Southeast Missouri (0-3) at #23 Tennessee (2-0)

Game Information
Date: February 20, 2021
First Pitch: 11 a.m., CT (DH)
Location: Knoxville, Tenn.
Facility: Sherri Parker Lee Stadium (2,200)
Series: First Meeting
Head Coaches: Mark Redburn (363-382 overall; 149-133 at SEMO; 62-55 OVC). Ralph & Karen Weekly (1,132-382-2 overall; 909-285-2 at UT).
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Video: SEC Network+ 
Live Stats: Game 1 | Game 2 
Twitter: @SEMOsoftball
Notes: Southeast Missouri (PDF)

Redhawks Head to Tennessee 
Southeast Missouri (0-3) squares off against its second Southeastern Conference opponent this season when it heads to #23 Tennessee (2-0) for a doubleheader Saturday. SEMO and UT will play at 11 a.m., CT.

Follow the Redhawks
Fans can watch both of Southeast Missouri's games at Tennessee live on SEC Network+. Live stats are available at UTSports.com. Twitter updates provided @SEMOsoftball.

Series History
This year marks the first meeting between Southeast Missouri and Tennessee. The Volunteers are one of three SEC teams on the Redhawks schedule this season. SEMO opened the season last weekend at Auburn (Feb. 13-14) and will travel to #8 Arkansas for a tournament on Feb. 26-28. 

Knoxville Trip
The Redhawks won't be the only team in Knoxville playing Tennessee this weekend. Mid-American Conference member Miami (Ohio) is also scheduled to play the Volunteers on Saturday and Sunday.

Against the SEC
The Redhawks are 13-62 all-time against the SEC. Tennessee is the ninth team out of the SEC that Southeast Missouri faces in its program history. SEMO has previously played Arkansas (2-6), Auburn (0-3), Kentucky (2-2), Mississippi State (1-7), Missouri (6-34), Texas A&M (0-1), LSU (0-1) and Ole Miss (2-8). Head Coach Mark Redburn has upended a SEC foe in two of the last three years. SEMO beat Missouri at home on Mar. 21, 2018 (8-2) and knocked off then-#12 Arkansas in Fayetteville on Feb. 21, 2019 (6-1).

Opening Weekend
Southeast Missouri opened the 2021 season dropping three road games at Auburn (Feb. 13-14). SEMO was no-hit in game one before falling by scores of 5-1 and 3-1 in the final two contests of the series. The Redhawks fell to 15-15 in season-opening games during their NCAA Division I era and 3-4 in such contests under Head Coach Mark Redburn.

Team 45
The 2021 campaign is the 45th season of Southeast Missouri softball. SEMO's softball program has an all-time record of 1,120-826-3. The Redhawks are 760-703-2 all-time since moving to the NCAA Division I ranks in 1992.

Going for 150
Mark Redburn needs just one more win to reach 150 victories as Southeast Missouri's head coach. Redburn is currently 149-133 at SEMO in his seventh year. In the last two-plus seasons, the Redhawks put together an overall record of 91-43 and 32-12 mark in Ohio Valley Conference play. Redburn, the reigning OVC Coach of the Year, guided SEMO to its first OVC regular-season and tournament titles, and NCAA Tournament in 20 years during the 2019 campaign.

One More Walk
Senior Rachel Anderson needs just one more walk to break Southeast Missouri's all-time career record in bases on balls. Anderson drew a walk in each of the Redhawks first two games against Auburn (Feb. 13). She presently shares the record with Alex Ramirez (2007-10). Both Anderson and Ramirez have 88 career walks.

Welcome to Division I Softball
Five newcomers saw their first NCAA Division I softball action with Southeast Missouri at Auburn (Feb. 13-14) last weekend. Freshman Jillian Anderson started all three games in left field and Alyson Tucker started every game at shortstop. Katie Dreiling (2) and Kynzie Wrigley (1) combined for three starts at designated player, while freshmen Kelby Robinson and Abigail Rickermann played, as well.

First Career Hits
Katie Dreiling, Jillian Anderson, Karsyn Davis and Abigail Rickermann all recorded their first career hits during the Auburn series last weekend. Dreiling had the first hit of 2021 on a leadoff single in the top of the second inning of game two on Feb. 13. Anderson also had a hit and Davis went 2-for-3 with a RBI-double in that game. Rickermann then got her first hit on a pinch-hit infield single in game three on Feb. 14.

First 10-Hit Game
Southeast Missouri registered 10 hits in a game for the first time this season in game two of its series at Auburn (Feb. 13). SEMO edged the Tigers, 10-9, in the hit column. Ashley Ellis and Karsyn Davis paved the way with two hits each. For Davis, it was the first multiple-hit game of her career. For Ellis, it was the 38th time she finished with multiple hits in a game.

About Tennessee
Tennessee is off to a 2-0 start this young 2021 season. The Volunteers face their second Ohio Valley Conference opponent when Southeast Missouri visits Knoxville this weekend. UT beat fellow OVC member Eastern Kentucky twice by scores of 10-0 and 3-2 for its wins thus far. The Volunteers were picked fourth in this year's Southeastern Conference Preseason Poll. UT is ranked 23rd in both the latest D1Softball and ESPN.com/USA Softball Top 25 polls. Ally Shipman is the Volunteers top hitter through two games with a .571 batting average. Meanwhile, Ashley Rogers did not allow an earned run and gave up only one hit, while striking out 18 and walking two in her first two pitching appearances this year. Rogers also tossed a complete game victory and picked up a save.

