Redhawks Ready for Postseason Play
Top-seeded Southeast Missouri (41-15) received a double-bye and will face the winner of #4 Murray State (26-25) and #5 Eastern Kentucky (30-18) or #8 SIU Edwardsville (16-27) to open postseason play Thursday. First pitch is set for 12:30 p.m., CT, in Oxford, Alabama.

Follow the Redhawks
Video for all games of the 2019 Ohio Valley Conference Tournament is available at ESPN+. Live stats can be accessed online at OVCSports.com. Twitter updates provided @SEMOsoftball.

Oxford Bound
Southeast Missouri clinched a spot in the eight-team Ohio Valley Conference Tournament for the second year in a row and third time in five years under head coach Mark Redburn. SEMO is looking to give Redburn his first OVC Tournament win this week.

Choccolocco Park
The Ohio Valley Conference Softball Tournament will be held at Choccolocco Park in Oxford, Alabama for the fourth-straight year in 2019. This year marks the 26th the Championship has been held and seventh year it has featured eight teams. Prior to 2016, the tournament was held at the site of the No. 1 seed. Jacksonville State won the title all three years the OVC Tournament has been held in Oxford. 

OVC Tournament History
Southeast Missouri makes its 18th all-time Ohio Valley Conference Tournament apperance in 2019. The Redhawks are 39-27 in OVC Tournament play. Southeast has won a total of five OVC Tournament titles (1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999) in its program's history.

SEMO Gets #1 Seed
For the first time since 1999, also the last year it won an Ohio Valley Conference Tournament title, Southeast Missouri is a #1 seed. SEMO was awarded the #1 seed after winning a coin flip to break its tie with Jacksonville State. OVC Commissioner Beth DeBauche administered the coin toss at the league office in Brentwood, Tennessee 30 minutes after the conclusion of Sunday's doubleheader between Austin Peay and SIU Edwardsville. Had APSU swept SIUE, the Redhawks would have clinched the #1 seed and a coin flip would not have been necessary. Both school's names were put in a hat before the coin toss and JSU was drawn. JSU Head Coach Jana McGinnis called tails, but the coin landed heads giving SEMO the top seed. The Redhawks and Gamecocks had identical composite records (4-2) against Eastern Kentucky, Austin Peay and Murray State, which all finished tied at 16-6; the same records (1-1) against Belmont; the same records (2-0) against UT Martin; and the exact composite records (3-1) versus Tennessee Tech and SIUE which tied for eighth. 

OVC Champs
The Redhawks shared this year's Ohio Valley Conference regular season title with Jacksonville State. Southeast Missouri and JSU finished with 17-5 records atop the standings. The Redhawks officially clinched a piece of the title when they swept Morehead State in a doubleheader on May 3. It is SEMO's sixth OVC regular season crown all-time and first since 1999.

Tournament Field
The 2019 Ohio Valley Conference Tournament field includes #1 Southeast Missouri (41-15), #2 Jacksonville State (34-13), #3 Austin Peay (31-20), #4 Murray State (26-25), #5 Eastern Kentucky (30-18), #6 Belmont (30-21), #7 UT Martin (29-26) and #8 SIU Edwardsville (16-27). Here is how the Redhawks fared against those teams this season:
vs. Jacksonville State    1-1
vs. Austin Peay    1-1
vs. Murray State    1-1
vs. Eastern Kentucky    2-0
vs. Belmont    1-1
vs. UT Martin    2-0
vs. SIUE    1-1

OVC Tournament Records
Southeast MIssouri has a total of 39 wins in 17 trips to the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament. The Redhawks are 5-0 vs. Austin Peay; 8-4 vs. Eastern Illinois; 2-5 vs. Eastern Kentucky; 1-5 vs. Jacksonville State; 3-2 vs. Middle Tennessee; 3-1 vs. Morehead State; 1-0 vs. Samford; 1-1 vs. SIU Edwardsville; 2-0 vs. Tennessee State; 7-4 vs. Tennessee Tech; and 6-5 vs. UT Martin in OVC Tournament play.

