SE HOPES TO SHAKE BIG LOSS IN TOURNEY

Southeast Missouri State University's softball team probably doesn't rank as the favorite entering this weekend's Ohio Valley Conference Tournament in Cookeville, Tenn.

But the Otahkians certainly figure to be prime contenders in what likely shapes up as a three-horse race between regular-season champion Tennessee Tech, Southeast and Eastern Kentucky.

And coach Lana Richmond, despite an extremely disappointing loss to end the regular season, likes the way her squad stacks up entering the six-team event that begins today.

"Losing Tuesday (at Austin Peay to deny the Otahkians a share of the OVC regular-season title) was very disappointing," said Richmond. "But we've got to bounce back and get ready for the tournament.

"I feel like we've got a good chance. It's not going to be easy, but if we play well, we could definitely win it."

Unlike in the past few years, the champion of the double-elimination OVC tourney does not earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, but that squad would be favored to win an NCAA play-in series that it would host.

The six-team event begins today, with top-seeded, host Tennessee Tech (40-17, 17-4 OVC) and No. 2 seed Southeast (24-23, 16-5) earning important first-round byes.

Opening-round games, at 10 a.m., will match No. 3 Eastern Kentucky (37-15, 15-5) vs. No. 6 Austin Peay (13-40, 8-13) and No. 4 Eastern Illinois (12-32, 9-12) vs. No. 5 Tennessee State (13-24, 8-13).

At noon, the semifinals will feature Tennessee Tech against the Eastern Illinois-Tennessee State winner and Southeast against the Eastern Kentucky-Austin Peay winner.

The winner's bracket final will be at noon Saturday, with the championship game set for 4 p.m. If nobody finishes the tournament undefeated, then one more title contest would be played at 1 p.m. Sunday.

OVC champions

Richmond considers Tennessee Tech, which set a school record for victories, to be the tournament favorite, primarily because of an offense that leads the OVC with a .281 batting average. The Golden Eaglettes also have an impressive earned-run average of 1.37, which is second in the conference.

Eastern Kentucky has the OVC's top ERA at 1.25. Southeast's No. 3 mark of 2.92 is well behind the top two, but that figure took a hit early in the season when the Otahkians faced a brutal non-conference schedule.

"One through nine in the lineup, Tennessee Tech hits the ball extremely well," Richmond said. "I think the pitching and defense between Tennessee Tech, Eastern Kentucky and us are all about the same, but Tech is such a great hitting team and that gives them an edge.

"But I think it should be an excellent, wide-open tournament. The top three teams should have an edge, but some of the others have also been playing well."

Tennessee Tech has the OVC's leading hitter in Stephanie Dallmann (.454) and also the top pitcher in Adrienne Fortmann (24-9, 1.04 ERA).

Eastern Kentucky has the league's Nos. 2 through 4 pitchers in terms of ERA in Kristina Mahon (7-4, 1.09), Jonelle Csora (18-7, 1.10) and Jessica Soto (12-4, 1.59).

Southeast has the Nos. 3 and 7 hitters in the OVC in Renee Enos (.397) and Jenny Doehring (.323). Doehring leads the Otahkians in home runs with four and runs batted in with 26.

Doehring (15-8, 2.47) is also Southeast's pitching ace as she ranks sixth in the conference in ERA.

But both Enos and Doehring are hobbled by injuries, although they should be able to play. However, Enos is doubtful to be at her normal position of catcher because of a bad knee. If she can't catch, she'll be the Otahkians' designated player.