SEMO TRAVELS TO MURRAY FOR WEEKEND SERIES

Southeast Missouri State University's baseball team will trot three red-hot pitchers out to the mound this weekend when the Indians visit Murray State for a crucial Ohio Valley Conference series.

Ryan Spille, Dan Huesgen and Chad Bogenpohl have given the Indians quite a triple threat in recent weeks. And, coupled with a sizzling offense, they've been a big reason why Southeast has vaulted to the top of the OVC standings.

"They've really been pitching well," said Southeast coach Mark Hogan.

Hogan hopes the trio can keep it up against Murray State. The squads will have a 2 p.m. doubleheader today and a 1 p.m. single game Sunday.

The Indians enter the weekend in first place in the OVC -- but just barely. Southeast, 23-22 overall, is 12-5 in league play. The Indians and 14-7 Eastern Illinois are virtually tied for the top spot, although Southeast does lead the Panthers by percentage points. Austin Peay is just a game back at 11-6.

Southeast will face a Murray State squad that is 26-21 overall but just 9-9 in OVC play after a strong start. The Racers lost all three games to Middle Tennessee last weekend.

"They've been struggling some, but they're going to be a tough ballclub," said Hogan. "We'll have our hands full but we've been playing well and I've got a lot of confidence in our ballclub."

The Indians have won six straight OVC games and eight of their last nine. That starting pitching trio has been a big part of the hot stretch.

Spille is 10-1 with a 3.29 earned-run average as the 1998 OVC Pitcher of the Year has picked up right where he left off last season. The senior left-hander is 21-3 in his Southeast career that is not even two seasons old yet.

Those 21 wins are tied for third on the school's all-time list, tied with Brian Harper with 21 and behind Jason Swearingen with 27 and Lee Lummus with 28. And Spille's 205 strikeouts rank third in school history, behind only Harper with 209 and Trae Hastings with 239.

"Spille has just been unbelievable the last two years," Hogan said.

Huesgen is 6-4 with a 3.35 ERA. The junior right-hander has a streak of 21 straight scoreless innings, during which he threw consecutive shutouts before being lifted after five scoreless innings of last Sunday's 19-1 romp past Morehead State.

"Huesgen has been untouchable his last few outings," said Hogan. "He's really throwing well."

Bogenpohl is 3-1 with a 3.29 ERA. The senior right-hander has had three straight big-time performances since being moved into the starting rotation.

"Bogie has really come on," Hogan said. "He's given us a big lift as that third starter for the Sunday games."

Spille, Huesgen and Bogenpohl are the major reasons why the Indians lead the OVC in team ERA at 4.84. No other Southeast hurler has an ERA of less than 5.40.

As for the Indians' offense, they've moved up to third in OVC team batting at .308. And that's after being mired toward the bottom of the league for most of the early part of the season.

Southeast's power numbers have improved dramatically in recent weeks as the Indians now have a highly respectable total of 48 home runs compared to 34 for the opposition.

Darin Kinsolving's 11 homers lead the Indians and rank among the tops in the OVC. The junior now has 29 career home runs, putting him third all-time at Southeast, behind Danny Patterson with 40 and Steve Williams with 52.

Jeremy Johnson, the OVC's leading hitter at .423, has eight homers and he leads the Indians in runs batted in with 39. Kinsolving has 34 RBIs.

Murray State's top hitter is Todd Fox at .366. Robert Weatherly has 11 homers and 40 RBIs while Dan Loyd -- a former quarterback for the football Racers -- has 45 RBIs.