SE HOPES FOR SWEEP OF TECH

A sweep of Austin Peay last weekend at least kept Southeast Missouri State University's baseball team in the running for the Ohio Valley Conference regular-season title.

This weekend, a pair of series will determine if the Indians can continue to hold out OVC championship hopes.

The first order of business for the Indians is their own three-game set against Tennessee Tech that will close out Southeast's home schedule. The squads will have a 2 p.m. doubleheader today at Capaha Field, followed by a 2 p.m. single contest Sunday.

But Southeast must also hope for a little help from Morehead State, which will host league-leading Eastern Illinois.

The situation is this: Eastern Illinois (14-0) leads second-place Southeast (11-4) by 3 1/2 games. The teams close out the regular season next weekend with a three-game series in Charleston, Ill. For Southeast to have a chance to catch the Panthers, they must lose at least once to Morehead while the Indians must continue to win.

"We're kind of in the same boat as last week," said Southeast coach Mark Hogan, whose team is 30-14 overall. "We did what we needed to do last weekend. Now we need to do it again and we have to have a little help from Morehead.

"It would really be a lot of fun to go to Eastern the last weekend of the season with a chance (at winning the title). If Eastern does what they've done all year so far, we won't have a chance. And even if they lose a game, we're going to have our hands full with a very good Tennessee Tech ballclub."

Even if things don't work out for the Indians as far as capturing the OVC regular-season title, continuing to win is crucial for two reasons.

First, the Indians want to finish as high as possible in the league standings in order to gain the most advantageous seed for the conference tournament.

Second, Hogan believes the Indians would still be in the running for an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament if they don't gain the OVC's automatic berth by winning the league tourney.

"Our RPI (power rating that the NCAA uses to help make at-large selections) is better than it's ever been," Hogan said. "Beating Southwest Missouri really helped us and so did beating Mississippi. Playing teams like South Alabama and Oklahoma State also helped."

Southwest Missouri, which leads the Missouri Valley Conference has been receiving plenty of votes in the two major national polls. Mississippi is ranked ninth and 15th in the polls while South Alabama is 21st and 24th.

Tennessee Tech (23-24, 9-6) also has a lot on the line. While the Eagles, who are tied for third place with Murray State, have all but been eliminated from contention for the OVC championship, they could certainly make a strong push for second with a big series against Southeast.

While the Indians have the OVC's best earned-run average at an impressive 3.64, the Eagles are second at 5.00, led by the likes of Bubbie Buzachero (3-3, two saves, 3.73), Donnie Long (6-4, 3.79) and Jim Ed Warden (4-6, 3.92).

Offensively, the Eagles are toward the bottom of the OVC at .291. Their leading hitter is Ben Cunningham (.400).

"They're a solid team all around," said Hogan. "It should be a very interesting and entertaining series."

* Five Southeast seniors will be introduced on Senior Day this weekend.

Catcher Jeff Bourbon has been a four-year starter and ranks high on many of the school's record lists.

Two more seniors, both junior-college transfers two years ago, are starting pitcher Tommy Thomas and ace reliever Jeffrey Hilz.

Hilz was the OVC Rookie of the Year last year and is the Indians' ace reliever this season. Thomas was the Indians top returning starter this year and is also one of their primary hurlers this season.

First baseman Shane Allen has started for two years after transferring in from junior college.

The final senior is Delta High product Kenny Gaebler, who has mainly been a pinch-running specialist.