No. 7 SIUE Cougars (20-33-1, 12-15 OVC) 
at OVC Baseball Championship, presented by SERVPRO

May 22-25
Mtn Dew Park
Marion, Illinois

PROBABLE STARTER:
Game 1: SIUE RHP Kyle Athmer (3-2, 7.23)

CONFERENCE CALL: SIUE completed its 12th Ohio Valley Conference season in 2024. The Cougars finished 12-15. SIUE is 141-204 all-time in OVC play. 

TOURNEY TIME: SIUE has earned a spot in the OVC Tournament, for the third straight year. It is the first time in program history the Cougars will make three straight tournament appearances. SIUE is the No. 7 seed for the second consecutive year. The Cougars are 2-7 all-time in OVC Tourament play, with both wins coming during the 2022 tournament. 

SERIES STUFF: SIUE owns a 47-43 lead in the all-time series with Eastern Illinois (1-0 in tournament). The Panthers won two of three this season. Morehead State swept SIUE last weekend. SIUE is 15-31 in the all-time series with the Eagles (0-1 in tournament).

WEEKLY WINNER: Freshman Daniel Gierer was named the OVC Player of the Week April 29 after going 7-14 against Bradley and Little Rock. He homered twice, drove in six runs and scored six runs. It was Gierer's first weekly honor. 

GOING STREAKING: Lucas Spence built a 23-game March 10-April 19. It is the longest in the OVC this season and the longest in SIUE's Division I era. It was one game shy of the all-time school record. He followed with a nine-game streak April 21-May 7.

HOMER ROLL: SIUE's 49 home runs rank seventh in the OVC. Ryan Niedzwiedz leads the team with 11 home runs. The Cougars have hit 217 home runs over the last three seasons.

GETTING DEFENSIVE: The Cougars' .968 fielding percentage is tied for fourth in the OVC.

THAT'S OFFENSIVE: The Cougars are  fourth in the OVC in average (.281). They are third in triples (11), sixth in doubles (93) and seventh in hits (517).

LEAGUE LEADERS: Lucas Spence continues to lead the OVC with a .382 batting average, which ranks 48th in the NCAA. He leads the league in hits with 81 which also is 35th in the NCAA. He is tied for first in the league with four triples. 

DELONG ROAD: Regular No. 1 starting pitcher Tyler DeLong was named OVC co-Pitcher of the Week after pitching the Cougars to a win April 19 at Western Illinois. He pitched six innings and did not allow an earned run. It is his first OVC weekly award.

AND RUNNIN' RUNNIN': The Cougars are third in the OVC with 79 stolen bases, which is SIUE's season record at the Division I level. Gierer leads the team with 16, which is tied for seventh in the OVC.
 
THE SKIPPER: Sean Lyons is in his eighth season as SIUE's head coach.

LAST YEAR: SIUE was 26-28 overall and 14-8 at home. The Cougars returned to the OVC Tournament for the second consecutive season under Sean Lyons. The Cougars finished seventh in OVC play at 9-15.