Southeast Missouri (28-24) at #12 Arkansas (36-16)

Game Information
Date: Friday, May 17, 2024
First Pitch: 7:30 p.m., CT
Location: Fayetteville, Ark.
Facility: Bogle Park

NCAA Fayetteville Regional 
Dates: Friday, May 17 - Sunday, May 19, 2024
Participating Teams: #12 Arkansas (36-16), Arizona (34-16-1), Villanova (31-22), Southeast Missouri (28-24)

Friday, May 17
Game 1 - Villanova vs. Arizona, 5 p.m. ESPN+
Game 2 - Arkansas vs. Southeast Missouri, 7:30 p.m. ESPN+

Saturday, May 18
Game 3 - Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2, TBA
Game 4 - Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 2, TBA
Game 5 - Winner of Game 4 vs. Loser of Game 3, TBA

Sunday, May 19
Game 6 - Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 5, TBA
Game 7 - Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 5, TBA*

* if necessary

Follow the Redhawks 
Video: ESPN+ (Noah Reed, Raine Wilson)
Live Stats: NCAA.com
X: @SEMOSoftball
Southeast Missouri NCAA Regional Postseason Guide
NCAA Division I Championship Bracket

Fayetteville Regional
Southeast Missouri (28-24) opens play at the NCAA Fayetteville Regional against host #12 Arkansas (36-16) Friday. First pitch is set for 7:30 p.m., CT at Bogle Park.

Follow the Redhawks
Video for Friday's game against Arkansas can be accessed at ESPN+ with Noah Reed and Raine Wilson calling the action. Live stats are available at NCAA.com. Live updates will be available on X (formerly Twitter) @SEMOSoftball.

Four-Team Field
Arkansas (36-16), Southeast Missouri (28-24), Arizona (34-16-1) and Villanova (31-22) complete the NCAA Fayetteville Regional Field. Arkansas is the #12 overall seed and this is the fourth consecutive season the Razorbacks host a regional.

OVC Tournament Champions
#2 Southeast Missouri went 3-0 to win the 2024 Ohio Valley Conference Softball Tournament in Peoria, Illinois. SEMO beat #3 Tennessee State, 9-2, and knocked off #1 Eastern Illinois twice by scores of 10-1 and 4-2 on its way to this year's crown. The OVC Tournament title was SEMO's seventh in program history, second under Head Coach Mark Redburn and first since the 2019 campaign. SEMO improved to 52-34 all-time in its 22 OVC Tournament appearances.

Back in the NCAA Tournament
The Redhawks are in the NCAA Tournament for the third time in program history. Southeast Missouri last made the 64-team field in 2019. SEMO's other NCAA Tournament berth came in 1999.

NCAA Tournament Record 
Southeast Missouri is 2-4 in NCAA Tournament games. SEMO went 1-2 during its trip to the Tucson, Arizona NCAA Regional in 1999. The Redhawks also finished with a 1-2 record at the Oxford, Mississippi Regional in 2019. SEMO beat East Carolina (2-1, 1999) and Chattanooga (2-1, 2019) for their NCAA Tournament victories.

First Time Dancing
All 25 players on Southeast Missouri's 2024 roster will experience the NCAA Tournament for the first time. For Paige Halliwill, Paytience Holman, Marissa Peek, Abigail Rickermann, Kat Sackett, Zoe Schulte and Kynzie Wrigley, the trip to the NCAA Tournament comes in the final year of their careers.

Redburn in the NCAA Tournament
The 2024 NCAA Tournament will be the third for Mark Redburn as either an assistant or head softball coach. Redburn was an assistant coach at Missouri when the Tigers won the NCAA Midwest Regional, the NCAA Super Regional and placed eighth in the College World Series in 2009. Ten years later, he made his first NCAA Tournament appearance as a head coach at Southeast Missouri in 2019. SEMO finished third at the NCAA Regional in Oxford, Mississippi that season.

