Southeast alums play lead roles in Frontier All-Star game

Wednesday's Frontier League All-Star game in Washington, Pa., will have a significant Southeast Missouri State flavor.

Because the Gateway Grizzlies from Sauget, Ill., had the best first-half record in the West Division, their coaching staff earned the right to coach the West Division All-Stars.

Which means former Southeast baseball standout Phil Warren will manage the West after also managing the West All-Stars in 2007.

And fellow former Southeast baseball star Zach Borowiak, the Grizzlies' hitting coach, will join Warren in the West dugout.

Warren, in his seventh season as manager of the independent baseball team after a standout playing career for the Grizzlies, played at Southeast from 1997 through 2000.

Borowiak played at Southeast from 2000 through 2003 and later spent several seasons in the Boston Red Sox minor league organization.

Borowiak holds the distinction of being Southeast's highest baseball draft choice during the university's Division I era, being taken in the 14th round in 2003.

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A Southeast graduate who ranks among the most rabid fans for all Redhawks sports teams is thrilled to be back in closer proximity to Southeast athletic events.

Brian Roth, a Chester, Ill., native who graduated from Southeast in 2000, now resides in St. Louis after spending the past six years in Kansas City, Mo.

Roth was instrumental in helping bring professional soccer back to St. Louis with the re-incarnation of the St. Louis Ambush of the Major Indoor Soccer League. The Ambush recently were announced at a press conference at their home venue, the Family Arena in St. Charles, Mo.

Roth is the director of ticket sales for the Ambush after working in Kansas City the last six years, first with the KC Wizards/Sporting KC of Major League Soccer and then the Missouri Comets of the MISL. 

Before his move to KC in December of 2007, Roth was a regular fixture at Southeast sporting events and was the public address announcer for the Redhawks soccer and football teams for several years. He also covered the Redhawks for KBDZ/KSGM Radio in Perryville/Ste. Genenevieve/Chester, Ill., from 1997 through 2007. 

Roth has been a big volunteer for Southeast over the years, organizing soccer and basketball camps, coaches caravans and exhibition games for the women's soccer team indoors at Scottrade Center. In fact, the first time soccer coach Heather Nelson's team played indoors was before a St. Louis Ambush game at Scottrade Center in the spring of 2000.

Roth tells me that he had a lot of fun in Kansas City but he's really happy to finally be back to the St. Louis area, which will make it much easier for him to get down to Cape Girardeau for Southeast sports events.

By the way, area soccer fans who might be interested in attending some of the Ambush games can find information on the team's website at www.stlouisambush.com

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My recent visit to southern California to spend time with my brother and his family featured a special treat.

The Cardinals happened to be playing a series against the Angels in Anaheim, which is just minutes from where my brother lives.

Since we grew up in St. Louis and have been lifelong Cardinals fans, it was a no-brainer that we took in two contests of the three-game series.

Unfortunately, we watched the two Cardinals' losses, a ho-hum 5-1 defeat in which the Angels scored all their runs in the second inning and a thrilling 6-5 decision that saw the Angels score three times in the bottom of the ninth.

For Cardinals fans who are still bitter about Albert Pujols' defection -- don't count us among them -- they were no doubt thrilled that Pujols had only one hit in the series, although his single started the ninth-inning rally in the 6-5 win.

Even though we didn't see a Cardinals victory, we still had a great time at the games.

And while the Angels continue to flounder toward the bottom of the American League West Division, the Cardinals continue to be prime contenders in the National League Central.

And what a race the NL Central is shaping up to be, with the Cardinals, Pirates and Reds all looking like they'll be in the thick of things until the end in what has turned out to be -- based on records at the top -- arguably baseball's best division.

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The area summer baseball postseason is heating up, with several big tournaments scheduled for this week.

Dunklin County is hosting the District 14 Senior American Legion tournament. Jackson, the defending champion, will host next week's Zone 4 tournament so if the team wins the district tourney, then the runner-up also earns a zone berth.

Jackson's Junior American Legion squad, fresh off rolling to last week's District 14 tournament title, will participate in the Zone 4 tournament in Festus, Mo.

And the Charleston Fighting Squirrels, who are coached by Central High School graduate Michael Minner and who are loaded with talent generally not seen on area Babe Ruth squads, will host the Senior Babe Ruth state tournament at Hillhouse Park.

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The Plaza Tire Capahas' recent reunion game to benefit St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn., raised $1,974.

Congratulations to everybody involved.

Marty Mishow is a sports writer for the Southeast Missourian.