Western Illinois (14-29, 4-17 OVC) vs. Southeast Missouri (21-22, 15-6 OVC)

Series Information
Dates: Friday, April 26 - Saturday, April 27, 2024
Schedule: Friday, 12 p.m. (DH); Saturday, 12 p.m., CT
Location: Cape Girardeau, Mo.
Facility: Southeast Softball Complex
Series History: WIU leads, 2-1-1
Head Coaches: Mark Redburn (473-456 Overall; 259-207 at SEMO; 136-79 OVC). Alisa Goler (47-131 Overall; 47-131 at WIU; 4-17 OVC).

Follow the Redhawks 
Game 1: ESPN+ | Live Stats
Game 2: ESPN+ | Live Stats
Game 3: ESPN+ | Live Stats
X: @SEMOSoftball
Notes: Southeast Missouri

Redhawks Host Western Illinois
Southeast Missouri (21-22, 15-6) hosts Western Illinois (14-29, 4-17) in its final home series of the season this weekend. SEMO and WIU will play a 12 p.m. doubleheader Friday followed by a 12 p.m., CT matchup Saturday.

Follow the Redhawks
Live stats will be available online at SEMORedhawks.com. Video can be accessed at ESPN+. Updates will be provided on X @SEMOSoftball.

Schedule Altered
Due to rain in the forecast in Cape Girardeau, this weekend's series between Southeast Missouri and Western Illinois has been moved to Friday and Saturday. Start time will be 12 p.m. for a doubleheader Friday and 12 p.m. for a single game Saturday. The teams were initially supposed to play Saturday and Sunday.

Series History
Southeast Missouri faces Western Illinois for the fifth time on the softball diamond. WIU, which is in its first year as an Ohio Valley Conference member, holds a 2-1-1 edge in the all-time series. These teams last played six years ago at the Frost Classic in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The Redhawks won that contest by a score of 2-1.

Awesome April
The Redhawks are 9-2 overall and 8-1 in Ohio Valley Conference play so far this month. Southeast Missouri is hitting .305 and outscoring its opponents by a +36 margin (64-28) in April.

Senior Salute
Seven seniors, including Paige Halliwill, Paytience Holman, Marissa Peek, Abigail Rickermann, Kat Sackett, Zoe Schulte and Kynzie Wrigley will suit up for their last home games at the Southeast Softball Complex this weekend.

Second in the OVC
With its series sweep of Lindenwood (Apr. 20-21), Southeast Missouri took over sole possession of second place in the Ohio Valley Conference standings. The Redhawks are 15-6 and right behind Eastern Illinois (16-5) with six conference games remaining. After this weekend, SEMO concludes regular-season play at UT Martin (May 4-5).

Red-Hot Redhawks
Southeast Missouri is on a six-game Ohio Valley Conference winning streak and has heated up to win eight of its last nine league contests. SEMO's six-game winning streak is currently tied with Tennessee State for the longest in conference action. The Redhawks are 8-4 in OVC games at home.

Program Record
The Redhawks broke a program record for most runs in a series when they put up 37 in three games at Morehead State (Apr. 14-15). Southeast Missouri outscored MSU, 37-8, in its series sweep. SEMO scored double-digit runs in all three of those contests. The previous record was 30 runs vs. Tennessee Tech (2023) and at Tennessee State (2002).

Series Sweep
Southeast Missouri posted its third series sweep of the season when it beat Lindenwood (Apr. 20-21) by scores of 1-0, 4-0 and 1-0. SEMO also swept Morehead State (Apr. 14-15) with 10-1, 14-4 and 13-3 wins and SIU Edwardsville (Mar. 16-17) with 3-0, 3-2 and 7-4 victories The Redhawks have a total of 35 series sweeps in conference play under Head Coach Mark Redburn.

Series Shutout
The Redhawks shutout Lindenwood three times en route to their series sweep on Apr. 20-21. Southeast Missouri won by scores of 1-0, 4-0 and 1-0. It was the first time under Head Coach Mark Redburn where SEMO won a series with three shutouts.

Great Pitching
Southeast Missouri went 25-straight innings without allowing a run until Murray State scored three runs in the bottom of the fifth on Apr. 23. In the last four games alone, SEMO pitchers boasted a 1.30 ERA with two complete game shutouts and only five earned runs allowed in 27 innings.

