference mates will play a Friday doubleheader like it used to be OVC days before going to three-day weekend series. Friday's twinbill is set for 2:30 p.m. Sunday's finale remains at 1 p.m.
Tickets are available online at JaxStateSports.com. All Jax State students and fans 18 years old and younger are admitted free.
All three games will be streamed on ESPN+. Tommy Wood and Hayden Coker will cover the action via audio stream for Friday's doubleheader, which will not air over the Gamecock Radio Network with Jax State's men's basketball playing in the Conference USA Semifinals at the same time.
SERIES INFO
Friday, March 14 (Game 1 – 2:30 p.m.)
Probable Starters
Jax State: Jackson Phipps (1-1, 3.07 ERA), LHP, Jr.
SEMO: TBA
Live Video: ESPN+
Live Audio: YouTube Audio
Live Stats: JaxStateSports.com
Friday, March 14 (30-45 minutes after Game 1)
Probable Starters
Jax State: Steven Cash (1-0, 4.82 ERA), LHP, Jr.
SEMO: TBA
Live Video: ESPN+
Live Audio: YouTube Audio
Live Stats: JaxStateSports.com
Sunday, March 16 (1 p.m.) SUNDAY FUNDAY - KIDS RUN THE BASE AFTER THE GAME
Probable Starters
Jax State: Karson Bonaparte (1-2,4.41 ERA), RHP, Jr.
SEMO: TBA
Live Video: ESPN+
Live Audio: Gamecock Sports Network
Live Stats: JaxStateSports.com
GAMECOCK STORY LINES
• This weekend's final non-conference series pits two former Ohio Valley Conference rivals against each other with Jacksonville State and Southeast Missouri renewing the rivalry. The two clubs have met 55 previous times with the Gamecocks holding a 28-27 lead in the series. The last time Jax State and SEMO faced off against each other was during the 2021 season with a series in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. The Redhawks claimed the series in the final game of the weekend after the two teams split the first two games. Jax State and SEMO have split the last four series dating back to 2017. The Redhawks won the series in 2017 and 2021 while the Gamecocks posted series wins in 2019 and 2018. The last time Jax State and SEMO faced off against each other was during the 2021 season with a series in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. The Redhawks claimed the series in the final game of the weekend after the two teams split the first two games. Jax State and SEMO have split the last four series dating back to 2017. The Redhawks won the series in 2017 and 2021 while the Gamecocks posted series wins in 2019 and 2018. Jax State and SEMO have also played some classic games in the postseason at the OVC Tournament. They met 13 times in the conference tournament with the last one being an 11-0, complete game victory in the 2018 OVC Tournament in Oxford, Alabama at Choccolocco Park. The OVC crowns typically ran through Jax State and SEMO with the two programs combining for eight regular season titles and 10 OVC Tournament championships dating back to 1995.
• Head coach Steve Bieser will face his alma mater and former program when the Redhawks visit Jacksonville this weekend. Bieser, a 1989 graduate of SEMO and head coach of SEMO from 2013-16, has faced off against his alma mater three previous times when her was the head coach at Missouri. He holds a 2-1 record against the Redhawks.
• The Gamecocks begin the week as the one of the NCAA Division I Baseball leaders in triples. In the first 17 games, Jax State has collected 12 triples (all at home) and ranks second behind Tarleton State, who took over the national lead with 13 triples to date. Senior Drew Collins and redshirt sophomore Cooper Blauser rank eighth in NCAA Division I Baseball with three triples each.
• Two Gamecocks have double digit on-base streaks heading into the weekend. Redshirt freshman Cooper Blauser is riding a 17-game on-base streak. Junior Colton Hegwood extended his hitting streak to 16 games with a hit in the win over Troy. Senior Drew Collins had his 14-game on-base streak snapped at Ole Miss (3/9). Dating back to the last 20 games of the 2024 season and the 17 games in 2025, Collins has reached base in 35-of-the-last-37 games.
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