Ellis Back at NCAA Tournament 
Southeast Missouri's all-time career home run and RBI leader Ashley Ellis returns to the NCAA Tournament, this time as an assistant coach. Ellis was part of the the Redhawks' last NCAA Tournament team in 2019. She accumulated 53 home runs and 168 RBI from 2017-21.

Fellow NCAA Tournament Participants 
The Redhawks played five teams going to this year's NCAA Tournament during their 2024 regular-season. Southeast Missouri faced Arkansas (Mar. 1 & Mar. 3), Florida Atlantic (Mar. 2), Southeastern Louisiana (Feb. 17), Missouri (Apr. 3) and Auburn (Feb. 23 & Feb. 24). SEMO upended then-#11 Missouri, 1-0, for its biggest win in program history.

Series Histories
Southeast Missouri is 2-10 all-time against Arkansas. SEMO is 0-2 versus the Razorbacks in 2024. The Redhawks went down to the wire with Arkansas in a 6-5 extra inning loss the last time these teams met on Mar. 3 in Fayetteville. SEMO has never played Arizona and Villanova in its softball history.

OVC Tournament Titles
Ohio Valley Conference preseason favorite Southeast Missouri won its seventh Ohio Valley Conference Tournament title in program history. SEMO, the #2 seed in the eight-team event, took down #1 Eastern Illinois, 4-2, to win the championship on May 11. It was the second OVC Tournament crown under Head Coach Mark Redburn. The Redhawks other OVC Tournament titles were in 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2019.

OVC Tournament Games
With its undefeated 3-0 mark, Southeast Missouri improved to 52-34 all-time in Ohio Valley Conference Tournament games. SEMO made the championship round in three of its last five appearances, winning the title in 2019 and 2024. The Redhawks picked up their 50th OVC Tournament win when they beat #3 Tennessee State, 9-2, on May 9.

Another One for the Trophy Case
Mark Redburn has led Southeast Missouri to two Ohio Valley Conference Tournament Championships (2019, 2024), two NCAA Tournament berths (2019, 2024) and three OVC regular-season titles (2019, 2021, 2023) as head coach. Redburn has 266 wins and 140 conference victories in 10 years at the helm.

First OVC Title as #2 Seed
For the first time in program history, Southeast Missouri won an Ohio Valley Conference Tournament as a #2 seed. SEMO was the #2 seed for the third time in its conference tournament history. The Redhawks were also the #2 seed in the 2001 and 2009 tournaments. SEMO is 6-4 all-time as a #2 seed. Additionally, the Redhawks claimed a top-two seed in the league's postseason tournament for the fourth time in six years.

Van Haren Gets First Career Save 
Freshman left-hander Willow Van Haren recorded the final two outs in the Redhawks' Ohio Valley Conference Championship victory over #1 Eastern Illinois (May 11). Van Haren got a fielder's choice and then threw out a runner at first base to pick up her first career save.

Chasing 30 Wins
Southeast Missouri is two wins away from reaching 30 victories in a season for the fifth time with Mark Redburn as its head coach. SEMO's other 30-win seasons under Redburn include 2018 (33-20), 2019 (46-18), 2021 (30-17) and 2022 (30-24). Overall, the Redhawks have nineteen 30+ win seasons in program history.

What a Turnaround
After starting the 2024 season with a 4-15 record, Southeast Missouri went 24-9 in its last 33 games. Along the way, SEMO took down #11 Missouri (Apr. 3), posted six series wins and claimed four series sweeps. The Redhawks also had a 10-game winning streak in Ohio Valley Conference play from Apr. 14-May 4. SEMO's big win over Missouri ignited a 16-4 record for the Redhawks since the beginning of April.

Six Redhawks Garner All-OVC Honors 
Six Southeast Missouri players made the 2024 All-Ohio Valley Conference Softball Teams. Outfielder Paige Halliwill and catcher Marissa Peek earned first-team accolades. Pitcher Paytience Holman, first baseman Aubrie Shore and second baseman Abigail Rickermann claimed second-team laurels. And, pitcher Maddie Carney landed a spot on the OVC All-Newcomer Team.

