Southeast Missouri (9-18) vs. Southern Illinois (13-17-1)

Game Information
Date: Wednesday, Apr. 8, 2015
Time: 4 p.m., CT
Location: Cape Girardeau, Mo.
Stadium: Southeast Softball Complex (600)
Head Coaches: Mark Redburn (175-245 overall; 9-18 at Southeast; 5-7 OVC). Kerri Blaylock (554-296 overall; 554-296 at SIU; 252-115 OVC).
Weather Forecast: Thunderstorms, 81 degrees

Media Coverage
Live Stats: GoSoutheast.com
Video: OVC Digital Network
Twitter Updates: @SEMOsoftball
Game Notes: Southeast Missouri

Southeast Hosts Southern Illinois
Southeast Missouri (9-18) hosts regional-rival Southern Illinois (13-17-1) Wednesday. First pitch is set for 4 p.m., CT, at the Southeast Softball Complex.

Follow the Redhawks
Live stats for Wednesday's matchup can be accessed online at GoSoutheast.com. Free video is available online at the OVC Digital Network. Twitter updates will be provided @SEMOsoftball.

Keep it Going
Southeast matched a season-long three-game winning streak after getting three road victories in the Music City last weekend. The Redhawks beat Tennessee State, 7-2, on Apr. 3 and swept Belmont, 4-2, 4-3, in a doubleheader on Apr. 4. Southeast won three-straight from Feb. 14-27 earlier this year.

100 in Sight
A win over Southern Illinois Wednesday will give first-year Southeast head coach Mark Redburn his 100th victory as an NCAA Division I coach. Prior to taking over the helm, Redburn spent five seasons as head coach at Missouri Valley Conference member Evansville. He is presently 99-193 at the NCAA Division I level. Redburn got his first win at Southeast when the Redhawks beat Grambling State, 11-7, on Feb. 14 at the Mardi Gras Classic in Monroe, La.

Series History
Southeast is 8-39-1 all-time against Southern Illinois during its NCAA Division I era (since 1992). The Redhawks and Salukis were scheduled to meet in Carbondale on this exact date (Apr. 8) a year ago, but the game was cancelled due to rain. Southeast ended a 16-game losing streak in its all-time series against SIU the last time these teams played in 2013 (14-7 on Apr. 25 in Cape Girardeau). The Redhawks have not had back-to-back wins in the series since 1998 and 1999.

For the Record
The Redhawks are 2-8 in midweek games this season. Southeast is 0-4 in Wednesday contests. Southern Illinois is the third Missouri Valley Conference team the Redhawks face in 2015. Southeast is 1-3 against the MVC, dropping a doubleheader at home against Indiana State (Mar. 18) and splitting a twin bill at Missouri State (Mar. 31).

Redburn vs. SIU
Mark Redburn squares off against Southern Illinois for the 16th time as a head coach Wednesday. Redburn owns an all-time record of 6-9 versus the Salukis. All of those meetings came when he was at Evansville from 2010-2014.

Series Sweep
Southeast claimed its first series victory of the season with a doubleheader sweep at Belmont (Apr. 4). The Redhawks beat the Bruins, 4-2, 4-3, improving to 4-3 in Ohio Valley Conference road games. Southeast last swept a league opponent in 2012 when it took three games against Tennessee State on Apr. 21-22.  

OVC Update
Southeast snapped a five-game losing streak in Ohio Valley Conference play when it defeated Tennessee State, 7-2, on Apr. 3. The Redhawks are currently eighth in the OVC standings as one of three league teams presently on winning streaks of three or more games.

Going the Distance
Freshman pitcher Madeline Krumrey has thrown a complete game victory in three-straight starts. Krumrey went 3-0 last week, winning at Missouri State (Mar. 31), Tennessee State (Apr. 3) and Belmont (Apr. 4). She enters the week with an overall record of 6-6 and 4-3 in Ohio Valley Conference play. Krumrey leads the team with seven complete games this season, five of which came against league foes.  

