CENTRAL'S HAINES SIGNS TO PLAY BASEBALL AT SEMO

Talley Haines said he felt no undue pressure to stay at home and attend Southeast Missouri State University.

But you can bet his father felt a bit of extra pride Tuesday when the recent Cape Girardeau Central High School graduate signed a letter of intent to play baseball for Southeast.

Joey Haines, Talley's father, is the head track and field coach and also an assistant athletic director at Southeast.

"I know my dad would have liked me to go to SEMO," said Haines. "But he left it up to me. He said it was my decision and to do what made me happy."

Haines, a righthanded pitcher, said he considered attending college out of town before deciding on Southeast.

"I'm sure my dad was happy," he said with a grin, then added, "I've grown up watching SEMO games and reading about them, not just baseball. With my dad coaching there, I've been around SEMO sports quite a bit."

Haines, who plans to major in education, said he has been extremely impressed with the progress of Southeast's baseball program since head coach Mark Hogan took over last season. The Indians won 32 games to set a school record in Hogan's first campaign.

"The program is starting to come around and do a lot of things," Haines said. "They really had a good season this year."

The 6-foot-5, 175-pound Haines played both basketball and baseball for Central's Tigers. As a junior, he was the winning pitcher in the Class 4A state championship game as Central captured the title. Haines compiled a 6-1 record as a junior and a 6-2 mark as a senior.

"Being the winning pitcher in the state championship game has to be my biggest highlight at Central," he said. "That's something I'll never forget."

Haines was also a key pitcher last summer for the Cape Girardeau Ford & Sons American Legion team that won the Missouri state championship and finished second in the Central Plains Regional in Rapid City, S.D.

"Winning two state titles in one year is something not many people can say they've done," said Haines.

Hogan is certainly happy to have Haines in the fold. He becomes the third Central High product to sign with Southeast in the past several weeks, joining infielder Lance Craft, another 1995 Central graduate, and infielder Steve Goodman, a 1988 Central graduate who spent four years in the military and played this past season for Shawnee (Ill). Community College.

"Talley will be a great addition to our program and we're excited to have him," said Hogan. "He has unlimited potential and I think his best pitching days are ahead of him.

"He already has the height and good tone already and it's just a matter of when he fills out. He knows how to pitch. A lot of guys can throw, but he really uses his head."

Haines, certainly on the thin side, says gaining weight and strength will be a top priority in the future.

"I eat a lot but I just can't gain weight," said a laughing Haines. "I plan to lift a lot of weights in the summer and fall because I know I need to get bigger."

Haines gives plenty of credit to his high school and American Legion coaches, along with his mother and father.

"Coach (Steve) Williams, (Bob) Coons and (Chris) Stanfield at Central have really helped me a lot, and so have my Legion coaches, Doc (Yallaly), Coach (Jay) Crosnoe, (Bill) Bohnert and (Don) Hopper," he said. "I also owe a lot to my parents because they've always supported me."