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Southeast men's basketball already full of surprises (11/11/13)To say it was an interesting few days for the Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team would be a major understatement. First came Wednesday's announcement that senior forward Tyler Stone, the Ohio Valley Conference preseason player of the year, and junior forward Nino Johnson -- like Stone an all-OVC preseason selection -- would be suspended for the first two games of the season due to a violation of unspecified team rules...
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Southeast basketball seasons officially arrive Friday (11/4/13)Southeast Missouri State basketball teams have ground through weeks of practice. They've prepared with exhibition games and scrimmages. Now it's just about time to get things going for real. Both Southeast squads tip off the 2013-14 season Friday, the men at Saint Louis University and the women at Alabama A&M...
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Southeast men surprisingly share top of OVC basketball poll with Racers (10/28/13)The Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team was picked first in the West Division of the Ohio Valley Conference's preseason poll announced last week, as I had predicted. But to my surprise, the Redhawks shared the top spot with Murray State after Southeast finished second behind the Racers in the division last year...
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Jackson High School to host juco basketball jamboree (10/21/13)Area basketball fans who enjoy watching junior college men's hoops won't have to travel far this week to get their fix. Jackson High School will be the site of Saturday's four-game Juco Jamboree featuring two teams from Missouri and two squads from Tennessee...
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Sun finally shines on Redhawks football with OT win (10/14/13)I don't know how many more games the Southeast Missouri State football team will win this season, but I couldn't help but feel really good for the Redhawks on Saturday after they finally broke through with their first victory of 2013. And what a wild, wacky triumph it was...
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Friendly confines of Houck could help rally Redhawks (10/7/13)The bad news for the Southeast Missouri State football team was the Redhawks' latest loss, Saturday night's 40-16 beatdown at Tennessee State. But, even though it might not be clear for Southeast fans to see, maybe there is a bit of good news on the horizon for the Redhawks...
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Redhawks show fight but no wins through four games (9/30/13)You've got to give the Southeast Missouri State football team credit for at least one thing Saturday night. The Redhawks, after being dominated by Tennessee-Martin during the first half, could have been blown out easily by the nation's 23rd-ranked FCS squad...
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Redhawks enter OVC play winless after rugged slate (9/23/13)It goes without saying that an 0-3 record to begin the season is not what the Southeast Missouri State football team had in mind. But that winless mark is certainly no surprise because the Redhawks had the unenviable task of facing three strong nonconference opponents -- all away from home -- to kick off the campaign...
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Simmons, Moses finish strong minor league seasons (9/16/13)Former Southeast Missouri State baseball stars Shae Simmons and Trenton Moses recently concluded impressive second professional baseball seasons in the Atlanta Braves organization. Simmons, a pitcher from Scott City High School drafted by Atlanta in the 22nd round last year, was promoted late in the season to Class AA Mississippi after he dominated the South Atlantic League as the closer at low-Class A Rome (Ga.)...
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Three former Redhawks are playing football on Sundays (9/9/13)The Southeast Missouri State football program again is represented well on NFL rosters this season. New England offensive lineman Dan Connolly, in his eighth NFL season, is in his fourth campaign as a regular after starting the majority of the past three years at multiple line positions...
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Redhawks' season opener fell well short of thrilling (9/3/13)I learned a long time ago that it's never wise to read too much into any one game, good or bad. That being said, it's hard to imagine a more unimpressive season opener than what the Southeast Missouri State football team had Thursday night. The Redhawks looked every bit like the young, inexperienced squad they are during a 45-7 loss at Southeastern Louisiana that probably left Southeast fans grasping for any tiny sliver of hope...
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Redhawks open football season Thursday in Louisiana (8/26/13)Another Southeast Missouri State football season kicks off Thursday night when the Redhawks visit Southeastern Louisiana. While the Redhawks might be a slight underdog on the road, the game might be the most winnable among their three nonconference matchups to open the campaign...
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New format has Capahas finishing fourth in Wichita (8/19/13)The Plaza Tire Capahas' strong showing at the recent National Baseball Congress World Series turned out to rank even better than they might have anticipated. Plaza Tire's 4-2 record in Wichita, Kan., gave it the fourth-best winning percentage among the 32 participants. So, under the new tournament format, the Capahas officially finished fourth...
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Football teams on all levels are preparing (8/12/13)The Southeast Missouri State football team began preseason practice last Monday. Just a few hours to the north, and only a few days earlier, the University of Missouri held its first workout. The rejuvenated St. Louis Rams, after last year's respectable season that has fueled even higher hopes for this year, are well under way with their training camp...
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Capahas' successful season ends after making noise in Wichita (8/5/13)Hall-of-fame manager Jess Bolen didn't consider this year's Plaza Tire Capahas team to be one of his more talented squads. You sure couldn't tell it by the Capahas' performance on the field. The Capahas put together one of the better regular seasons during Bolen's fantastic 47-year run leading one of the nation's oldest amateur baseball teams...
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Zone 4 winner Eureka had a tie to Cape area (7/30/13)The Eureka Post 177 Senior American Legion baseball team that won the Zone 4 tournament in Jackson over the weekend with a 3-0 record had an interesting local connection. Eureka received three nine-inning complete-game pitching performances, including one from Brennen Lummus in Friday's 5-3 winners bracket final victory over Festus. The right-hander, who will be a senior at Eureka High School in suburban St. Louis this fall, struck out 10, walked one and allowed five hits...
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OVC will provide its annual football forecast today (7/22/13)The Southeast Missouri State football team will learn today what the rest of the Ohio Valley Conference thinks of the Redhawks' outlook for the 2013 season. The OVC's preseason poll and all-conference squad will be announced during media day in Nashville, Tenn., with voting done by the league's coaches and sports information directors...
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Southeast alums play lead roles in Frontier All-Star game (7/15/13)Wednesday's Frontier League All-Star game in Washington, Pa., will have a significant Southeast Missouri State flavor. Because the Gateway Grizzlies from Sauget, Ill., had the best first-half record in the West Division, their coaching staff earned the right to coach the West Division All-Stars...
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Draft experts had it right when it came to Porter (7/1/13)Otto Porter, as expected, didn't have to wait long to hear his name called during Thursday night's NBA draft in Brooklyn. The Scott County Central High School graduate widely was considered a consensus top-three selection. That was right on the money as Porter went third to the Washington Wizards, which he couldn't have minded because the 6-foot-8 small forward played his college basketball in the city...
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Porter won't have to wait long to hear name (6/24/13)One of the biggest days of Otto Porter's young life is just about upon him. Porter will be among the stars at Thursday night's NBA draft in Brooklyn as the Scott County Central High School graduate is widely considered a consensus top-three selection...
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Redhawks basketball squad to visit SLU, Memphis (6/17/13)The Southeast Missouri State men's basketball schedule has not been finalized, but two of the Redhawks' three "money" games to generate revenue for the athletic department will be against especially challenging opponents. Southeast will open the season Nov. 9 at Saint Louis University and play at Memphis Dec. 21 -- which just happens to be when highly touted Auburn transfer Josh Langford becomes eligible...
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Southeast track & field program continues to excel (6/10/13)If you're a fan of Southeast Missouri State athletics, you've got to be impressed by what Redhawks track & field continues to accomplish. Track & field for years has been arguably the university's most consistent sport, and this season the program again achieved at a very high level...
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Southeast players are longshots in this year's draft (6/3/13)The Southeast Missouri State baseball program had two players selected during last year's amateur draft, both going in the top 26 rounds of the 40-round process. It will probably rank as a surprise if any current Southeast players are selected when the 2013 draft is held Thursday through Saturday, but it's not out of the question...
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Summer signals the start of another Capahas season (5/28/13)One of Cape Girardeau's most enduring summer sports traditions is just about upon us. The Plaza Tire Capahas, among the nation's oldest amateur baseball teams, begin their 2013 schedule Friday when Valmeyer, Ill., visits Capaha Field for an 8 p.m. first pitch...
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Bieser guides Redhawks to OVC tourney despite adversity (5/20/13)First-year Southeast Missouri State baseball coach Steve Bieser probably isn't enamored with the Redhawks' overall and Ohio Valley Conference records, which suffered during a late-season tailspin. But Bieser deserves praise along with his staff -- and last but not least their players -- for guiding the Redhawks to the program's OVC-record 19th straight conference tournament berth...
