Southeast Missouri (14-10, 3-0 OVC) at Tennessee Tech (17-9, 0-3 OVC)

Dates: Saturday-Sunday, March 26-27, 2022
Series Schedule: 
Saturday - 1 p.m., CT (DH)
Sunday - 1 p.m., CT
Location: Cookeville, Tenn.
Facility: Tech Softball Field
Series History: Tied, 48-48
Last Meeting: SEMO 8, TTU 4 (Mar. 13, 2021 | Cookeville, Tenn.)
Head Coaches: Mark Redburn (193-157 at SEMO; 88-61 OVC). Michelle DePolo (17-9 at TTU; 0-3 OVC).

Follow the Redhawks
Video: ESPN+ Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3
Live Stats: Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 (TTUSports.com)
Twitter: @SEMOSoftball
Series Notes: Southeast Missouri (PDF)

Redhawks Head to Tennessee Tech 
Southeast Missouri (14-10, 3-0) hits the road to face Tennessee Tech (17-9, 0-3) in its first Ohio Valley Conference road series this weekend. The Redhawks and Golden Eagles play a 1 p.m. doubleheader Saturday followed by a 1 p.m., CT single game Sunday.

Follow the Redhawks
Watch all three games of this weekend's series live on ESPN+. Live stats are available at TTUSports.com. Twitter updates provided @SEMOsoftball.

Strong OVC Opening Weekend
Southeast Missouri swept its home-opening Ohio Valley Conference series for the second-straight season when it beat Tennessee State (Mar. 19-20), 9-1, 6-0, 11-3, last weekend. All teams either swept or were swept in the first weekend of league action. SEMO, Murray State, UT Martin, Belmont and Eastern Illinois completed series sweeps, while Tennessee Tech, Austin Peay, TSU, SIU Edwardsville and Morehead State were swept.  

Five in a Row
The Redhawks carry a season-long five-game winning streak to Tennessee Tech this weekend. Southeast Missouri began its current winning streak with a 7-1 victory at Kansas City on Mar. 15. SEMO is 9-5 in March. SEMO is on of four Ohio Valley Conference schools entering the weekend on winning streaks of five or more games. Murray State (9), Eastern Illinois (9) and Belmont (6) are the others.

Rook Breaks SEMO Career Strikeout Record
Rachel Rook broke Southeast Missouri's all-time career strikeout record during her team's series sweep of Tennessee State (Mar. 19-20). Entering the series, Rook needed 13 strikeouts to get the record. She recorded all of those in game one after giving up just two hits and walking two to go along with her 13 Ks in six innings. Rook, who now has 503 strikeouts, surpassed Elaine Fischer's previous record of 501 (2005-08).

What's Next for Rook?
Rachel Rook is approaching 50 career wins in the circle as a Redhawk. Rook presently has a career record of 48-24 in 122 appearances and 64 starts in her career. Two more victories will make Rook the seventh pitcher in program history to record 50 or more career wins. The others are Tracie Eudaley (79, 1984-87), Debbie Schmelz (62, 1996-99), Alice Marler (59, 1990-92), Elaine Fischer (54, 2005-08), Chris Engelhardt (54, 1996-99) and Sara Reichert (51, 1994-97).

OVC Openers
With its 9-1 win over Tennessee State (Mar. 19), Southeast Missouri improved to 20-10 all-time in league-opening games. The Redhawks started OVC action with a win for the ninth time in the last 12 seasons. SEMO is the reigning back-to-back OVC Champion.

Series Record
Southeast Missouri and Tennessee Tech are deadlocked at 48-48 in their all-time series. SEMO has won each of the last eight meetings between these teams. The Redhawks swept the Golden Eagles in Cookeville a year ago.

