Seniors Birk, Lair have fared better this season

Jamie Birk and Suzi Lair had offensive statistics last season they would just as soon forget.

But they've bounced back in a big way this year, turning in performances at the plate that figure to hold plenty of fond memories.

Birk and Lair are two of seven Southeast seniors who will close out the home portion of their college careers this weekend when the Otahkians (14-29, 9-9 Ohio Valley Conference) host first-place Eastern Kentucky (34-14, 17-4) in a three-game series.

There will be a 1 p.m. doubleheader today and 1 p.m. single game Sunday as the Otahkians -- in sixth place among 10 OVC teams -- hope to continue solidifying their status in the conference tournament. The top six finishers qualify.

"Your seniors are always special and hopefully we can send them out with some success in their last home games," Southeast coach Lana Richmond said.

Birk and Lair have had impressive turnaround seasons after hitting just .144 and .174, respectively, as juniors.

Birk, a native of Huntinginton Beach, Calif., who joined the Otahkians as a sophomore after playing one season in junior college, is third on the squad with a .321 average. The utility player is tied for the team lead in home runs with two and is first in runs batted in with 18.

"I struggled last year and I'm very pleased with my season this year," Birk said.

Lair, a second baseman who hails from Springfield, Ill., and transferred to Southeast last year after two seasons of junior college ball, is fourth on the Otahkians with a .301 average and ranks third in doubles with seven.

"It's nice to be hitting well in my senior season," Lair said.

Birk and Lair had no magical revelations regarding their improved offensive numbers.

"I don't know, I guess it's because I know it's my last year," Birk said. "It must be the mental part. Hitting is so much mental."

Said Lair: "I didn't get that many at-bats last year. I think the difference is just more playing time, and probably more experience."

Birk has teamed with her younger sister Kelly to form quite a tandem this season. Kelly, a junior right fielder/pitcher who came to Southeast with Jamie, is Southeast's top hitter at .338 -- she also leads in doubles with 16 and has 17 RBIs -- and has also pitched much better than her 4-10 record indicates. Her earned run average is 2.01.

"It's been a lot of fun playing with her," Jamie Birk said. "I'll miss it, but we'll still play together in the summer."

Southeast's other seniors have also largely made solid contributions.

First baseman Alana Bagby-Leonard, from Riverside, Calif., has overcome serious migraine headaches that caused her to miss several week of the season and is hitting .258 with a homer and 15 RBIs. The junior college transfer batted .281 last year and led the Otahkians in homers with six, which placed her third in the OVC.

Pitcher Jessica Hunter, from Benton, Ill., has only a 2-8 record but a 2.30 ERA. The junior college transfer was Southeast's most effective hurler last season, going 7-10 with a 2.44 ERA.

Shortstop Amy Murphy, from Harrisburg, Ill., is hitting just .198 but has started all 41 games. Last year, the junior college transfer played the outfield and batted .241.

The Otahkians' final two seniors have seen limited action.

Jackson High School product Stacey DeClue, primarily a pinch runner, does not have an official at-bat but she has appeared in 24 games and scored eight runs. During her first two Southeast seasons, DeClue was 4-for-11 (.364), scored 11 times and stole six bases.

Amy Thompson, from St. Louis, has played in just eight games and is hitless in eight at-bats. She started 19 games during her first three seasons at Southeast.

One other senior, Marie Coode, has missed the entire season with an injury, but she will also be honored Sunday during senior day activities.