Mississippi State Bulldog Slamboree

Dates: Friday-Sunday, March 6-8, 2020
Location: Starkville, Miss.
Facility: Nusz Park
Participating Teams: Southeast Missouri (9-3); #22 Mississippi State (19-3); Mississippi Valley State (3-11); Bryant University (1-7)
Series Records: vs. Mississippi Valley State (2-0); vs. Mississippi State (1-5); vs. Bryant (First Meeting)

Friday, Mar. 6
Southeast Missouri vs. Mississippi Valley State, 10 a.m., CT | Live Stats
Southeast Missouri vs. Bryant, 12:30 p.m., CT | Live Stats

Saturday, Mar. 7
Southeast Missouri at #22 Mississippi State, 12:30 p.m., CT | SEC Network+ | Live Stats
No. 1 vs. No. 4, 3 p.m., CT | Live Stats
No. 2 vs. No. 3, 5:30 p.m., CT | Live Stats

Sunday, Mar. 8
Consolation Game, 11 a.m., CT | Live Stats
Championship Game, 1:30 p.m., CT | Live Stats

Southeast Missouri Notes

Redhawks Head to Bulldog Slamboree
Southeast Missouri (9-3) heads to the Mississippi State Bulldog Slamboree for five games this weekend. The four-team tournament, which also includes #22 Mississippi State (19-3), Mississippi Valley State (3-11) and Bryant University (1-7), will be played in Starkville, Mississippi.

Follow the Redhawks
Live stats for all games of this weekend's Bulldog Slamboree will be available online at HailState.com. Video for Southeast Missouri's game against #22 Mississippi State (Mar. 7) can be accessed at SECNetwork+. Twitter updates provided @SEMOsoftball.

Series History
Southeast Missouri is a combined 3-5 against teams participating in this weekend's Bulldog Slamboree. The Redhawks are 2-0 against Mississippi Valley State and 1-5 against Mississippi State. SEMO and Bryant University meet for the first time in 2020. 

First Month in the Books
The Redhawks finished their first month of the 2020 campaign with a 9-1 record. Southeast Missouri dropped its season-opener to Kennesaw State, but heated up to win each of its last nine games in February.

Against Ranked Opponents
Southeast Missouri faces its first ranked opponent this season when it squares off against tournament host and #22 Mississippi State Saturday. The Redhawks are 1-17 all-time against ranked teams since joining the NCAA Division I ranks in 1992. SEMO's only win in that span was under head coach Mark Redburn when the Redhawks upended SEC foe and then-#12 Arkansas, 6-1, in Fayetteville on Feb. 22, 2019.

Redhawks Drop Home Series to Kansas City
The Redhawks suffered back-to-back one-run losses and, as a result, dropped their three-game home-opening series to Kansas City on Feb. 29-Mar. 1. Southeast Missouri won game one, 3-0, before falling to the Roos by scores of 13-12 and 2-1. The Feb. 29 date was the earliest SEMO played a home-opener it its program history.

Team 44
The 2020 campaign is the 44th season of the Southeast Missouri softball program. This year also marks the 29th season at the NCAA Division I level. SEMO's softball program has an all-time record of  1,117-921-3. The Redhawks are 757-698-2 all-time since moving to the NCAA Division I ranks in 1992.

Another SWAC Opponent
Southeast Missouri opens the Bulldog Slamboree against Mississippi Valley State, its third Southwestern Athletic Conference opponent this season. SEMO is 2-0 against SWAC teams after posting a 12-3 win over Alabama State (Feb. 21) and a 4-1 victory over Grambling State (Feb. 22) this year.

Tournament Play
The Redhawks are 8-1 in tournament play so far this season. This weekend's Bulldog Slamboree is Southeast Missouri's third tournament. SEMO went 3-1 at the Troy University Tournament (Feb. 14-16) and 5-0 at the Alabama State Stinger Classic (Feb. 21-23).

Bombs Away
Ashley Ellis has homered seven times in 12 starts this season. Ellis hit a home run in four-straight contests from Feb. 14-21. She leads the  Ohio Valley Conference in that category. Ellis also ranks second in the nation in home runs per game (0.58). She hit a Southeast Missouri single-season record 17 home runs in 2019.

