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CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (Interstat) — Southeast Missouri State hosts SIU Edwardsville on Friday at 6 p.m. at Capaha Field in an Ohio Valley Conference series opener. The forecast calls for 78 degrees and cloudy.

The Redhawks (29-12) enter with a dominant record, while the Cougars (22-19) look to build momentum after an 11-5 win at Missouri on Tuesday.

Right-hander Benjamin Snider is a key arm for Southeast Missouri. In his last outing, a 5-1 win over Southern Illinois on April 21, Snider threw 3 shutout innings, allowing 1 hit with 1 strikeout. In two of his prior three appearances, he posted scoreless frames against Tennessee Tech (April 18) and Murray State (April 14). However, he struggled in an April 4 loss at Lindenwood, surrendering 3 earned runs without recording an out.

For SIU Edwardsville, right-hander Noah Johnson has been a frequent reliever. In the win over Missouri, he allowed 1 earned run over 2.1 innings. Over his previous four outings, Johnson worked multiple innings, yielding 2 earned runs in each of three appearances but limiting opponents to zero hits in three of those four games. He has not recorded a win in conference play.

The Cougars have split their last six games, including a series win at Western Illinois (April 17-19) and a 15-5 win over Saint Louis. They dropped games at Illinois (16-4) and at Southern Indiana (7-6). SIU Edwardsville designated hitter Joshua Heyder homered and drove in two runs against Missouri.

Southeast Missouri has won four of its last five, including a series victory at Tennessee Tech (April 17-19) and a 12-1 win at Murray State. The Redhawks lost 8-5 to Morehead State on April 12 but rebounded with a 10-8 win the next day.

Interstat’s game simulator projects a 7-6 Southeast Missouri victory.

The three-game series continues Saturday and Sunday.