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RICHMOND, Ky. – Eastern Kentucky will take on Southeast Missouri in a three-game series this weekend at Turkey Hughes Field.
 
It will be the first conference series of the season for both teams.  SEMO was voted as the preseason favorite to win the league.  Game time on Friday is set for 4 p.m. Saturday's game is scheduled for 2 p.m., followed by a 1 p.m. start time on Sunday.
 
The Colonels (7-5, 0-0 OVC) are off to their best start since 2010 and are coming off an impressive 3-1 series win against the University of Maryland Eastern Shore last weekend. EKU outscored the Hawks 55-11, batted .387 and had a .518 on-base percentage as a team. Currently, Eastern is sixth in the country in runs with 106, seventh in triples with seven, and 10th with 141 hits.
 
Senior third-baseman Mandy Alvarez leads the way for Eastern with a .439 batting average and a nation-leading 25 hits. Senior left-fielder Kyle Nowlin is second in the nation with seven home runs.
 
Junior right-hander Eric Nerl is off to a strong start to the 2016 season.  In three starts, he is 2-0 with a 2.12 ERA.  He has allowed just 13 hits in 17 innings.  Nerl posted his second straight quality start by holding Maryland Eastern Shore to one run in seven innings, striking out five and walking just one.
 
In EKU's four-game series against Maryland Eastern Shore, only one of seven relievers gave up a run.  Six from the bullpen combined for 11 shutout innings over four games.
 
Southeast Missouri State is coming off a two-game series with No. 13 Ole Miss. The Redhawks (6-7) dropped the first game with the Rebels 10-2 and the second 6-4.  SEMO had a 4-2 lead before Ole Miss staged a comeback in the seventh and eighth innings. Southeast won 36 games last season.
 
Southeast Missouri's weekend starters have a 5-2 record and a 1.52 ERA.  The trio is averaging close to six and two-thirds innings per start and as a group are averaging 10.5 strikeouts per nine innings.  The remaining Redhawk pitchers are 1-5 with a 4.50 ERA.