Southeast Missouri State University Athletics

Kristen Jones is in her 10th year with the Southeast Missouri softball program. Jones was elevated to Associate Head Coach on June 16, 2022 after spending her first seven seasons as an assistant coach.

Jones primarily works with the catchers and handling the team’s travel logistics, while overseeing the Redhawks academics, compliance and recruiting efforts.

SEMO has had a lot of success both competitively and academically with Jones on staff. 

In the last eight seasons, SEMO won a total of 231 games. The Redhawks notched a program record 46 wins in 2019 and won 30 games in back-to-back seasons (2021, 2022) for the second time.

In 2024, Jones helped lead SEMO to an overall record of 28-26 adn 19-8 in the Ohio Valley Conference. The Redhawks went undefeated at 3-0 and won the OVC Tournament as a #2 seed for the first time in program history. Jones has been part of two OVC Tournament Championships and two NCAA Tournament appearances (2019, 2024) during her SEMO career.

The year before that, SEMO claimed its eighth OVC regular-season title and third since the 2019 campaign. SEMO went undefeated at home (13-0) for the second-straight season posting unbeaten records at home in back-to-back years for the first time ever.     

In 2022, SEMO ranked among the top three in the OVC in doubles (t3rd, 67), stolen bases (2nd, 58), steal attempts (73), opposing batting average (3rd, .244), batters struck out (2nd, 323), batters struck out looking (1st, 84), saves (t3rd, 5) and fielding percentage (2nd, .967).

Academically, the Redhawks have been just as impressive with Jones overseeing that area. Most recently, the softball team achieved a 3.54 cumulative grade point average during the 2023-24 academic year.

Jones was part of the 2019 National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Division I Mideast Regional Coaching Staff of the Year. That season saw the Redhawks win a program record 46 games, win the OVC regular-season and tournament titles, and advance to the NCAA Tournament.

In Jones’ second season (2017), the Redhawks won 23 games, showing a +7 improvement in wins from the previous season after helping SEMO to a 16-33 record, including a 10-17 mark in OVC play in her first season with Head Coach Mark Redburn and the Redhawks.

A native of Plant City, Florida, Jones was part of the 2019 National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Division I Mideast Regional Coaching Staff of the Year. Over the last five years alone, Jones helped lead SEMO to a total of 151 wins, including a program record 46 during the 2019 campaign. 

Prior to coming to Cape Girardeau, Jones worked as the Coordinator of New Media and Championships for the Peach Belt Conference located in Augusta, Georgia. Jones first joined the Peach Belt Conference as a New Media & Programming Intern, a position she held from January 2012-June 2014. She then moved to full-time status in July 2014.

She received her bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology at Augusta State University in 2012 and then earned her master’s degree in 2014.                 

Jones enjoyed a successful playing career at Augusta State, garnering National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Second-Team All-America and NFCA & Daktronics First Team All-South Region honors in 2011. Additionally, Jones was a two-time First-Team All-Peach Belt Conference selection (2010, 2011).