OVC will provide its annual football forecast today

The Southeast Missouri State football team will learn today what the rest of the Ohio Valley Conference thinks of the Redhawks' outlook for the 2013 season.

The OVC's preseason poll and all-conference squad will be announced during media day in Nashville, Tenn., with voting done by the league's coaches and sports information directors.

Virtually every publication I've seen so far has Southeast predicted to finish toward the bottom of the nine-team OVC, generally seventh or eighth. I expect the same today. That is not a surprise considering the Redhawks are coming off consecutive seventh-place OVC finishes consisting of identical 3-8 overall records and 2-6 conference marks.

Of course, the Redhawks know first-hand that preseason predictions don't mean anything. If they did, then their historic 2010 season never would have taken place.

Remember 2010? I know it seems like a long time ago, especially since Southeast has not been able to build off that success, but those Redhawks, after being picked to finish toward the bottom of the OVC -- like most of Southeast's squads -- instead won the program's first OVC title and gained the program's first playoff berth on any level.

Who knows if the Redhawks have something like that in store this season, but if they do it will be a huge surprise considering they must replace 23 seniors, many of whom ranked among the team's top players.

What today's predictions really mean is that the 2012 season is just around the corner.

Southeast players report to fall camp Aug. 4. And after that it's only a few weeks until the Aug. 29 season opener at Southeastern Louisiana.

I'm ready for some football -- how about you?

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Former Southeast and Advance High School standout Trenton Moses has gotten going following a slow start after he was promoted to a higher level of professional baseball.

Moses, in his second season with the Atlanta Braves organization, recently was moved up to the Lynchburg (Va.) Hillcats -- the Braves' highest Class A team.

Moses was promoted from the Braves' other Class A squad, the Rome (Ga.) Braves. The first baseman -- he was moved from third base several weeks ago -- was batting a team-high .364 with two home runs, 11 doubles and 16 RBIs at Rome despite missing the first several weeks with a hand injury.

Through 23 games with the Hillcats, Moses is batting .280 (23 for 82) with one homer, eight doubles and 15 RBIs. That's a considerable improvement after his average was hovering around the .200 mark a short time ago. And he belted his first home run for the Hillcats Saturday.

Moses was drafted in the 26th round by Atlanta a year ago after an All-American career at Southeast.

Scott City High School graduate Shae Simmons, a former Southeast star pitcher, continues to shine during his second professional season.

Simmons, who participated in last month's South Atlantic League All-Star Game, leads the league with 22 saves as the closer at Rome.

The right-hander, who was drafted in the 22nd round by Atlanta last year, has an 0-1 record and a 1.66 ERA. He has allowed 24 hits, walked 14 and struck out 59 over 38 innings.

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Area baseball fans only have one more opportunity to watch the Plaza Tire Capahas perform in Cape Girardeau this summer.

The Capahas play their final home game -- and last regular-season contest -- Tuesday when Fairview Heights, Ill., visits Capaha Field for a 7:30 p.m. first pitch.

If the Capahas win, they will assure themselves of carrying their remarkable home winning streak into next year.

The Capahas have won 45 straight home games. Their last loss at Capaha Field came on June 11 of 2011.

Also, the Capahas have learned who their opening opponent will be in their 32nd straight appearance at the National Baseball Congress World Series in Wichita, Kan.

Plaza Tire will face the Kansas Alumni at 7 p.m. Saturday. Win or lose, they'll play again Sunday in the 32-team, double-elimination event.

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There should be plenty of talent on hand at Whitey Herzog Stadium this week when the Jackson Post 158 Senior American Legion baseball team hosts the Zone 4 tournament.

Five squads, including Jackson -- which rolled to its second straight District 14 tournament title over the weekend -- and District 14 tournament runner-up Dunklin County will compete in a double-elimination format for a berth in next week's state tournament.

Action begins at 11 a.m. Thursday with the first of three games that day. There also will be three games Friday, with the championship set for Saturday. An if-necessary title contest would be played Sunday.

Area baseball fans are fortunate that the zone tournament is being contested in Cape Girardeau County for the fourth straight summer. Cape Girardeau Ford and Sons Post 63 hosted the event the previous three years.

Marty Mishow is a sports writer for the Southeast Missourian.