THE LATEST LINE: AREA BASEBALL SQUADS SHOOT FOR FINAL FOUR

Cape Girardeau Central, Notre Dame and St. Vincent, after having their state quarterfinal baseball games rained out Saturday, will refocus and attempt to reach the final four a day or two later than originally scheduled.

And the trio will enter their respective games cast in widely different roles.

Notre Dame will be the heavy favorite during Monday's Class 2A quarterfinal contest at Clearwater. The Bulldogs finished second in the state last year and returned most of the key players off that squad.

Not surprisingly, Notre Dame has been regarded as the state-title favorite virtually the entire season and so far the Bulldogs have more than lived up to that tag with a sparkling 21-4 record.

Cape Central will be the heavy underdog during Monday's Class 4A quarterfinal matchup against visiting Lafayette, which like Notre Dame is ranked first in its class and regarded as the favorite to capture the state crown.

The Tigers finished just one game above .500 last year and have not been mentioned much -- if at all -- in state-wide circles this entire season, but they have been solid all year and sport an impressive 21-7 mark.

As for St. Vincent, the Indians will be something of a mystery team during today's Class 1A quarterfinal contest at Winona. The Indians were 6-13 at one point this season and they are still just 13-13, so people outside the area must be wondering just how they've gotten this far.

But the Indians played a regular-season schedule filled with mostly larger schools, so their record is extremely deceptive. They appear to be a solid state contender, as Winona just might find out.

The Bulldogs, Tigers and Indians might have taken different paths to this point, but they are all shooting for the same goal -- a berth in the final four in Columbia.

Let's hope they get there.

* Because of Fred Abraham's decision to transfer, Southeast Missouri State University's men's basketball program still has one available scholarship.

The Indians could decide to save the scholarship for next year if nobody to their liking becomes available, but a transfer or two has reportedly looked into joining the SEMO program, and the scholarship could also be used in that direction.

Stay tuned.

* McDowell Capahas manager Jess Bolen told me that fans attending his team's games this summer will be in for the unusual treat of watching his players hit with wood bats.

According to Bolen, the Capahas will use wood instead of aluminum on many occasions this year in order to prepare for the National Baseball Congress World Series, at which only wood bats will be allowed.

* Cape Central graduate Talley Haines, who is in his third season as a pitcher in the Tampa Bay Devil Rays' organization, was recently moved up to the Class AA level.

Haines, a reliever, is now with the Orlando Rays of the Southern League.

* Thanks to SEMO sports information graduate assistant Jeff Vernetti and his sidekicks in the Capaha Field press box for all the information and help they provided me as I covered the baseball Indians this spring.

There was rarely a dull moment up in the press box, especially not with all the Seinfield jokes flying around. It sure was fun.

~Marty Mishow is a sports writer for the Southeast Missourian