Great Spring Break
The Redhawks posted a 5-1 record during their spring break last week. Southeast Missouri ended its week on a five-game winning streak. For the six games, SEMO hit .301 with10 doubles, two triples, 11 home runs and 34 RBI. The Redhawks also outscored their opponents by a +21 margin (37-16) during that span. Four Redhawks, including Paige Halliwill (3), Kaylee Anderson (2), Kynzie Wrigley (2) and Kat Sackett (2) hit multiple home runs last week, as well. SEMO hit all but seven of its round-trippers for the season during that stretch. 

Wrigley Earns Co-OVC Player of the Week Honors
Sophomore infielder Kynzie Wrigley was named Co-Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Week on Mar. 21 earning the first OVC weekly honor of her career. Wrigley hit .400 (6-for-15) with nine runs scored, two doubles a pair of home runs and seven RBI to lead Southeast Missouri to a 5-1 record last week. Wrigley hit her first home run of the season at Kansas City (Mar. 15), where she went 2-for-4 with three runs and two RBI. She also recorded two hits and two RBI vs. Tennessee State (Mar. 20), and hit her other home run, a three-run shot, vs. the Tigers. Additionally, Wrigley hit a leadoff double and scored the tying run in the top of the seventh inning during SEMO's come-from-behind win over Iowa (Mar. 15). SIU Edwardsville's Grace Lueke (Co-Player), Eastern Illinois' Alexa Remeier (Co-Pitcher) and Murray State's Hannah James (Co-Pitcher) rounded out the week's winners.

Lots of Long Balls
Southeast Missouri started Ohio Valley Conference play by hitting nine home runs in three games during its series sweep of Tennessee State (Mar. 19-20). SEMO closed out the series with a season-best five round-trippers in the finale. The Redhawks unloaded to hit four home runs in the second inning to blow by the Tigers, 11-3, in game three. SEMO now has 18 home runs through 24 games this year.

Holman Tosses Shutout
Paytience Holman threw her first shutout of the season when she went the distance in a 6-0 victory over Tennessee State (Mar. 20). Holman recorded a season-high eight strikeouts and allowed five hits. She also did not give up a walk in her seven-inning gem. It was Holman's second complete game of the season.

Two-Home Run Games
Paige Halliwill and Kat Sackett, who were teammates at Marshall University before transferring to Southeast Missouri, each hit two home runs on the same day. In the Redhawks doubleheader sweep of Tennessee State (Mar. 20), Halliwill hit two bomb in game two and Sackett did the same prior to that in game one. Halliwill is tied for first on the team with four round-trippers, while Sackett is second with two so far this season.

OVC Strikeout Leader
Rachel Rook leads the Ohio Valley Conference with 103 strikeouts for an average of just under eight (7.9) per start this season. Rook currently ranks 30th in the nation in strikeouts. She is over 100 strikeouts in a season for the second year in a row.

Approaching 200 SEMO Wins
After recently getting his 400th career win as a head coach, Mark Redburn now stands just seven wins away from picking up his 200th career victory as Southeast Missouri's skipper. The reigning back-to-back Ohio Valley Conference Coach of the Year, Redburn holds a 193-157 record in eight years at SEMO.

Redhawks Upend Iowa
Down 3-2 in the top of the seventh inning, Kynzie Wrigley hit a leadoff double to rally Southeast Missouri to its come-from-behind win over Big Ten Conference member Iowa (Mar. 15). After Kaylee Anderson walked, Tori Bradley doubled down the left field line and Wrigley scored the tying run. After a pitching change, Anderson touched home on a wild pitch for the winning run. SEMO beat a Big Ten opponent for the first time in 21 years. Its last win over a Big Ten school was in 2001 (vs. Indiana).

Back-to-Back Champions
Preseason Ohio Valley Conference favorite and reigning back-to-back regular-season champion Southeast Missouri has won 26 of its last 32 league games. SEMO is 26-6 in that span with a program record 23 conference wins in 2021 (23-6). The Redhawks posted nine series wins against league opponents since the start of the 2021 campaign.