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Nutt bolsters team's depth with invited walk-ons (5/13/13)As Southeast Missouri State men's basketball coach Dickey Nutt continues to recruit in search of scholarship players to bolster his roster, he also continues to add potential players as invited walk-ons. Jamaal Calvin, a senior guard at the McCallie School in Chattanooga, Tenn., is the latest player who has been invited to walk on for next season. He recently announced that he would be joining the Redhawks' program...
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Dugout leaders will change at Central, Jackson (5/6/13)As local high school baseball teams begin district tournament play this weekend or early next week, it's worth noting that the two biggest schools in the Southeast Missourian coverage area feature baseball coaches preparing for their final games with their current squads...
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Simmons off to fast start in Braves organization (4/29/13)Former Scott City High School and Southeast Missouri State baseball standout Shae Simmons is off to a dazzling start in his second professional season. Simmons already has compiled seven saves as the closer for the Rome Braves, Atlanta's Class A affiliate in the South Atlantic League. He is tied for the league lead in saves...
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Redhawks remain on course for spot in OVC tourney (4/22/13)The Southeast Missouri State baseball team, despite losing two of three games over the weekend at Eastern Illinois, continues to rank among the Ohio Valley Conference's biggest surprise squads this year. Southeast, after losing most of its top players from 2012 and suffering some key pitching injuries before the campaign even started, was picked eighth in the OVC preseason poll. Only the top six finishers qualify for the conference tournament...
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Redhawks appear to have a change of guard among recruits (4/15/13)It looks like the Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team has lost one high school shooting guard while picking up another. Southeast signee Martavian Payne recently signed a letter of intent with John A. Logan College in Carterville, Ill. It's a virtual certainty that Payne will not play for the Redhawks next season, which really comes as no surprise considering the academic issues that placed Payne's Division I eligibility in serious doubt all along...
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Louisville is living up to overall No. 1 seed (4/8/13)Another exciting NCAA basketball tournament has just about reached its end. After an early spate of upsets by unheralded, low-seeded teams, the Final Four featured three blue-blood, high-major programs from power conferences along with surprise qualifier Wichita State from the mid-major Missouri Valley Conference...
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Southeast players plan to impress at pro day (4/1/13)Virtually every college football program across the country -- big or small -- conducts pro day workouts where NFL coaches and scouts can get an up-close look at potential prospects, not just for this year but for the future. Southeast Missouri State will hold its annual pro day today. While the Redhawks don't have any likely draft picks, they do have at least a couple of players who could get a look from the NFL after completing their collegiate eligibility last season...
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First week of NCAA tourney is a wild one (3/25/13)The NCAA basketball tournament is off to another fantastic start, which is getting to be old hat these days. I can't remember the last time the opening week of the tournament wasn't great. You never know which underdog teams are going to shock the world right off the bat, you just know it's going to happen...
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Nutt's contract extension was needed, deserved (3/18/13)I'm glad that the Southeast Missouri State administration moved quickly to address men's basketball coach Dickey Nutt's contract status -- one way or the other -- following the season that ended less than two weeks ago. Nutt would have been entering the final year of his contract next season and that's never an ideal situation for a coach or a program, especially in the area of recruiting...
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Redhawks hoops fans must wait again for next year (3/11/13)The Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team probably didn't live up to expectations this season despite a strong finish that ended in the quarterfinals of last week's Ohio Valley Conference tournament. But there is no denying that the Redhawks took another step forward, even if it wasn't as big as fans hoped...
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Redhawks ride late-season surge into OVC tourney (3/4/13)It hasn't always been smooth sailing for Southeast Missouri State's men this year. But the Redhawks are without a doubt playing by far their best basketball of the season entering the Ohio Valley Conference tournament. The Redhawks are in the postseason event for the third consecutive year for just the second time in program history after previously not making the field since the 2006-07 campaign...
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Southeast men still look for big finish (2/25/13)The Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team is a virtual lock to earn its third straight Ohio Valley Conference tournament berth. In fact, although no official announcement has been made yet, it appears as if, based on potential tie-breakers, the Redhawks already have clinched a tourney spot...
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Redhawks build winning streak down stretch (2/18/13)The Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team just might be peaking at the crucial point of the season. The Redhawks turned in their third straight impressive performance and finally notched their first Ohio Valley Conference road victory of the season with a 96-74 rout of Tennessee-Martin on Saturday...
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Home wins boost Redhawks' bid for OVC tourney (2/11/13)SIU Edwardsville and Eastern Illinois, not to be confused with two of the Ohio Valley Conference's top men's basketball teams, proved to be just what the doctor ordered for Southeast Missouri State. The Redhawks broke out of a slump that had lasted for several weeks by beating SIUE 76-67 on Thursday and EIU 77-64 on Saturday. Both games were at the Show Me Center...
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Redhawks are in danger of missing OVC tourney (2/4/13)The Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team played a much better game Saturday night than during some of its recent disappointing performances. But the Redhawks couldn't overcome a hot-shooting Eastern Kentucky squad, which clamped down on the Redhawks defensively in the second half and surprisingly outrebounded Southeast in the final period to take control...
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Southeast men still have time to right ship (1/28/13)The Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team still has eight regular-season games left, including seven Ohio Valley Conference contests. That's enough time for the Redhawks to get on a roll and have the type of year that many people -- myself included -- expected...
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Connolly must wait for another shot at ring (1/21/13)Unlike last year, there won't be a Southeast Missouri State connection to the Super Bowl after Baltimore's win over New England in Sunday's AFC championship game. Dan Connolly, a four-year all-Ohio Valley Conference offensive lineman for Southeast from 2001 through 2004, was the Patriots' starting right guard this season. He was the starting center when New England lost in the Super Bowl last season...
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Southeast women are having impressive turnaround (1/14/13)I'm not about to predict that the Southeast Missouri State women's basketball team is ready to challenge for the Ohio Valley Conference championship. That's probably a stretch considering how much the Redhawks have struggled the past three seasons. But you've got to be impressed by the way the Redhawks are performing under second-year coach Ty Margenthaler. He and his staff have breathed plenty of life into a floundering program...
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Redhawks showed fight in losing Round 1 to Racers (1/7/13)The Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team is off to its best start under fourth-year coach Dickey Nutt, who has done an impressive job of reviving a dormant program. It will be a surprise to many if the Redhawks don't finish at least second in the Ohio Valley Conference West Division, which is where they were picked before the season...
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Game against powerful Racers is lurking (12/31/12)Coaches are notorious for never looking ahead and always preaching the "one game at a time" mentality. I don't have to be that way, which is why my eyes already are on Saturday's early Ohio Valley Conference West Division men's basketball showdown at the Show Me Center...
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Southeast basketball teams to begin OVC play (12/24/12)The tuneups are out of the way for the Southeast Missouri State basketball teams. Now it's time for the Redhawks to jump into their Ohio Valley Conference schedules that will ultimately determine just how their seasons are judged. Southeast's men tip off OVC play Saturday with a noon game against Tennessee-Martin, part of three straight conference home dates to begin league action...
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Girls high school basketball takes center stage this week (12/17/12)Area high school boys basketball teams will take center stage at the Show Me Center next week during the Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournament. But this week it's the girls' turn to be in the Show Me Center spotlight. The 17th annual Kelso Supply Holiday Classic, the area's premier high school girls basketball tournament, tips off Tuesday...
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Both Southeast squads enter open stretch at .500 (12/10/12)Both Southeast Missouri State basketball teams have a break from game competition this week during final exams. Each squad took its initial final of sorts -- on the court -- as Southeast hosted its first doubleheader of the season Saturday night...
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Another hall of fame opens its doors to Bolen (12/3/12)Chalk up another major and well-deserved honor for longtime Plaza Tire Capahas manager Jess Bolen. Bolen recently was selected for induction into the 2013 class of the St. Louis Amateur Baseball Hall of Fame. The ceremony, featuring 18 new inductees, will be held April 18 in St. Louis...
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Southeast women can't catch a break with injuries (11/26/12)The Southeast Missouri State women's basketball team has displayed significant improvement during the early part of the season. But second-year coach Ty Margenthaler can't seem to catch a break as he continues his rebuilding project with the Redhawks...
