CAPAHAS ENTER NBC REGIONAL AS TEAM TO BEAT

On paper, this weekend's National Baseball Congress Mid-South Regional in Cape Girardeau appears to be a bit lacking in powerhouse teams, save perhaps for the host Craftsman Union Capahas.

But Capahas manager and tournament director Jess Bolen says people shouldn't automatically expect a cakewalk for the home squad during the three-day event that begins today with three games at Capaha Field.

"There might not be the name teams like we've had in the past, but to tell you the truth, some of these teams are getting better all the time," said Bolen. "We're treating this tournament like it's wide open. We have to go into it like we always do, treating everybody like they're pretty good. If we don't, we'll be in trouble."

Still, Bolen acknowledges that his perennially strong squad probably ranks as the favorite.

"I would hope we would be, for a lot of reasons," he said. "Because of the history of our ball club, what we've done in the past. But you just don't know. We didn't win it last year."

The 22-7 Capahas fell short of a third straight Mid-South Regional title a year ago when St. Louis O.B. Clark captured the crown. O.B. Clark has since folded, but five other teams will join the Capahas this weekend in search of an automatic bid to next month's prestigious NBC World Series in Wichita, Kan.

The Southern Illinois Merchants, who lost to the Capahas just 8-7 last weekend during a tournament in Evansville, Ind., could on paper offer the most serious challenge to Bolen's crew. The Merchants, based out of Herrin, Ill., are 16-11 with a squad featuring primarily players from Southern Illinois junior colleges.

"I think we've got a pretty good team," said Merchants manager Willard Strange. "We're looking forward to the tournament."

Another potential title threat are the Fulton (Mo.) Bandits, who have an impressive 18-6 record. The squad features quite a few players from William Woods University in Fulton, along with several players from other colleges.

"On any given day, anybody can beat anybody. It's a matter of stringing it together," said Bandits manager Tom Vodnansky. "We hope to put on a good show."

Joining the Capahas as a local squad are the Riverdogs, who are 6-12 against a schedule fairly similar to what Craftsman Union plays. While the Riverdogs haven't beaten that many teams, they have played a lot of people close.

"We're getting better," said Riverdogs manager Robin Minner.

Rounding out the tourney field are the Sauget (Ill.) Wizards, who have players from various St. Louis-area colleges and are managed by Robert White, a native of Jackson, Mo.; and perennial participant Pine Bluff (Ark.), which has never been a serious tournament threat. Records for those two squads were not available.

"We only beat the Merchants 8-7, so they've evidently got a pretty good ballclub. The Riverdogs have played a lot of the teams we played, and played them tough," Bolen said. "You just never know. That's why I say you just have to take everybody seriously. You can't take anybody for granted."

Particularly since, for the second straight year, the tournament will be played with wood bats instead of the much more hitter-friendly aluminum, meaning runs should be relatively hard to come by.

"With the wood bats, it really puts a different spin on things," said Bolen. "You don't see many blowout games. If you get a chance to score a run early, you better do it.

"A lot of it depends on who's on the mound. With wood bats, a good pitcher can shut anybody down. That's why this tournament should be really interesting."

Favorite or not, Bolen likes the way his team has been playing lately. The Capahas are coming off an impressive performance during the Evansville Tournament last weekend as they won the 12-team affair, allowing just 10 earned runs and committing only two errors in six games.

"We seem to be playing really well. I think we've really started to jell," Bolen said. "I hope we can carry that over into the tournament."