Halliwill Nabs OVC Tournament Most Valuable Player Award
Center fielder Paige Halliwill was named this year's Most Valuable Player of the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament. Halliwill hit .667 (6-for-9) with five runs scored, one home run, one RBI, a 1.000 slugging percentage and .700 on-base percentage to lead Southeast Missouri. Paytience Holman, Sydney Dennis and Tatum Gerwitz joined Halliwill on the OVC All-Tournament Team. Holman went 2-0 with a 1.58 ERA, one complete game and seven strikeouts in 13.1 innings. Meanwhile, Gerwitz and Dennis each hit .556 out of the bottom-third of SEMO's lineup.

Redhawks Win First Tournament in Peoria, Illinois
Southeast Missouri won the first Ohio Valley Conference Tournament held in Peoria, Illinois. The tournament was previously contested in Oxford, Alabama. This year's event was played at the Louisville Slugger Sports Complex. It was the 30th all-time OVC Softball Championship.

After Five Innings
Southeast Missouri is 22-0 when leading after five innings this season. SEMO has rallied to score a total of 53 runs after the fifth inning in 2024.

Rickermann Fourth in OVC in Hitting 
Abigail Rickermann is hitting .371, fourth-best in the Ohio Valley Conference. Rickermann has started 36 games and is a perfect 11-of-11 in stolen bases, as well.

Redburn Surpasses 350 Wins as NCAA Division I Head Coach
With Southeast Missouri's series sweep of Western Illinois (Apr. 26-27), Mark Redburn went over 350 career wins as an NCAA Division I head coach. Redburn has a total of 356 wins during his tenures at SEMO (266) and Evansville (90).

Honors Count
Southeast Missouri won a total of four Ohio Valley Conference weekly awards this season. SEMO has three OVC Player of the Year honors and one OVC Pitcher of the Week accolade. Catcher Marissa Peek (Mar. 18) and outfielder Paige Halliwill (Apr. 15, Apr. 29) accounted for the OVC Player of the Week honors and right-hander Paytience Holman (Apr. 29) won the team's only OVC Pitcher of the Week award.

Battle Tested
A tough 18-game stretch over four different tournaments tested the Redhawks early in their 2024 season. Southeast Missouri played two ranked opponents (#24 Auburn, #16 Arkansas), five Power Four teams (Ohio State, Maryland, Syracuse, Auburn, Arkansas), the Summit League preseason favorite (South Dakota State) and Missouri Valley Conference preseason favorite (Northern Iowa) in 2024. SEMO played the toughest schedule in the OVC and 75th toughest schedule among the nation's 307 NCAA Division I softball programs. The Redhawks played 12 games against teams ranked among the Top-75 in RPI nationally.

Let's Turn Two
Southeast Missouri turned an Ohio Valley Conference leading 21 double plays through 52 games this season. SEMO's defense had a season-high two double plays at Arkansas (Mar. 1).

Go Ahead I Dare You
Catcher Marissa Peek has thrown out eight runners on the basepaths this season. Peek is tied for second in the Ohio Valley Conference in caught stealing by.

Among OVC Home Run Leaders
Marissa Peek and Paige Halliwill rank among the Ohio Valley Conference's home run leaders. Peek and Halliwill are tied for third with seven apiece. As a team, Southeast Missouri has 23 home runs.

Shore Third in OVC in Doubles
Aubrie Shore is third in the Ohio Valley Conference in doubles. Shore has 16 doubles through 52 starts this season. She is seventh among Southeast Missouri's all-time career leaders with 39 doubles.

Power Four Schools
Southeast Missouri faced six Power Four teams this season. SEMO went 2-7 against such teams with wins over Big Ten Conference foe Maryland (Feb. 18) and #11 Missouri (Apr. 3).

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 10 Power Four wins with Redburn at the helm. The Redhawks beat Maryland and Missouri (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.