OVC's top team visits Redhawks for series

The Southeast Missouri State baseball team will try to get well this weekend against the Ohio Valley Conference leader.

If the Redhawks don't, they'll be fighting for their postseason lives for the remainder of the year.

While Southeast coach Mark Hogan doesn't see the situation as quite that dire, he also doesn't try to underscore the importance of the home series with Samford.

Southeast and the Bulldogs from Birmingham, Ala., will have a 1 p.m. doubleheader today and a 1 p.m. contest Sunday.

Samford (22-12, 9-2) leads the 10-team OVC, while Southeast (14-15, 5-5) is in sixth place. The Redhawks have suffered a season-high five straight losses.

The top six finishers make the OVC tournament.

"Every weekend is important. We've got 15 [conference] games left, so we're not in a must-win situation," Hogan said. "But we don't need to go backward any more.

"We've lost five in a row and we have to get it going again. I still believe in our club. We've got good personnel and our guys are working hard. I'm confident we'll get it turned around."

Although Southeast has struggled in several areas during its losing streak, pitching has been at the top of the list.

The Redhawks have allowed 59 hits and 43 runs in the past five games. Their team ERA has risen to 5.31 — sixth in the OVC — and in conference play only two teams have a worse ERA than Southeast's 6.78.

"We're kind of going through a spell in a lot of areas," Hogan said. "Offensively we've started off several games where we've jumped out to a good lead, but we haven't added to it."

During Southeast's most recent loss, 5-4 at Southern Illinois on Tuesday, the Redhawks led 4-0 after four innings but were blanked the rest of the way.

In Southeast's most recent OVC series, at Jacksonville State last weekend, the Redhawks led game one 6-1 after 1 1/2 innings and game two 4-0 after 2 1/2 innings.

The Redhawks dropped the opener 16-6, as they failed to score over the final seven innings. They lost the third game 10-7 as they scored three runs over the final six innings. Southeast was swept in the series.

Hogan said he again will tweak his pitching rotation for this weekend's series.

Senior Dustin Renfrow (3-2, 3.40 ERA) is scheduled to start today's nine-inning opener, with junior James Leigh (5-1, 4.38) going in the seven-inning nightcap.

Sophomore Josh Syberg (0-3, 5.85) is slated to work Sunday's nine-inning series finale.

Renfrow, Southeast's top starter the past two years, has been held back from working the opener of conference series this season in case he is needed to close out the contest. He instead has started the second game in OVC series.

Renfrow hasn't been called upon in relief during Southeast's opening four OVC series, so Hogan will turn to his top statistical starter first today in hopes of ending the losing streak.

Leigh, who has started all four of Southeast's OVC series openers, has struggled after a strong first month to the season that saw him rank among the national ERA leaders.

Syberg, like Renfrow a member of last year's conference rotation, was replaced for last Sunday's series finale at Jacksonville State by senior Ivan Nails, who was knocked out early.

Hogan knows the Redhawks will have to be at the top of their game when they meet Samford, which has been among the league's biggest surprises so far this season.

After losing several key players from last year's team that finished fourth in the OVC at 14-13 (32-28 overall), the Bulldogs were picked fifth in the league's preseason poll, right behind No. 4 Southeast.

But the Bulldogs, who added several transfers from major programs, have won nine of their first 11 conference games, including last weekend's series sweep of defending OVC champion Austin Peay.

"They lost some guys from last year, but obviously they've rebounded well," Hogan said. "We felt they'd be solid and so far they've played great."

The Bulldogs are led by one of the OVC's most exciting players in slick-fielding junior shortstop Michael Marseco, already a two-time first-team all-league pick.

Marseco, who is listed at 5 foot 9 and 132 pounds, is the OVC's No. 4 hitter with a .385 average. He also has two home runs, three triples, seven doubles and 30 RBIs.

"It all starts with him," Hogan said of Marseco. "He's having a nice year, and so are some other guys."

Senior outfielder Michael Rutledge, who played the past three seasons at Mississippi State, is the OVC's No. 6 hitter at .379. He is second in doubles with 13 and third in RBIs with 37.

Samford is second in the OVC with a .305 batting average and ranks third with a 4.69 ERA.

The Bulldogs' stats are better in conference play as they are hitting .329 and have a 3.63 ERA to rank second in both categories.

Defensively, the Bulldogs have struggled. They are second-to-last in both errors (58) and fielding percentage (.955).

Samford's starting rotation this weekend is expected to consist of three players in their first year with the program.

Jonathan Stephens (5-0, 2.51) and Michael Jarry (1-2, 5.11) are junior college transfers, while Trent Hill (4-2, 3.49) is a transfer from Mississippi State. Stephens has the OVC's third-best ERA.

"They're hitting over .300 and they're pitching well," Hogan said. "They pretty much have it all working."

Samford has struggled on the road, where the Bulldogs are 5-9 compared to 17-2 at home.

Southeast has not been impressive at home, with an 8-8 mark at Capaha Field.

The Redhawks carry a .283 batting average to rank fourth in the OVC, but they are hitting .326 in league play to rank third. Southeast leads the conference with 37 home runs.

Defensively, Southeast has been solid all season. The Redhawks have a league-low 32 errors and a league-best .969 fielding percentage.

Sophomore catcher Jim Klocke is the OVC's No. 7 hitter at .374, while junior outfielder Tyrell Cummings ranks among the league's top first-year players.

Cummings, a junior college transfer, is tied for the OVC lead with nine homers and 40 RBIs. He is tied for fourth with 11 doubles and carries a .336 batting average.

Also hitting above .300 for the Redhawks are junior first baseman Matt Wagner (.319), sophomore shortstop Nick Harris (.319) and junior outfielder Justin Wheeler (.303).

Wagner is tied for third in the OVC with seven homers and Harris is right behind with six, including a league-high four in conference games.

Noteworthy

• Kohlfeld Distributing and Health Facilities Rehab are today's game sponsors, providing free food and beverages.