Double trouble

Don't look for Frankie Montiel's name to show up on any lists of leading home run hitters. He's not that type of player.

But if you're looking for a guy who blisters line drives into the gaps and cruises into second base, then Montiel fits the bill.

Montiel, Southeast Missouri State's junior center fielder in his first year with the Indians, ranked seventh nationally in doubles per game in the latest NCAA Division I statistics. His 20 doubles are tied for second on the school's single-season list, behind only the 25 hit by Kevin Meyer in 2000.

"I've always hit a lot of doubles, because I hit the ball hard and hit it on the line," said the good-natured Montiel with a laugh. "I've always been told you should hit more home runs as strong as you are, but I just don't hit a lot of fly balls and I don't get a lot of backspin on the ball. I just hit a lot of line drives."

The Arizona native will look to continue his line-drive trend this week as the Indians (26-26, 15-11) compete in the Ohio Valley Conference tournament beginning Wednesday in Paducah, Ky.

Southeast finished tied for fourth place among 10 squads and is the fifth seed for the six-team event. The Indians, who have won eight of their last 11 games, open play at 11 a.m. Wednesday against second-seeded Eastern Illinois (25-28, 17-9).

"We've started to play better late in the season and we have high hopes going into the tournament," Montiel said.

Montiel, one of many newcomers on a Southeast roster that was gutted by graduation last year, is not just making a name for himself with doubles. He is second on the squad in batting average (.346), runs batted in (38) and triples (three) while ranking third in runs scored (36) and stolen bases (four, in five attempts). He also leads in slugging percentage (.559).

In addition, Montiel has played an impressive center field with just four errors -- and most of them came early in the season when he joined the lineup after missing the first few games following elbow surgery.

"I don't know, for some reason or other I had four errors early in the season, which is not like me at all. I think they all came within probably a two-week span," said Montiel, who for the record has four homers, including two over the weekend during Southeast's final regular-season series at Tennessee-Martin. "But overall I think I've had an okay season, a decent season."

Southeast coach Mark Hogan knows that Montiel has had more than just a decent season.

"Frankie has stepped in and had a very good season, especially for a first-year player," Hogan said. "He's a very good outfielder, a tremendous athlete, and I don't think anybody on our team hits the ball harder."

Montiel, solidly built at 5-feet-11 and 203 pounds, had planned to go to Nicholls (La.) State following a standout career at Chandler Gilbert (Ariz.) Community College -- until two junior college opponents who had already signed with Southeast helped change his mind.

"I was actually recruited here by Freddy Lopez and Bo Jenkins," said Montiel, referring to the Indians' first baseman and second baseman from Central Arizona College. "They played on our big rival juco, and we were all at a friend's house one night hanging out. They asked me where I was going to school and I told them I had verbally agreed to Nicholls State.

"They got excited when they heard I hadn't signed yet and said SEMO was looking for another outfielder. Coach Hogan gave me a call the next morning, said he'd talked to my coaches and coaches around the league and had gotten really good reports on me. I decided to go there, especially after I saw the kind of schedule they were playing."

Montiel is part of an Arizona junior college connection at Southeast. Shortstop Ernie Bracamonte, Montiel's former juco teammate and current roommate, leads the Indians with 47 RBIs, is tied for second in homers with seven and is third in batting at .340.

"Me and Ernie have been buddies for quite a while," said Montiel, who has no complaints with his overall time at Southeast so far. "I'm very happy I came here. It's been a heck of an experience so far, with the weather in Missouri being so different and the team struggling for a while.

"But now I think we're playing really good and I think we can beat anybody in the tournament."

Especially if Montiel keeps sending line-drive doubles all over the park.Noteworthy

In addition to Montiel, two other Southeast players appeared in the most recent national statistical rankings.

Junior right-hander Brad Smith was tied for 12th with 10 saves. He has already set the school's single-season saves record and tied the career mark despite being in his first season. And Smith is just two away from the single-season OVC record for saves. Smith, whose 28 appearances are tied for the single-season school record, also leads the league with a 2.10 earned-run average.

Sophomore left-hander Derek Herbig was 19th in strikeouts per nine innings at 11.4. Herbig has fanned 72 in 56 1/3 innings.

Junior left fielder Eric Horstman, another junior college transfer, is also moving up the school's single-season charts. His 18 doubles are tied for ninth and just one away from a third-place tie; his five triples are tied for fourth; and his 74 hits are tied for sixth.

Horstman leads the Indians in batting average (.359), runs scored (54), hits and triples.