THE LATEST LINE: INDIANS GET BLOOD INFUSION THIS WEEK

Southeast Missouri State University's football program will welcome about 30 newcomers in to camp Friday as preseason practice officially starts to get going.

Normally, that group of rookies --most of which are freshmen -- doesn't cause much of a stir, especially not this early.

But this year figures to be different. That's because an extremely youthful SEMO squad has plenty of openings for playing time across the board and second-year coach Tim Billings has said that he expects quite a few freshmen to see significant action.

The newcomers will have six practices among themselves -- two-a-days spread over three days -- before the veterans report Aug. 7 and the team begins full-squad workouts shortly thereafter.

Those few practice sessions strictly among the rookies generally give coaches an early glimpse into the future of their program.

For this year's Indians, the future of some of those youngsters will likely come much sooner than later.

And whether that's a good thing for the team -- which it usually isn't, at least not in the short term -- remains to be seen.

* Dave Winder, a native of Jackson, Mo., has stepped down as sports director of WPSD-TV6 in Paducah, Ky. His final day on the air was Wednesday.

In order to spend more time with his family that consists of wife Janice, daughter Meagan, 6, and son Matthew, 4, Winder has accepted a promotional and fund-raising job at Murray State, his alma mater.

The 36-year-old Winder, who I have known a long time and consider a good friend, told me he loved the 10 years he spent at WPSD and hated to leave, but he wanted to shift to more of a 9-to-5, Monday-through-Friday routine in order to be with his family more at nights and on weekends.

A 1982 Jackson High School graduate, Winder was a standout baseball player at Murray State and he played for the Cape Capahas for nine years, retiring in 1990. Before going to WPSD, he spent three years as the radio voice of SEMO football and basketball.

Here's wishing Dave all the best in his new job.

* Good news for fans of the Capahas: KGIR-1220 announced recently that it will broadcast all of the team's games in the National Baseball Congress World Series from Wichita, Kan.

The Capahas open play in the prestigious tournament Saturday night.

* Here's a big pat on the back to George Renick, who puts in considerable time each summer serving as the public address announcer for the Capahas and Cape Legion.

George, who is not only a fine announcer but also a heck of a good guy, is much appreciated by the local baseball community.

I in particular definitely appreciate George because he keeps me in stitches up in the press box during the many summer baseball games I cover. The guy is hilarious -- and I mean that in a very good way.

* Congratulations to the Heartland Nationals, 12-under girls softball team based in Benton, Mo., for qualifying for the Babe Ruth Softball World Series in Pine Bluff, Ark.

* It's now official: Tiger Woods is definitely in a slump.

At least when you define a slump by his lofty standards.

~Marty Mishow is a sports writer for the Southeast Missourian.