Wooo Pig Classic

Tournament Information
Dates: Friday, March 1 - Sunday, March 3, 2024
Participating Teams: #14 Arkansas (13-3), Florida Atlantic (13-4), South Dakota State (8-9), Southeast Missouri (4-9)
Location: Fayetteville, Ark.
Facility: Bogle Park

Follow the Redhawks 
Mar. 1 - SEMO vs. South Dakota State, 10 a.m., CT | Live Stats
Mar. 1 - SEMO at #14 Arkansas, 3 p.m., CT | Live Stats | SEC Network+
Mar. 2 - SEMO vs. South Dakota State, 10 a.m., CT | Live Stats
Mar. 2 - SEMO vs. Florida Atlantic, 12:30 p.m., CT | Live Stats
Mar. 3 - SEMO at #16 Arkansas, 12:15 p.m., CT | Live Stats | SEC Network+
Twitter: @SEMOSoftball
SEMO Softball Notes: Southeast Missouri

Wooo Pig Classic
Southeast Missouri (4-9) heads to the Arkansas Wooo Pig Classic for five games this weekend. The three-day event also includes host #14 Arkansas (13-3), Florida Atlantic (13-4) and South Dakota State (8-9).

Follow the Redhawks
Live stats will be available for all of Southeast Missouri's games at the Wooo Pig Classic online at ArkansasRazorbacks.com. Video for both of SEMO's games against Arkansas can be accessed live at SEC Network+. Updates will be provided on X @SEMOSoftball.

Series History
Southeast Missouri is 2-10 all-time against Arkansas, 2-0 vs. South Dakota State and 1-1 vs. Florida Atlantic in its softball history. The Redhawks square off against Arkansas for the third time in five seasons. SEMO last played the Razorbacks in 2022. The Redhawks' previous meeting with South Dakota State was during the 2019 season-opener at the Ramada UNI Dome Classic in Cedar Falls, Iowa. SEMO won that game by a score of 7-3. Meanwhile, the Redhawks play Florida Atlantic for the first time in 16 years. These teams last met in Boca Raton, Florida where FAU won, 7-6, during the 2008 campaign.

Tournament Play
The Wooo Pig Classic is the final tournament Southeast Missouri plays ahead of its Ohio Valley Conference slate. So far, SEMO competed at the Florida International Felsberg Invitational (Feb. 9-11), Southeastern Louisiana Lion Classic (Feb. 16-18) and Auburn Plainsman Invitational (Feb. 23-25). The Redhawks are 4-9 in tournament play with two wins over Stony Brook, one over Florida International and one over Big Ten Conference member Maryland.

Against the SEC
Arkansas is the second Southeastern Conference opponent the Redhawks face this season. Southeast Missouri also played Auburn at the Plainsman Invitational last week. The Redhawks are 14-72 all-time against the SEC. SEMO has previously played Arkansas (2-10), Auburn (0-5), Kentucky (2-2), Mississippi State (1-7), Missouri (6-34), Texas A&M (0-1), LSU (0-1), Ole Miss (3-10) and Tennessee (0-2). Head Coach Mark Redburn has upended a SEC foe three times in the last six 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). In 2023, the Redhawks defeated Ole Miss, 1-0, on Mar. 5 in Oxford, Mississippi.

Ranked Teams
Southeast MIssouri's only win over a ranked opponent during its NCAA Division I era came against then-#12 Arkansas (6-1) at the Razorback Invitational on Feb. 22, 2019. That year, SEMO went 46-18 overall, won both the Ohio Valley Conference regular-season and tournament titles, and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. The Redhawks 46 wins in 2019 are a program record to date. SEMO is 1-23 all-time against ranked teams since moving to the NCAA Division I level in 1992. #18 Arkansas is the second ranked foe the Redhawks play this year. SEMO dropped two at fellow SEC member #24 Auburn last weekend.

