Missouri State (14-8) vs. Southeast Missouri (17-7)

Date: Thursday, March 14, 2019
First Pitch: 4 p.m., CT
Location: Cape Girardeau, Mo.
Facility: Southeast Softball Complex (600)
Series History: MSU leads, 28-8
Watch: ESPN+
Live Stats: GoSoutheast.com
Twitter: @SEMOsoftball
Southeast Missouri Notes

Billiken Spring Tournament

Dates: Saturday-Sunday, March 16-17, 2019
Participating Teams: Saint Louis (2-15), Northern Colorado (4-20), Southeast Missouri (17-7), Omaha (2-18), Northern Illinois (9-13), Detroit-Mercy (7-13)
Location: St. Louis, Mo.
Facility: Billiken Sports Center
Twitter: @SEMOsoftball
Southeast Missouri Notes

Saturday, March 16
Southeast Missouri vs. Northern Illinois, 12 p.m., CT | Live Stats
Southeast Missouri vs. Omaha, 6:30 p.m., CT | Live Stats

Sunday, March 17
Southeast Missouri vs. Detroit-Mercy, 12 p.m., CT | Live Stats
Southeast Missouri vs. Omaha, 2 p.m., CT | Live Stats

Spring Break
Southeast Missouri (17-7) plays five games during its spring break this week. The Redhawks host Missouri State in their home-opener Thursday before heading to the Saint Louis Billiken Spring Tournament for four games this weekend.

Follow the Redhawks
Video for Thursday's home-opener against Missouri State is available at ESPN+. Live stats can be accessed at GoSoutheast.com. Live stats for all of Southeast Missouri's games at the Saint Louis Billiken Spring Tournament are available at SLUBillikens.com.

Home at Last
After playing its first 24 games outside of Cape Girardeau, Southeast Missouri finally plays at home when it hosts in-state rival Missouri State Thursday. First pitch is set for 4 p.m., CT, at the Southeast Softball Complex. Thursday is Pi Day (3.14). Fifty McDonald's pies, plus 50 more dessert cards will be given to fans.

Home-Openers
Southeast Missouri is 20-7 all-time in home-openers since moving to the NCAA Division I ranks in 1992. The Redhawks are 3-1 in home-openers under head coach Mark Redburn. SEMO holds an all-time record of 154-139 (.525) at the Southeast Softball Complex since it began playing there in 1999.

Red-Hot Redhawks
The Redhawks enter the week on a season-long five-game winning streak and winners in 10 of their last 12 contests. At 17-7 overall, Southeast Missouri is off to its best start since 1998 (18-5-1). The Redhawks five-game winning streak is presently the longest in the Ohio Valley Conference. SEMO went 6-2 in true road games and 11-5 in games played at neutral sites during its first 24 matchups.

Against the Missouri Valley Conference
Southeast Missouri is currently 2-4 against the Missouri Valley Conference this season. The Redhawks beat Northern Iowa twice, went 0-3 against Drake and fell to Missouri State once. Missouri State and SEMO last met at the UCA Classic in Conway, Arkansas on Mar. 2. The Redhawks last loss came at the hands of the Bears by a score of 7-4 in that game. SEMO has each of the top four teams in this year's MVC Preseason Softball Poll on its schedule, including Drake (1st), Southern Illinois (2nd), Northern Iowa (3rd) and Missouri State (4th).

Series History
Missouri State leads its all-time series against Southeast Missouri, 28-8. MSU won 10 of the last 13 meetings between these teams. The Redhawks are a combined 5-3 against the teams they face at the Saint Louis Billiken Spring Tournament this weekend -- 1-1 vs. Northern Illinois; 1-1 vs. Omaha; 3-1 vs. Detroit-Mercy.

Jayhawk Classic Champions
Southeast Missouri won the Jayhawk Classic with a perfect 5-0 record in Lawrence, Kansas on Mar. 8-10. The Redhawks beat Big 12 Conference member and tournament host Kansas twice on their home field. SEMO's 2-0 win over the Jayhawks on Mar. 8 marked the third time Kansas was shutout this year. The Redhawks outscored their opponents, 26-7, and had 10 stolen bases in five games at the Jayhawk Classic.

What a Weekend
First baseman Ashley Ellis had a huge weekend hitting .563 with four runs scored, a double, two home runs and five RBI at the Jayhawk Classic (Mar. 8-10. A native of Arnold, Missouri, Ellis had multiple hits in four of five starts in the tournament. She began the tournament with home runs in consecutive at-bats and finished at 3-for-4 vs. UMKC (Mar. 8). Ellis scored a run and had two hits in SEMO's 2-0 shutout victory over Kansas (Mar. 8). She then collected four more hits in two victories, including another win over the Jayhawks. Ellis also boasted a 1.000 slugging percentage and .650 on-base percentage for the weekend. 