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Southeast football season followed the pattern (11/19/12)The Southeast Missouri State football team concluded another losing season Saturday with a tough 42-35 defeat at Murray State. Southeast finishing below .500 should be absolutely no surprise, despite the breakthrough 2010 campaign that saw the Redhawks win the program's first Ohio Valley Conference title and capture the program's first playoff berth on any level...
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Southeast basketball teams show early promise (11/12/12)The Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team opened its season Friday night in somewhat predictable fashion, suffering a 74-55 loss at seventh-ranked Kansas. What wasn't predictable was the way the Redhawks made Kansas, last year's national runner-up, sweat in the second half after Southeast got off to an extremely slow start...
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Southeast basketball seasons get real Friday (11/5/12)Southeast Missouri State basketball teams have put in weeks of practice. They've tuned up with exhibition games and scrimmages. Now it's just about time to get things going for real. Both Southeast squads tip off the 2012-13 season Friday, the men at Kansas and the women at home against Wright State...
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OVC preseason basketball poll held no surprises (10/29/12)There were no real surprises regarding the Ohio Valley Conference preseason basketball polls released last week, especially where Southeast Missouri State is concerned. Southeast's men, as expected, were picked to finish second in the OVC West Division behind three-time defending OVC regular-season champion Murray State...
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Redhawks football is better than the record (10/22/12)Southeast Missouri State isn't a bad football team, even though the Redhawks' 2-5 overall record and 1-3 Ohio Valley Conference mark might suggest otherwise. What the 2012 Redhawks are is a decent squad that simply can't get over the proverbial hump...
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Cardinals test the faith of their fans once more (10/15/12)The Cardinals seemed to be a true team of destiny last year, when they needed a late charge and a historic collapse by the Braves to barely make the playoffs, then rode a miraculous Game 6 comeback against the Rangers to win the World Series. But as far as destiny goes, fans might have to make room for what transpired late Friday night against the Nationals in Washington, D.C...
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Excitement begins to build for Southeast basketball season (10/8/12)It's safe to say that expectations are high surrounding the Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team as official practice begins Friday. The Redhawks have made huge strides under fourth-year coach Dickey Nutt, who has done an impressive job in digging the program out of the horrid mess he encountered after being hired...
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Southeast women get an early jump on practice (10/1/12)The Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team won't begin official practice until late next week, but Southeast's women will get an early jump on things for the second year in a row. Second-year Southeast coach Ty Margenthaler again will take advantage of a relatively new NCAA rule, implemented last season, that allows Division I women's squads to begin practice 40 days before their first game. ...
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Redhawks' OVC opener was a wild success (9/24/12)You would have to look long and hard to find a wilder, crazier college football game than what took place Saturday at Houck Stadium. Southeast's 41-38 double-overtime win over defending Ohio Valley Conference tri-champion Tennessee Tech in the Redhawks' league opener was a blast to watch...
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Redhawks football struggles in final tuneup for OVC play (9/17/12)Saturday night's 35-14 loss at SIU Carbondale was not the type of performance the Southeast Missouri State football team had in mind for its final nonconference contest. The Redhawks were dominated and the game was much more lopsided than the score indicates...
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Four former Redhawks still on NFL rosters this season (9/10/12)The Southeast Missouri State football program again is represented well on NFL rosters this season. Southeast, in fact, has more former players currently in the NFL than any other Ohio Valley Conference program. New England offensive lineman Dan Connolly, in his seventh NFL season, entered his third campaign as a regular after starting the majority of the past two year at multiple line positions...
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Redhawks had strong showing in ‘money game' (9/4/12)I didn't make the trip to Central Michigan for Southeast Missouri State's opening football game Thursday night. Instead I watched the contest online on ESPN3 and came away impressed by the Redhawks, who suffered a 38-27 loss. CMU ultimately seemed to wear down Southeast with its strength, athleticism and depth, which you would expect from a Football Bowl Subdivision program against a Football Championship Subdivision program...
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Redhawks will be big underdog in season opener (8/27/12)Another Southeast Missouri State football season kicks off Thursday night when the Redhawks visit Central Michigan. The Redhawks will be big underdogs as they step up in class to face the Football Bowl Subdivision program. But Southeast should have a much better chance of competing against a Mid-American Conference team that went 3-9 last year than it would facing a squad from a BCS conference...
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Schedule stacks favorably for Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team (8/20/12)Southeast Missouri State's recently released men's basketball schedule is challenging but doesn't appear unusually brutal. That's part of the reason the Redhawks, who have made tremendous strides since fourth-year coach Dickey Nutt took over a floundering program saddled with NCAA probation, should have an opportunity to continue their solid progress...
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Redhawks football already dealing with key injury (8/13/12)The outlook for Southeast Missouri State's football season took a major hit barely one week into training camp. Starting quarterback Kyle Snyder will miss the entire season with a knee injury after he suffered a torn ACL while making a cut during Friday's practice. No contact was involved...
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Hogan's retirement was surprising but well deserved (8/7/12)Last week's announcement that longtime Southeast Missouri State baseball coach Mark Hogan was retiring took me by surprise. But upon further reflection, maybe it shouldn't have. Hogan, after all, will turn 60 in December and he has been a head coach for 31 years, including the last 18 at Southeast...
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Capahas keep rolling despite player changes this season (7/23/12)This is not among the most talented teams Jess Bolen has put together during his 46 seasons managing the Plaza Tire Capahas. Bolen is the first to acknowledge that. But the record doesn't reflect it. The Capahas are an impressive 25-6, including a final home record of 20-0...
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Lewis among those who left Redhawks football team (7/16/12)With college football teams having such large rosters, it's pretty much a given that several underclassmen leave programs for various reasons each year. One of the more notable younger players, at least from a regional perspective, missing from the 2012 Redhawks will be Trey Lewis, the Sikeston, Mo., native who would have been entering his sophomore season...
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Former Southeast coaches excel with juco programs (7/9/12)John Ishee's recent hiring as the women's basketball coach at Ranger (Texas) College means that three fairly recent Southeast Missouri State basketball coaches are now leading junior college hoops programs. Ishee no doubt hopes he experiences the same kind of success in his new position that the other two have...
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Nutt works on Redhawks' basketball schedule, staff (7/2/12)It's been somewhat of a frustrating start to the summer for Southeast Missouri State men's basketball coach Dickey Nutt, who is not having the easiest of times putting together his 2012-13 schedule or his coaching staff. Nutt is disappointed that several regional schools Southeast has played in the past and sought to play this season did not want to hook up with the Redhawks, including SIU Carbondale and Arkansas State. ...
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Moses, Simmons start pro careers on positive note (6/25/12)The two former Southeast Missouri State baseball stars from local high schools who were selected in this year's major league amateur draft both had impressive professional debuts last week. Shae Simmons, a Scott City High School graduate who was the Atlanta Braves' 22nd-round draft pick, notched the win Thursday when the Gulf Coast League Braves defeated the Gulf Coast League Phillies 5-3...
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Former Southeast player returns to Giants' roster (6/18/12)Former Southeast Missouri State baseball standout Justin Christian is back in the major leagues. Christian, who played his lone season at Southeast in 2003, was recalled by San Francisco from Class AAA Fresno on Friday. Christian received his latest opportunity after the Giants placed Aubrey Huff on the disabled list due to a sprained knee. ...
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MLB grabs talent from Ohio Valley Conference (6/11/12)The Ohio Valley Conference had another impressive haul during last week's annual Major League Baseball amateur draft. Twelve OVC players were selected in the three-day, 40-round event. That gives the league 58 players drafted over the past six years, including a conference-record 13 in 2010. Not too shabby...
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Amateur baseball draft should feature local flavor (6/4/12)Southeast Missouri State should be represented well during baseball's amateur draft that begins today with the first round, followed by rounds two through 15 on Tuesday and rounds 16 through 40 on Wednesday. Junior pitcher Shae Simmons is a virtual lock to be selected. Baseball America has the Scott City High School graduate ranked as the 446th best draft prospect, which could place him in the top 15 rounds or so...
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Southeast Missouri State baseball team saved best for last (5/30/12)The Southeast Missouri State baseball team didn't have a good year by most standards, but the Redhawks deserve credit for turning what could have been a total disaster into a season that ended with several positives. An inexperienced squad that featured just six seniors along with 21 newcomers compiled the worst record (23-36) and worst Ohio Valley Conference finish (seventh) during coach Mark Hogan's 18-year tenure...
