BRIEFLY: SEMO SOFTBALL PICKED TO REPEAT AS OVC CHAMP

Southeast Missouri State University's softball team has been picked to repeat as the Ohio Valley Conference champion in preseason balloting by the league's head coaches.

The Otahkians, winners of five consecutive regular-season titles, received five of eight possible first-place votes for 63 points.

Middle Tennessee (53 points) edged out Eastern Illinois (52) for second place, despite getting one first-place vote to EIU's two.

Tennessee Tech (46) got the remaining first-place vote. Rounding out the balloting were Eastern Kentucky (36), Morehead State (31), Austin Peay (21), Tennessee-Martin (14) and Tennessee State (10).

Southeast returns five starters from last year's team that went 31-17 overall, 16-2 in the OVC and making its first NCAA Tournament appearance after capturing its fifth OVC Tournament title.

The Otahkians open the 2000 season March 4-5 in their own tournament.