Closing In
Senior pitcher Haley Thogmartin is five strikeouts away from getting 200 in her Southeast Missouri career. Thogmartin has 195 strikeouts in 295.2 innings over 85 appearances and 51 starts in her career. 

100 Strikeouts
Alexis Estes reached 100 strikeouts in her career when she finished with four Ks in a win over Maine (Mar. 10). Estes went 1-0 with a save and tossed 8.1 scoreless inning with nine strikeouts in two appearances and one start at the Jayhawk Classic (Mar. 8-10).

Rook is Next
Sophomore Rachel Rook is the next Southeast Missouri pitcher in position to get 100 strikeouts in her career. Rook enters the week with 99 strikeouts in 86.1 innings during her career. Three of her five wins have been against Power Five schools this season -- 2 vs. Kansas; 1 vs. then-#12 Arkansas. Rook also pitched the first complete game shutout of her career in a 2-0 victory over Kansas on Mar. 8.

Arellanes to Face Former Northern Illinois Club
Southeast Missouri opens the Saint Louis Billiken Spring Tournament against Mid-American Conference member Northern Illinois Saturday. For right fielder Mykaela Arellanes, that matchup will mean something extra. Arellanes spent her freshman year at Northern Illinois, where she played in 20 games and made two starts during the 2016 campaign before transferring to SEMO. She also had a hit and scored three runs for the Huskies that year. Saturday marks the first time Arellanes faces her former team since joining the Redhawks.

Power Five Wins
Mark Redburn recently collected two wins over Big 12 Conference member Kansas when the Redhawks won the Jayhawk Classic last weekend. Redburn now has six wins over Power Five schools as the Redhawks head coach. Redburn recorded half of those victories this season alone as Southeast Missouri also knocked off then-#12 Arkansas (Feb. 22). He also beat Arkansas again, Missouri once and Georgia Tech once for his other Power Five wins. 

Anderson Ties Career Triples Record
Junior center fielder Rachel Anderson tied Southeast Missouri's all-time career triples record when she collected her 18th triple during her second at-bat of the game against Central Arkansas (Mar. 1). Anderson leads the Ohio Valley Conference and ranks fourth in the nation with four triples this year. She shares SEMO's record with Kathy Rediger (18 triples, 1981-84).

Getting Ahead Early
Southeast Missouri has scored in the first inning eight games this season and is 7-1 in those contests. The Redhawks have scored first 12 times this year and are 11-1 in such games. SEMO has scored 55 of its 143 runs in the first two innings, including 26 in the first and 29 in the second.

Aiming for 20
With 17 wins so far, Southeast Missouri is in position to get to 20 victories as early as this weekend when it is at the Saint Louis Billiken Spring Tournament. If the Redhawks hit that mark, it will be the quickest a SEMO team has reached 20 wins under head coach Mark Redburn. The earliest the Redhawks got 20 wins under Redburn was on Apr. 6, 2018 (11-2, at Austin Peay). SEMO has never won 20 non-conference games in a season with Redburn as its coach. In fact, the last time the Redhawks finished with 20 or more non-conference victories was in 1998 (22-11-1).

Halfway There
First baseman Ashley Ellis is tied for first in the Ohio Valley Conference with eight home runs this season. Ellis also ranks 13th in the nation in that category. One more home run will tie Ellis' total she had in her first two years at Southeast Missouri combined (9). She now stands tied for sixth all-time at SEMO with 17 career home runs. She shares that spot with Savannah Carpenter (2013-16). Ellis is already halfway to the Redhawks all-time single-season record of 16 home runs presently held by Kayla Fortner (2015). 

Bombs Away
Ashley Ellis (17), Addison Barnouski (12), Sarah Messex (13) and Rachel Anderson (12) are Southeast Missouri's active players with 10 or more career home runs. That group has accounted for 16 of Southeast Missouri's 22 round-trippers this season. 

Over .300
The Redhawks are the only Ohio Valley Conference team with a batting average above .300 this season. Southeast Missouri is hitting .304 and ranks 43rd among the nation's 300 NCAA Division I softball teams in batting average.

National Front
Southeast Missouri ranks among the top 50 NCAA Division I teams in triples per game (8th, .46), slugging percentage (34th, .491), scoring (35th, 6.0 rpg), home runs per game (49th, .92), win-loss percentage (45th, .708) and stolen bases per game (31st, 1.7 per game). Individually, Rachel Anderson is fourth in the nation in triples (4), 24th in total bases (59), 12th in hits (34) and 24th in triples per game (.17); and Ashley Ellis is 13th in home runs (8), 29th in slugging percentage (.870), 22nd in total bases (60) and 21s in RBI (27).

Rook Hits Career-High
Rachel Rook posted a career-high nine strikeouts in a victory over UL Monroe (Mar. 1). Rook, who improved to 2-1 this season, struck out five of the first seven hitters she faced and struck out the side in the second inning. She also retired nine-straight Warhawks between the second and fourth innings. Rook's nine strikeouts are the most in a game by any Southeast Missouri pitcher this year.

