CAPAHA FIELD: OVC'S FIELD OF DREAMS; SE HOSTING LEAGUE TOURNEY FOR 1ST TIME

Southeast Missouri State University's baseball Indians are hoping their first-ever time to host the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament pays major dividends.

Since making the move up to the NCAA Division I level starting with the 1992 season, Southeast has never had the opportunity to play the league tourney on its home field.

But that changed this season when the Indians finished second in the nine-team conference and earned the right to host the tournament over league champion Eastern Illinois because the Panthers' field has no lights.

"It's a great honor to get to host and it's a big step for our program," said Southeast coach Mark Hogan of the tournament, which opens today and runs through Saturday at Capaha Field. "I definitely feel it's going to help us playing at home. We've experienced the tournament on the road the last three years and it's very difficult."

But Hogan, whose squad has qualified for the OVC tourney in each of his four seasons at Southeast -- and finished second the last two years -- realizes that playing at home guarantees nothing.

"There's no guarantee just because you're at home," he said. "You still have to perform and the field is so balanced this year, I think any of the six teams could legitimately win it."

Perhaps even more than hosting the tournament, Hogan likes the fact the Indians receive a first-round bye because they finished among the league's top two teams.

That means Southeast avoids today's two elimination games and advances right into the four-team double-elimination bracket.

"Not only do we save a pitcher that way, but we don't have the pressure of facing a must-win elimination game," he said. "Getting that bye is important, but even that is no guarantee of anything."

The Indians have a solid offensive team, with a school-record 80 home runs, led by Charlie Marino (league-leading 18), Robert Kern (14), Darin Kinsolving (12) and Jeremy Johnson (11).

But in the offensive-minded OVC -- and college baseball in general -- Southeast's .295 team batting average ranks just seventh.

Kyle Yount leads the way at .354 while also above .300 are Jeff Bourbon (.336), Marino (.325), Johnson (.314) and Kinsolving (.308).

"I feel like we've been down a little bit with the bats last five, six games, but I'm hoping our bats will come alive again," Hogan said. "We've got a very talented offensive ballclub, very explosive, and we've hit the ball well at Capaha throughout the season."

Pitching -- particularly the Indians' regular three-man starting rotation -- has been a major key for Southeast, which ran away with the OVC's earned-run average title at 4.96.

Ryan Spille (9-1, 1.96 ERA), Jason Swearingen (7-5, 4.11) and Dan Huesgen (5-3, 5.04) accounted for over three-fourths of the Indians' victories during their 27-22 regular season.

"Starting pitching is always so important in a tournament like this," said Hogan. "These are all nine-inning games and most of the guys are used to pitching seven innings during the season, so it's a big adjustments."

Swearingen, the Indians' only senior who has started the first game of every OVC series this year, will likely get the nod when Southeast plays its first tourney game at 8:30 tonight.