Southeast Missouri State players draw OVC baseball honors

~ Southeast will host Hannibal-LaGrange for a two-game series

By MARTY MISHOW

Southeast Missourian

Southeast Missouri State baseball players shared the Ohio Valley Conference's two weekly awards announced Monday.

All-American senior third baseman Trenton Moses, an Advance graduate, is the conference's co-player of the week. Junior Shae Simmons, a Scott City graduate, is the league's co-pitcher of the week.

Moses, the reigning OVC player of the year and the preseason choice to repeat, hit .538 (7 for 13) in four games last week as Southeast went 3-1. He extended his hitting streak to 18 games and streak of reaching base safely to 27 contests dating back to last season.

Moses had two home runs, two doubles and nine RBIs while scoring six runs. He slugged 1.154 and had an on-base percentage of .684.

Moses opened the week by hitting a three-run game-winning homer in the eighth inning as Southeast beat Harris-Stowe 8-6 on Tuesday, then capped the week with six RBIs as Southeast routed IPFW 26-7 on Sunday.

Simmons worked six innings and had a career-high nine strikeouts during Saturday's 6-4 loss to IPFW. He allowed just one hit and no runs while walking three. He did not figure into the decision.

Moses, Simmons and the rest of the Redhawks will look to climb above the .500 mark when Hannibal-LaGrange visits for a two-game series. Southeast (3-4) and the Trojans (0-3) will square off at 3 p.m. today and 2 p.m. Wednesday at Capaha Field.

"We just want to keep playing as much as we can. That's what this club needs more than anything," said Southeast coach Mark Hogan, whose squad is four contests into an 11-game homestand. "We're a work in progress with a lot of young players."

Southeast is coming off Sunday's mauling of IPFW, which allowed the Redhawks to take two of three in the series.

The Redhawks scored the second-most runs in a game in program history, just missing out on the record of 27 set by the 2007 squad against NAIA Freed-Hardeman.

Southeast raised its batting average 36 points, to .316, thanks to Sunday's 18-hit attack that featured seven doubles and three home runs.

Moses leads the way with a .440 mark, followed by redshirt freshman Andy Lennington at .412. Lennington has played a variety of positions so far.

Moses and senior first baseman Kody Campbell from Oran, Mo., are deadlocked for the team lead in home runs with two apiece. Moses also leads in RBIs with 10, followed by Lennington with eight.

Sophomore center fielder Cole Bieser, third on the club with a .370 average, is first with nine runs scored and three doubles.

Hannibal-LaGrange, an NAIA program from Hannibal, Mo., opened its season over the weekend, dropping three games at Lyon College. The Trojans were outscored 18-8.

The Trojans went 26-29 and finished fifth in the seven-team American Midwest Conference with a 9-15 record last year.

Southeast will host Illinois State from the Missouri Valley Conference for a four-game set Friday through Sunday, including a Saturday doubleheader.