Luna Homers Again
Freshman Gracie Luna hit a three-run home run to get Southeast Missouri a 3-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning against Murray State (Apr. 23). Luna homered for the second time this season and hit her second round-tripper in four games.

Big Weekend for Carney
Freshman Maddie Carney won two games in Southeast Missouri's series sweep of Lindenwood. Carney threw the first complete game shutout of her career in game two allowing only two hits and striking out three in seven innings. A day later, she came out of the bullpen to throw four scoreless innings with only three hits allowed in a 1-0 victory. She is second on the team with five wins and is tied for first with 25 appearances this season.

Sackett's Home Run the Difference 
Kat Sackett's third home run of the season was the difference in Southeast Missouri's 1-0 series opening victory over Lindenwood (Apr. 20). Sackett homered to right field in the top of the second inning for the game's only run.

Holman Among Career Pitching Leaders 
Paytience Holman ranks among Southeast Missouri's career pitching leaders in saves (t6th, 5), appearances (t7th, 103), games started (8th, 73), shutouts (t10th, 10) and strikeouts (10th, 246). Holman also has 32 wins in her career.

Series Wins
The Redhawks earned their fifth series win when they swept Lindenwood (Apr. 20-21). Southeast Missouri also swept Morehead State (Apr. 14-15) and SIU Edwardsville (Mar. 16-17), and took two of three against Tennessee Tech (Apr. 6-7) and Tennessee State (Mar. 23-24) for its other series wins this year.

First in OVC Play
Southeast Missouri Southeast Missouri leads the Ohio Valley Conference in batting average (.316), runs scored (116), slugging percentage (.444), on-base percentage (.385), hits (189), RBI (103), doubles (36), total bases (266), at-bats (599) and walks (66) through 21 league games. SEMO holds a +59 scoring margin (116-57) against OVC foes this season.

OVC Strong
The Redhawks' 15 Ohio Valley Conference wins are second-most in the league this year. Southeast Missouri has won 15 or more OVC games in six-straight seasons.

Halliwill Heats Up
Paige Halliwill hit safely in eight of her last 10 games. Halliwill had multiple hits three times in that stretch. She enters the weekend as Southeast Missouri's top hitter in Ohio Valley Conference play with a .419 batting average. Overall, she leads the Redhawks in runs (28), walks (17) and stolen bases (12).

Gaining Momentum
Southeast Missouri has won 12 of its last 17 games and is 9-2 in April alone. SEMO posted series wins against Tennessee State (Mar. 23-24) and Tennessee Tech (Apr. 6-7), swept Lindenwood (Apr. 20-21), beat Southern Indiana (Apr. 29) once, upset #11 Missouri (Apr. 3) and swept Morehead State (Apr. 14-15) for its victories in that stretch.

Affolter Playing Well
Brittany Affolter has hit safely in 12 of her last 15 games. Affolter posted multiple hits three times during that span. She increased her batting average by 82 points from .217 to .392 since Mar. 24. Affolter also had the biggest hit of her career when she delivered a two-out RBI-double to score the only run of the game in Southeast Missouri's 1-0 victory over #11 Missouri (Apr. 3).

Rickermann On a Roll
Abigail Rickermann hit safely in 17 of her last 21 games and had multiple hits seven times during that span. She tied a career-high three hits vs. Tennessee Tech (Apr. 6). Rickermann leads the Redhawks with a .375 batting average and .433 on-base percentage.

Close to 100 Hits
Abigail Rickermann is just one hit away from reaching 100 in her career. Rickermann has 99 hits in 161 games and 87 starts in her career.

Over .400
Two Redhawks, including Paige Halliwill and Aubrie Shore are hitting over .400 in Ohio Valley Conference play. Halliwill is hitting .419, while Shore is hitting .410. Halliwill ranks second and Shore is sixth among league leaders in batting average in conference games.

About Western Illinois
First-year Ohio Valley Conference member Western Illinois is last in the conference with an overall record of 14-29 and 4-17 in league play. WIU comes to Cape Girardeau on an eight-game losing streak and does not have a series win in OVC play. Rylee Boone is the Leathernecks' top hitter with a .333 batting average. Emily Price leads WIU in the circle with seven wins and 112 strikeouts in 124.2 innings. The Leathernecks are 1-8 in April with their lone win during that stretch coming at SIU Edwardsville (Apr. 5).

On Deck
Southeast Missouri wraps up its regular- season schedule at UT Martin on May 4-5.