Capahas took care of business in regional

To say the Plaza Tire Capahas didn't face powerhouse competition during last weekend's National Baseball Congress Mid-South Regional would be a classic understatement.

In fact, it was no doubt among the weakest fields since the Capahas began hosting the tournament in 1991 --and the first time the event featured just three teams.

The only other squads challenging the Capahas were the Pine Bluff (Ark.) Braves and the Springfield (Mo.) Generals.

While the Braves consist of mostly fun-loving guys who truly enjoy the game, they have served as unofficial Mid-South Regional punching bags over the years, never even winning a tournament game until just a few summers ago.

The Generals were in the regional for the first time, and most of their players are barely removed from high school, with the only current Division I squad member a Southeast Missouri State walk-on who was a redshirt freshman this year.

It didn't take the proverbial rocket scientist to predict that the Capahas, despite not being overly powerful themselves this year, would have little trouble securing their second straight regional title.

Despite a tougher-than-anticipated game with the Generals -- Plaza Tire led by just a run in the late going before pulling away for a 5-1 victory behind the no-hit pitching of Jason Chavez -- the Capahas did exactly what was expected.

Plaza Tire dominated the field, winning its three games by a combined score of 22-6, including a 10-3 rout of the Braves to cap off the championship.

While it wasn't exactly a classic tournament for the second summer in a row -- the 2005 field was also watered down after the regional featured several strong teams the previous few years -- you can't take anything away from the Capahas.

It wasn't like Plaza Tire manager Jess Bolen tried to assemble a weak field. He contacted numerous teams about participating but found only two takers.

And sometimes it's not easy to focus and play solid baseball when you know the opponents won't be all that rugged. It's during those instances when upsets often happen.

The Capahas paid little attention to the caliber of competition, made sure they came ready to play and put together some of their best baseball during what had previously been something of an uneven season.

By Bolen's own admission, this is not one of the better squads he has fielded during his 40 years as the Capahas' manager.

While Plaza Tire's pitching is stout, its lineup leaves plenty to be desired, partly because of injuries and partly because Bolen simply did not have the time or interest to recruit major offensive weapons. That's understandable, since just about all of his waking hours for the past few months have been devoted to his wife, Mary, who has been battling a serious illness.

Actually, it's pretty remarkable that Jess Bolen even found the energy to direct the Capahas to another successful season given the circumstances.

But things are certainly looking up. Mary Bolen -- beloved by just about everybody -- has recently made a remarkable recovery and she was on hand to support the Capahas during last weekend's regional.

So forget about the suspect field -- the tournament was a major success in more ways than one for the Capahas, who will now set their sights on their 24th consecutive appearance in the NBC World Series in Wichita, Kan., with play scheduled for Friday through Aug. 12.

It is not yet known when or who the Capahas will play in Wichita, but it's likely that Bolen will try to pick up an additional hitter or two for the trip.

Because one thing is for certain -- there will be no Pine Bluff Braves or Springfield Generals awaiting the Capahas in Kansas.

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I wrote in May -- and it has been talked about quite a bit on local radio station ESPN 1220 -- about how this season's Southeast football and men's basketball games would likely be broadcast in the St. Louis area on ESPN 1380.

No official announcement ever followed, but that will change this week.

Jeff Vernetti, ESPN 1380's promotions director/producer, said it's a done deal and the formal announcement will come Wednesday in St. Louis.

This figures to be a nice little coup for Southeast as far as getting some extensive exposure in the St. Louis area.

Vernetti's ties to Southeast no doubt played a major role in putting the Redhawks into the St. Louis market. He is a Southeast graduate and a former assistant sports information director at the university.

By the way, ESPN 1380 will use the local River Radio feed to broadcast Southeast football and men's basketball.

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Ohio Valley Conference football fans who can't wait to start getting their fix will have an opportunity to begin earlier than normal this year.

The OVC recently announced that, for the first time, fans will be able to tune in live as conference coaches address members of the media during a portion of the league's annual media day festivities Tuesday in Nashville, Tenn.

The event can be viewed from the OVC's Web site at www.ovcsports.com.

Fans will be able to view the media day program from approximately 8:30 a.m. to 9:15 a.m. The live portion of the program will feature brief comments from all nine OVC head football coaches and league commissioner Dr. Jon Steinbrecher.

In addition, users will be able to view taped footage of individual interviews with each of the league's nine head football coaches, beginning at approximately 5 p.m.

Fans can access the live videostream and taped interviews free of charge by logging on to the OVC Web site at www.ovcsports.com, then clicking on the football media day graphic and following the prompts to make the program appear.

As somebody who has covered various OVC media days for much of the past 20 years, I can honestly say that, while enjoyable, they're not overly stimulating.

But for you diehard fans, I say go for it and check things out.

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Speaking of football-related activities getting started, NFL training camps will all open in the next week -- and three of them will again feature Southeast products as they continue their professional careers.

Willie Ponder is entering his fourth season with the New York Giants, where the 2003 sixth-round draft pick has made his mark as one of the NFL's premier kick returners and served as a backup wide receiver.

Offensive lineman Eugene Amano, taken in the seventh round of the 2004 draft, will be in his third season with the Tennessee Titans. He has primarily been a backup, but has made a few starts.

Offensive lineman Dan Connolly, who was not drafted, nonetheless made the Jacksonville Jaguars' roster last season and is entering his second year with the squad. He was a backup as a rookie.

Here's wishing Ponder, Amano and Connolly -- a trio of classy young men -- continued success as NFL training camps begin.

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Best wishes to Scott Southard and his family as they leave Cape Girardeau for Pensacola, Fla., where he has accepted a job in private business.

Southard has been a Southeast assistant baseball coach the past seven seasons. That position pays little, so this move will not only be a major financial boost but will also get him back to his hometown.

Southard was a highly capable coach as well as a great guy, and he will be missed.

Marty Mishow is a sports writer for the Southeast Missourian.