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Redhawks baseball team saves its best for last (5/21/12)The Southeast Missouri State baseball team, plagued by inexperience and inconsistency, compiled its worst record and worst Ohio Valley Conference finish under longtime coach Mark Hogan. But the Redhawks played by far their best baseball of the year when it counted the most, and it allowed them to extend the program's Ohio Valley Conference record. Southeast will make its 18th consecutive appearance in this week's OVC tournament, the longest streak in league history...
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Redhawks' push for OVC tourney goes to wire (5/14/12)It's only fitting that the Southeast Missouri State baseball team's postseason hopes will hinge on this week's final three regular-season games. After all, the inexperienced Redhawks have faced an uphill struggle all year. Everything will be on the line when SIU Edwardsville visits Thursday, Friday and Saturday...
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Ex-Southeast assistants reunite at Central Michigan (5/7/12)One of the two Southeast Missouri State men's basketball assistants that coach Dickey Nutt recently decided not to retain wasn't out of work long. Kyle Gerdeman, who spent the past three seasons on Nutt's staff, is joining the Central Michigan staff under recently hired Keno Davis, also a former Southeast assistant...
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One streak is over, but two remain intact (4/30/12)The way Kenton Parmley seemed to be lining shots all over the field every game, I thought he just might reach the NCAA Division I record hitting streak of 58 consecutive contests by Robin Ventura. But Parmley's 47-game hitting streak finally ended last weekend when he went 0 for 3 against Tennessee Tech...
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Alnutt appears to be be a good hire for Southeast (4/23/12)Evaluating the hiring of an athletic director isn't easy because there are no quantifiable performance results like wins and losses. But on the surface, Southeast Missouri State appears to have done well in landing 39-year-old Mark Alnutt. I thought Alnutt, a former Missouri football player who has spent the last 14 years at the state's flagship university, made a favorable first impression when he was introduced as Southeast's new athletic director last week...
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Southeast will hold annual Walk for Women's Athletics (4/16/12)Saturday's fifth annual Southeast Missouri State Walk for Women's Athletics will shoot for another record performance. Last year's walk raised a record $32,450, bringing the total for four years to nearly $100,000. All proceeds benefit the university's athletic scholarship fund...
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Redhawks baseball needs to right ship to extend streak (4/9/12)The Southeast Missouri State baseball team, 15 games under .500 more than halfway through the season, will find it difficult to avoid a rare losing record under 18th-year coach Mark Hogan. But the Redhawks still have plenty of time to move up the Ohio Valley Conference standings and extend their OVC record of 17 consecutive conference tournament appearances...
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Snyder leads in Redhawks' search for new QB (4/2/12)The battle to replace Southeast Missouri State record-setting quarterback Matt Scheible begins in earnest today when the Redhawks kick off spring workouts at 6 a.m. While the competition certainly will carry over into fall practice, it will be an upset if Kyle Snyder doesn't open the season as the Redhawks' starter...
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Redhawks baseball struggles through early season (3/26/12)It's been a rough start to the season for the inexperienced Southeast Missouri State baseball team, which isn't used to being treated this rudely. The Redhawks saw their losing streak reach eight games Sunday when Austin Peay finished off a three-game sweep of the Ohio Valley Conference-opening series with an 11-7 win at Capaha Field...
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Wave of upsets washes away Missouri, Duke (3/19/12)The NCAA basketball tournament is off to another rousing start, thanks to an incredible Friday that featured arguably the most exciting early round day in tournament history. A No. 15 seed had not beaten a No. 2 seed since 2001, and it only had happened four times previously -- and never twice on the same day...
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Defending champ SCC remains a force in Class 1 (3/12/12)Many people thought the Scott County Central High School boys basketball team would take a big step back this season. The conventional thinking was that the Braves, so dominant the past three years, would be hard-pressed to make the Class 1 final four let alone capture a fourth consecutive state title...
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Redhawks' season ends, but positive steps taken (3/5/12)The Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team might not have done well enough this year to satisfy some fans, but the Redhawks continued their steady improvement in coach Dickey Nutt's third season. Southeast (15-16) recorded its most victories since the 2004-05 squad also won 15 games, and the Redhawks' tie for fourth place in the Ohio Valley Conference was their highest finish since the 1999-2000 NCAA tournament team earned a share of the regular-season title...
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Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team needs to regain form at OVC tourney (2/27/12)The Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team will enter the Ohio Valley Conference tournament looking to regain the momentum it possessed until just recently. The Redhawks are in the postseason event for the second consecutive year after not making the field since the 2006-07 campaign, but some Southeast fans probably are bummed over the Redhawks' current season-high four-game losing streak and the fact they didn't earn one of the tournament's first-round byes...
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Atmosphere at Southeast basketball game was electric (2/20/12)The Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team turned back the clock Wednesday night. It was certainly a sight to behold. The fifth-largest crowd for a Southeast home game came to see the Redhawks host a nationally ranked Division I opponent for the first time...
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Ranked Racers visit Show Me Center this week (2/13/12)It's hard to believe, but both Southeast Missouri State basketball teams play their final home games of the season this week. Southeast's men square off against seventh-ranked Murray State on Wednesday night in front of what will be the Redhawks' biggest home crowd of the year. Less than 1,000 tickets remained for sale at last report...
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Redhawks get good reviews after loss to Racers (2/6/12)The Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team fell short of its upset bid at Murray State Thursday night, but the Redhawks' strong showing on national television netted plenty of positive publicity. Leading the way during the 81-73 loss was senior forward Leon Powell's monster one-handed follow dunk early in the second half...
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Redhawks get chance to hand first loss to Racers (1/30/12)The vastly improved Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team will have an opportunity to make national sports headlines Thursday night in Murray, Ky. Southeast gets a crack at the country's only undefeated squad in Division I men's hoops -- Murray State -- during an Ohio Valley Conference matchup that will be televised by ESPNU and expected to be played in front of a sellout crowd at 8,600-seat CFSB Arena...
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Former Redhawks lineman earns trip to Super Bowl (1/23/12)There will be a Southeast Missouri State flavor to the Super Bowl after New England's thrilling 23-20 win over Baltimore in Sunday's AFC championship game. Dan Connolly, a four-year all-Ohio Valley Conference offensive lineman for the Redhawks from 2001 through 2004, is the Patriots' starting center...
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Southeast men continue strong start in OVC (1/16/12)Excitement continues to build for the resurgent Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team, which is off to its best start in more than a decade. Southeast bounced back from its first Ohio Valley Conference loss of the season, 63-59 at Eastern Kentucky on Jan. 7, by posting two OVC home victories...
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Southeast men's basketball team remains in good shape in OVC (1/9/12)The Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team suffered its first Ohio Valley Conference loss of the season Saturday night, 63-59 at Eastern Kentucky. It's a game the Redhawks could have and probably should have won. They led much of the way and killed themselves by making just 4 of 13 free throws...
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Redhawks men open OVC play with impressive showing (1/1/12)The Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team picked a good time to put together arguably its best 40-minute performance of the season. Southeast was impressive during Wednesday night's 67-51 rout of visiting Morehead State in its Ohio Valley Conference opener...
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FBS quarterback appears headed for Southeast Missouri State (12/19/11)It appears the Southeast Missouri State football program will add a transfer quarterback from the Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A). The Toledo Blade newspaper said indications are that Trent Hurley will transfer to Southeast after he was granted his release from Bowling Green last week...
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Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team must find consistency (12/12/11)The Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team has displayed flashes of brilliance and bumbling in fairly equal doses so far this season. That's probably been the most maddening thing for third-year coach Dickey Nutt, who has been frustrated by the Redhawks' inconsistency during their 4-6 start...
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Southeast women's perseverance is rewarded (12/5/11)The Southeast Missouri State women's basketball team appeared to be making steady improvement despite an 0-6 start under first-year coach Ty Margenthaler. That improvement finally paid off on the scoreboard last week as the Redhawks (2-7) gave Margenthaler his first two wins as a collegiate coach...
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Redhawks post notable win in preparing for OVC (11/28/11)Ohio Valley Conference men's basketball is off to a solid start, with several notable wins by league teams. That includes Southeast Missouri State's 64-57 home victory over Miami of Ohio on Saturday. The Redhawks turned in their best all-around performance of the year against the Mid-American Conference team...
