Power surge - Slow-starting Hoffman finds his stroke

It had been a rocky season for Southeast Missouri State University junior Eric Hoffman for a variety of reasons, including a lack of consistent playing time and a bum right knee.

But Hoffman broke out in a big way over the weekend, belting four home runs and going 7-for-14 with seven runs batted in during the Indians' three-game Ohio Valley Conference sweep at Morehead State.

Hoffman and the Indians (21-23, 11-9 OVC) will look to keep things going tonight when Arkansas State (24-23, 5-13 Sun Belt Conference) visits Capaha Field for a 6 p.m. non-league game. Southeast rallied from a six-run, eighth-inning deficit to beat ASU 12-9 on Feb. 25 in Jonesboro, Ark.

"I got in a groove and it felt good," Hoffman said of his weekend performance. "Hopefully I can keep it up."

Hoffman, who splits his time between first base and designated hitter, has started just 25 of the Indians' 44 games. His average was mired in the low .200 range for much of the season, but he's recently gotten more playing time and, after his huge weekend, is now batting .267. He is tied with Freddy Lopez for the team lead in home runs with seven and has 21 RBIs in just 90 at-bats.

Of his early struggles, Hoffman said, "Playing time might be it, because it's kind of tough with inconsistent at-bats. But I wasn't producing, so it's partly my fault. If I had been, I would have stayed in the lineup."

As for his injury, which has been diagnosed as a torn patella tendon, Hoffman said he has had bad knees since high school -- he has already had surgery on his left knee -- and might ultimately have to forgo his senior season next year if the right knee does not improve.

"I'll take this summer off and hopefully it'll get better," said Hoffman, from St. Charles, Mo. "It's a constant thing. I have to ice my knee down twice a day. If it doesn't get better, I probably won't play next year. I'll have to wait and see."

Hoffman did his damage over the weekend at Morehead State's friendly park that measures 350 feet to dead center and 335 feet to the right-center alley -- not that the powerful 6-foot-1, 215-pound left-handed swinger needs much help when he connects.

"I hit them pretty good," Hoffman said with a laugh. "Probably three of the four would have been out at Capaha."

Hoffman is the only player left from Southeast's 2002 team that won the OVC title and recorded the program's first-ever NCAA Division I regional victory, stunning Alabama on the Crimson Tide's home field.

Hoffman started 52 games as a freshman that year, batting .235 with four homers and 34 RBIs. Two of his homers came in the regional tournament, when he batted .333.

"I hate to be nostalgic, but I tell the guys a lot what it was like to play in the regional and how great it would be for us to do it again," he said.

Hoffman, who last year started 19 games while batting .242 with two homers and 12 RBIs in 66 at-bats, believes it's not too late for the up-and-down Indians -- featuring virtually a brand-new roster from last season -- to turn things around and make a push toward a regional berth, which goes to the OVC tournament winner. Southeast has moved into a fourth-place tie among 10 OVC teams with six league games left.

"A lot of people have counted us out, but I feel like we can get on a roll going into the tournament, and we have a good enough team to win it," he said. "It's just a matter of finding the right chemistry, but we can be really good."