Hopkins carries a lot of clout with Indians

Indian outfielder has six home runs in his last eight games.

By Marty Mishow ~ Southeast Missourian

Brian Hopkins had a solid junior season for Southeast Missouri State University's baseball team last year, batting better than .300 as a fixture in left field.

But Hopkins has stepped up his performance in a big way this season as he leads the Indians (18-13, 4-4 Ohio Valley Conference) in hitting and home runs entering today's non-league game at Kansas State (12-25, 2-13 Big 12 Conference).

The powerfully built Hopkins, who is from New Brighton, Minn., is batting .380 with nine homers and 32 runs batted in, the latter figure second on the team behind senior shortstop Zach Borowiak, who has 36 RBIs. Hopkins' 11 doubles also rank second on the Indians behind Borowiak's 13 and he is tied for the team lead in triples with two.

Hopkins has been especially lethal recently as he has belted six homers in his last eight games.

"I'm happening to see the ball good right now," Hopkins said.

Last year Hopkins batted .317 with seven homers and 34 RBIs., and his 12 stolen bases were second on the squad. As a sophomore, the transfer from Iowa Central Community College hit .256 with six homers and 21 RBIs.

"The year of experience has really helped me, plus I'm swinging at better pitches now," Hopkins said.

A modest player

Hopkins is not one to sing his own praises too much. Southeast coach Mark Hogan, however, doesn't hold back when talking about the kind of season his senior slugger is having.

"Brian has matured real well and he's having a king-sized year for us," Hogan said. "I think the extra year of maturity has really helped him."

Like most baseball players, Hopkins -- who is majoring in business -- would like a shot at playing professionally and Hogan believes he just might receive that opportunity.

"The only thing the scouts question is his arm but he does a lot of things well," Hogan said.

Although the Indians have hit a recent skid that saw them lose five of seven games after previously recording a school-record 14-game winning streak, Hopkins believes the Indians have the potential to be even better than last year's team, which won OVC regular-season and tournament titles and posted the program's first NCAA Division I Tournament victory.

"We know we're better than last year," Hopkins said. "We've struggled some the last few games, but I think we can finish the season really strong."

Seniors stand out

Hopkins is one of several Southeast seniors having strong seasons. Borowiak, in addition to his 13 doubles and 36 RBIs, is batting .355 with seven homers. Borowiak is a four-year starter.

Justin Christian, a second baseman who will have only one year in the program after transferring from Auburn, is hitting .355 with six homers and 26 RBIs. He also has a team-high 10 stolen bases.

While Christian and Borowiak rank second and third on the team in hitting, third baseman Denver Stuckey -- also a four-year starter -- is fifth at .304.

Designated hitter David Lawson has shaken off a miserable start -- he began the season 0-for-20 -- to raise his average to .282, with four homers and 19 RBIs.

Southeast's sixth senior starter, catcher Tristen McDonald, has struggled much of the season and is batting just .274. Somewhat amazingly, he has not yet homered and has just 11 RBIs. A year ago, McDonald led the Indians in homers with 10 while ranking second in average (.353) and RBIs (52).

"It's been a tough year for Tristen so far but I still think he'll get hot and finish strong," Hogan said. "He's too good a player not to."

Yet another senior is the Indians' top pitcher and a heavy favorite to win the OVC's Pitcher of the Year award. Left-hander Tim Alvarez is 9-2 with a 1.89 earned-run average.

The final Southeast senior, right-handed pitcher James Beever, is 0-4 with a 7.22 ERA but he has a team-high three saves.

One more senior, right-hander Donnie Fuller, was expected to be one of the Indians' top starters but he suffered a shoulder injury early in the season that will likely keep him out the remainder of the campaign.

Next 11 on road

The Indians have just one more home series, that being May 10-11 against OVC rival Morehead State. Southeast's next 11 games will be on the road, including a two-game series at Kansas State which opens today at 7 p.m.

Kansas State, last in the Big 12 Conference, will visit Capaha Field for a series next year.

"All the road games coming up will be a challenge for us, but if you want to be a really good club, you have to play well on the road," Hogan said. "We're under .500 on the road right now and we need to improve that."

Southeast is 7-10 away from home and 12-3 at Capaha Field.

Following the Kansas State series, the Indians visit OVC leader Austin Peay this weekend for a three-game set. The Governors are 5-2-1 in league play. Southeast is in fifth place in the eight-team conference, with Murray State, Tennessee Tech and Eastern Kentucky all tied for second at 5-3.

"We're right in the hunt. We pretty much have our own destiny in front of us," Hogan said, referring to the OVC race.