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Southeast football failed to win the close ones (11/21/11)The Southeast Missouri State football team finished with a 3-8 record, including a 2-6 Ohio Valley Conference mark, after Saturday's 35-34 home loss to Murray State. It obviously wasn't the type of season Southeast fans hoped for after last year's historic campaign, but it wasn't really all that surprising considering the Redhawks lost so much talent from 2010...
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Redhawks flash potential in loss to Missouri (11/14/11)If fans of the Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team thought the sky had fallen after last Monday's exhibition loss to Division II Harding, at least they should be encouraged by Friday's season opener. Sure, it was a loss, 83-68 at 25th-ranked Missouri, but the Redhawks looked infinitely better than they did against Harding...
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Southeast basketball teams debut this week (11/7/11)Southeast Missouri State basketball teams open their seasons Friday, the men at Missouri and the women at North Carolina State. Neither Southeast squad will ease into the campaign. The men play three of their first four contests on the road, with all three of the trips being their annual "money" games to generate revenue for the athletic department...
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Cardinals defy logic with World Series title (10/31/11)Unbelievable. Incredible. Miraculous. All are appropriate descriptions for the Cardinals' season -- and that probably doesn't even do it justice. There really is no explanation for what transpired from late August, when the Cardinals seemed hopelessly buried in the playoff race and perhaps even headed to a sub-.500 record, to Friday night, when they won the World Series in St. Louis...
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Homecoming victory provides shot of confidence (10/24/11)It was a happy homecoming at Southeast Missouri State as the football Redhawks picked up a much-needed win Saturday. Defense stole the show in the 17-13 victory over Austin Peay. The Redhawks allowed season lows for points and yards, giving up only 287 yards, including just 106 in the second half...
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Southeast football team hopes to right itself at home (10/17/11)The Southeast Missouri State football team hopes the comforts of home will help revive its season. Southeast stumbled badly during its opening half of the campaign, going 1-5 while having four of its first six games away from Cape Girardeau. Now the Redhawks will try to get well by playing four of their final five contests at Houck Stadium, beginning with this week's homecoming matchup against Austin Peay...
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Redhawks make big strides in first victory (10/3/11)The jury still is out on whether the Southeast Missouri State football team will be serious contenders for a second straight Ohio Valley Conference championship. But anybody who watched Saturday night's 37-30 home win over Eastern Illinois has to agree that the Redhawks are improving by leaps and bounds...
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Redhawks shake off blowouts in OVC opener (9/26/11)The Southeast Missouri State football team fell to 0-3 with Saturday's 38-31 loss at Tennessee Tech in the Redhawks' Ohio Valley Conference opener. Although it was another defeat, there were positive signs for the defending OVC champion Redhawks. First and foremost, Southeast appeared to show that its complete futility in the first two games -- a 38-10 loss to FCS power SIU and a 59-0 pasting at Purdue of the Big Ten Conference -- largely was because of the level of competition...
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Southeast Missouri State football team turns full attention to OVC (9/19/11)The Southeast Missouri State football team has its obligatory beatdown against a major-college opponent out of the way. Purdue crushed the Redhawks Saturday in West Lafayette, Ind., although I don't know that I quite anticipated a 59-0 drubbing. Football Championship Subdivision member Southeast, in exchange for its annual visit to a Football Bowl Subdivision squad, netted the university's athletic department $315,000 minus expenses for the trip...
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An 0-2 start would not ruin Redhawks' season (9/12/11)The Southeast Missouri State football team almost certainly will start the season 0-2. That's because the Redhawks visit Purdue of the Big Ten Conference Saturday after dropping their Sept. 3 opener 38-10 to Southern Illinois. It will take a monumental upset to beat Purdue, which is paying Southeast $315,000 for the anticipated mismatch...
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Redhawks have work to do before Purdue (9/6/11)The 2011 Southeast Missouri State football team has a long way to go. That was evident Saturday night, when the Redhawks opened their season with a 38-10 home loss to Southern Illinois. The Salukis dominated virtually all areas. Nobody said it was going to be easy for the Redhawks to have another strong season after last year's record-setting campaign. Especially after losing 14 starters, including three All-Americans...
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Opening kickoff finally arrives for Redhawks (8/29/11)Another Southeast Missouri State football season kicks off Saturday night when the Redhawks host regional rival Southern Illinois. Southeast fans, for the first time in a while, enter a season with legitimate hope and optimism. Sure, die-hard Southeast supporters always have held strong to the belief that their team will put together a good year, but it rarely materialized. Fans usually had to forget about a poor season to remain optimistic for the new one...
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Redhawks football season kickoff draws closer (8/22/11)The one surefire sign that the Southeast Missouri State football season is just about upon us is when the Redhawks finish their training camp. Get ready for the games to begin because the Redhawks concluded their two-week camp Saturday with their second and final scrimmage...
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Challenging road awaits Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team (8/15/11)I know I've said this before, but the Southeast Missouri State men's basketball schedule finally should be released by the university any day. That's because the Redhawks recently set their third and final guarantee game that generates revenue for the athletic department...
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It's August, and football is in the scorching air (8/8/11)The Southeast Missouri State football team began preseason practice Saturday. A few hours to the north, the University of Missouri held its first practice Thursday. The St. Louis Rams are well under way with their training camp after that ridiculous NFL lockout finally ended...
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Poll falls short of total respect for OVC champs (8/1/11)Some people might say the Southeast Missouri State football team was slighted in the Ohio Valley Conference's preseason poll released last week. Others might say the Redhawks were afforded a measure of respect. The bottom line is that it really doesn't matter because the prognosticators -- the league's coaches and sports information directors -- rarely have been accurate in predicting what's actually going to happen...
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Redhawks' standing should improve in OVC football poll (7/25/11)The Ohio Valley Conference's preseason predictions and all-league teams for the 2011 football season will be announced today as voted on by the OVC coaches and sports information directors. Just about every publication I've seen so far has Southeast tabbed for the upper division in the nine-team OVC, which is a far cry from where the Redhawks have been projected in the past...
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Region will host high-stakes baseball tourneys (7/18/11)Area baseball fans looking for something to do later this week won't have to go far to catch tournaments with plenty at stake. The region will be teeming with high-school-age players, along with some who already have put in a year of college. Right here in Cape Girardeau, the Ford & Sons Post 63 Senior American Legion squad will host the five-team Zone 4 tournament at Capaha Field...
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Miles Smith continues to blaze and amaze (7/11/11)Miles Smith ranks on the short list among my all-time favorite Southeast Missouri State athletes I have covered. That's why I was excited when the former Southeast track and field standout recently made his second world team. Smith was picked to represent Team USA as a member of the 1,600-meter relay pool at the World Championships from Aug. ...
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Redhawks basketball players spend summer in Cape (6/27/11)Southeast Missouri State men's basketball coach Dickey Nutt is once again a happy man this summer. That's partly because it's his natural demeanor but also partly because, for the second straight year, Nutt's players are in town attending at least one session of summer school...
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Shafer deserves credit for cleaning up department (6/20/11)Last week's announcement that Southeast Missouri State athletic director John Shafer is retiring probably came as a surprise to many, myself included. But the main reason Shafer gave for stepping down, effective June 30 -- that he and his wife Dianne both have parents who are in need of some assistance -- certainly is valid and easily understood...
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Redhawks' Mahon first OVC player taken in draft (6/13/11)The Ohio Valley Conference didn't have quite the haul this year as in 2010 when it came to baseball's amateur draft. But the OVC still had a strong representation during last week's annual 50-round, three-day event. One year after having a conference-record 13 players selected, the OVC saw eight players picked. That gives the league 46 players drafted over the past five years. Not too shabby...
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Publications show respect for Southeast football (6/6/11)The Southeast Missouri State football team doesn't open the season for about another three months but it's never too early to start talking about the Redhawks and the Ohio Valley Conference. National preseason publications are starting to come out, and at least one of them doesn't believe Southeast will take a major step back after last year's historic campaign...
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Redhawks seek tournament title this week (5/23/11)The Southeast Missouri State baseball team, one of the most consistently successful programs at the university, wrapped up another strong regular season over the weekend. The Redhawks (32-20) now turn their attention to the all-important Ohio Valley Conference tournament that begins Wednesday in Jackson, Tenn. The winner of the six-team event earns the league's automatic NCAA regional berth...
