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RICHMOND, Ky. – The Eastern Kentucky University baseball team will host Southeast Missouri State in its final conference series of the year this weekend at Turkey Hughes Field. The Redhawks (25-18, 11-6 OVC) enter this weekend in second place in the OVC; however, the sixth-place Colonels (24-20, 7-10 OVC) are 17-5 at home in 2009.

If the OVC Tournament started today, EKU would be the last team in; however, there is still a lot of conference baseball to be played and much to be determined. The Colonels are only one game behind Morehead State and only a half game ahead of Tennessee Tech and Austin Peay.

All three of the aforementioned teams are at home this weekend. Morehead State is hosting SIU Edwardsville, Tennessee Tech is hosting Jacksonville State and Austin Peay is hosting Eastern Illinois.

EKU leads the all-time series between the two schools, 30-24; however, the Redhawks took two of three from the Colonels down the stretch last year in Cape Girardeau.

First-year head coach Jason Stein has gotten some gaudy offensive numbers out of his Colonels this season. EKU is ninth in the country with a .350 team batting average and fifth in the country with 9.5 runs scored per game.

Senior Matt Davis has paced the Colonel offense this season. The speedy center fielder is batting .438 and leads the country with 1.62 runs per game. His 68 runs have him on pace to break the EKU record for runs in a season (80) and a career (190).

On top of that, Davis has had success against the Redhawks in the past. The Mt. Prospect, Ill. native went 6-for-11 with a home run, three runs and three RBI in Cape Girardeau last year.

Sophomore Jayson Langfels has also been swinging a hot bat. The third baseman leads the Colonels with a .451 batting average, 10 home runs and 59 RBI.

The Colonels’ rotation will feature right-hander Matt Fyffe (4-4) in game one and left-hander Paul Duncan (6-5) in game two. EKU’s game three starter has yet to be determined.

Fyffe leads the Colonels with 49 strikeouts and batters are hitting only .283 against him. Duncan, meanwhile, is the reigning OVC Pitcher of the Week after hurling the sixth no-hitter in EKU history in his last outing.

Both pitchers will be facing a fairly potent SEMO offense. The Redhawks come into this series hitting .315 as a team. They are led at the plate by Tyrell Cummings (.393) and Jim Klocke (.378). Justin Wheeler and Matt Wagner, meanwhile, have blasted 11 home runs each.

SEMO head coach Mark Hogan will throw left-hander James Leigh in game one, right-hander Todd Strahlendorf in game two and right-hander Kyle Gumieny in game three.

Saturday’s doubleheader gets underway at 1:00 p.m. EST while Sunday’s single game also is also scheduled to begin at 1:00 p.m. EST. 

On Saturday, the 1989 OVC Championship team will be honored before the game.

On Sunday, this year’s senior class – Davis, Aaron Barrows, Alex Napier, David Owens and Tyler Rehmel – will be honored before the game.