SE RESUMES ASSAULT ON RECORD BOOK AT BELMONT

As Southeast Missouri State University's baseball team prepares for a three-game non-conference series at Belmont this weekend, individual career milestones continue to fall for the Indians.

The Indians (17-5 overall, 4-1 Ohio Valley Conference) and Bruins (15-16) will square off in a 1 p.m. doubleheader today and a 1 p.m. single game Saturday.

Darin Kinsolving became the latest Southeast player to take over first place on the school's career records chart when he drew his 90th walk during last Sunday's win over Austin Peay.

Kinsolving, a senior first baseman/third baseman, now has 90 career walks, breaking the record of 89 set by Steve Williams from 1981-84.

Kinsolving is also steadily climbing the career home run list. Southeast's leader this season with nine long balls, the former East Prairie High School standout now has 41 homers to move into second place all-time. Williams is the career leader with 52.

Also, Jeremy Johnson will almost certainly become Southeast's career leader in at-bats today. The senior right fielder needs three at-bats to break Kyle Yount's record of 686, set from 1996-99.

Johnson is already Southeast's career leader in hits (241), runs scored (176) and doubles (59). The former Egyptian (Ill.) High School star will also soon become the Indians' all-time leader in games played. He has played in 184 contests and is just seven short of breaking Yount's record of 190.

In addition, Johnson is running neck-and-neck with Kinsolving in the battle for the career walks record. Johnson has 89 walks to trail his teammate by just one.

Johnson is also within striking distance this season of becoming Southeast's career leader in triples (he's three behind the leader), runs batted in (he's 19 behind) and stolen bases (he's 11 behind).

Meanwhile, senior Dan Huesgen continues to climb the career pitching charts.

Huesgen has moved up to fourth all-time in innings pitched (239 1/3) and is a virtual lock to finish second; he's eighth in strikeouts (182) and could finish as high as second; and he's fifth in wins (19) and will likely wind up at least third.

"Darin, Jeremy and Dan have had fantastic careers for us and they're deserving of everything they get," said Southeast coach Mark Hogan.

As for what the Indians are doing this season, seven regulars are hitting above .300 as Southeast carries a team batting average of .314, which ranks second in the OVC.

Leading the way is Johnson (.425), followed by Kinsolving (.360), Kevin Meyer (.357), Shane Allen (.349), Phil Warren (.329), Charlie Marino (.325) and Clemente Bonilla (.319). Warren is out for more than a month with a broken hand.

While Kinsolving leads the way with nine homers, Marino and Jeff Bourbon each have six and Johnson has five. Kinsolving leads in RBIs with 24 and Marino has 20.

In the pitching department, the Indians have an OVC-leading earned-run average of 3.57, paced by reliever Jeffrey Hilz (3-1, 2.13 ERA) and starter Lanson Debrock (5-2, 2.84 ERA).

Debrock will start today's second game. Huesgen (3-2, 3.58) will start the opener, with Tommy Thomas (3-0, 4.63) getting the nod Sunday.

Track squad hosts tri-meet

The Southeast track & field teams will have a home meet today when Murray State and Western Illinois visit the Abe Stuber Complex for a triangular.

Action will begin at 1 p.m. and the meet is scheduled to be over by 3:30.

"It should be an enjoyable meet and we encourage people to come out and watch," said Southeast coach Joey Haines. "We should have some real competitive events."

Today's meet will serve as something of a tuneup for next Saturday's annual All Sport Relays that Southeast will host.

"We've got about 12,13 teams coming in for that one and we should have a really good field," Haines said.

Softball hosts Tennessee Tech

The Southeast softball squad will play its first OVC home games of the season this weekend when Tennessee Tech visits for a three-game series.

Southeast and Tech will have a 2 p.m. doubleheader today, followed by a 2 p.m. single contest Sunday.

The Otahkians, gunning for their sixth straight OVC title, are just 9-12 overall, but Southeast has been battle-tested by a rugged pre-conference schedule. Southeast is 1-0 in OVC play.

Tech, 19-20 overall, will be opening its league season today.