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Southeast basketball schedule takes shape (5/16/11)Southeast Missouri State's 2011-12 men's basketball schedule is close to being finalized, with the entire slate expected to be released by the university in the next several weeks. I recently wrote that the Redhawks will open the season at the University of Missouri, with Southeast receiving $90,000 for one of its annual "guarantee" games...
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Southeast football adds key talent on offense (5/9/11)The Southeast Missouri State football team will have at least two more nice additions to its 2011 roster, along with the incoming recruits that already have been announced. Joining the program, although not yet announced by the university, will be running back Levi Terrell and quarterback Scott Lathrop...
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OVC baseball race promises exciting finish (5/2/11)The Southeast Missouri State baseball team is part of an exciting race for the Ohio Valley Conference's regular-season championship with only two of its eight conference series remaining. Three of the OVC's nine squads are within two games of each other at the top of the standings...
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Sources: Southeast basketball will face Mizzou (4/25/11)The college basketball season is more than seven months away but excitement already is building for the Southeast Missouri State men's team. Southeast returns most of its top players from 2010-11, gains the services of Missouri transfer forward Tyler Stone and Missouri State transfer forward Michael Porter and has added several key recruits, including All-American junior college shooting guard Corey Wilford last week...
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Margenthaler takes over a struggling program (4/18/11)Hiring a coach on any level is generally a crap shoot. Most coaches seem qualified and talk a good game. Some succeed and some don't. It's just the way things work. Taking that into account, Ty Margenthaler made a solid first impression when he was introduced as Southeast Missouri State's new women's basketball coach Thursday...
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Southeast Missouri State plans busy weekend (4/11/11)Southeast Missouri State certainly won't be lacking for activity this weekend. The campus will be buzzing with a myriad of events highlighted by the fourth annual Walk for Women's Athletics and the first Athletic Alumni Weekend. Walk for Women's Athletics was started by Southeast associate director of athletics Cindy Gannon, who wanted to provide an event that would raise awareness of Southeast's women's athletic program while also raising money for the university's athletics scholarship fund to benefit both female and male athletes.. ...
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Next Southeast women's basketball coach remains a mystery (4/4/11)Southeast Missouri State director of athletics John Shafer's formula with his major coaching hires is to keep matters confidential, with no search committee, no public interview forums and no comment on potential candidates. Shafer's current search for a women's basketball coach has followed suit. He recently told me the position has attracted plenty of candidates but he hasn't said much else about the situation...
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March Madness does not disappoint (3/28/11)I don't know how the NCAA men's basketball tournament could have been any better so far. There have been numerous sensational games and stunning upsets, many featuring buzzer-beating finishes. When all the dust cleared from the weekend, not a single No. 1 or No. 2 seed was left standing. That is simply amazing...
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OVC adds to the unpredictability of NCAA tourney (3/21/11)The NCAA men's basketball tournament is off to another rousing start, thanks in part to an Ohio Valley Conference team pulling off a thrilling upset for the second straight year. No. 13 seed Morehead State stunned No. 4 Louisville 62-61 on Thursday as Demonte Harper hit a 3-pointer with 4.2 seconds left. A year ago it was No. 13 seed Murray State beating No. 4 Vanderbilt on a shot at the buzzer...
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Southeast women's job is grabbing attention (3/14/11)There has been no shortage of candidates for the university's vacant women's basketball coaching position, according to Southeast Missouri State director of athletics John Shafer, Not really a surprise considering virtually every coach I ever have talked to believes the job is attractive, often noting the position is ripe for consistent success in the Ohio Valley Conference...
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Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team made strides in Nutt's second season (3/7/11)The 2010-11 Southeast Missouri State men's basketball season is in the books following Thursday's 76-60 Ohio Valley Conference tournament loss to Austin Peay. You can't call the campaign a rousing success, but I think it's fair to say the Redhawks made decent progress, especially considering they were shorthanded all season and down to only eight players for the final few weeks...
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Southeast men rejoin title hunt in Nashville (2/28/11)The Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team isn't heading into the Ohio Valley Conference tournament with the momentum it wanted after losses at Tennessee State and Austin Peay. But the Redhawks at least are headed to this week's event in Nashville, Tenn., something a Southeast men's hoop squad had not been able to accomplish since the 2006-07 season...
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Redhawks' rebuilding project shows signs of progress (2/21/11)Dickey Nutt's reclamation project with the Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team hasn't been smooth and easy. But the Redhawks, who have been scuffling along during Nutt's second season, gave their fans a glimpse of perhaps what's in store for the future with Wednesday's scintillating 64-57 home victory over Murray State...
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Redhawks carry high hopes into 2011 season (2/14/11)One of the area's most popular teams is just about ready to open its season. And anticipation is high, perhaps even higher than usual. The Southeast Missouri State baseball squad begins what on paper shapes up as a big year with the start of a three-game series at defending Sun Belt Conference champion Louisiana-Lafayette on Friday...
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Redhawks' recruiting class appears promising (2/7/11)College recruiting is an inexact science at best, especially outside the major-college level. That especially holds true for recruiting by Football Championship Subdivision programs like Southeast Missouri State. That's why it's hard to get a handle on just what to make of the 25 players Southeast landed last week as the NCAA signing period began...
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Road to OVC tourney gets tougher for Redhawks (1/31/11)The Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team still has a chance to make the Ohio Valley Conference tournament for the first time since the 2006-07 season. But things are not looking nearly as good for the Redhawks as they were a few weeks ago...
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OVC basketball races tight at the halfway mark (1/24/11)While the Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team has hit another major speed bump, an exciting Ohio Valley Conference race is heating up. Exactly halfway through the 18-game conference schedule for all the contenders, six of the league's 10 squads are within two games of first place...
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Redhawks make fans forget 0-10 start (1/10/11)That 0-10 start to the season for the Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team? Right now it seems like ages ago as the Redhawks have made an impressive turnaround. Saturday's thrilling 78-75 win over visiting Eastern Illinois was the Redhawks' fourth straight Ohio Valley Conference victory...
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SCC lives up to top billing in Christmas tourney (1/3/11)Last week's Southeast Missourian Christmas tournament went pretty much like I -- and most people -- expected, at least at the top. Entering the 66th annual event at the Show Me Center, I didn't talk to anybody who thought Scott County Central would not three-peat -- and probably by some lopsided margins...
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Mishow's column: Winning streak pushes Redhawks back from brink (12/27/10)The Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team looked down and out just a few weeks ago after starting the year with 10 straight losses. To the Redhawks' credit, they have gotten off life support to revive their season. Southeast has won three consecutive games, including a pair of Ohio Valley Conference road contests last week, to even its league record at 2-2...
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Curtain rises on annual Holiday Classic (12/20/10)The area's premier high school girls basketball tournament begins today at the Show Me Center. Although it doesn't draw nearly the crowds or attention of its boys counterpart -- next week's Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournament -- it's still a must-see event for girls hoops fans...
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Southeast basketball's early struggles are surprising (12/13/10)It's way too early to write off the Southeast Missouri State men's basketball season, especially since the Redhawks have only played two Ohio Valley Conference games. But I've got to admit I am surprised at how much Southeast struggled through its first 10 contests...
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Redhawks' accomplishments will live on (12/6/10)The Southeast Missouri State football team and its fans naturally were disappointed with Saturday's 37-17 playoff loss at Eastern Washington that ended the Redhawks' season. But there is no way anybody could be disappointed with the Redhawks' historic campaign that resulted in one of college football's greatest turnarounds...
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Southeast basketball gets off to slow start (11/29/10)It figured to take a while for the Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team to click considering how many new players the Redhawks are breaking in. But I doubt fans expected the Redhawks to get off to this slow of a start, especially since they entered the season with what looked like winnable games against the likes of non-power, low-major programs Grambling, Florida Gulf Coast and Missouri-Kansas City...
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Redhawks focus on winning their first playoff game (11/22/10)This type of Southeast Missouri State football season doesn't come along often -- actually never -- so it's only natural that fans are excited. I was impressed by the turnout at Outback Steakhouse for Sunday's early morning playoff watch party...
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Add an OVC football title to the Redhawks' firsts (11/8/10)The Southeast Missouri State football team and its fans finally can focus their full attention on Jacksonville State. And you can bet the Redhawks will have JSU's full attention, especially after what happened Saturday. The Gamecocks no doubt will be stinging from their upset loss at Eastern Kentucky that denied them a chance at an outright Ohio Valley Conference championship...