Tops in the OVC
The Redhawks lead the Ohio Valley Conference in batting average (.304), on-base percentage (.390), runs scored (143), hits (198), RBI (124), doubles (34), triples (11), wins (17), total bases (320), walks (77), hit by pitch (16), batters struck out (139), batters struck out looking (37) and saves (3). Rachel Anderson leads the league in batting average (.453), on-base percentage (.529), hits (34) and triples (4); Mykaela Arellanes is first in runs scored (24) and walks (14); Ashley Ellis ranks first in RBI (27), home runs (8) and total bases (60); Claudia Gallo is first in hit by pitch (7); and Haley Thogmartin leads the league in appearances (16).

Strong March
Southeast Missouri is off to a blazing 8-1 start in March. SEMO has a total of 14 games remaining in March, including this week. The Redhawks were 12-7 during that month a year ago. 

Extra Base Hits
Southeast Missouri has had multiple extra base hits in 19 of 24 games this season. The Redhawks presently have a total of 67 extra base hits, including 34 doubles, 11 triples and 22 home runs. SEMO's 67 extra base hits are most in the Ohio Valley Conference. Rachel Anderson (13) and Ashley Ellis (13) have combined for 26 extra base hits through 24 games this season.

Stealing the Show
Rachel Anderson leads the Redhawks with 10-of-12 stolen bases this season. Anderson is 37-of-50 on the basepaths in her career and is tied for sixth on Southeast Missouri's all-time career stolen base list.  

On the Run
Southeast Missouri ranks second in the Ohio Valley Conference with 42 stolen bases through 24 games this year. That mark is over halfway to its single-season school record total of 70 a year ago. The Redhawks have averaged over 50 stolen bases per season under head coach Mark Redburn for a total of 275 over four-plus years. Redburn's 2018 (1st, 70), 2017 (3rd, 65) and 2016 (5th, 58) clubs are among SEMO's top five single-season stolen base leaders in program history.

Scoring Jump
Southeast Missouri scored an Ohio Valley Conference high 143 runs (5.9 per game) through its first 24 contests this season. The Redhawks have scored 10 or more in four games. SEMO is at a +15 scoring jump from from where its run total was at this time a year ago (128).

Starting Streaks
Two Redhawks have never missed a start in their careers. Senior shortstop Sarah Messex has started 176 consecutive games and junior center fielder Rachel Anderson has made 127 straight starts.

More with 100 Starts
In addition to Sarah Messex and Rachel Anderson, junior first baseman Ashley Ellis, senior second baseman Parker Bandy and senior right fielder Mykaela Arellanes have started over 100 games at Southeast Missouri. Ellis logged a total of 124 starts, Bandy started 121 contests and Arellanes has started 116. 

10 or More Hits
The Redhawks registered 10 or more hits in eight games this season with a season-high 14 vs. Abilene Christian (Feb. 15) and at Central Arkansas (Mar. 1). Southeast Missouri outhit its opponent in 15 of 24 games and is 15-0 in those contests. SEMO's total of 198 hits lead the Ohio Valley Conference.

Triple Threat
Center fielder Rachel Anderson, first baseman Ashley Ellis and right fielder Mykaela Arellanes have provided Southeast Missouri with a nice one-two-three punch in the top half of its lineup. Anderson leads the team with a .453 batting average, while Ellis is hitting .435 and Arellanes is hitting .384. The trio has combined for 92 hits, 58 runs, 10 doubles, six triples, 14 home runs and 61 RBI this season.

Getting On Base
Mykaela Arellanes and Sarah Messex are first and second in the Ohio Valley Conference in walks with 14 and 12, respectively, this season. Claudia Gallo also leads the league in hit by pitch after being plunked seven times. As a team, Southeast Missouri hitters have walked 77 times and have been hit by pitch on 16 occasions. Both of those marks are league-highs.

Experienced Infield
First baseman Ashley Ellis (124), second baseman Parker Bandy (121), shortstop Sarah Messex (176) and third baseman Addison Barnouski (97) have combined for 518 career starts on Southeast Missouri's infield. Ellis (.435) and Barnouski (.371) rank second and fourth on the team in batting average, respectively.

Five Shutouts
Southeast Missouri has five shutouts so far this season. The Redhawks blanked Northern Iowa, 16-0, on Feb. 9, Fairleigh Dickinson, 8-0, on Feb. 16, Mississippi Valley State, 7-0, on Feb. 17, UL Monroe, 8-0, on Mar. 1 and Kansas, 2-0, on Mar. 8. SEMO posted six shutout victories a year ago.

Tournament Play
The Billiken Spring Invitational is the final tournament Southeast Missouri will play in during its non-conference slate. SEMO is presently 17-7 in tournament play.