SE BASEBALL BRINGS NEW FACES INTO '98 SEASON

Anybody attending a Southeast Missouri State University baseball game this season better be sure to have a program.

That's because the 1998 Indians will definitely feature a new look.

Coach Mark Hogan has welcomed 20 new players -- most of them junior-college transfers -- for the '98 campaign, which begins this weekend with a three-game series at Mississippi.

The teams will square off in single games Friday (3 p.m.), Saturday (2 p.m.) and Sunday (1 p.m.). The first home action will be Feb. 21 when Iowa State visits Capaha Field for a doubleheader.

Not only will the Indians be relatively inexperienced with all the new players, they'll also be extremely young as the lone senior is pitcher Jason Swearingen.

"We're excited about the season," said Hogan. "We've got a lot of new players and we're very young, but I've learned that, on this level, young, good athletes can compete."

Hogan, who has an 81-77 record entering his fourth season at Southeast, last year led the Indians to the championship game of the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament for the second time in three seasons. Southeast was 24-33 last year and finished fifth in the OVC's regular season.

Southeast lost eight seniors to graduation, including its top hitter LaMonte Collier, who batted. 426 and is now playing in the minor leagues. Also, four Cape Girardeau Central products were among several Indians who decided not to return this season. Former Tigers Talley Haines, Shawn Pemberton and Lance Craft all transferred to other schools while David Michel elected not to return for his senior season.

Despite the losses, Hogan said this year's Indians will be extremely strong offensively.

"This team will be a very offensive-minded ballclub, a power ballclub. We have some really talented hitters," Hogan said. "College baseball is an offensive game and I feel like we'll be able to hit against anybody."

Top returning hitters are junior catcher Brad Hoehner (Anna-Jonesboro High), junior second baseman Kyle Yount (Caledonia Valley) and sophomore center fielder Jeremy Johnson (Egyptian).

Hoehner batted .308 last year while Yount, who is moving over from third base, hit .302. Johnson had an exceptional freshman season, batting .288 with six homers, 39 RBIs and 13 stolen bases. He set the school record for most games played in a season at 57.

"Those three guys all had very good seasons last year and we're counting on them again," said Hogan.

Other returning players who are penciled in as starters to open the season are sophomore third baseman Darin Kinsolving (East Prairie) and sophomore right fielder Phil Warren, primarily used as a pinch-runner last year.

Hogan is expecting big things out of three former junior-college standouts: first baseman Dave Sommerkamp, shortstop Steve Lowe and left fielder Charlie Marino.

Sommerkamp, a transfer from South Alabama, was a juco All-American at Jefferson College. Marino led his juco team to the California state title while Lowe starred at an Oregon JC.

"Marino is probably our best hitter, Sommerkamp can really hit the ball and Lowe is really a solid shortstop," Hogan said.

Among players adding depth and figuring to get plenty of playing time are junior infielder Scott Sullivan (who hit .255 last year), junior outfielder Robert Kern (Cape Central), junior catcher Dan Berry, junior outfielder Marty Lane, sophomore infielder Matt Hull (Farmington), freshman infielder Jeff Bourbon (Potosi), freshman infielder Archie Stambush and freshman outfielder Kenny Gaebler (Delta).

Hogan said Kern is an especially intriguing possibility. The slugging lefthander was the Missouri state high school player of the year at Cape Central and he got drafted his senior year. He spent the last two season at various junior colleges.

"Robert has really looked good," said Hogan. "He could really help us."

Hogan also likes the look of Bourbon, who helped lead Potosi to a pair of state titles, and Gaebler, a speedy walk-on.

Pitching is where Hogan admits lies his biggest questions marks, but he likes the look of the staff.

Heading things up will be Swearingen, the team's lone senior who has been a starter since he was a freshmen. Swearingen, 5-4 last year, is poised to break most of the school's career pitching records.

"He's had an outstanding career here and he'll start our opener Friday," Hogan said.

Hogan has tabbed a juco transfer, lefthander Ryan Spille, to start Saturday's second game.

Some other key returning hurlers from last year are sophomores Lanson DeBrock (Notre Dame) and Dan Huesgen, who both had solid freshman seasons.

Other juco transfers in the pitching mix are juniors Chad Bogenpohl (Oak Ridge), Tim Larsen, Daniel Rodriguez, Marc Scheffer (Anna-Jonesboro), Allan Landgren and Jason Kern.

Also being counted on to pitch will be junior Jerry Wolsey (Chaffee), who sat out last year with an injury; sophomore Ryan Branstetter (Potosi); and freshman Nathan McGuire (Notre Dame), who earned all-state honors for the Bulldogs last year.

"I guess you could say pitching will be our question mark, but I feel very good about our staff," said Hogan.

The Indians have been picked to finish fifth in the OVC by two national baseball publications.

"That doesn't surprise me because of our youth and all the new faces," said Hogan. "But my gut feeling is we'll be somewhere in the hunt. I think we'll be very competitive in the OVC."