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Latest win ranks among Southeast's biggest (11/1/10)This might surprise some people, but I'll make the argument that Southeast Missouri State's latest football victory ranks among the biggest wins in program history. What, you say, beating a nondescript albeit solid team like Tennessee-Martin 24-17 on Saturday rates that type of status?...
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Redhawks preserve streak, perfect OVC record (10/25/10)The Southeast Missouri State football team never had beaten Eastern Kentucky in Cape Girardeau, losing all nine meetings, while going just 2-18 against the Colonels overall. But in this remarkable season for the Redhawks, nobody should have been surprised by Saturday's dominant 40-21 win over EKU at Houck Stadium...
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Redhawks football finds another way to win (10/18/10)It seems the Redhawks are finding ways to win just about every game during this improbable Southeast Missouri State football season. Southeast faced its biggest first-half deficit of the year Saturday as host Austin Peay dominated early to grab a quick 14-0 lead...
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Redhawks pass first test as a ranked team (10/11/10)The Southeast Missouri State football team played its first game with a national ranking in more than seven years Saturday night. If that additional pressure affected the No. 25 Redhawks, they sure didn't show it. The Redhawks added to their storybook season with a 19-17 victory over Tennessee State in just their second home date...
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Latest victory may boost Redhawks into top 25 (10/4/10)Southeast Missouri State's storybook football season continued Saturday with a rare win at Eastern Illinois. Now Southeast is poised to break into the national rankings for the first time since early during the 2003 campaign. The Redhawks' 28-13 victory over defending Ohio Valley Conference champion Eastern Illinois accomplished a pair of firsts for Southeast's program...
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Redhawks football stays on track for big year (9/27/10)Southeast Missouri State is ahead of schedule as the Redhawks attempt to end their string of football futility. I wrote several weeks ago that, based on what looked like a rugged opening stretch, I would consider a 2-3 record through five weeks to be acceptable...
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Southeast's upset of ranked Salukis was not a fluke (9/20/10)Where it ranks on the list of all-time Southeast Missouri State football wins is open for debate. But there is no doubt Saturday's 24-21 shocker at fifth-ranked Southern Illinois makes the short list of greatest victories in program history. And it could be just the shot in the arm fifth-year coach Tony Samuel and his staff needed to help the Redhawks get over the hump...
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Redhawks get a boost by winning OVC opener (9/13/10)The season obviously wouldn't have been over if Southeast Missouri State had lost at Murray State in Saturday's Ohio Valley Conference football opener. But it sure would have put a damper on Southeast's hopes of posting a winning record. Those hopes received a boost with the Redhawks' 30-17 victory that evened their overall record at 1-1 and made them 1-0 in league play for the first time since 2004 and the first time under fifth-year coach Tony Samuel...
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Southeast prepares for OVC opener (9/7/10)Now that the Southeast Missouri State football team has gotten its annual money game out of the way, the Redhawks can start concentrating on what counts the most. I'm talking about Ohio Valley Conference play, which begins Saturday when the Redhawks visit Murray State in the OVC's lone league matchup during the season's opening two weeks...
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Redhawks football opens with difficult stretch (8/30/10)Another Southeast Missouri State football season kicks off Thursday night as the Redhawks visit Division I-A Ball State. That's the start of a rugged opening stretch for the Redhawks, who will shoot for the program's first winning season since 2002 and only its second since moving up to Division I-AA in 1991...
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Season kickoff is approaching for Redhawks (8/23/10)The Southeast Missouri State football team already is done with fall camp, which only can mean one thing. It's getting really, really close to the start of the Redhawks' season, which begins in less than two weeks -- Sept. 2 at Ball State. School starts today, so the Redhawks revert to a once-per-day, afternoon practice schedule following classes...
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Sources say Michael Porter will join Redhawks (8/16/10)Southeast Missouri State basketball fans and other hoops fans in this area who were hoping Michael Porter was going to play for the Redhawks will get their wish. Several reliable sources have told me that the former Sikeston High School standout is transferring from Missouri State to Southeast...
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New Southeast scoreboard is in the works (8/9/10)Southeast Missouri State athletic director John Shafer had good news and bad news for Redhawks football fans tired of and embarrassed by the tiny, junior-high caliber scoreboard at Houck Stadium. Shafer told me Friday that the university has purchased an impressive new scoreboard for this season. That's the good news...
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Redhawks football fans hope for better than poll (8/2/10)Last week's announcement of the Ohio Valley Conference's preseason football poll again had Southeast Missouri State predicted to finish toward the bottom. That is no surprise since Southeast has occupied one of the OVC's lower rungs for the majority of years since it moved up to Division I-AA and joined the league in 1991...
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Cape Legion team turns in strong campaign (7/26/10)For the second straight year the Cape Girardeau Ford & Sons Post 63 American Legion baseball team came up short in its bid for a trip to the state tournament. But it was another impressive season for a tradition-rich program that has bounced back nicely from a down period that culminated in 2008 with a 9-22 record and a district tournament forfeit due to a lack of players...
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Capahas dominate in securing return to Wichita (7/12/10)The National Baseball Congress Mid-South Regional field has not been especially potent in recent years. I still didn't expect the Plaza Tire Capahas to have such an easy time in capturing their sixth consecutive regional championship. The Capahas rolled through the three-team tournament played Friday and Saturday at Capaha Field, going 3-0 and outscoring the opposition 22-4...
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SCC's Porter ranks among nation's top recruits (7/6/10)People who follow high school basketball in this area know how good a player Scott County Central's Otto Porter is. Those across the nation are jumping on board. Porter, a 6-foot-8 forward who will be entering his senior season at SCC, recently was listed as No. 93 on the rivals.com top-150 prospect rankings for the class of 2011...
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COLUMN: World Cup, Wimbledon provide memorable day (6/28/10)No championships were decided Wednesday. Nothing even close. Yet why will that date -- June 23 -- go down as among the most exciting single days of sports in recent memory and be etched in the minds of so many sports fans for a long time? Because of what took place on a soccer pitch in South Africa and a tennis court in England...
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Southeast basketball players in town for summer school (6/21/10)I ran into Southeast Missouri State men's basketball coach Dickey Nutt the other day and he told me some interesting news that he was really happy about. All of Southeast's players -- the returnees and incoming recruits, including Missouri transfer Tyler Stone, who won't be eligible this coming season -- are in town attending a session of summer school...
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OVC players draw much interest in MLB draft (6/14/10)The Ohio Valley Conference isn't ranked among the nation's better leagues in any sport, but OVC baseball continues to make a name for itself -- at least individually. A conference-record 13 players were selected in last week's major league draft, giving the OVC 38 players drafted over the past four years. That's impressive by anybody's standards...
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New chapter to begin for one of Southeast's all-time best (6/7/10)Jim Klocke couldn't have accomplished much more individually during his Southeast Missouri State baseball career that recently ended. Klocke finished his four-year collegiate run at catcher ranked at or near the top of many of Southeast's career and single-season statistical categories...
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Redhawks' season ends quietly at OVC tourney (6/1/10)I don't think Southeast Missouri State's latest two-and-out performance at the Ohio Valley Conference baseball tournament should detract from the solid season the Redhawks had. But I know it's disturbing to coach Mark Hogan that the Redhawks haven't been able to fare any better at the OVC tournament the past two seasons...
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Redhawks' fourth-place finish is better than predicted (5/24/10)The Southeast Missouri State baseball team did not end the regular season quite like it wanted to as the Redhawks lost eight of their last 12 games, although they did win three of their final five contests. But considering the Redhawks started what was supposed to be a rebuilding campaign, I've got to term the year an unqualified success...
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Ravens' Jones also earns Southeast degree (5/17/10)I wrote in Friday's paper about former Southeast Missouri State standout offensive lineman and current NFL player Dan Connolly doing the necessary work to finish up his college degree six years after he left school. Connolly, who is with the New England Patriots and has been in the NFL since 2005, took part in Southeast's commencement at the Show Me Center on Saturday...