As the #1 Seed
The Redhawks hold a 17-5 record as the #1 seed in their Ohio Valley Conference Tournament history. Southeast Missouri also clinched the top seed in the 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998 and 1999 tournaments. The Redhawks won the OVC Tournament four of the five times they were the #1 seed.

Coming Up On 300
Mark Redburn is two wins away from getting 300 in his head coaching career. Redburn has an all-time record of 298-349 in 15 years as a head coach. A total of 132 have come at Southeast Missouri.

RPI Rating
Southeast Missouri boasts a RPI of 65 (through games May 5). Fellow Ohio Valley Conference member Jacksonville State (86) also ranks among the top 100 in RPI. 

Records Are Falling
The 2019 Southeast Missouri softball team has broken nine single-season records through 56 games. Here is that list:
New Record    Previous Record
325 Runs Scored    277 (1998)    
67 Home Runs    57 (2007)    
762 Total Bases    668 (2011)    
82 Stolen Bases    70 (2018)
103 Stolen Base Att.    107 (2017)
9 Saves    7 (2018)
296 Batters Struck Out    273 (2009)
41 Wins    40 (1986)
282 RBI    276 (1986)

Most Wins
With its sweep of Morehead State (May 3), Southeast Missouri reached a program record 41 victories. SEMO surpassed its previous mark of 40 wins during the 1986 season. The 2019 campaign is the Redhawks 25th winning season.

Senior Class
Southeast Missouri's senior class consisting of Mykaela Arellanes, Parker Bandy, Mackenzie Long, Sarah Messex and Haley Thogmartinhave won a total of 113 games during their Southeast Missouri careers (2016-19). This year's senior class won the most games since the 1996-1999 group (141). 

Anderson Approaching Single-Season Hits Record
With her Ohio Valley Conference high 73 hits, center fielder Rachel Anderson needs only one more to break Southeast Missouri's all-time single-season record in that category. Anderson currently shares the record with Carmen Fowler (73 hits, 2011). Anderson has a total of 25 multiple-hit games this season and 58 in her career.

41 or More Wins
Southeast Missouri is one of 12 teams in the nation with 41 or more wins this season (as of games through May 5). The Redhawks rank 27th in the country with a .732 winning percentage at 41-15 overall. Here is the list of teams with 41 or more victories in NCAA Division I softball this year:
Oklahoma    48-2 (.960)
UCLA    45-3 (.938)
Louisiana    47-4 (.922)
Alabama    50-6 (.893)
James Madison    44-7 (.863)
Florida State    48-8 (.857)
Washington    42-7 (.857)
Virginia Tech    45-8 (.849)
Northwestern    42-9 (.824)
Texas    41-12 (.774)
Louisiana Tech    41-14 (.745)
Southeast MIssouri    41-15 (.732)

Ellis Close to Home Run Record
Junior first baseman Ashley Ellis needs two home runs to break Southeast Missouri's single-season record. Ellis leads the team and ranks second in the Ohio Valley Conference with 15 round-trippers this year. Kayla Fortner presently holds the school's single-season record with 16 in 2015.

Welcome to the Top 10
Haley Thogmartin joined Southeast Missouri's top 10 single-season wins leaders. Thogmartin is 19-6 in the circle this year and ranks fifth all-time along with Debbi Schmelz (19, 1998), Elaine Fisher (19, 2008) and Giana Zimmerman (19, 2009). Thogmartin's 19 victories are a career-high. She ranks third in the Ohio Valley Conference in earned run average (1.73), fifth in innings pitched (149.2), sixth in strikeouts (122), third in wins and tied for second in games started (27). Thogmartin is tied for ninth among SEMO's all-time career leaders with 41 victories.

Anderson Among National Leaders
Center fielder Rachel Anderson ranks among national leaders in batting average (8th, .453), hits (11th, 73), triples per game (3rd, 0.16), total bases (5th, 139), triples (2nd, 9), on-base percentage (11th, .548) and slugging percentage (12th, .863). Anderson is one of nine players in the country hitting over .450.

