Northern Iowa Dome Classic

Site: Cedar Falls, Iowa
Facility: UNI Dome
Participating Teams: South Dakota State, UMKC, Southeast Missouri, Green Bay, Drake, Northern Iowa

Tournament Schedule:
Friday, February 9, 2018 - Southeast Missouri vs. South Dakota State, 12:30 p.m., CT | Live Stats
Friday, February 9, 2018 - Southeast Missouri at Northern Iowa, 2:45 p.m., CT | Video | Live Stats
Saturday, February 10, 2018 - Southeast Missouri vs. UMKC, 8 a.m., CT | Live Stats
Saturday, February 10, 2018 - Southeast Missouri at Northern Iowa, 12:30 p.m., CT | Video | Live Stats
Sunday, February 11, 2018 - Southeast Missouri vs. Drake, 11:45 a.m., CT | Live Stats

2018 Southeast Missouri Softball Preview

Southeast Missouri lost only three players from last season and is primed for success in 2018.

The Redhawks have plenty of depth across their 22-member roster that includes nine position starters and two starting pitchers.

"I am extremely optimistic and excited about the upcoming season," said fourth-year head coach Mark Redburn. "We have great depth at each position. I feel like this team is very talented and it is our goal to win the Ohio Valley Conference."

Sophomore Rachel Anderson and junior Mykaela Arellanes are the Redhawks returning All-OVC performers. Meanwhile, veteran Madeline Krumrey is back inside the circle giving Southeast a nice blend of experience.

"Those are the key leaders for us and we are going to rely on them heavily," said Redburn. "Rachel and Mykaela will be out there virtually every single day and we are going to utilize Maddie as much as we can."

As a team, Southeast saw a +7 increase in the win column, finishing its 2017 campaign at 23-27 overall and ninth in the OVC at 8-14. Despite missing the OVC Tournament for the second year in a row, the 2017 Redhawks rated among the school's top 10 teams in slugging percentage (6th, .427), on-base percentage (5th, .356), triples (t4th, 21), home runs (9th, 31), total bases (9th, 567), stolen bases (2nd, 65), stolen base attempts (1st, 88), opponent batting average (7th, .282), strikeouts per seven innings (7th, 4.17), strikeouts (10th, 194), strikeouts looking (3rd, 61), fewest doubles allowed (8th, 49), fielding percentage (8th, .960), fewest errors (t7th, 59) and fewest stolen bases against (3rd, 38).

Additionally, the Redhawks 23 wins in 2017 were their most in a season since 2012.

Catcher

A pair of seniors in Abby Tillotson (O'Fallon, Mo.) and Riley Hayes (Jefferson City, Mo.) will handle the catching duties this spring.

Tillotson, who has the edge for the starting role, saw action in 33 games last season. She made 21 starts at catcher, hitting .234 with four runs scored, two doubles, three home runs and 12 runs batted in. 

Hayes started 29 contests behind the plate a year ago. She hit .202 with seven runs, three doubles, a triple, home run and seven RBIs. Hayes had a hip issue that limited her in the last several weeks of the fall. 

Sophomore Rachael Donald (Dupo, Ill.) should get increased innings behind Tillotson and Hayes at catcher in 2018. 

Donald participated in just six games as a freshman.

Infield

All four of Southeast's infield starters are back this season.

Sophomore Addison Barnouski (O'Fallon, Ill.) is projected to start at third base.

Barnouski ranked fifth on the team in batting average with a .292 clip as a freshman in 2017. She scored 12 runs, had four doubles, hit three home runs and finished with 16 RBIs. Barnouski started 14 games at the hot corner.

Senior Darby Pruett (Corning, Ark.) logged 36 starts in front of Barnouski last season. 

Pruett came off arm surgery in the fall and will need some time to ease back into things. She hit .262 and ranked second on the team with five home runs. 

At shortstop, Sarah Messex (Sullivan, Mo.) returns for her third year as the Redhawks starter. 

Messex, who started every game in her college career to date, hit .243 with 17 runs scored, five doubles, two home runs and 17 RBIs. Southeast's season-opener against South Dakota State (Feb. 9) marks the 100th start for Messex.

Junior Parker Bandy (Springfield, Ill.) returns at second base. 

Bandy hit .276 with 18 runs scored, nine doubles, three triples, two home runs and 22 RBIs in her first year with the Redhawks in 2017.

Freshman Kaylee Anderson (Warrenton, Mo.) will challenge.

Anderson ended her Warrenton High School career by hitting .420 with 14 home runs and 94 runs batted in. As a senior, she hit .478 with eight home runs and 39 RBIs. Anderson helped lead WHS to two Class 3 state titles and was named first-team all conference, all-district and all-state in multiple seasons.

Sophomore Ashley Ellis (Arnold, Mo.) resumes starting duties at first base.

Ellis started 47 games and hit .242 with five runs, nine doubles, two triples, four home runs and 20 RBIs as a freshman. She ranked third on the team in home runs. 

