THE LATEST LINE: PENNINGTON'S AMAZING YEAR MAKING SCOUTS TAKE NOTICE

I hope I don't jinx him by writing this, but Todd Pennington is well on his way to compiling one of the best seasons by a pitcher in the history of Southeast Missouri State University baseball.

And professional scouts are beginning to take notice as at least one has been at the junior right-hander's last several home starts.

Pennington's numbers so far this season almost border on the ridiculous. He has an 8-1 record and 0.97 earned-run average, which could very well lead the nation when the NCAA releases its weekly statistics Tuesday. His 1.07 ERA at the beginning of last week was third among all Division I hurlers.

In 65 innings, Pennington has allowed just 32 hits, which is almost unheard of considering the aluminum bats used in college baseball. He also has 85 strikeouts.

With Pennington guaranteed a minimum of four more starts the rest of the year, he could seriously threaten the school's single-season victory record of 11. No ERA marks are kept, but Pennington's current figure has to rank among SEMO's best ever.

The most remarkable thing about Pennington's season to date is that, while he was considered to have solid college potential all along, he really did nothing to distinguish himself previously in two mostly mediocre campaigns with the Indians, although that might have had something to do with him not seeing all that much action.

But there has certainly been nothing mediocre so far this season regarding the product of nearby Shawnee (Ill.) High School.

Amazing is a much better term.

* Two St. Louis area prep basketball coaches with local ties who I know very well experienced different ends of the emotional spectrum this past week.

Curtis Shelton, a former SEMO standout guard from the early 1990s, was named to his first varsity head coaching assignment as he took over at Wentzville (Mo.) High School.

Shelton spent this past season as a Wentzville assistant after being an assistant at Cape Central the previous five years.

Shelton averaged 15.2 points per game as a SEMO senior in 1993-94 and he is the school's career leader in 3-point field goals with 215.

On the other hand, Cape Girardeau native and former Notre Dame coach Don Maurer was recently relieved of his duties after 14 seasons as head coach at St. Louis University High School.

Maurer, who led SLUH to six consecutive winnings seasons from 1998-1994, had just one winning record in the last seven years, including a 9-17 mark this past season.

The classy Maurer told me he was blindsided by the move. Although he can remain at SLUH as chair of the physical education department, he's exploring his options and would like to get back into coaching.

* SEMO's football recruiting class for next season recently grew by one when New Madrid County Central standout Byron Minner signed with the Indians.

Minner, who played quarterback and defensive back for the Eagles, will be used in the secondary at SEMO.

~Marty Mishow is a sports writer for the Southeast Missourian