Rook Throws Perfect Game
Sophomore Rachel Rook was named this week's Ohio Valley Conference Pitcher of the Week. A native of Republic, Missouri, Rook pitched a perfect game to help Southeast Missouri clinch a share of the OVC regular-season title. She struck out 12 of the 15 hitters she faced in her remarkable performance against Morehead State (May 3). Her 12 strikeouts marked a career-high and are the most by a Redhawk pitcher this season. SEMO has won four OVC Pitcher of the Week honors in 2019.

Hottest Team
Southeast Missouri is the hottest team entering this week's Ohio Valley Conference Tournament. The Redhawks carry a four-game winning streak to Oxford, Alabama. SEMO has also won six of its last seven contests.

Redhawks Beat Jacksonville State
Southeast Missouri split its final road doubleheader of the season at Ohio Valley Conference leader Jacksonville State (Apr. 28). After dropping game one, 1-0, SEMO rallied to win the nightcap, 3-1. Rachel Anderson narrowly missed hitting for the cycle going 3-for-3 with a double, run scored, home run and two RBI. It marked just the second time the Redhawks beat JSU in Jacksonville.

Anderson and Ellis Break Single-Season RBI Record
Rachel Anderson and Ashley Ellis both surpassed Southeast Missouri's all-time single-season RBI record in 2019. Anderson and Ellis have 53 and 52 RBI, respectively. The previous record of 48 was held by Kayla Fortner (2015) and Renee Kertz (2011).

10-Home Run Crew
For the first time in program history, Southeast Missouri has three players with 10 or more home runs in a season. Ashley Ellis leads the way with 15, while Rachel Anderson and Claudia Gallo follow with 12 and 10, respectively. Sarah Messex is next in line to join the group with nine round-trippers.

Welcome to the Club
Four different players have broken a Southeast Missouri single-season record this year. Ellis set a RBI record with 52. Rachel Anderson established new marks in total bases (139) and RBI (53). Mykaela Arellanes (51 runs scored) and Claudia Gallo (16 hit by pitch) are the others. 

Conference Winning Percentage 
Southeast Missouri finished Ohio Valley Conference play with a 17-5 record and .772 winning percentage. SEMO registered its highest winning percentage in conference play since 1999 (16-2, .889). The Redhawks notched their most league victories in a season since 2011 (17-12).

Home Run Record
Southeast Missouri set a new single-season record in home runs this year. The Redhawks rank 25th in the nation in home runs per game (1.2) and have collected 67 through 56 contests. The school's previous single-season record was 57 in 2007. SEMO hit a home run in 34 games this season and went 19 of those contests with two or more. Ten different Redhawks have homered in 2019.

That Was Fast
The Redhawks were the quickest team in the Ohio Valley Conference to 30 wins in 2019. Southeast Missouri hit that mark when it beat UT Martin, 1-0, 6-0, on Apr. 10. The Redhawks, presently have an all-time single-season record 41 wins. SEMO posted 30 or more wins in consecutive  seasons for the first time since 1999 (31-17) and 2000 (31-24), and has a total of seventeen 30-win seasons in its program history.

Arellanes Breaks Single-Season Runs Record
Mykaela Arellanes broke Southeast Missouri's all-time single-season record in runs scored in the Redhawks doubleheader sweep of Eastern Illinois (Apr. 20). Arellanes leads the Ohio Valley Conference in runs scored. Her 51 runs this season surpassed the school's previous record of 48 by Kim Palmer in 1998. Rachel Anderson is also in line to pass that mark as she stands with 48 runs scored.

Top of the OVC
The Redhawks lead the Ohio Valley Conference in slugging percentage (.520), fielding percentage (.969), runs (325), hits (442), RBI (282), triples (23), home runs (67), total bases (762), hit by pitch (38), total plate appearances (1,694), batters struck out looking (80), ERA (2.62), wins (41) and fielding double plays (22). Individually, Rachel Anderson leads the OVC in batting average (.453), slugging percentage (.863), on-base percentage (.548), hits (73), RBI (53), triples (9) and total bases (139); Mykaela Arellanes leads the conference in runs scored (51); Ashley Ellis is first in fielding double plays (14); and Claudia Gallo leads the league in hit by pitch (16).

