For some, baseball season never stops

Fall baseball has all but disappeared from the area high schools -- only Woodland still plays fall baseball among the Southeast Missourian's coverage area -- but boys ages 15 to 18 in the area have been taking advantage of the chance to play in the SEMO Fall Baseball League.

The league will crown its champion this weekend.

The SEMO league, which is not affilitated with any high schools, has grown each of the past two years after moving its home to Jackson's American Legion Field. The league features six teams, up from five last season, with players from Portageville up to Perryville.

"We've got a lot of kids from different areas on purpose," SEMO league director Paul Sander said. "We've tried to recruit them from other areas."

Three teams tied at the top of the standings heading into the final weekend. The Yankees, Braves and A's all sit at 6-2 heading into Saturday's pair of doubleheaders. The Yankees and A's will face off, while the Braves will play the Red Sox.

Last weekend the Yankees split a doubleheader with the Cardinals, thus putting them in a tie at the top. The Yankees took the first game 2-1 on a complete game from Chad Cook, only to lose the second game 6-4.

The closeness of the games is indicative of a league which has been fairly competitive despite the lack of practice for the teams.

"A lot of the kids play high school and summer ball for the most part," Sander said. "I don't know what the competition level is exactly, but it is competitive ball."

Win or lose, athletes looking to stay sharp on the diamond are guaranteed 10 games in the fall league. With so few options for many area boys in the way of high school fall sports -- football and cross country are the most common if offered -- the SEMO league is one of the few athletic outlets around.

"The kids that are playing aren't playing fall sports," Sander said. "If you don't play football, or cross country or soccer this gives you an outlet to play a fall activity.

"Our goal when we moved to Jackson [was] to get more kids playing and increase the interest," he added. "I think we'll get more kids every year in this age group."

ND rises in poll

Notre Dame Regional High School moved into a tie for fourth place in the latest Class 2 top 10 soccer poll released by the Missouri State Soccer Coaches Association.

The Bulldogs (15-2-3) are tied with Lee's Summit West. Priory is ranked first, followed by Duchesne and Trinity.

Central remained in sixth in the Class 3 top 15 poll. The Tigers are just five points behind fifth-ranked Vianney. St. Louis area schools take up the top five spots, with Chaminade ranked first, followed by SLUH and CBC.

The Tigers are 18-2-1 this season including a 12-game winning streak.

Lueders honored again

Saxony Lutheran senior Lauren Lueders made the preseason high school girls basketball All-America honoroble mention list in Street & Smith's College Basketball preview for the second straight year.

Lueders is one of six players from Missouri on the Midwest listing, which includes players who do not make one of the magazine's six All-America teams.

She has made a commitment to attend Vanderbilt University, which has made the NCAA tourament field 16 of the past 17 years.

Lueders next month will begin her senior season with the Saxony Lutheran boys varsity basketball team.