Southeast Missouri State University student publication

Red and Black Series helps the baseball team accomplish goals and prepare for spring season

Monday, November 11, 2013
Freshman Jake Perry makes contact with the ball. Photo by Wayne McPherson.

The black team won bragging rights and steaks for dinner

The Southeast Missouri State University baseball team's annual Red and Black Series ended Oct. 30 with the black team earning the win and the steak.

"It started when coach [Mark] Hogan was here, and it's kind of carried over. We liked the concept, and we just wanted to continue it," coach Steve Bieser said.

The Southeast baseball team splits up into two teams during the Red and Black Series. As incentive for the players, the winning team is served steak by the losing team, and the losing team is left with beans.

"Definitely enjoy winning it just to give the guys grief in the locker room," senior first baseman Matt Tellor, who was on winning black team, said.

For the red team, losing was not so enjoyable.

"It's never a good feeling to lose to anybody, but to your teammates you get that extra razzing in the clubhouse," senior outfielder and red team member Cole Bieser said.

Normally the series is a five-game series, but with impending bad weather looming over the series, it was cut to a three-game series.

The red team won Game 1 with a score of 8-3, led by freshmen Broc Kreitler with two RBIs.

The black team took Game 2 3-1. Junior pitcher Tyler Iago threw three innings and only allowed one run on three hits.

Game three became winner-take-all.

"It was cool with the winner-take-all deal. It made the game atmosphere a lot more intense," junior pitcher Christian Hull said.

Hull made his comeback in Game 1 of the series after being out last season due to injury.

"It felt great after all the hours of rehab, all the time missed and watching a whole season from the stands," Hull said.

Although bragging rights and dinner are on the line, the Red and Black Series is also about seeing how the team has progressed in the offseason.

"Well I think this fall was very productive for us as a group," Steve Bieser said. "We were able to accomplish what we set for the fall, but we understand that there is still a lot of work still to be done."

The team struggled with injuries last season, and the players spent a lot of this offseason working to get healthier and stronger. The team also bolstered the roster in order to give the bullpen depth.

"We have done a lot more rehab work for the arms, a lot more band work and spent a lot more time in the weight room to prevent injury," Hull said.

"We are addressing what we think may have been our shortcomings as far as building strength, mass and the flexibility component," Steve Bieser said.

The goal for the Redhawks is to win the Ohio Valley Conference tournament, which could come down to a winner-take-all game. Game 3 gave both the red and black team that experience they may need later on in the season.

"Anytime that you can raise the level at which your team plays will help as opposed to a normal workout," Steve Bieser said.

The team finished with a record of 26-33 overall last season and was 13-17 in OVC play. The team's 2014 campaign kicks off on Feb. 14 with a series against Oral Roberts in Tulsa, Okla.

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