Aiming for 20
Pitcher Haley Thogmartin enters the postseason with a 19-6 record inside the circle. Thogmartin is just one win away from reaching 20 this season. If that happens, Thogmartin will become the first pitcher to win 20 games in a season during Southeast Missouri's NCAA Division I era (since 1992). Debbie Schmelz (19-6, 1998), Elaine Fisher (19-20, 2008) and Giana Zimmerman (19-9, 2009) have come the closest to hitting that mark since the Redhawks turned Division I. Fisher is the school's all-time single-season leader with 30 wins in 1991, while SEMO's last pitcher to win 20 games was Missy Sanges (20-7) in 1989.

200th Start
Sarah Messex made her 200th career start at shortstop against Missouri (Apr. 23). Messex has never missed a start in her four-year career. She is one of five players who started all 56 games this season. Messex (208 starts) became the fifth player in Southeast Missouri softball history to start over 200 games. The others are Renee Kertz (214, 2009-12), Carmen Fowler (209, 2008-11), Michelle Summers (208, 2005-08) and Megan McDonald (207, 2005-08).

Redhawks at Home
Southeast Missouri went 10-3 at home this season and posted a winning record at the Southeast Softball Complex for the second-straight year. Combined, the Redhawks are 23-6 (.793) at home in those two seasons (2018, 2019).

Power Five Wins
Mark Redburn collected two wins over Big 12 Conference member Kansas when the Redhawks won the Jayhawk Classic (Mar. 8-10). 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 beat Arkansas again, Missouri once and Georgia Tech once for his other Power Five wins. 

Walk-Off Smash
Shortstop Sarah Messex hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the fifth inning to give Southeast Missouri an 11-3 win over Eastern Illinois (Apr. 20). Messex delivered her walk-off smash on Senior Day. It was her sixth round-tripper of the season.

13 Shutout Victories
Southeast Missouri posted a total of 13 shutout victories this season. The Redhawks have been involved in 16 shutouts this year and are 13-3 in those contests. SEMO ranks 26th in the nation in shutouts.

Anderson Goes Over 100 RBI
Rachel Anderson reached 100 career RBI with her two-run home run against Murray State (Apr. 15). Anderson, now with 112 RBI, has gone over the 100 career mark in four statistical categories. The others are runs (119), hits (192) and starts (159).

Thogmartin Clears 100 Strikeouts
Pitcher Haley Thogmartin went over 100 strikeouts when she recorded five against Saint Louis (Apr. 17). Thogmartin's 122 strikeouts currently rank sixth in the Ohio Valley Conference. It is the first time in her career that she has tallied more than 100 strikeouts in a season. In all, eight pitchers have gone over 100 strikeouts in the OVC during the 2019 campaign.

50 Conference Wins
Mark Redburn picked up his 50th career Ohio Valley Conference win when Southeast Missouri beat Eastern Kentucky on Apr. 1. SEMO also has 17 doubleheader sweeps in OVC play with Redburn at the helm.

Hurts So Good
Claudia Gallo has been hit by pitch an Ohio Valley Conference and Southeast Missouri single-season high 16 times this year. SEMO hitters have been plunked on 38 occasions through 56 games, most in the conference in 2019. She surpassed Brooke Nett (14, 2001) for the school's new single-season mark. Gallo has been hit by a pitch 26 times in her career. Nett is SEMO's career leader in hit by pitch (35, 2000-03).

Getting Ahead Early
Southeast Missouri has scored in the first inning in 26 games this season and is 20-6 in those contests. The Redhawks have scored first 36 times this year and are 33-3 in such games. SEMO scored a total of 63 runs in the first inning, most in any inning this year.

