For the third-straight year and sixth time in seven seasons, Southeast Missouri is the Ohio Valley Conference preseason favorite. SEMO was picked first in the league's annual predicted order of finish ahead of the 2026 campaign which opens this weekend.
SEMO, which went 27-19 overall and 17-9 in the OVC a year ago, tallied 148 points and eight of the possible 20 first-place votes in the balloting among the league's head coaches and communication directors.
Prior to 2026, SEMO was also tabbed the OVC preseason favorite in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2024 and 2025.
Infielder Brooklyn Saysoff and outfielder Madison Winkler are SEMO's returning All-OVC players. Both earned first-team honors a year ago. Saysoff ranked second on the team with a .363 batting average and led the Redhawks with 49 RBI, while Winkler rated fourth on the team with a .348 batting average.
Pitcher Maddie Carney and infielder Aubrie Shore are among the league's Players to Watch.
Carney struck out 31 in 70 innings and held opponents to a .245 batting average last season. She ranked third on the team in appearances (19) and second in start (10).
Shore returns after missing the entire 2025 campaign with a back injury. She was a Second-Team All-OVC selection the year before her injury.
Mark Redburn enters his 12th year as SEMO's head coach. Since 2019, Redburn has led the Redhawks to three OVC regular-season championships, two OVC Tournament titles and two NCAA Tournament berths.
The Redhawks open their 2026 season with five games at the Southern Mississippi Black & Gold Challenge in Hattiesburg, Mississippi on Feb. 6-8.
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