YOUNT SETS HITS MARK

After 3 1/2 years of consistent baseball at Southeast Missouri State University, it was an ordinary ground-ball single past the second baseman that put Kyle Yount in the record books.

Yount needed one hit in a doubleheader against Belmont Saturday to surpass former Southeast standout Tom Breuer as the school's all-time leader in career hits.

Yount did it on his last at-bat of the day, a sharply hit grounder to the right side as the infield was playing in for a play at the plate.

The single, his 184th career hit, scored two runs.

"This is something that's really nice," said Yount, who has started every game since his junior year. "It really means a lot to me. This game has been my whole life growing up. It means a lot to break a record like that in a game that I love so much, especially in front of the home crowd and my family."

Said Southeast coach Mark Hogan, "What a fabulous accomplishment it is when you think that we've been playing 40 years of baseball here. And he just set an all-time record for probably the most important offensive category in baseball."

Yount also tied Breuer for most at-bats in a career with 592.

Overall, the Indians' second baseman from Valley High School in Caledonia had a rough day at the plate.

In the first game Yount flied out, hit into a double play and reached base on a dropped third strike.

In the second game, he flied out twice and failed to move a runner over on a sacrifice bunt attempt. He even made an error on the field.

But, like he has done throughout his career at Southeast, Yount persevered.

"You have to work for four years to do this," Yount said. "You have to stay healthy and stay on the field and just have the opportunity. But it means a lot to me because I've worked really hard."

Added Hogan, "What this record indicates is that he played for four years and produced each year. He's not a guy who teams can play to pull. He drives the ball around the park. He's a good, slash-type hitter. He's got good hand-eye coordination and he makes contact.

"It just couldn't happen to a nicer person. He's a tremendous kid."

Yount's season batting average dipped to .267. He batted .270 his freshman year, .302 his sophomore year and .351 last season.