Morehead State (2-22, 1-7 OVC) vs. Southeast Missouri (14-13, 3-3 OVC)

Dates: Saturday-Sunday, April 2-3, 2022
Series Schedule: 
Saturday - 4 p.m., CT
Sunday - 12 p.m., CT (DH)
Location: Cookeville, Tenn.
Facility: Southeast Softball Complex (600)
Series History: SEMO leads, 64-22
Last Meeting: SEMO 9, MSU 1 (Mar. 27, 2021 | Cape Girardeau, Mo.)
Head Coaches: Mark Redburn (193-160 at SEMO; 88-64 OVC). Samantha Jones (22-104 at MSU; 5-54 OVC).

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

Redhawks Host Morehead State
Southeast Missouri (14-13, 3-3) returns home to host Morehead State (2-20, 1-5) in a three-game series this weekend. SEMO and MSU will play a 4 p.m. single game Saturday followed by a 12 p.m., CT doubleheader Sunday.

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

Alumni Day
Southeast Missouri will hold its annual Alumni Day during its series-opener vs. Morehead State Saturday. All former Redhawk softball alumni will be recognized as part of the day's events.

Walk for Women
The 15th Annual Cindy Gannon Walk for Women will take place prior to the Redhawks series-opener vs. Morehead State Saturday. This year's special event begins with registration at 9 a.m. followed by a walk and 5K race at 10 a.m. After that, there will be a festival with food, beverages, music, games and other fun activities. It will be held at the Rec Fields at Sprigg & Bertling close to the Southeast Softball Complex. All proceeds go toward providing scholarships for SEMO student-athletes.

Series History
The Redhawks lead their all-time series against Morehead State by a count of 64-22. The 64 wins over MSU rank as Southeast Missouri's third-most against any Ohio Valley Conference foe. SEMO won five-straight and eight of its last nine meetings with the Eagles. The Redhawks are 33-8 all-time vs. MSU at the Southeast Softball Complex. SEMO won three run-rule games over the Eagles last season, outscoring MSU, 27-1, in that span.

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 of Eight
The Redhawks won five of their last eight games. Southeast Missouri is 3-0 in Cape Girardeau this season and plays at home for just the second time when Morehead State comes to town this weekend.

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.

Midweek at Southern Illinois Canceled
The Redhawks were initially scheduled to play a midweek contest at regional-rival Southern Illinois (Mar. 30) this week, but that game was canceled due to inclement weather. SEMO had both of its games against SIU this season wiped out because of weather. Makeup dates for those matchups have not been determined. 

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 515 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 48-26 in 125 appearances and 65 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).

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 11 home runs in six games. SEMO hit nine home runs alone during its sweep of Tennessee State (Mar. 19-20). The Redhawks closed out the series with a season-best five round-trippers in the finale. SEMO unloaded to hit four home runs in the second inning to blow by the Tigers, 11-3, in game three. The Redhawks now have 20 home runs through 27 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 five round-trippers, while Sackett is third with two this season.

OVC Strikeout Leader
Rachel Rook leads the Ohio Valley Conference with 115 strikeouts for an average of 8.2 per start this season. Rook currently ranks 32nd in the nation in strikeouts. She is over 100 strikeouts in a season for the second year in a row.

Coming Up on 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 193-160 record in eight years at SEMO.

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 35 games in league play. SEMO is 26-9 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.

.400 or Better
Kaylee Anderson ranks third in the Ohio Valley Conference with a .421 batting average through 27 games. Anderson is one of three players in the conference hitting .400 or better. Austin Peay's Lexi Osowski (.443) and  UT Martin's Kaci Fuller (.425) are the others.

Every Game Starters
Kaylee Anderson and Paige Halliwill have started all 27 games for Southeast Missouri this season. Anderson made 26 starts in right field and one as designated hitter. Halliwill started every game in center field. 

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 115 through 20 appearances and 14 starts.