50 Hits
Rachel Anderson became the first Ohio Valley Conference player to reach 50 hits this season with her strong performance against Eastern Kentucky (Apr. 1). Anderson officially collected her 50th hit on a double in the sixth inning in game one of the doubleheader. She has 73 hits for an average of 1.3 per contest. Anderson has a total of 192 hits in her career. Two other Redhawks, including Mykaela Arellanes (59) and Ashley Ellis (56) have also gone over 50 hits in 2019.

Thogmartin Sets New Career-High
Pitcher Haley Thogmartin recorded a career-high 10 strikeouts in a complete game victory over Eastern Kentucky (Apr. 1). Thogmartin became the first Southeast Missouri pitcher to strike out 10 or more in a game since Keaira Schilling fanned 11 vs. Grambling State on Feb. 16, 2014. She leads the Redhawks with 122 strikeouts this season and 259 in her career. Thogmartin ranks eighth all-time in career strikeouts at SEMO.

Career Snapshot
Rachel Anderson ranks among Southeast Missouri's top 10 career leaders in a number of different categories. Anderson currently rates first in triples (23), batting average (.414) and slugging percentage (.713); third in total bases (331) and stolen bases (49); fifth in walks (77); fourth in runs scored (119); fourth in home runs (20); and fifth in hits (192). She also has 58 multiple-hit games and 29 multiple-RBI performances in three years as a Redhawk.

Strong to the Finish
The Redhawks have been strong late in games to this point of the season. Southeast Missouri is a perfect 28-0 when leading after six innings. The Redhawks have outscored their opponents, 58-35, between the sixth (31-21) and seventh (27-14) innings.

Awesome Defense
Defensively, Southeast Missouri has gone 27 games without committing an error this season. Overall, SEMO is 37-7 in games where it has one or no errors. The Redhawks are  first in the Ohio Valley Conference with a .969 fielding percentage.  

Top-30 in the Nation
Southeast Missouri ranks among the top 30 NCAA Division I teams in four different categories. Entering this week, the Redhawks are third in triples per game (0.41), 18th in slugging percentage (.520), 27th in won-loss percentage (.732) and 25th in home runs per game (1.20).

Individual Attention
Eight Redhawks currently rank in the national NCAA Division I softball statistics this week. Here is a list of those who rate among the top 30 individuals:
Rachel Anderson
2nd in Triples (9)
3rd in Triples Per Game (0.16)
5th in Total Bases (139)
8th in BAvg (.453)
11th in Hits (73)
11th in OB% (.548)
12th in SLG% (.863)
25th in RBI (53)
Claudia Gallo    
21st in HBP Per Game (0.31)
Ashley Ellis
23rd in RBI (51)

Anderson Breaks Career Triples Record
With her one-out RBI-triple in the first inning against Missouri State (Mar. 14), Rachel Anderson broke Southeast Missouri's all-time career triples record. Anderson currently has 23 triples in her career, including an Ohio Valley Conference and team-high nine this season. That is a +5 advantage over any OVC player in that category. Anderson surpassed Kathy Rediger (18, 1981-84), who held the previous record for 35 years.

Tough Trio
Pitchers Haley Thogmartin, Alexis Estes and Rachel Rook are all over 100 strikeouts in their respective Southeast Missouri careers. Thogmartin recorded 259, Estes has 120 and Rook has 144. That trio has also combined for 71 wins, including 35 this season alone.

Bombs Away
Ashley Ellis (24), Rachel Anderson (20), and Sarah Messex (20) are Southeast Missouri's active players with over 20 or more career home runs. That group has accounted for 38 of Southeast Missouri's 67 round-trippers this season. 

Over .300
The Redhawks are one of two Ohio Valley Conference teams with a batting average above .300 this season. Southeast Missouri is hitting .302, only one point behind Eastern Kentucky (.303). Five of SEMO's starters are hitting .326 or better, including Rachel Anderson (.453), Mykaela Arellanes (.343), Ashley Ellis (.346), Addison Barnouski (.340) and Claudia Gallo (.326).

