OTAHKIANS EYE NCAA BERTH

For the second straight season, Southeast Missouri State University's softball team is on the verge of earning its first NCAA Division I Tournament berth.

This time, the Otahkians are hoping their NCAA play-in series takes on a different look.

The Otahkians left Wednesday for Chicago, where they will face DePaul in a best-two-out-of-three play-in series that will determine an NCAA tourney berth. The teams will play a 3 p.m. doubleheader today. If a third contest is needed, it will be played at 3 p.m. Friday.

Southeast also qualified for the NCAA play-in last year after winning the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament. But the Otahkians were blanked twice at Troy State, 3-0 and 1-0.

"We went down there last year and just didn't get the job done offensively," said Southeast coach Lana Richmond. "Hitting is usually what it all boils down to in games like this. There usually are not many runs, that's why it's really important to execute."

Last year's squad that won 32 straight games to start the season was an experienced unit, with six senior starters. But Richmond said this year's extremely young team is especially loose and relaxed and there are just enough veterans to remember what happened at Troy State.

"Last year were went to Troy kind of tight, but I think this team is really relaxed, even though they're really young," she said. "I think last year's experience will help. My entire pitching staff was there and three or four other players received a lot of playing time. They still feel the effects on Troy."

The Otahkians, who are 33-21, will start a lineup today that features four freshmen, two sophomores and no seniors.

Leading the way offensively for the squad has been OVC Player of the Year Kim Palmer, whose .412 batting average was best in the league, as were her 41 runs batted in. The junior center fielder is also tied for the team lead in home runs with five.

Junior right fielder Chris Shetley has also had a big-time season with a .346 average and a team-high 17 doubles. She is tied with Palmer for the home run lead with five.

The third Otahkian batting over .300 is sophomore shortstop Jenny Oermann (.322). As a team, Southeast hits .293.

Rounding out the starting lineup today will be freshman third baseman Tami Hebert (.288), freshman first baseman Leanne Gryncewicz (.284), sophomore left fielder Anne Wilson (.283), freshman second baseman Michelle Frank (.282), junior catcher Kendra Williams (.279, 30 RBIs) and freshman designated player Josie Earnest (.246).

Sophomore Erin Frazier (.231) has platooned most of the season with Frank at second base while freshman Melissa Thornton (.217) has been platooning with Wilson in left field. Freshman Jeni Gaines (.232) has also received quite a bit of playing time.

In the pitching department -- where Southeast returned everybody from last season -- sophomores Christine Engelhardt (11-4, 1.23 earned-run average) and Debbie Schmelz (14-10, 1.77) and senior Sara Reichert (8-7, 3.67) have done all the work.

Richmond said Engelhardt and Schmelz will likely start today's games, with Reichert ready in relief.

Palmer, Shetley, Oermann and Engelhardt were named to the All-OVC first team this year while Williams and Hebert earned second-team honors. Williams was the MVP of the league tournament as she joined Palmer, Schmelz and Gryncewicz on the all-tourney squad.

DePaul, the Mid-Continent Conference champion, figures to pose a rugged challenge for the Otahkians. The Blue Demons are 36-13 and have won 29 of their last 33 games, including 11 straight.

The Blue Demons have a team batting average of .347 and eight of their nine regulars hit over .300, led by leadoff batter Erin Hickey at .430. She also has stolen 29 bases in 32 attempts. Liza Brown is hitting .401 with 10 homers and 51 RBIs.

Leading the pitching staff is Nichole Terpstra, who is 18-5 with a 1.21 ERA. She has struck out 120 and walked 18 in 150 innings. Julie Luna is 11-2 with an 0.85 ERA.

"They have a top pitcher who is really good and a very good leadoff batter," Richmond said. "I think the key for us will be to keep their leadoff hitter off the bases."