Former Redhawk Lance Rhodes returns to alma mater as SIU head coach

Former Southeast Missouri State pitching coach Lance Rhodes watches two-time OVC Pitcher of the year Joey Lucchesi warm up before a game in 2016. Rhodes returns to Capaha Field as head coach of Southern Illinois to take on the Redhawks on Tuesday.

Southeast Missourian File

Editor's note: Due to expected inclement weather, Tuesday's game was rescheduled for 5 p.m. Wednesday.

Former Southeast Missouri State pitcher and assistant coach Lance Rhodes returns to Capaha Field for the first time as an opposing coach, leading Southern Illinois to a standalone rivalry game with the Redhawks on Tuesday.

“I’m sure there’ll be some weird feeling whenever I’m on the first base side dugout, whenever I spent four years over on the third-base side,” Rhodes said. “I have nothing but great memories when I think back of my time at SEMO, whether it was as a player or as an assistant coach. So many good moments on that field and it would be fun to come back just because I still know so many people in the athletic department there.”

Rhodes was a relief pitcher at St. Louis University and SEMO before beginning his coaching career. He made 37 appearances for the Redhawks over two seasons, striking out 43 batters over 67 innings pitched. Rhodes returned to SEMO in 2013 as a pitching coach under head coach Steve Bieser. He followed Bieser to Missouri after leading the Redhawks to three straight Ohio Valley Conference titles from 2014-16.

Rhodes has had a hand in the development of pro-caliber pitching talent. He worked with Joey Lucchesi through back-to-back OVC Pitcher of the Year seasons, a conference record, and went on to pitch the last three seasons with the San Diego Padres. He also worked with Tanner Houck, who was drafted in the first round by the Boston Red Sox in 2017 and made his MLB debut in 2020.

Being in the SEC helped Rhodes improve as a recruiter and evaluator of talent, something that is heavily valued in college coaching.

“I think anytime when you’re in the SEC and you get to be around other really good coaches, other really good recruiters, in order to match that stuff you got to be able to elevate your game,” Rhodes said. “You got to see how they go about their business, the work ethic that they put into it, and just being able to go out and communicate with that type of player and evaluate the talent that it takes to win at that level. I think it definitely makes you a better coach and recruiter.”

One of his recruiting achievements at SIU is Tristian Peters, a sophomore who is leading the Salukis with a .449 batting average in his first season. Peters came to SIU after a successful two-year run in the junior college ranks at Chandler-Gilbert Community College.

“He’s been a good player since he stepped foot on campus,” Rhodes said of Peters. “He’s a guy that impacts the baseball really hard when he barrels it up and he finds the barrel a bunch.”

Peters drove in a total of five runs during the Salukis’ series sweep against Marshall this past weekend. Rhodes also said the success of his teammates has been a benefit for Peters in the batter’s box.

“He’s also a benefit of sitting right in the middle of the order with guys that are in front of him that are on base all the time,” Rhodes said. “So typically when you got traffic on the bases, the pitcher’s mind isn’t completely locked in on the hitter, which tends to get better pitches to hit. He’s a guy that whenever you put the ball in the strike zone, he usually puts a good swing on it.”

The Redhawks and Salukis faced each other last year just before the COVID-19 pandemic canceled the rest of the season. SIU won in Carbondale, 6-4, in Rhodes’ first game against his alma mater as a head coach. SIU finished with a 12-6 record in Rhodes’ first year as head coach.

SIU comes to Capaha Field as the No. 22 team in the nation, sporting a 17-1 record. With players getting an extra year of eligibility to make up for the lost season, the Salukis entered this season older and stronger than before.

“There’s not a huge learning curve for us in that aspect of it because we’ve had so many guys that have played the game for so many years in college already,” Rhodes said. “So we haven’t had those early-season hiccups that you tend to see as people are learning and growing and getting more comfortable with the pace of the game. So I think that has been a huge benefit to us.”

The Redhawks are tied with Tennessee Tech and Murray State for first place in the OVC standings with identical 4-2 conference records. SEMO has won every series this season with the exception of a four-game sweep on the road at No.2 Arkansas.

Andy Sawyers took over as SEMO head coach after Bieser departed for Missouri and is two games away from 100 victories with the Redhawks.

In two series so far this season, SEMO has seen some healthy numbers in terms of attendance. At SIU, the home games have been restricted to only 50 students and family members of the team.

With few restrictions, Rhodes is hoping for an environment that lives up to the regional rivalry and leaves him feeling nostalgic.

“Some of the best college baseball environments that I’ve ever been in have been right there at Capaha Park,” Rhodes said. “That’s why I’m excited to get back there because I know that when people show up it will be a really run environment.”

The first pitch is at 5 p.m.