THE LATEST LINE: SE BASEBALL HAS SO MANY HOLES TO FILL

Southeast Missouri State University's baseball team fell just short of its ultimate goal Saturday afternoon as the Indians lost to Middle Tennessee in the finals of the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament played at Capaha Field.

Despite the setback, the Indians won 37 games -- five more than any other baseball squad in school history -- and had an all-around impressive season, tying for second place in the OVC's regular season and also claiming second in the league tourney, both no small feats.

But now comes the hard part for coach Mark Hogan and his staff -- trying to get the Indians into contention for the OVC title again next season.

On paper, it's not going to be an easy chore, not with the loss of seven super seniors who all left their mark on the school's record books.

Jeremy Johnson, Darin Kinsolving, Kevin Meyer, Phil Warren and Charlie Marino were the team's top five hitters, all batting at least .333 and combining for 72 of the squad's school-record 92 home runs.

The other two seniors, Dan Huesgen and Lanson Debrock, had the Indians' top two earned-run averages among starting pitchers and they combined for 13 victories.

To be sure, those will be 14 huge shoes to fill, as Hogan acknowledged after Saturday's loss. But Hogan also pointed out that the Indians will have some solid players returning and he's extremely high on their recruiting class.

Teams lose standout seniors virtually every year -- it's a fact of college life in any sport -- although graduation has hit the baseball Indians harder than most squads.

Still, Hogan's track record since he took over the SEMO baseball program in 1995 gives fans reason to believe that the Indians will field another strong team in 2001. SEMO has finished second in the OVC's regular season four times in six years under Hogan and the Tribe won the 1998 OVC Tournament title to make the NCAA tourney.

We'll just have to wait and see how it all plays out.

* It was a good day last Thursday for local high school baseball teams as Cape Central (Class 4A), Fredericktown (3A), Notre Dame (2A), St. Vincent (1A) and Leopold (1A) all won district titles.

And the day before, Cape Central captured another girls district soccer championship.

Good luck to all those squads as they compete in sectional games this week.

* Congratulations to Kelly sophomore track standout Adam Daughhetee for capturing the Class 2A state title in the 1,600-meters Saturday.

Winning a state title is a tremendous feat for any athlete, particularly a sophomore.

* The McDowell Capahas -- Cape Girardeau's top-level summer baseball team -- will open yet another season under longtime manager Jess Bolen this week.

The Capahas, who figure to field another outstanding squad, host Saline County (Ill.) Thursday night.

* Former Cape Central standout high-jumper Jay Meystedt, who has battled some injuries during his college career, is apparently back on track.

Meystedt placed second Saturday during the Big 12 Conference Championships, clearing 7 feet 1/2 inch.

* Bob Coons, who spent more than a decade coaching baseball and football in the area (at both Cape Central and Chaffee), was recently named head baseball coach and assistant football coach at Jefferson City, which has one of the state's top all-around high school athletic programs.

Coons was head baseball and football coach at Logan-Rogersville, which is near Springfield, the past three years.

~Marty Mishow is a sports writer for the Southeast Missourian