THE LATEST LINE; EARTHQUAKE SET TO RUMBLE ONCE AGAIN IN THE CFL

Southeast Missouri State University's all-time leading rusher is ready to once again wreak havoc on the defenses of the Canadian Football League.

Kelvin "Earthquake" Anderson is about to enter his fourth season in the CFL as he and the Calgary Stampeders begin the 1999 campaign Wednesday against Saskatchewan.

The fleet-footed Anderson has made his mark as one of the CFL's top running backs ever since he burst on to the Canadian scene in 1996. That year, the New Madrid County Central High School product was named the CFL's Most Outstanding Rookie.

And he hasn't let up. Anderson has quickly climbed up Calgary's career rushing charts with 1,000-yard seasons in each of his first three years in the CFL.

Last season, Anderson gained 1,088 yards on the ground, added 31 receptions and scored 10 touchdowns in helping lead the Stampeders to the CFL's title game. He then rushed for 105 yards in that Grey Cup contest as Calgary prevailed.

Following last season, Anderson entertained thoughts about trying his hand in the NFL -- he nearly made the Seattle Seahawks roster in 1995 following his brilliant Southeast career -- but ultimately re-signed with Calgary.

And that was no doubt bad news to the rest of the CFL, which now must try and figure out a way to keep "Earthquake" from rumbling in 1999.

It doesn't figure to be an easy task.

* The San Antonio Spurs certainly proved to be quite a team in rolling to the NBA championship, although they received a stern challenge from an outmanned but gritty New York Knicks squad in the finals.

And once the NBA playoffs had ended, the question quickly arose: How would the Spurs have fared against Chicago if the Bulls had returned intact this season?

I personally think the Spurs had a terrific team and a matchup with the Bulls would have been a great series.

However, I find it hard to believe that Michael Jordan would have allowed the Bulls to lose. He never did in the past, so I see no reason that this year would have been any different.

But we'll never know.

* Local baseball fans should be in for a treat over the next two weekends when the McDowell Capahas host the annual National Baseball Congress Mid-South Regional Tournament.

Last year the tourney was something of an overall disappointment as the Capahas romped through a watered-down field that featured only four teams. Most of the games were total blowouts and the fans were left yawning through much of the action.

But Capahas manager Jess Bolen said this year's event should be a good one, with eight teams competing, and he figures several squads could seriously challenge his club, which has won the past two Mid-South Regional titles.

The tournament is scheduled to begin Friday, with the Capahas playing a feature game that night. The tourney winner earns an automatic berth in the NBC World Series in Wichita, Kan.

Marty Mishow is a sports writer for the Southeast Missourian