SEMO CONFERENCE CHRISTENS TOURNAMENT THIS WEEKEND

Call it high school baseball's version of the University High Christmas Basketball Tournament.

Nine baseball teams, including most of the area's finest, will converge on Cape Girardeau today, Saturday and Monday in the inaugural SEMO Baseball Conference Tournament.

Of the 13 tournament games, 11 will be played at Southeast Missouri's premier ballpark, Capaha Field. One game will be held at Cape Central's field and the other will be held at Notre Dame.

The weather is supposed to be nice and the admission is free.

"I think it's going to be a great weekend," Cape Central coach Steve Williams said. "For years, we would have the Big 8 Tournament this weekend and that was good to us, but we think this will be even better. This is a great chance for people to come out and see some good baseball."

Tournament play will begin at 4 p.m. today with games at Central and Notre Dame High Schools. The first game at Capaha Field will be held at 4:30. Five games will be played at Capaha on Saturday, with the championship game being played at 7:45 p.m. Monday.

The nine teams were seeded solely based on their conference record to date.

Sikeston, which started out the season with 10 straight wins but has struggled lately, got the first seed with a 7-0 conference mark. Chaffee got the two seed, followed by Cape Central, Notre Dame, Jackson, Poplar Bluff, Dexter, Kelly and Scott City.

None of the first-round games are locks and the field appears fairly balanced.

If Kelly could somehow get past Scott City in a play-in game without using ace Justin Simpher, the eighth-seeded Hawks could give No. 1 Bulldogs a serious challenge. Simpher is easily one of the top two hurlers in the tournament.

"You just don't know what you're going to get," Williams said. "You wonder who is going to hold who out for the next round. That's what should make it interesting for fans. There won't be a bunch of routs. I think there'll be a bunch of hard-fought games."

Chaffee probably has the best one-two pitching punch in the tournament with ace Matt Stroup and G.P. Glueck. If the Red Devils could get by Dexter in the first round without using either one, they'll be tough to beat in the winner's bracket. The Red Devils' only loss was to Cape Central in their season opener. Given Sikeston's recent slide and the way the Red Devils have dominated this season, the smallest school in the tournament could be considered the favorite.

Central struggled early, but has played better recently. Jason Chavez has proven he can shut down teams on the mound and the Tigers have some pitching depth with Justin Welker and Jay Pierce. The Tigers also have a powerful lineup. But all facets of their game have been inconsistent this year.

"We're playing a lot better now," Williams said. "We've got a good chance. A number of teams can get into the finals and win it. It all depends on who pitches."

Notre Dame, which beat Cape Central earlier this year, will be playing without three of its best players. Shortstop John O'Rourke, center fielder Todd Friend and third baseman Shane Kistner -- all three have batted in the top third of the batting order this year -- were involved in an automobile accident and are still recovering from injuries. Without those big bats, the Bulldogs will have to get the best pitching of the year from Scott Eftink, Scott Wittenborn and Timmy Wencewicz.

SEMO Baseball Conference Tournament

Today's games

(All games at Capaha Field unless noted)

No. 8 Kelly vs. No. 9 Scott City, 4 p.m. *

No. 3 Cape Central vs. No. 6 Poplar Bluff, 4 p.m. **

No. 2 Chaffee vs. No. 7 Dexter, 4:30 p.m.

No. 4 Notre Dame vs. No. 5 Jackson, 6:30 p.m.

No. 1 Sikeston vs. Kelly-Scott City winner, 8:30 p.m.

Saturday's games

Consolation play-in game, 10 a.m.

Consolation semifinals, 12:15 p.m., 2:30 p.m.

Winners semifinals, 5, 7:30 p.m.

Monday's games

Consolation championship, 3:30 p.m.

Third-place game, 5:30 p.m.

Championship game, 7:45 p.m.

* At Cape Central High

* At Notre Dame High