Redburn Picks Up 100th Win at SEMO
Fifth-year head coach Mark Redburn picked up his 100th win at Southeast Missouri when the Redhawks ended the Razorback Invitational with a 5-3 win over IUPUI (Feb. 23). Redburn is now 132-122 at the SEMO helm. He led the Redhawks to 33 wins in 2018 and followed that up with a school record 41 wins in 2019. Additionally, Redburn has accumulated 298 wins in 15 years as a head coach. A total of 222 of those victories have come with him coaching in the NCAA Division I ranks.

Extra Base Hits
Southeast Missouri has had multiple extra base hits in 44 of 56 games this season. The Redhawks presently have a total of 163 extra base hits, including 73 doubles, 23 triples and 67 home runs. SEMO's 163 extra base hits are most in the Ohio Valley Conference. Rachel Anderson (33) and Ashley Ellis (24) have combined for 57 extra base hits this season.

Stealing the Show
Rachel Anderson leads the Redhawks with 22-of-30 stolen bases and Mykaela Arellanes is 14-of-15 on the basepaths this season. As a team, Southeast Missouri is 82-of-107 in stolen bases. The Redhawks 82 stolen bases are a new single season school record. That surpassed the previous record of 70 done by last year's team (70-of-87).

Top 10 Base Stealers
Rachel Anderson and Mykaela Arellanes are among Southeast Missouri's top 10 career leaders in stolen bases. Anderson ranks third with 49-of-69 stolen bases and Arellanes is fourth with 39-of-44. Lisa Thornton (82-of-91, 1987-91) currently holds the record.

On the Run
The Redhawks have averaged 63 stolen bases per season under head coach Mark Redburn for a total of 315 over five years. Redburn's 2019 (1st, 82), 2018 (2nd, 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 325 runs (5.8 per game) this season. The Redhawks scored 67 more runs than they did in 53 total games (258) a year ago. The 325 runs are a SEMO single-season record.

Starting Streaks
Two Redhawks have never missed a start in their careers. Senior shortstop Sarah Messex has started 208 consecutive games and junior center fielder Rachel Anderson has made 159 straight starts. 

More with 100 Starts
In addition to Sarah Messex and Rachel Anderson, junior first baseman Ashley Ellis, senior second baseman Parker Bandy, senior right fielder Mykaela Arellanes and junior third baseman Addison Barnouski have started over 100 games at Southeast Missouri. Ellis logged a total of 156 starts, Bandy started 149 contests, Arellanes has started 148 and Barnouski started 129 games. 

10 or More Hits
The Redhawks registered 10 or more hits in 20 games this season with a season-high 14 vs. Abilene Christian (Feb. 15), at Central Arkansas (Mar. 1) and at Tennessee State (Mar. 23). Southeast Missouri outhit its opponent in 36 games and is 35-1 in those contests. SEMO's 442 hits lead the Ohio Valley Conference.

Triple Threat

Center fielder Rachel Anderson, right fielder Mykaela Arellanes and first baseman Ashley Ellis have provided Southeast Missouri with a nice one-two-three punch at the top half of its lineup. Anderson leads the team with a .453 batting average, while Ellis is hitting .346 and Arellanes is hitting .343. The trio has combined for 188 hits, 128 runs, 27 doubles, 12 triples, 34 home runs and 131 RBI this season.

Experienced Infield
First baseman Ashley Ellis (156), second baseman Parker Bandy (149), shortstop Sarah Messex (208) and third baseman Addison Barnouski (129) have combined for 642 career starts on Southeast Missouri's infield.  Ellis (.346) and Barnouski (.340) rank third and fourth on the team in batting average, respectively.

Tournament Play
Southeast Missouri went 21-7 in tournament play this season. The Redhawks played in six tournaments and claimed two tournament titles.

Every Start
A total of five players have started all 56 games for the Redhawks this season. Rachel Anderson (CF), Ashley Ellis (1B), Addison Barnouski (3B), Mykaela Arellanes (RF) and Sarah Messex (SS) form that group.