Southeast Missouri State baseball team will host UALR for two-game series

The Southeast Missouri State baseball team will welcome an improved Arkansas-Little Rock squad to Cape Girardeau for a two-game series.

Southeast (6-10) and the Trojans (12-4) will square off at 3 p.m. today and Wednesday at Capaha Field.

UALR, which has had just one winning record over the past eight years, went 24-34 last season, including 10-20 in the Sun Belt Conference.

The Trojans are picked to finish last in the 10-team Sun Belt but haven't played like it so far.

"They're off to a very good start, and I'm sure they're excited about their club," Southeast coach Mark Hogan said. "There aren't many teams that have 12 wins already. They must be playing very well.

"We've got a tough nonconference schedule. I like the schedule and I like the way our guys are competing even though our record isn't what we'd like it to be."

The Trojans have won four of five on the road, including a three-game sweep of Ohio Valley Conference member Tennessee-Martin. UALR was 6-22 in road contests last season.

UALR, which has won seven of its last eight games, leads the Sun Belt in both batting average (.328), runs (158) and home runs (23).

The Trojans are averaging nearly 10 runs per game and have stolen 26 bases in 35 attempts. Their ERA is 5.28, which is ninth in the league.

Senior outfielder Sean Bignall is off to a monster start for UALR after hitting just .244 with two home runs and 15 RBIs in 205 at-bats last year.

Bignall leads the Sun Belt in home runs with nine and RBIs with 33. He also ranks second with a .444 batting average.

"They've put up some really good numbers," Hogan said about the Trojans.

Southeast dropped two of three over the weekend at defending Horizon League regular-season and tournament champion Wright State. The Redhawks have lost six of their last seven games.

All three contests at Wright State were close. Southeast won 10-7 while losing 2-0 and 6-5.

"I was encouraged by what I saw against a really good ballclub," Hogan said.

Southeast All-American senior third baseman Trenton Moses is the OVC's top hitter at .474 and has reached base safely in 37 consecutive games dating back to last year.

Senior shortstop Kenton Parmley isn't far behind.

Parmley is the conference's No. 3 hitter with a.435 average. He has a 23-game hitting streak and has reached base safely in 32 consecutive contests.

The Redhawks are batting .295, second-best in the 10-team OVC, and lead the league with 116 runs scored. They are averaging a little more than seven runs per game.

Southeast's 6.93 ERA is seventh in the OVC.