SIKESTON'S WORRY-FREE ACE BLANKS NOTRE DAME

When he secured a college scholarship, a burden was lifted from Brent Self's shoulders.

Now all he has to worry about is making himself a burden for opponents with his arm.

Self, Sikeston High's senior ace who will play at Three Rivers Community College next season, shut out Notre Dame 6-0 on Tuesday in both teams' season opener.

In six innings (the game was shortened because of darkness) Self, a right-hander, mixed a nice fastball and biting slider and struck out 14 batters. He looked particularly dominating in the third inning, when he fanned four straight -- Notre Dame's No. 1 through No. 4 hitters (one batter reached on a dropped third strike).

"It's taken all the pressure off me since I've already signed for college," Self said. "I was a little bit worried to see how I would come out, but once I got out here and started throwing I knew I'd be alright. I wouldn't say I'm really surprised, but I am a little bit."

Kevin Self, Brent's uncle and Sikeston's coach, wasn't all that surprised that his nephew fared so well so early in the season. The coach said the game was a continuation of last season, which ended in the district tournament in a game in which Brent struck out 16 Farmington Knights.

"Brent threw extremely, extremely well," Kevin Self said. "I'm proud of him and I know he's looking forward to a good year. He's relaxed; he's got a scholarship out of the way."

Brent Self allowed Notre Dame four hits and walked four. He also went 3-for-4 at the plate -- a single, a double and a triple -- and scored two runs.

Sikeston, which went 12-8 last season, scored a run in the first inning on Mark Silverthorn's single. In the third frame, shortstop Clay Hooper, who also has signed with Three Rivers, drilled a two-run home run.

Sikeston's Doug Wiles had an RBI single in the fourth inning and pinch hitter Justin Wibbenmeyer hit a solo homer in the sixth. Self followed with a triple and was driven in by Hooper.

Notre Dame's Ryan LeGrand, a senior who went 4-0 last year with a 0.91 ERA, went the distance. He allowed seven hits, struck out nine and walked four.

"I thought Ryan threw decent," said Notre Dame coach Gregg Muench. "But he was a little bit wild. He rarely got ahead of a hitter; the first pitch was usually a ball. Ryan will throw much better games than that.

"We didn't really play the way I felt we could. It's frustrating because we left so many men on base, but the fact that we had men on base bodes well for us later on if we can find somebody that will drive some runs in."

Notre Dame, which is ranked No. 7 in Missouri Class 2A and went 22-4 last season, left the bases loaded in the third and fourth innings. In the fourth, the Bulldogs filled the bases with one out but came up empty.