COLUMN: May SEMO’s diamond dynasty continue

From the first time I saw Dylan Dodd on the mound and big hits from Andrew Keck and Wade Stauss, I could easily tell Southeast Missouri State had a special baseball program.

That was in 2021, the beginning of the Redhawks’ current Ohio Valley Conference dynasty.

I missed out on 2022 and saw 2023 end in a free fall, but 2024 was the redemption year, and their win over No. 5 Arkansas that shocked the nation served as a culmination of the Andy Sawyers era at SEMO.

Now the Redhawks enter 2025 with expectations to win the conference crown once more. SEMO was picked to finish first in the OVC by the league’s head coaches and sports information directors. The Redhawks are coming off their sixth OVC Tournament championship and with 13 seniors/grads on the roster, they return much of the talent that made them victorious last year.

Hayden Dow is back as the ace of the staff after finishing last year among the conference’s top 15 in ERA and strikeouts.

The Redhawks saw their top two home run hitters move on but return Bryce Cannon (14 HR, 53 RBI) and Michael Mugan (12 HR, 47 RBI), who was also among the top 10 in hits (76) with a .311 batting average.

Brooks Kettering is SEMO’s player to watch according to the OVC, after starting all but one game and batting .308 with nine home runs, 12 doubles, and 40 RBIs. The baby-faced second baseman was the only freshman last year but won't be the only sophomore this season. Joining his class is pitcher Kolton Lyman, who posted a 10.22 strikeouts-per-nine-innings mark out of the bullpen at Kirkwood Community College in 2024.

The Redhawks will play 30 of their 55 games at home in 2025, which begins on the road at Memphis on Valentine's Day. The Redhawks will host Northern Illinois, Purdue-Fort Wayne, and Indiana State, and will travel to Jacksonville State to face former SEMO manager Steve Bieser.

Like many baseball seasons, there will be ups and downs but come tournament time, you can expect the Redhawks to celebrate on the mound and return to the NCAA Tournament for a fourth time in five seasons.