Cape rides another runner-up showing to next tournament

After an improbable comeback run in last weekend's state tournament, the Cape Girardeau Pepsi Mid-America Senior Babe Ruth baseball team looks to turn its momentum into a World Series berth as the Midwest Plains regional tournament begins today at North County High School in Bonne Terre, Mo.

Cape, one of two teams from Missouri, will take on Nebraska in a 4 p.m. opening-round game of the eight-team, double-elimination event that concludes with a title game 10 a.m. Tuesday.

The winner of each of the eight regionals across the country will meet Aug. 10 to 18 in Neward, Ohio, for the national tournament.

The Cape Pepsi Mid-America team will need solid innings on the mound and some stingy defense in order to get that far, though.

"One thing I always tell them before they go out is that whoever commits the least amount of errors will usually come out as the winner," Cape coach Alan Wengert said. "If it's all coming together, and we don't commit any errors, we have a chance.

"I think all teams will have hitting and kids that can play out on the field, but it's going to come down to pitching. You have to have good pitching, inning in and inning out."

Unfortunately for Cape, the pitching staff will be one man short in the regional tournament. Brett Heischmidt, a regular starting pitcher and utility man, will not attend the tournament due to family obligations.

"It's not going to make us or break us, but it's going to be an impact," Wengert said. "We're going to miss him on the mound. He's a really good utility player and gives us some good at-bats."

Pepsi Mid-America has proven in the last week that it won't go down without a fight.

Cape couldn't hold on to a 10-4, seventh-inning lead in its opening-round, seven-inning loss to eventual champion Mineral Area in the state tournament. Pepsi Mid-America bounced back in the consolation bracket, however, winning four straight games before falling in the title game.

Despite the outcome of the championship, both Mineral Area and Cape advanced to the regional tournament. Mineral Area is the regional host and received an automatic bid, so Cape moved in as the Missouri representative.

A similar scenario landed Cape in the state tournament last week. Charleston, the Dexter Conference North Division champion and state tournament host, automatically was entered in the state contest. Consequently, Cape, which finished second in the division, also was included in the state tournament.

Although Pepsi Mid-America has needed a few breaks to get this far, Wengert believes luck hasn't been a factor. He thinks his team has earned the right to play for a regional title.

"We got some kids that can play," he said. "I think we belong. We got some kids that can pitch, some kids that are going to hit the ball and periodically show a little bit of power. We're going to hit the ball, and we can steal and run the bases.

"I really don't think it came down to any luck. We're playing some good ball, and it's a good time of year to be playing some good ball."

If Cape and Mineral Area both have the same outcomes in the opening round, the teams will meet in the second round. A first-round loss would result in an 3 p.m. consolation-bracket game Saturday, and a win means a second-round contest on Saturday at 8 p.m.

"The kids believe," Wengert said. "Everyone that comes up to the plate has a lot of confidence running right now. Win, lose or draw, each kid is going to give 110 percent, and they'll leave it all on the field."