Southeast's task- Slow the Colonels

Forget Eastern Kentucky's suspect non-conference schedule -- Southeast Missouri State University coach Mark Hogan says the Colonels are for real.

"I picked them to be No. 1 in our league," Hogan said. "They will be one of the best teams we've played. Statistically they will be the best club."

The Indians (18-21, 8-7) and Colonels (26-9, 8-7) begin a three-game Ohio Valley Conference series at Capaha Field with today's 1 p.m. doubleheader. There will also be a 1 p.m. Sunday contest. The squads are tied for fifth in the 10-team OVC.

EKU has compiled some eye-popping offensive numbers so far, built in part during an 18-2 non-conference run that did not exactly feature a murderer's row of opponents. In fact, the Colonels' non-league schedule was ranked as one of the nation's weakest.

The Colonels lead the nation with a .384 batting average and they are also first in runs scored with 10.5 per game.

All nine EKU regulars are hitting at least .350, led by Stephen Carter (.441), Jonathan Woodard (.439), Chris O'Dell (.423) and Brett Bolger (.415). Those figures rank eighth, ninth, 21st and 27th nationally. Carter, Woodard, O'Dell, Bolger and Chris Clark (.392) hold down the second through sixth spots in OVC batting.

O'Dell is tied for first in the OVC in home runs with 10; Carter is first in the conference and 10th nationally in stolen bases (21 of 24); and All-American Neil Sellers -- hitting "only" .350 -- leads the league and ranks 17th in the nation with 48 RBIs. Woodard is second in RBIs with 38. Sellers is also first in the OVC in runs scored with 44.

EKU also leads the league in earned run average (4.24) and fielding percentage (.965). Top starters Chris Grider (6-2, 2.22) and Scott Goetz (4-0, 3.16) rank first and fifth in conference ERA.

"You don't put up those kind of numbers, no matter who you're playing, if you're not good," Hogan said. "They'll be a very formidable opponent."

Southeast, which faced one of the nation's toughest non-league schedules, is fourth in the OVC in batting average (.293), fifth in ERA (5.81) and eighth in fielding percentage (.945).

Top hitters for the Indians are freshman Brent Lawson (.358), Eric Horstman (.353), Ernie Bracamonte (.353), Freddy Lopez (.339) and Frankie Montiel (.325).

Horstman is tied for third in the league in runs scored (41) and tied for first in triples (4). Bracamonte is tied for third in RBIs (35), Lopez is tied for fifth in homers (7) and Montiel is tied for fourth in doubles (14).

Derek Herbig (3-3, 3.98), scheduled to start today's second game, is seventh in conference ERA while leading in strikeouts per nine innings (12.2) and opponents' batting average (.227). Herbig ranks eighth nationally in strikeouts per nine innings. Closer Brad Smith leads the league in saves with six.