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Redhawks slip to third in OVC baseball standings (5/10/10)While the Southeast Missouri State baseball team stepped out of Ohio Valley Conference play over the weekend, the OVC race heated up. And now, with two regular-season series left for all the top contenders, fans should be in for quite a finish. When Southeast left Cape Girardeau on Thursday for a three-game series at Nebraska, the Redhawks led the nine-team OVC by a half game over Murray State. Jacksonville State lurked just one game behind, with Tennessee Tech only two games back...
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Edgar gets coaching job in Oklahoma (5/3/10)Former Southeast Missouri State men's basketball coach Scott Edgar is back in the coaching profession. Edgar, whose two-year tenure at Southeast ended with his firing amid allegations of NCAA rules violations, recently was hired as coach at Eastern Oklahoma State Junior College...
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Redhawks boost title hopes with sweep (4/26/10)The Southeast Missouri State baseball team had to endure a wet weekend and plenty of down time in Jacksonville, Ala. But I doubt if the Redhawks are complaining today after returning to Cape Girardeau following a bus trip of more than 400 miles. Why would the Redhawks have anything to gripe about after their magical season continued with Sunday's doubleheader sweep at perennial Ohio Valley Conference power Jacksonville State?...
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Four basketball players not returning (4/19/10)I recently wrote about it being a certainty that several Southeast Missouri State scholarship men's basketball players with eligibility remaining will not be returning to the program. While there hasn't been an official announcement and might not be for a while, sources have told me that group consists of junior forward Jajuan Maxwell, junior guard Sam Pearson, junior forward Eric McCrary and freshman guard LaQuentin Miles...
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Nutt lands a former area standout in Niemczyk (4/12/10)The latest verbal commitment for the Southeast Missouri State men's basketball program is an especially interesting one because of its local nature. Former Bell City standout Nick Niemczyk, a sophomore guard at Three Rivers Community College in Poplar Bluff, Mo., recently accepted Southeast coach Dickey Nutt's scholarship offer...
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Baseball provides fresh air for Southeast athletics (4/5/10)After the football, men's basketball and women's basketball teams all suffered through big-time losing seasons, Southeast Missouri State fans have been starving for a winner among the university's more high-profile sports. Right now they certainly have one in the baseball squad...
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Bringing back Ishee was the right decision (3/29/10)The Southeast Missouri State administration finally made a decision regarding the future of women's basketball coach John Ishee. I believe it was the right one. Southeast announced last week that Ishee will remain as the Redhawks' coach. He received a one-year contract extension through the 2010-11 season. His original four-year contract was set to expire April 30...
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Southeast baseball shows promise despite adversity (3/22/10)It's been a crazy season so far for the Southeast Missouri State baseball team, with four key position players being lost to injury after the Redhawks had already graduated many of their top hitters and ace pitcher from 2009. But the Redhawks, despite all the adversity they've faced, have shown plenty of promise as they near the start of their Ohio Valley Conference schedule...
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At last, the stage is set for The Big Dance (3/16/10)One of my favorite times of the sports calendar, and one of my favorite weeks for that matter, finally is here. I'm talking about the NCAA basketball tournament, the 65-team extravaganza that seems to capture the imagination of the nation. It certainly captures mine. To me there is no better sporting event than the Big Dance, mainly because of its single-elimination format that so often means the better squad doesn't advance...
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Southeast Missouri State is high on Hatchett's list (3/8/10)I covered Thursday's Class 1 District 3 tournament championship game won by Scott County Central and had an interesting conversation with electrifying Braves senior point guard Bobby Hatchett, who is being recruited by a number of Division I programs...
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Final night inspires hope for brighter days (3/1/10)There was quite a scene Saturday night as the largest crowd for a Southeast Missouri State home basketball game in five years witnessed the season-ending 71-68 overtime loss to Austin Peay. Southeast's Show Me Sellout promotion drew an announced 5,515 fans, the most to watch the Redhawks since the 2004-05 season, when two larger crowds turned out...
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Redhawks need strong finish to make OVC tourney (2/22/10)The Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team's chances of qualifying for the Ohio Valley Conference tournament aren't very promising. It will take a strong finish and some help for the Redhawks to squeeze into the eight-team field. A recent hot streak by Tennessee State, which has been on a roll despite dismissing some of its top players, has put Southeast on the outside looking in...
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Southeast basketball aims for sellout in season finale (2/15/10)Even though neither Southeast Missouri State basketball team is tearing things up this season, the university hopes to end the campaign with a bang. Southeast has launched an effort to sell out the Show Me Center for the final home games against Austin Peay on Feb. 27...
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Time will tell on new Southeast football recruits (2/8/10)I've never heard a college coach in any sport say he or she didn't land a good recruiting class. So Southeast Missouri State football coach Tony Samuel naturally raved about his latest batch of recruits Wednesday as the signing period began. Samuel and his staff landed 17 players, with several more expected to sign in the weeks and months ahead...
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Redhawks still in position to make OVC tourney (2/1/10)The Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team is still in position to qualify for the Ohio Valley Conference tournament, which would be a nice achievement for the rebuilding Redhawks. But Southeast missed an opportunity to solidify its postseason hopes in Jacksonville, Ala., on Thursday night...
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Injuries hamper Southeast basketball teams (1/25/10)The Southeast Missouri State basketball teams figured to have challenging seasons this year. Bad luck with injuries has made the challenges even greater for both squads. It's hard to imagine any women's team across the country being more snakebit than Southeast, which currently is playing without its top three scorers...
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Redhawks have chance to rebound from road trip (1/18/10)It was, on the surface, a totally lost eight days for the Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team. The Redhawks went 0-3 on their rugged road swing to Eastern Illinois, Morehead State and Eastern Kentucky. The closest Southeast came was 16 points, Saturday's 79-63 setback at Eastern Kentucky. There was Thursday's 40-point blowout at Morehead State and a 20-point pasting at Eastern Illinois a week ago Saturday...
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Redhawks' TV loss was not big in the overall picture (1/11/10)A season is never judged by one game. For that the Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team can be thankful because the Redhawks certainly failed to impress a national television audience Saturday at Eastern Illinois. Southeast was hammered 88-68 in an Ohio Valley Conference game that was never close...
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Braves remain impressive in tournament repeat (1/4/10)Scott County Central put on an amazing performance during the Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournament for the second straight year. If you were at the Show Me Center last week to watch the 65th annual boys basketball event, you had to be impressed. I sure was...
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Southeast hoops teams prepare to prove worth against OVC foes (12/28/09)Now that the majority of their tough nonconference schedules are behind them, Southeast Missouri State's basketball teams are ready to jump back into Ohio Valley Conference play almost exclusively for the rest of the season. Southeast's men and women get the new year started with OVC home games against Tennessee Tech on Saturday and Jacksonville State on Monday...
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Christmas tournament provides thrills (12/21/09)One of my favorite times of the entire sports season begins this week at the Show Me Center. It's the Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournament, which has gone by a variety of names over the years but has remained constant in the level of thrills and excitement it provides fans...
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Old rivalry resumes (12/14/09)Even though Wednesday's game didn't go well for Southeast Missouri State, it was great to see the men's basketball series with Southern Illinois-Carbondale finally resume. SIU represents the longest-standing rival in Southeast men's basketball history, the teams having met 111 times before this year. But they had not stepped on the court together since the 2004-05 season...
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Redhawks men's squad takes turn for better (12/7/09)It's only nine games into the season, but right now I rate the Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team a pleasant surprise. The Redhawks have already matched the win total from last year's 3-27 campaign that featured an 0-18 Ohio Valley Conference record and led to a new coaching staff along with 11 new players...
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Former Southeast player sees field with Patriots (11/30/09)Perseverance paid off for former Southeast football player Dan Connolly as he earned his first NFL start Nov. 15. Connolly, an offensive lineman for the New England Patriots, got the nod at right guard at Indianapolis in a game the Colts won 35-34 with a late rally. He again was in the starting lineup last week in a win over the Jets...
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Redhawks unexpectedly end losing streak at Northern Illinois (11/23/09)I figured the Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team would end the nation's longest losing streak eventually. But after seeing the Redhawks struggle during decisive losses to Saint Louis and Arkansas State, I didn't expect that to happen Sunday as they visited a solid Mid-American Conference squad...
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Redhawks get well-deserved victory (11/16/09)It's been another dismal Southeast Missouri State football season, but certainly not for a lack of effort from the Redhawks. I have watched most of Southeast's games this season and not once did I come away thinking the Redhawks failed to play their hearts out...