Redhawks baseball needs to right ship to extend streak

The Southeast Missouri State baseball team, 15 games under .500 more than halfway through the season, will find it difficult to avoid a rare losing record under 18th-year coach Mark Hogan.

But the Redhawks still have plenty of time to move up the Ohio Valley Conference standings and extend their OVC record of 17 consecutive conference tournament appearances.

Southeast, 9-24 overall and a last-place 2-7 in the 10-team OVC, needs to finish at least sixth to make the tournament.

That still is a realistic possibility for the Redhawks with 18 conference games remaining, but they certainly will have to improve their level of play in several areas -- most notably pitching.

The Redhawks' OVC record might not be quite as bad as it seems because they already have played what appear to be three of the conference's better squads in Austin Peay, Eastern Illinois and Eastern Kentucky.

They have dropped all three conference series so far, including two at home.

The bottom line is that the Redhawks need to begin winning some OVC series. The three-game set that begins Friday at Morehead State would be a good place to start.

---

Jackson High School senior John Meyer plans to sign this week to play basketball for Three Rivers Community College in Poplar Bluff, Mo.

I happened to cover some of the 6-foot-9 Meyer's better games this year, and every time I watched him play I saw plenty of potential.

I'm glad that Meyer will continue his basketball career on the junior college level under legendary coach Gene Bess because I believe Meyer has a shot at becoming a Division I player.

By going to TRCC, instead of to a lower-level four-year program, he keeps his Division I dream alive.

I think the juco route also would be a good move for Central 6-6 senior T.J. Tisdell, who I believe could develop into a D-I player.

I haven't heard where Tisdell plans to continue his hoops career, and he might not have made a decision yet.

---

Former Southeast men's basketball assistant Keno Davis was hired last week as the new coach at Central Michigan.

Davis was the Associated Press national coach of the year in 2008 during his only season at Drake.

Davis then went to Providence, where he coached three seasons before being fired last year after going 8-28 in Big East Conference play during his final two campaigns.

Davis replaces Ernie Ziegler, who was fired last month following consecutive 21-loss seasons.

Davis received his first Division I coaching opportunity when he was hired as part of Gary Garner's inaugural staff at Southeast before the 1997-98 season. He spent six years under Garner.

---

Another ex-Southeast men's basketball assistant also has a new job. Chris Lowery joined the staff at Kansas State last week.

Lowery, who spent 2000-01 at Southeast, recently was fired as SIU Carbondale's coach. He's reunited at Kansas State with Bruce Weber, his former boss at SIU who was recently fired by Illinois.

---

Jay Spoonhour, a finalist for the Southeast men's basketball coaching position before Scott Edgar was hired, is the new coach at Eastern Illinois.

Spoonhour, who has been the coach at Moberly Area Community College in Missouri, replaces the fired Mike Miller.

---

Another OVC men's basketball program is in the market for a coach after Tennessee State's John Cooper left to take the same position at Miami of Ohio.

Cooper led the Tigers to a 20-13 record this year, including an upset of Murray State and a berth in the OVC tournament title game.

Cooper replaces longtime Miami coach Charlie Coales, who retired at the end of this past season

---

It won't be easy for Murray State to win a fourth consecutive OVC regular-season men's basketball title. The Racers lost several key players from this year's 31-2 team.

But the Racers' task became more manageable with last week's announcement that star guard Isaiah Canaan will return for his senior season instead of declaring for the NBA draft.

Canaan stood a chance of being drafted in the first round, but more than likely he was looking at a second-round selection.

---

Happy belated 70th birthday to local baseball legend Jess Bolen, who hit that magic number Tuesday (I did remember to give him birthday wishes in person that day at a Southeast baseball game).

Bolen, a member of the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame, will soon begin his 46th season as manager of the Plaza Tire Capahas.

Marty Mishow is a sports writer for the Southeast Missourian.