Wooo Pig Classic Field
Arkansas is ranked #16 in this week's ESPN/USA Top-25 Poll. The Razorbacks are 13-3 and have won eight of their last nine games. Kennedy Johnson (.464) and Reagan Johnson (.433) are each hitting over .400. As a team, Arkansas has 16 home runs for an average of one per game. Rylin Hedgecock is the only Razorback named to this year's Preseason All-SEC Team. Hedgecock is hitting .348 with three home runs and 14 RBI. American Athletic Conference member Florida Atlantic also has 13 wins in 2024 and carries a five-game winning streak into this weekend's event. FAU won nine of its last 10 contests and leads the AAC in stolen bases (25). The Owls are second in the conference in runs (84), on-base percentage (.397), RBI (76), ERA (1.07) and wins. Additionally, FAU hitters have walked a league-high 57 times and been hit by a pitch on 16 occasions, also most in the AAC. Jesiana Mora is the Owls top offensive threat hitting .413. Gabby Sacco is 5-1 with a 1.65 ERA and four complete games through seven starts in the circle. South Dakota State is the Summit League preseason favorite after winning the regular-season title with an overall record of 39-19 and undefeated 17-0 conference mark a year ago. Tori Kniesche is the reigning Summit League Pitcher of the Year after going 24-7 with 261 strikeouts and a 1.57 ERA in 2023. Outfielder Jocelyn Carrillo is the Jackrabbits' other Preseason All-Summit League selection. So far in 2024, SDSU leads the Summit League in hitting (.294), pitching (1.99 ERA) and fielding percentage (.972).

Power Four Schools
Arkansas is the fifth Power Four team Southeast Missouri faces this season. SEMO is presently 1-5 against such teams with a win and one loss against Big Ten Conference foe Maryland, a loss to fellow Big Ten member Ohio State, a loss to ACC member Syracuse and two losses to SEC member and nationally-ranked Auburn. SEMO also faces a third SEC opponent in Missouri during its 2024 campaign.

Success Against Power Four
Southeast Missouri has had its share of success against Power Four teams under Head Coach Mark Redburn. In fact, SEMO has nine Power Four wins with Redburn at the helm. The Redhawks beat Maryland (2024), Ole Miss (2023), Iowa (2022), Texas Tech (2021), Arkansas (2019), Kansas (2019, two wins), Missouri (2018) and Georgia Tech (2017) during Redburn's career. SEMO has picked up a Power Four win in four-straight seasons.

Strong Start for Shore
Reigning Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year Aubrie Shore is off to a great start in 2024. Shore has hit safely in 11 of her 13 starts this season. She began the year on a nine-game hitting streak. Shore has four multiple-hit games and three multi-RBI performances thus far. She is currently Southeast Missouri's top hitter with a .385 batting average. Shore is tied for fourth in the OVC in RBI (11) and third in doubles (5).

100s in Sight
Aubrie Shore is four hits away from reaching 100 in her career. Shore has 96 hits in 109 games and 106 starts as a Redhawk. When she reaches that mark, she will be the second player on this year's roster with 100 or more career hits, joining Kynzie Wrigley (119). Catcher Kat Sackett is approaching 100 career starts. Sackett has played in 105 games and logged 98 starts at Southeast Missouri.

Home Run Power
Paige Halliwill hit her team-high third home run against Northern Iowa at the Plainsman Invitational on Feb. 24. Halliwill also homered twice against Stony Brook (Feb. 9, Feb. 11). She has 13 home runs in her career. Meanwhile, Aubrie Shore has one home run this season (vs. Stony Brook, Feb. 11) and a total of 17 in her career. Shore needs one more to crack her program's Top-10 career home run list.

Sackett Goes Yard
Kat Sackett became the third different Redhawk to hit a home run in 2024. Sackett hit a pinch-hit solo home run to spark a five-run third inning that pulled Southeast Missouri to within a run of Northern Iowa on Feb. 25. It was the fifth round-tripper of Sackett's career.

Every Game Starters
Three players, including Aubrie Shore, Paige Halliwill and Sydney Dennis have started all 13 games this season. Shore started every game at first base, Halliwill made all of her starts in center field and Dennis started every game at shortstop.

First Career Hits for the Freshmen 
Freshmen Brooklyn Saysoff, Gracie Luna and Sophie Schupp each recorded their first career hits at the Lion Classic last weekend. All three had a hit in Southeast Missouri's win over Maryland (Feb. 18). Saysoff and Luna each had one hit and Schupp led the Redhawks with two. Saysoff (4), Luna (5) and Schupp (3) have accounted for 12 hits this year.

110 and Counting
Paige Halliwill has started every game of her Southeast Missouri career in center field. Halliwill has started 110 consecutive games.

OVC Play is Next
Southeast Missouri hosts reigning Ohio Valley Conference Tournament Champion Eastern Illinois to open Ohio Valley Conference play Mar. 9-10. That series opens a five-game home stand as the Redhawks also host non-conference foe Bradley in a midweek doubleheader on Mar. 12. SEMO has won 30 in a row at home.