Louisville is living up to overall No. 1 seed

Another exciting NCAA basketball tournament has just about reached its end.

After an early spate of upsets by unheralded, low-seeded teams, the Final Four featured three blue-blood, high-major programs from power conferences along with surprise qualifier Wichita State from the mid-major Missouri Valley Conference.

Louisville was the only No. 1 seed to make the Final Four, and the Cardinals have done nothing to dispute their claim as the tournament's overall top seed by reaching tonight's title game.

But it certainly wasn't easy.

After rolling into the semifinals without a close call, the Cardinals had a nail-biter Saturday. They trailed Wichita State much of the way before squeezing out a 72-68 win.

The Cardinals will face Michigan, which beat Syracuse 61-56 in Saturday's other semifinal.

Although Michigan wasn't necessarily expected to reach the championship game, you can't really say the Wolverines are a big surprise despite featuring one of the nation's youngest teams.

Louisville vs. Michigan looks like a terrific final on paper. I'll be surprised if the contest isn't hanging in the balance down the stretch.

I'll give a slight nod to Louisville, although I really don't have a rooting interest.

What I am rooting for is the great game I anticipate to put a fitting cap on the college hoops season.

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The Southeast Missouri State baseball team is having a solid season under first-year interim coach Steve Bieser despite losing most of its top players from 2012 and suffering some key injuries before the year even started.

Southeast, which has won five of its last six Ohio Valley Conference games, is 17-16 overall and 9-6 in OVC play. The Redhawks are fifth in the 11-team league halfway through their 30-game conference schedule, with the top six finishers qualifying for the OVC tournament.

Bieser, a Southeast assistant the previous two years and a former star player at the university, replaced the retired Mark Hogan.

Southeast plans to conduct a national search for Hogan's replacement after this season, and Bieser will have an opportunity to be a candidate for the permanent position.

I'll be surprised if the classy Bieser, who is very respected in the coaching community, doesn't end up being Hogan's permanent replacement.

I'm hoping that turns out to be the case because I believe Bieser deserves the job.

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Former Southeast football standout Edgar Jones recently re-signed with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Jones, a linebacker, spent his first season with the Chiefs last year. He primarily played on special teams, the role he has filled during his six NFL seasons, the first five of which were spent with the Baltimore Ravens.

Jones has seen action in 57 career NFL games, recording 39 tackles, one forced fumble and three fumble recoveries, including one returned for a touchdown. On defense, he has posted nine tackles and 1.5 sacks.

Jones originally entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2007 after earning first-team All-America honors for Southeast at defensive end.

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The Southeast football team, in its third week of spring practice, will hold its first scrimmage at noon Saturday at Houck Stadium.

Southeast also will scrimmage at noon April 20 before spring drills conclude with the Redhawks' annual spring game at noon April 27.

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Dave Loos recently announced his resignation after 16 seasons as the director of athletics at Austin Peay, where he will remain as the Governors' basketball coach.

Loos, who will continue as AD until a replacement is named, had been the only current person in Division I athletics to hold both jobs.

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Lennies McFerren was the recipient of the first Tom Hoover Lifetime Achievement Award at the recent 55th annual Poplar Bluff Letterman Club Banquet.

McFerren, who ranks among Missouri's all-time great high school basketball coaches, won nine state titles between stints at Charleston and New Madrid County Central.

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With the area high school spring sports season in full swing, it's worth noting that the Missouri state baseball playoffs are expanding for the first time in three decades.

The baseball playoffs will now feature five classes instead of four, the system's first expansion since the state went from three to four classes before the 1983 season.

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The annual Plaza Tire Capahas auction will be Saturday at the American Legion Hall in Cape Girardeau. Doors open at 9 a.m., and the auction begins at 9:30.

As usual, a variety of interesting and unique items will be available. All proceeds benefit the Capahas, among the nation's oldest amateur baseball teams.

For more information, call 979-1089.

Marty Mishow is a sports writer for the Southeast Missourian.