Rook is Rolling
Rachel Rook did not allow a run in her first 24 innings of the season. Rook was scored on for the first time when Kansas City's Chyanne Onstad hit a home run in the top of the fourth inning on Mar. 1. Rook is 3-1 with a 0.50 ERA and has given up only two earned runs (both on home runs) through her first 28 innings. She also tossed a pair of complete game shutouts and recorded 32 strikeouts to just six walks. Rook leads the Ohio Valley Conference in ERA and opposing batting average (.129). 

200 In Sight
Rachel Rook needs 15 more strikeouts to reach 200 in her Southeast Missouri career. Rook has 185 strikeouts and averaged 7.84 per seven innings in her career. She is presently SEMO's all-time career leader in strikeouts/7 innings and opponent batting average (.201).

Tough Out
Center fielder Rachel Anderson is tied for first in the nation among players toughest to strikeout. Anderson has not struck out in 35 at-bats this season. She is one of just seven NCAA Division I players in the country who haven't struck out in a minimum of 35 at-bats. The others are Sara Silveyra (San Diego, 62 AB), Jada Cody (Central Florida, 52 AB), Natalie Joyner (Northern Colorado, 52 AB), Bailey Winscott (Virginia, 41 AB), Trina Hoang (Harvard, 35 AB) and Brook Mitchell (Army West Point, 35 AB). 

Four to Go
Mark Redburn is four wins away from reaching 150 at Southeast Missouri. Redburn is 146-128 (.533) in six years at the helm. For his career, Redburn is 360-377 in 16 years as a head coach.

Triple Time 
Southeast Missouri has 11 triples through 12 games this season. SEMO leads the Ohio Valley Conference in triples and ranks second in the nation with 0.92 triples per game. Eight different players have tripled for the Redhawks this year, including Rachel Anderson (3), Madison Harris (2), Austine Pauley (1), Kaylee Anderson (1), Addison Barnouski (1), Ashley Emert (1), Claudia Gallo (1) and Keira Hance (1). SIU Edwardsville is the next closest OVC team to SEMO with seven triples. 

10 or More Wins 
One more win will give Southeast Missouri its 10th of the season. When that happens, it will become the sixth Ohio Valley Conference school to get 10 or more wins. Eastern Kentucky (17-2), UT Martin (12-9), Murray State (11-6), SIU Edwardsville (10-3) and Jacksonville State (10-7) are the others.

Ellis Second in Career Home Runs
Ashley Ellis rankes second on Southeast Missouri's all-time career home run list. Elllis, who has 33 career home runs, surpassed Megan McDonald (31, 2005-08) for the number two spot. Michelle Summers (2005-08) holds the all-time record with 48 home runs.

Anderson Closing in on Career RBI Record
Rachel Anderson is second on the team with 12 RBI this season. Anderson currently has 127 RBI in her career. She needs six to break Southeast Missouri's all-time career record in that category. Renee Kertz (2009-12) and Michelle Summers (2005-08) hold the record with 132.

Top-10 in the Nation
As a team, Southeast Missouri ranks among the top 10 nationally in triples per game (2nd, 0.92), scoring (6th, 7.75 rpg), on-base percentage (7th, .439), stolen bases per game (7th, 2.5) and slugging percentage (10th, .573). Individually, Rachel Anderson is sixth in batting average (.543), fourth in triples per game (0.25) and tied for first in toughest to strikeout. Ashley Ellis ranks second in home runs per game (0.58), fifth in RBI per game (1.42) and sixth in slugging percentage (1.029). Rachel Rook is seventh in ERA (0.50).

OVC Leader
Southeast Missouri leads the Ohio Valley Conference in batting average (.335), slugging percentage (.574), on-base percentage (.441), triples (11) and fewest hits allowed (66). Rachel Anderson leads the conference in batting average (.543), on-base percentage (.591) and triples (3). Ashley Ellis tops the league in slugging percentage (1.029) and home runs (7). Rachel Rook is first in the OVC in ERA (0.50) and opposing batting average (.129).

Starting Streaks
Two Redhawks have starting streaks over 100 games. Rachel Anderson, who never missed a start in her career, has started 179 consecutive games. Ashley Ellis has started 159 straight contests.