vs. Southeast Missouri
Edwardsville, Ill. (Cougar Field)
Saturday, March 16
1 p.m. start (DH)
Sunday, March 17
1 p.m. start
Video
ESPN+
Live Stats
SIUEstats.com
HOME OVC ACTION
SIUE faces Southeast Missouri in a three-game series Saturday and Sunday. The Cougars opened up the OVC regular season last weekend 1-2 at Lindenwood. Southeast Missouri, 6-17 overall, started the OVC regular season 1-2 against Eastern Illinois.
LAST TIME OUT
The Cougars dropped a doubleheader to visiting Kansas City 2-0 and 8-4.
SERIES RECORDS
SIUE is 40-27 all-time against Southeast Missouri. Despite dropping all three regular season games to the Redhawks last season, SIUE defeated Southeast Missouri in the last outing 4-0 at the Ohio Valley Conference Championships in Oxford, Alabama.
LAST SEASON
SIUE is coming off a 30-26 season in which the Cougars advanced to the title game of the 2023 Ohio Valley Conference Tournament. The Cougars won 10 of their last 12 games and the season-best six straight games to close out the regular season. SIUE, the No. 5 seed at the 2023 OVC Championships, knocked out the No. 1, No. 3 and No. 4 seeds in the tournament.
NO. 2 NATIONALLY
Paige Rocha is No. 2 in the nation and No. 1 in the OVC in doubles with 12. Rocha is sixth nationally in doubles per game (0.52).
HIT MACHINE
Rocha recorded a Division I era-best 74 hits last season. It was the most hits by a Cougar since Alicia DeShasier hit 82 in 2006. All four of the players who have more hits in a season by the Cougars now reside in the SIUE Athletics Hall of Fame (DeShasier, Jenny Esker, Katie Waldo and Erin Newman). Rocha continued that trend with a team-leading 35 hits this season. She is ranked 18th nationally while leading the OVC. Rocha also is riding a 16-game hitting streak heading into the series.
LEAGUE LEADERS
Jenna Herron leads the OVC in sacrifice bunts per game (0.26). Rocha leads the OVC in total bases (52). Lauren Yslava and
Anna Henderson are No. 1 and No. 2 in the OVC in toughest to strike out.
SHUTOUT
Right-handed pitcher
Kelsey Ray recorded her first shutout of the season last weekend at Lindenwood, a 10-0 romp in six innings.
