The Missouri State baseball team (6-10) returns home for five games this week after winning a series at 23rd-ranked Oregon State over the weekend. The Bears welcome in-state rival Southeast Missouri State (10-6) to Hammons Field for games at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday and 3 p.m. Wednesday before opening the Missouri Valley Conference season Friday with the first of three games against Bradley.

THE OPPONENT
Southeast Missouri State is 10-6 on the year after taking three out of four from Northern Illinois over the weekend. The Redhawk offense ranks among the nation's best with a .331 average and 27 home runs so far this season. Tony Spencer leads SEMO with a .426 average, while catcher Jim Klocke hits .410, first baseman Matt Wagner hits .400 with seven homers and 20 RBIs and outfielder Tyrell Cummings has a team-high 21 RBIs to go with a .394 average.
    The SEMO pitching staff has a 5.89 ERA and allows opponents to hit .280. Klocke serves as the closer as well and has a 1-0 record and three saves with a 2.16 ERA in six outings. The Redhawks field .952 as a team.

THE SERIES
Missouri State has played Southeast Missouri State more than any other opponent in history, holding a 58-36 margin in the all-time series. MSU has won seven of the last eight matchups overall, and split two games last season in Cape Girardeau.

LIVE STATS INFORMATION
Live stats for all Missouri State baseball games will be available at www.missouristatebears.com. Go to the “Fan Central” link on the left side of the page and select “Live Stats.”

AUDIO COVERAGE
Tuesday's game with SEMO can be heard on KBFL 99.9 FM in Springfield and online at www.radiospringfield.com.

COACH KEITH GUTTIN
Missouri State head coach Keith Guttin (Missouri-St. Louis, 1978) is in his 27th season as head coach of the baseball Bears and has a career record of 910-563 (.618). Guttin became the first coach at Missouri State (in any sport) to reach the 900-win mark with the May 11, 2008, win over Middle Tennessee at Hammons Field. In 2003, Guttin led the Bears to the NCAA Division I College World Series for the first time in school history. Guttin has been a conference Coach of the Year 10 times with four of those coming in the Valley and six coming during the Bears’ years in the Mid-Continent Conference. During Guttin’s tenure, the Bears have made seven Division I NCAA Tournament appearances -- six in the last 14 years.

LAST WEEK
Missouri State took a series from No. 23 Oregon State in Portland, Ore., over the weekend, winning the final two games. On Friday, the Bears committed four errors that led to six unearned OSU runs in an 8-7 loss. MSU gave up two in the eighth for the defeat.
    Buddy Baumann dominated the Beavers for six scoreless innings Saturday before rain forced the suspension of the game in the seventh with the Bears up 3-0.
    When the game restarted on Sunday, Aaron Meade took the hill to save the 5-3 win, then started the next game and hurled six scoreless innings for the victory. Jon Barnes pitched the final strikeout with the bases loaded in the ninth to preserve the 4-2 win.

MINI SEASON TICKETS
Mini-season ticket plans are now on sale. Packages include tickets for 13 games at Hammons Field, including midweek contests with Oklahoma State, Missouri, Arkansas-Little Rock and Saint Louis and weekend series with Wichita State, UNI and Indiana State, all for a cost of only $80.
    Ticket packages may be purchased in person at the JQH Arena box office, or by calling Missouri State Tix at (417) 836-7678.

QUICK HITS
    Over the last 10 games, the Missouri State pitching staff has a 2.52 ERA and is allowing the opposition to hit just .235.

    Brayden Drake is currently on a 24-game hitting streak, matching Nick Kays and Jason Hart for the school record.

    Drake had two separate 15-game hitting streaks and an 11-gamer in 2008, and has at least one hit in 59 of his last 64 games. He notched his 200th career hit March 11 versus South Dakota State.

    Missouri State has allowed 40 unearned runs through 16 games, an average of 2.5 per contest. The Bears are only being outscored by six runs for the season however, a minus-0.38 runs per game scoring margin.
    In terms of earned runs, the Bears have outscored the opposition 102-78 this year, an even 1.5 per game.

    Missouri State is 5-1 on the year when making one or fewer errors.

    Tim Clubb suffered his first loss since April 22, 2007, in the opener at Middle Tennessee, a streak of 18 appearances, 16 starts and 13 winning decisions.

    Clubb has left 17 of his last 18 starts in line for the victory.

    Buddy Baumann has started the 2009 season with 17 scoreless innings and has allowed just six singles thus far for a .109 opponent average. Just one baserunner has advanced beyond second base on Baumann this season.

    Aaron Conway ended a 10-game hitting streak March 11 and already has 15 RBIs in 69 at bats, compared to seven RBIs in 74 at bats a year ago.

    Missouri State has not been shut out since a visit to Creighton on May 17, 2007, a stretch of 78 consecutive games.

    Opposing starters have posted an 7.78  ERA against the Bears this season, while MSU starters have a 3.84 ERA.