Fortner is Rolling
Outfielder Kayla Fortner is on a tear in her first year at Southeast this season. Fortner begins the week ranked second in the Ohio Valley Conference with a .416 batting average. She is one of only two OVC players hitting over .400 this year. Fortner also leads the league in RBI (36) and home runs (11). She is 14th in the nation in RBI per game (1.3), 16th in home runs per game and 17th in slugging percentage (.922).

The Chase is On
Kayla Fortner launched her league-high 11th home run of the season in game two of Southeast's doubleheader sweep over Belmont (Apr. 4). Fortner, who homered in two of her last three starts, stands tied for fourth among the Redhawks single-season leaders. She shares that spot with Michelle Summers (11 home runs in 2006) and Kim Palmer (11 home runs in 1998). Fortner needs just four more homers to break Southeast's all-time single-season record, presently held by Michelle Summers (14 home runs in 2007).

Yard Work
The Redhawks have homered in 15 games and have a total of 21 through 27 contests this year. Seven different Redhawks have hit a home run this season, including Kayla Fortner (11), Lindsey Patterson (4), Leah Duffe (2), Alexis Anderson (1), Darby Pruett (1), Savannah Carpenter (1) and Taylor McDannold (1).

Anderson Out
Starting right fielder Alexis Anderson missed the last six games due to a broken nose injury she sustained in game two of Southeast's doubleheader against SIU Edwardsville (Mar. 28). Anderson could be out at least four weeks. She ranked fourth on the team in batting average (.349), fourth in hits (22) and second in doubles (6) after 21 games and 19 starts this season.

Eccles Delivers
Freshman Shelby Eccles, who started six-straight games in right field for the injured Alexis Anderson, hit a triple in her first career at-bat against SIU Edwardsville (Mar. 29). Two days later, Eccles hit a double and scored her first career run at Missouri State. She hit safely in three games since joining the starting lineup.

Weather Intrudes
Southeast has been limited to 27 games due to inclement weather this season. The Redhawks 27 games are the fewest any Ohio Valley Conference school has played at this point in the year. Southeast had a total of 12 cancellations in 2015. SIU Edwardsville (29) has more wins than the Redhawks have games played.

Extra, Extra
Of Kayla Fortner's team-high 32 hits, 17 have gone for extra bases. Fortner homered in each of her first four games of the season and leads Southeast with 11 this year. She is also tied for first on the team with six doubles. Fortner reached base in 25 of her 27 games this season and sports a team-best .525 on-base percentage.

In Between
Starting first baseman Lindsey Patterson is from Anna, Ill., located halfway between Cape Girardeau and Carbondale. Patterson, who has hit safely in five of her last six games, is the Redhawks second-leading hitter with a .360 clip. She also ranks second in runs scored (13), doubles (3), home runs (4) and RBI (19) as one of four Southeast players who have started every game in 2015.

Southeast Third in Hitting
Southeast is third in the Ohio Valley Conference with a .298 batting average through 27 games this season. The Redhawks have pounded out double-digit hits eight times, with a season-high 18 at Grambling State (Feb. 15). The Redhawks rank behind Murray State (.319) and Jacksonville State (.300).

Over .300
The Redhawks have five starters hitting over .300. Kayla Fortner leads that group with a .416 clip, while Lindsey Patterson (.360), Alexis Anderson (.349), Savannah Carpenter (.333) and Taylor McDannold (.311) follow. Fortner, Patterson, McDannold and Carpenter have started all 27 games, while Anderson has made 19 starts.

About Southern Illinois
Southern Illinois is fifth in the Missouri Valley Conference standings with an overall record of 13-17-1 and 7-5 league mark. SIU, which has dropped seven of its last nine games, is ninth in the MVC in both hitting (.252) and pitching (5.71 ERA). Outfielder Kalyn Harker is the Salukis top hitter with a .322 batting average through 31 games and 30 starts. Sydney Jones leads SIU with five home runs and 24 RBI. Pitching wise, Katie Bertelsen is tied for second in the MVC with 11 victories.