Record Watch
Rachel Anderson, Southeast Missouri's all-time career leader in triples (29), batting average (.418), slugging percentage (.720) and on-base percentage (.506), is in position to do much more damage on the record books this year. Anderson (227 hits, 143 runs, 130 RBI, 88 walks) is five hits away from the school's all-time career hits record, 19 runs away from the career runs scored record, three RBI away from the all-time career RBI mark and one walk away from the program's all-time record in bases on balls.

Approaching 400 Total Bases
Rachel Anderson is nine total bases away from reaching 400 in her career. Anderson is second all-time among Southeast Missouri's career leaders with 391 total bases. Michelle Summers (2005-08) presently holds the record in that category with 423 total bases.

OVC Preseason Favorite
Last year, Southeast Missouri was the preseason favorite in the Ohio Valley Conference, but didn't get a chance to play a conference game due to COVID-19. Now, the Redhawks are in that exact same spot going into the 2021 campaign and they are again anxious to defend their OVC regular-season and tournament crowns. SEMO was picked first in the league's 2021 Predicted Order of Finish, tallying 228 points and 13 of the possible 24 first-place votes. The Preseason Poll is selected by OVC Head Coaches and Communications Directors. Eastern Kentucky (224 points), Jacksonville State (211 points), Murray State (167 points) and SIU Edwardsville (151 points) filled out the top five. Austin Peay (143 points), UT Martin (109 points), Tennessee Tech (97 points), Eastern Illinois (92 points), Belmont (88 points), Tennessee State (34 points) and Morehead State (32 points) rounded out the poll.

2021 Redhawks
Southeast Missouri's 2021 roster includes 24 players with three seniors, five juniors, five sophomores and 11 freshmen. All returnees redshirted in 2020 after the COVID-19 pandemic influenced the NCAA Division I Council to allow schools to provide spring-sport athletes an additional season of competition and and extension on their period of eligibility. The Redhawks also bring back five position starters (Rachel Anderson, OF; Austine Pauley, INF; Ashley Ellis, INF; Kaylee Anderson, OF; Ashley Emert, INF) and two starting pitchers (Rachel Rook; Paytience Holman).

Abrupt End to 2020
The Redhawks flight was on its descent to the Tampa International Airport for a tournament hosted by the University of South Florida when Head Coach Mark Redburn's cell phone had just enough service to take a call. The call was from South Florida Head Coach Ken Eriksen who led Redburn know the tournament his team was travelling to play in was cancelled. Soon after that, came the news that the 2020 season was over after the NCAA voted to suspend play due to a global COVID-19 pandemic. SEMO was 12-5 when its season was shut down. The Redhawks won nine in a row and went 9-1 in their first 10 games. SEMO's shortened season lasted only 23 days, but the Redhawks accomplished a lot in a short amount of time. They led the Ohio Valley Conference in slugging percentage (.528), on-base percentage (.411), triples (14), stolen bases (41), fewest hits allowed (84) and fewest earned runs allowed (40). SEMO rated second in the league in batting average (.310), home runs (19), opposing batting average (.204), runs allowed (51), stolen bases per game (2.4) and triples per game (0.8). Nationally, the Redhawks were among the top 25 in triples per game (2nd), stolen bases per game (8th), scoring (16th, 6.7), slugging percentage (21st) and on-base percentage (24th).

All-American Anderson
Southeast Missouri's first All-American in its NCAA Division I era, center fielder Rachel Anderson is returns for her fifth year in 2021. Anderson won the coveted 2019 OVC Player of the Year honor to go along with her Third-Team National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-America award. She is also a three-time First-Team All-OVC and NFCA All-Region selection, and claimed First-Team CoSIDA Academic All-America accolades in her phenomenal career.

Elite .400 Club
Rachel Anderson is currently one of 131 NCAA Division I softball hitters with a career batting average of .400 or better. She is hitting .418 for her college career. Anderson was hitting a team-best .480 and led the Redhawks in runs (19), hits (24), triples (5), slugging percentage (.880), on-base percentage (.541) and stolen bases (9) when play was suspended a year ago.  

Ellis Bashes
Slugger Ashley Ellis, like Rachel Anderson, is also back for her fifth year. A native of Arnold, Missouri, Ellis averaged 8.5 home runs per year in her first four seasons as Southeast Missouri's first baseman. She homered eight times and ranked fourth on the team with a .347 batting average last season. Ellis led the Ohio Valley Conference in home runs during the 2020 campaign and hit two round-trippers in a game three times in her career. 

The Chase is On
Ashley Ellis, who broke Southeast Missouri's single-season home run record with 17 bombs in 2019, is now chasing the school's all-time career home run record. Ellis currently ranks second with 34 home runs. She needs 15 more to surpass Michelle Summers (48, 2005-08) for the new mark. 

Starting Streaks Intact
Rachel Anderson has never missed a start in her career. Anderson has a streak of 187 straight starts in center field. Ashley Ellis carries a streak of 167 consecutive starts into this weekend. Anderson is now tied for 10th all-time among Southeast Missouri career leaders in games started.  

30-Win Seasons
Southeast Missouri registered over 30 wins in each of its last two complete seasons. The Redhawks went 33-20 and finished fourth in the Ohio Valley Conference in 2018. In 2019, SEMO set a program record in wins when it went 46-18 overall and won the OVC regular-season and tournament titles. The Redhawks also made the NCAA Tournament that year. SEMO has a total of 17 seasons with 30 or more wins in its program history.

On Deck
The Redhawks close out their first month of the season in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Southeast Missouri will play in a tournament hosted by #8 Arkansas. The Redhawks will face North Dakota State and Arkansas on Feb. 26, Texas Tech and Arkansas on Feb. 27, and Texas Tech on Feb. 28.