Returnees Madison Harris (Imperial, Mo.), Mackenzie Long (Lee's Summit, Mo.) and Randi Dae Conway (Morganfield, Ky.), and newcomer Danina Marton (Northridge, Calif.) complete the infielders.

Outfield

Two of Southeast's top three hitters return in the outfield. 

Sophomore Rachel Anderson (Edwardsville, Ill.) is back in center field following a stellar rookie season.

Anderson led the Redhawks in batting average (.412), at-bats (153), hits (63), doubles (10), triples (8), home runs (7), RBIs (33), total bases (110), slugging percentage (.719), on-base percentage (.483), multi-hit games (21), multi-RBI performances (10) and games started (50). She ranked third in the nation in triples and seventh in triples per game. Anderson finished the year on an 11-game hitting streak. She was named First-Team All-OVC, the league's Freshman of the Year, OVC All-Newcomer and NFCA Second-Team All-Region.

Alongside Anderson in right field is junior Mykaela Arellanes (Foristell, Mo.). 

Arellanes joined Anderson on the league's All-Newcomer Team last season. She was Southeast's  third-leading hitter with a .322 average. Arellanes led the team with 36 runs scored, 16 stolen bases and 22 walks.

Senior Claire Wernig (Imperial, Mo.) and sophomore Claudia Gallo (Arnold, Mo.) will split time in left field. Both made 19 starts there a year ago.

Wernig tallied 11 hits, four runs scored, seven RBIs and three walks, while Gallo hit .236 with eight runs scored, two triples, two walks and nine RBIs.

Sophomore Brooke Rheinecker (St. Louis, Mo.) widens the outfield depth. 

Rheinecker started 27 of 44 games as a freshman. She ranked second on the team with a .340 batting average. Rheinecker had 33 hits, 18 runs scored and six RBIs, and ranked second on the team with 10 stolen bases in 13 attempts.

Pitching

Southeast's pitching staff will again be led by Madeline Krumrey (Wildwood, Mo.), who looks to end her career with a huge senior season. She enters the year 24 strikeouts away from 300 in her career.

A four-year starter, Krumrey ranks among the school's all-time career leaders in opposing batting average (7th, .282), strikeouts per seven innings (6th, 4.24), wins (t10th, 33), saves (t5th, 4), appearances (t7th, 90), games started (6th, 75), innings (9th, 456) and strikeouts (7th, 276).

In 2017, Krumrey went 14-8 with a 2.38 ERA in 28 appearances and 25 starts. She threw 11 complete games and four shutouts, and struck out 96 in 141 innings. Krumrey ranked 10th in the OVC in innings pitched, eighth in batters struck out looking (37), ninth in wins and 10th in games started.

Sophomore Alexis Estes (Lane, Ill.) is Southeast's No. 2 starter inside the circle.

Estes started 16 games in her first year with the Redhawks in 2017. She compiled a 6-10 record with 65 strikeouts in 96.2 innings of work. Estes tossed three complete games and combined on two shutouts. She started the season with a 5-0 record and tied for first on the team with two saves.

Junior Haley Thogmartin (St. Louis, Mo.) is another option.

Thogmartin started six of her 14 appearances, recording eight strikeouts in 23.2 innings. She finished with a 1-2 record and did not allow a walk in eight of her games. Thogmartin had a productive fall campaign.

Freshmen Kaylee Anderson (Warrenton, Mo.) and Rachel Rook (Republic, Mo.) are the newest pitchers.

Anderson posted a 33-4 record as a pitcher during her prep career at Warrenton High School. She went a perfect 19-0 with a 0.64 ERA and 183 strikeouts in 121 innings as a senior. Anderson was named the St. Louis Post-Dispatch Fall Pitcher of the Year in 2016. Also a First-Team All-Conference, All-Region and All-State honoree, Anderson led Warrenton to two Class 3 state titles.

Rook started all four years at Republic High School. She was a First-Team All-Conference, All-District and All-Region selection. Rook capped her high school career with a 20-7 record, 1.22 ERA and 272 strikeouts in 154.2 innings. She also earned  All-State accolades and was named her conference's Player of the Year each of her junior and senior seasons.

2018 Schedule

Southeast plays a 51-game schedule with 16 contests at the Southeast Softball Complex this season.

The Redhawks participate in four tournaments, including the Northern Iowa Dome Classic (Feb. 9-11, Cedar Falls, Iowa), Chattanooga Frost Classic (Feb. 23-25, Chattanooga, Tenn.), Kentucky John Cropp Classic (Mar. 3-4, Lexington, Ky.) and Memphis Tiger Classic (Mar. 16-18, Memphis, Tenn.). Southeast has four non-conference games against power five schools (at Kentucky, Mar. 3-4; vs. Missouri, Mar. 21).

Southeast opens its 22-game OVC slate with a home doubleheader against Tennessee Tech on Mar. 24.