Pena Hits First Career Home Run
Infielder Chelsy Pena hit her first career home run as part of Southeast Missouri's four-home run second inning vs. Tennessee State (Mar. 20). Pena has played in a total of 108 games during her Redhawk career.

.400 or Better
Kaylee Anderson ranks third in the Ohio Valley Conference with a .438 batting average through 24 games. Anderson is one of five players in the conference hitting .400 or better. Austin Peay's Lexi Osowski (.458), UT Martin's Kaci Fuller (.452), Belmont's Baie Ensio (.431) and Tennessee Tech's Mackenzie Fitzgerald (.400) are the others.

800th NCAA Division I Win
Southeast Missouri picked up its 800th win as an NCAA Division I program when it beat Kansas City, 7-1, on Mar. 15.. SEMO first moved to the Division I ranks in 1991-92. The Redhawks are 804-780-2 all-time as an NCAA Division I program.

Every Game Starters
Kaylee Anderson, Alyson Tucker and Paige Halliwill have started all 24 games for Southeast Missouri this season. Anderson made 23 starts in right field and one as designated hitter. Halliwill started every game in center field. And, Tucker made all of her starts at shortstop.

65-Straight
Alyson Tucker made 65 consecutive starts at shortstop. Tucker is hitting .309 as Southeast Missouri's fifth-leading hitter this year.

Redhawks Win Purple & Gold Challenge
Southeast Missouri won the Lipscomb Purple & Gold Challenge with a 4-1 record last week. Southeast Missouri beat Charleston, 5-4, 3-2, defeated tournament host Lipscomb, 7-1, and took care of Dayton, 10-6. It was SEMO's first tournament win of the season. 

Tournament Play Wrap
The Redhawks went 9-9 in tournament play this season. Southeast Missouri went 0-3 at the Jayhawk Invitational (Mar. 13-14), 3-2 at the Lion Classic (Feb. 11-13) in Hammond, Louisiana, 2-3 at the Hilltopper Classic (Feb. 18-20) in Bowling Green, Kentucky and 4-1 at the Purple & Gold Challenge (Mar. 4-6) in Nashville, Tennessee. SEMO won the Purple & Gold Challenge.

Touch 'Em All Wrigley
Kynzie Wrigley became the fifth Redhawk to hit a home run this season when she smashed her first round-tripper at Kansas City (Mar. 15). The homer marked the third of Wrigley's career. Kaylee Anderson, Aubrie Shore, Alyson Tucker and Paige Halliwill also homered for Southeast Missouri this year.

Rook Throws No-Hitter
Rachel Rook threw a no-hitter and struck out 12 to lead Southeast Missouri to a 6-0 win over Central Michigan (Feb. 18). At the time, Rook tossed the ninth non-combined no-hitter in NCAA Division I softball this season. She retired 20-straight prior to Shannon Stein's two-out walk in the top of the seventh inning. Stein was CMU's only baserunner of the game as Rook was perfect through 6.2 frames. She recorded the second-no-hitter of her career and first seven-inning no-hitter as a Redhawk.

OVC Pitcher of the Week
Rachel Rook was voted Ohio Valley Conference Pitcher of the Week on Feb. 21. A native of Republic, Missouri, Rook threw a no-hitter with 12 strikeouts in Southeast Missouri's win over Central Michigan (Feb. 18). She tossed two complete games and struck out 25 in 19 innings en route to going 2-1 at the Western Kentucky Hilltopper Classic (Feb. 18-20).

Over 10 Strikeouts
Rachel Rook had double-digit strikeouts in four of her starts this season. Rook matched a career-high 15 vs. Nicholls (Feb. 13). She also had 12 strikeouts against both Alabama A&M (Feb. 11) and Central Michigan (Feb. 18), and 13 vs. Tennessee State (Mar. 19). Rook is the Ohio Valley Conference's strikeout leader with 103 through 17 appearances and 13 starts.