Season wrapup: Southeast Missouri State baseball team's late-season push provided valuable experience

The Southeast Missouri State baseball team overcame a horrendous start to salvage a measure of respectability in what could have been a disastrous season.

That has coach Mark Hogan optimistic about 2013 even though Southeast loses some elite talent from a squad that compiled the program's worst record (23-36) and worst Ohio Valley Conference finish (seventh) during Hogan's 18 seasons.

"For us to find ourselves in the second half [of the season] and make a great run ... we have a lot of reasons to be optimistic," Hogan said.

Hogan entered this season knowing the Redhawks might have their share of rough moments after they graduated 18 seniors from a second-place OVC club in 2011.

"Replacing what we had to replace, that's almost unheard of," Hogan said. "I've never had to go through anything like that before. It's just the way things worked out."

Southeast Missouri State's Dylan Lynn went 4-1 with a 5.90 ERA for the Redhawks. The junior college transfer moved into the starting rotation later in the season. (Fred Lynch)

An inexperienced squad that featured just six seniors along with 21 newcomers was last in the 10-team OVC at 3-9 after a month of the conference schedule. The Redhawks also were a dismal 8-24 overall at one point.

But Southeast rebounded, thanks largely to a pitching staff that had just one senior and struggled mightily during the Redhawks' rough start before coming on strong.

The Redhawks won nine of their final 15 league games to extend their OVC record of consecutive conference tournament appearances to 18. Southeast never has missed the tournament since Hogan took over at his alma mater.

And the Redhawks made a surprising run during the six-team event in Jackson, Tenn. They finished third despite being seeded sixth.

"From where we were at, to get into the conference tournament again and then to make a nice run in the tournament, it says a lot about our guys," said Hogan, Southeast's all-time winningest baseball coach who has led the Redhawks to nine seasons of 30 or more victories and two NCAA regional berths.

Southeast Missouri State pitcher Shae Simmons delivers during a game earlier this season at Capaha Field.

Hogan believes the experience the Redhawks gained during their late-season run and in the tournament will pay dividends heading into next year.

"We had so many pressure situations the last five, six weeks," he said. "Every game was almost like a playoff game. And you can't buy the growth experiences we had in the tournament."

Southeast's senior class wasn't big, but it represented many of the Redhawks' top players and their entire infield.

The list begins with All-American third baseman Trenton Moses, the two-time OVC player of the year, and second-team all-conference shortstop Kenton Parmley.

Moses led the OVC in batting average (.408) and home runs (19) while ranking among the top five in RBIs (61) and runs scored (58).

Southeast Missouri State outfielder Andy Lennington batted .289 with three homers and 32 RBIs during his redshirt freshman season.

Moses, an Advance High School graduate, led the nation in on-base percentage (.531) and slugging percentage (.761). He put together two of the best back-to-back seasons in program history.

Parmley, whose 47-game hitting streak tied for the third-longest in NCAA Division I history, broke several career school records. He was the OVC's fifth-leading batter (.363), tied Moses with 58 runs scored and was second on the squad with 13 homers.

"They've anchored our left side for four years," Hogan said. "The stuff they've done ... you don't replace guys like that."

Southeast's other four seniors -- first baseman Kody Campbell from Oran High School, catcher Jesse Tierney, second baseman Taylor Heon and relief pitcher Ryan Prickett -- also were major contributors.

Campbell was third on the team with eight homers and tied Parmley for third with 40 RBIs while batting a solid .280.

Southeast Missouri State senior third baseman Trenton Moses will be one of the biggest losses for the Redhawks. Moses, an Advance High School graduate, was named the Ohio Valley Conference player of the year after the last two seasons.

Prickett was second on the club with three saves and had a 2-1 record.

"It was a great senior group, and we're really going to miss them," Hogan said.

The six seniors might not be Southeast's only significant losses.

Hogan said he expects second-team all-OVC junior ace pitcher Shae Simmons to be selected in the upcoming amateur draft. If Simmons is drafted, Hogan said he will be surprised if the Scott City High School graduate doesn't sign and pass up his senior season.

Simmons (7-4) led the conference in strikeouts and tied for the league lead in wins during conference play.

Hogan is excited about a host of this season's rookie starters, led by first-team all-conference sophomore outfielder Derek Gibson and three OVC all-freshman selections: redshirt freshman outfielder Andy Lennington, redshirt freshman outfielder Jason Blum and true freshman DH Ryan Barnes.

Gibson ranked ninth in the conference with a .338 average. He was fourth on the Redhawks with seven homers and 38 RBIs.

Lennington, who also played several infield positions in addition to outfield, batted .289 with three homers and 32 RBIs. He could be a candidate to replace Parmley at shortstop.

Barnes, who batted .248, displayed power with four homers. Blum also hit .248, while sophomore outfielder Cole Bieser, another first-year starter, batted .238.

"We had some very good performances by some young guys," Hogan said. "Gibson had a tremendous season."

Southeast will return several other position players who saw various amounts of action, including true freshman Cody Spanberger. He hit .297 in 37 at-bats while also spending some time on the mound.

Hogan said several freshmen who redshirted this year could challenge for starting spots, including first baseman Bobby Clark from Jackson High School and middle infielder Andy Lack from Kennett, Mo.

Hogan believes his pitching staff should enter 2013 as a strength after being a major weakness until the final few weeks this year.

Junior college transfer Dylan Lynn (4-1) and true freshman left-hander Will Spitzfaden (2-2) were among late-season bright spots after being inserted into the starting rotation.

Sophomore left-hander Christian Hull became a dominant reliever after moving from a starting role midway through the campaign. He led Southeast with four saves and was 2-1 out of the bullpen after going 2-6 as a starter.

"The growth of the pitching staff the last five, six weeks ... it should be a strength for us," Hogan said.

With such a small senior class, Hogan said the Redhawks won't bring in a big number of newcomers, but he expects the group to provide immediate help. Southeast signed five players early and figures to add a few more.

"A few of them should start for us in the field and on the mound," he said.

Hogan will enter fall practice feeling like he knows a lot more about his 2013 team than he did this season's squad.

"We brought in 21 new players this year," Hogan said. "We won't have nearly that number. I'm excited to hopefully start off next year where we finished off this year."