NBC REGIONAL BEGINS WITH 'FINAL FOUR'; TOURNAMENT STARTS TONIGHT AT CAPAHA FIELD

The 1998 National Baseball Congress Mid-South Regional Tournament that opens tonight in Cape Girardeau might lack many of the big-name teams that have competed here in the past, but the stakes will be just as high.

On the line will be a berth in the prestigious NBC World Series in Wichita, Kan.

Four squads will square off in the double-elimination event that will run through Sunday.

The most notable squad missing from the tourney is O.B. Clark of St. Louis, a perennial NBC power that no longer fields a team. O.B. Clark and the host McDowell Capahas waged some classic battles in the Mid-South Regional over the past several years.

Another solid team that folded this year is Paducah, Ky., which competed in the last few Mid-South Regional events.

"To be honest, without O.B. Clark and Paducah and some other teams that have come here in the past, it's kind of hurt the tournament," said Capahas manager Jess Bolen. "But it's still a big tournament and we have to have one of these NBC qualifiers because it's pretty well gotten to the point where, if you don't win your league or tournament, it's hard to get a berth (in the NBC World Series). So it's really important to win this thing."

Bolen said the Capahas organization wanted to have more than four teams in the tournament but that didn't work out.

"We advertise it. We tell everybody we play during the season when the tournament is going to be held and everything, but a lot of the teams we play are in tournaments of their own," he said. "I would have liked to have had eight teams in it, but it didn't happen. I'm glad the teams that did get in it are coming."

The defending champion Capahas will play the tournament opener at 8 tonight when they take on Murphysboro, Ill., a first-year team.

Goreville, Ill. and Pine Bluff, Ark. -- two teams that competed in the Mid-South Regional last year but did not fare well -- will square off at 1 p.m. Saturday.

There will be two more games Saturday, an elimination contest at 4 p.m. and the winner's bracket final at 8 p.m.

Sunday action will feature the loser's bracket final at 1 p.m. and the championship game at 4 p.m.

There is no doubt the 17-7 Capahas enter the tournament as overwhelming favorites. They've won five regional titles in the 1990s and the other three teams in the field have a combined record of 16-33.

But Bolen said he learned a long time ago to take no team for granted.

"On paper, we should be a solid favorite," he said. "But I don't take anybody for granted. I don't assume we'll beat anybody. You run into a hot pitcher and all of a sudden that changes everything. We just go out there and play to win."

Despite the Capahas sporting a lofty .379 team batting average, Bolen said he is not all that satisfied with the way they have played so far this season.

"We're not playing as well as I'd like. We're not hitting as well as I'd really like," he said. "I know we have a big team batting average, but we're just not consistent like we were last year and we've got a lot of the same guys. But I do think our pitching is better."

Among players who have had at least 35 at-bats so far, the Capahas boast five averages of better than .400.

Darrick Smith leads the way at .475, followed by Steve Kress (.474), Tom Breuer (.455), Mike Miller (.446) and Shawn Pemberton (.414).

Above .300 are George White (.359), Robert Kern (.357), Julio Vega (.333), Tom Bolen (.314) and Lance Craft (.309).

Pemberton leads the way in home runs with 10 while Miller and Kern both have five. Pemberton and Miller are tied for the RBI lead with 30 each.

In the pitching department, Richie Phillips is expected to start tonight. He has a 4-2 record with a 2.46 earned-run average.

Bolen said he will chose among Danny Simpher (5-1, 4.31 ERA) and two top hurlers who only recently joined the squad -- Greg Budt and Kevin Vent -- as his second-game starter. Budt and Vent have allowed no earned runs so far in 12 combined innings.

Lanson DeBrock has been extremely solid out of the bullpen, with a 3-1 record and a 2.48 ERA.

NBC Mid-South Regional

At Capaha Field

Today's Schedule

8 p.m. -- Capahas vs. Murphysboro

Saturday's Schedule

1 p.m. -- Goreville vs. Pine Bluff

4 p.m. -- Elimination game

8 p.m. -- Winner's bracket final

Sunday's Schedule

1 p.m. -- Loser's bracket final

4 p.m. -- Championship