~ Still looking for their first winning season, the Riverdogs will play their home games in Charleston.

The Riverdogs have not posted a winning record in their first seven seasons, but Robin Minner believes they have still been a nice addition to the area summer baseball scene.

Minner and Ray Craft formed the Riverdogs in 1999 as an alternative for post-high school players who don't compete for the tradition-rich Capahas.

The Riverdogs open their eighth season under co-coaches Minner and Craft tonight with a road game against the Sikeston Bulls. Their first home contest will be Friday night against the Indiana Outlaws at Hillhouse Park in Charleston.

"The Capahas can't carry everybody, so this gives other people a chance to play around here in the summer," Minner said. "We haven't been world-beaters, but we get good kids who play hard and have a good time."

The Riverdogs went just 5-12 last summer, but they did beat the Capahas for the first time ever, although the Capahas still lead the all-time series 17-1.

The Riverdogs this year will play all of their home games in Charleston, an arrangement that Minner believes will work out well.

With so many teams using Capaha Field in the summer, it became increasingly difficult for the Riverdogs to play there on a regular basis.

"We played one game there [Hillhouse Park] last year and liked it," Minner said. "They're excited to have us down there, and we're excited to be there. Charleston has been good to us."

The Riverdogs' 21-man roster is made up of local high school graduates, most of whom either currently play for or used to play for junior colleges or small four-year universities.

Returning players and their high schools are Chris Bradshaw (Central), Chris Conrad (Central), Greg Craft (Central), Tim Davis (Shawnee, Ill.), Andrew DePeder (Notre Dame), Steve Fowler (Shawnee, Ill.), Shane Gibson (Central), A.H. Marshall (Charleston), Tyler Nelson (Oran), Billy Palmer (Kennett) and Pat Slattery (Central).

Craft, Fowler and Gibson have played every year of the team's existence.

Newcomers are Kent Deason (Kelly), Marcus Dixon (Charleston), Trey Graviett (Oran), Trevor Irwin (Oran), Dusty Leggett (Chaffee), Lucas McMahan (Shawnee, Ill.), Paul Scott (Sikeston), Brandon Stearns (Jackson), Mike Taylor (Shawnee, Ill.) and Gabe Wunderlich (Central).

Taylor recently completed his redshirt freshman season as a pitcher at Southeast Missouri State.

Fowler and Davis have been the Riverdogs' top pitchers in recent years.