Redhawks take OVC title quest to EKU

~ Southeast is tied for first entering the three-game series.

It has been several years since Southeast Missouri State entered the late stages of the regular season in the hunt for an Ohio Valley Conference championship.

But that's exactly where the Redhawks find themselves with three OVC series remaining, including this weekend's matchup at Eastern Kentucky.

The Redhawks (27-18, 12-6) and Colonels (19-22-1, 8-8) will play a noon doubleheader today and a noon single game Sunday.

Southeast is in a three-way tie for first place in the OVC. EKU is tied for fifth in the 10-team conference. The top six finishers qualify for the league tournament.

"It feels really good to know you have a shot to win the conference this late in the season," Southeast all-OVC senior second baseman Omar Padilla said.

For much of coach Mark Hogan's 13-year tenure at Southeast, the Redhawks have remained in the running for the OVC regular-season championship until late.

Southeast captured the 2002 OVC regular-season title and finished second six other times.

From 1998 through 2003, Southeast finished no worse than second in the conference.

But the past three years have not been as kind to the Redhawks, who tied for fourth in 2004 and 2005, and tied for sixth last season to earn the final spot in the league tournament.

"It's nice to be in this position. It's familiar territory for our program," said Hogan, who has led Southeast to a pair of OVC tournament titles and NCAA regional appearances.

"We have three tough series left, and six of our final nine conference games are on the road, so nothing will be easy," he said. "But it is very gratifying that we've bounced back after what was a pretty tough season for us last year."

Southeast had its worst overall and conference records under Hogan last season, going 23-33 and 11-16.

But some key returning players and an infusion of new talent -- a mixture of freshmen and junior college transfers -- have revitalized the program.

"It's great the way we've bounced back this year," said Padilla, who joined the Redhawks last season as a junior college transfer. "Last year was really disappointing, so it's a lot of fun to be contending for the championship."

Although the real reward in the OVC goes to the tournament winner -- it receives an NCAA regional berth -- the Redhawks would love to capture the program's second OVC regular-season title.

In addition, finishing either first or second means an important bye for the opening round of the conference tournament.

"We definitely want to win the [OVC] tournament, but winning the regular-season championship would be a great accomplishment for us," said Padilla, who leads the Redhawks with a .341 batting average, including .382 in league play. "To be in this position is really exciting."

Southeast, which has won five of its six OVC series so far, expects to have its hands full with an EKU team that is fighting to make the conference tournament and features one of the league's top pitchers.

"They're fighting for their life, so we know we'll get everything they've got," Hogan said.

EKU sophomore left-hander Christian Friedrich, the 2006 OVC rookie of the year and a member of several freshmen all-American teams, is just 3-2 but ranks third in the league with a 2.47 ERA.

Friedrich, who leads the OVC with 72 strikeouts -- he ranks 10th nationally with an average of nearly 12 strikeouts per nine innings -- has allowed 35 hits in 54 2/3 innings. His .180 opponents' batting average also tops the conference.

Friedrich fanned 10 Redhawks in six innings and allowed just one earned run during a win in Cape Girardeau last year. He went 10-2 with a 1.98 ERA as a freshman, averaging 13 strikeouts per nine innings.

"He's been dominant," Padilla said. "We'll have a big task against him."

The Colonels have the OVC's fourth-best ERA at 5.41, while the Redhawks are second at 4.57.

EKU is hitting .298 to tie for fourth in the league, while Southeast is ninth at .281, although the Redhawks are tied for the conference lead in home runs with 40 and have scored the second-most runs (309).

Top hitters for the Colonels are junior Lucas Waters (.398) and sophomore Matt Davis (.354).

Southeast junior right-hander Dustin Renfrow, slated to start today's opener, leads the OVC and ranks 21st nationally with a 1.91 ERA. He has a 4-1 record.