Redhawks get second in OVC baseball poll

~ Southeast placed six players on the preseason all-OVC team

Southeast Missouri State baseball coach Mark Hogan expected the Redhawks to rank among the favorites for the 2011 Ohio Valley Conference championship.

That became official Tuesday with the announcement of the OVC preseason poll. Southeast was picked second in the nine-team league based on voting by the OVC coaches.

"I thought we would be based on the guys we've got back," Hogan said. "I thought it would be somewhere toward the top.

"Last year we had so many new guys, we were really an unknown. We won't be a surprise this year."

The Redhawks entered last year facing plenty of question marks and were picked seventh in the OVC preseason poll.

Southeast surprised a lot of people by going 30-25 and finishing fourth. The Redhawks qualified for the six-team OVC tournament for the 16th straight year under Hogan, a league record.

Hogan, who is entering his 17th season at his alma mater, has led Southeast to at least 30 victories eight times. He is the winningest coach in program history.

The experienced Redhawks, who lost just four players from a year ago, including All-American catcher Jim Klocke, return eight position starters and 10 pitchers among 26 letter winners.

"I feel good going into the season," said Hogan, whose squad opens Feb. 18 at Louisiana-Lafayette. "I'm real pleased with what the guys have done so far."

Southeast placed a league-high six players on the 14-player preseason all-OVC team, including two returning first-team all-league selections in senior utility player Casey Jones and sophomore pitcher Shae Simmons from Scott City.

Jones batted .398 with 10 home runs, 15 doubles and 66 RBIs last year.

Simmons, the 2010 OVC freshman of the year and a freshman All-American, went 3-3 with five saves, a 3.30 ERA and 43 strikeouts in 39 1/3 innings.

Junior shortstop Kenton Parmley was a second-team all-OVC pick in 2010. He hit .380 with a school-record 67 runs scored, 11 homers, 42 RBIs and 12 stolen bases.

Senior outfielder Louie Haseltine, also second-team all-OVC, hit .325 with 17 homers, 14 doubles and 56 RBIs.

Senior outfielder Michael Adamson, another second-team all-OVC selection, had a school-record 92 hits. He batted .388 with six homers, 23 doubles and 49 RBIs.

Starting pitcher Jordan Underwood rounds out the preseason all-OVC players. The senior left-hander went 6-5 with a 4.11 ERA.

Defending OVC tournament champion Jacksonville State is the preseason favorite in a close vote despite not having a preseason all-conference selection.

The Gamecocks received four first-place votes and 59 points, just ahead of Southeast. The Redhawks nabbed three first-place votes and 55 points.

Defending OVC regular-season champion Tennessee Tech was a close third with the remaining two first-place votes and 54 points.

"It's well deserved for both of those clubs," Hogan said about Jacksonville State and Tennessee Tech.

Eastern Illinois (36 points) was picked fourth, followed by Eastern Kentucky (33), Murray State (28), Austin Peay (25), Morehead State (19) and Tennessee-Martin (10).