Last year's improvement offers optimism for '08

~ The Southeast baseball team took third in the OVC last season.

Before last season, as Southeast Missouri State looked to bounce back from its worst record under Mark Hogan, the veteran baseball coach faced plenty of question marks.

Hogan got many of the answers he was seeking, which makes his outlook more comfortable as the Redhawks prepare to open the 2008 campaign.

"A year ago today, talking about the possibilities, we had so many questions, so much newness," Hogan said Wednesday. "The difference this year is pretty stark. We've got a lot of the same guys, but they have a year under their belts, and we feel like we've added some very good new players."

The Redhawks bounced back last season to go 32-24 overall and a third-place 16-10 in the Ohio Valley Conference.

That made what happened in 2006 -- marks of 23-33 and 11-16 -- seem like a distant memory and fuels optimism for the 2008 campaign, which begins Friday at Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

"We want to build on last year's success, and I feel like we've got a good shot to win the conference," senior ace pitcher Dustin Renfrow said.

Hogan, the winningest baseball coach in Southeast history with a 387-322-1 record entering his 14th season, believes the Redhawks will be in the hunt.

"I don't think anybody in the OVC will just walk off with it," said Hogan, a Southeast graduate who has led his alma mater to a pair of OVC titles and NCAA regional berths. "I think we've got a good combination between our pitching, our defense and our offense."

The Redhawks, who have made the OVC tournament in each of Hogan's 13 seasons -- the longest active stretch among OVC schools -- return 17 letter winners, including four full-time position starters and nine pitchers.

"We had a good season last year," sophomore catcher Jim Klocke said. "We've got a lot of guys returning and some new guys should play big roles. We're excited."

Renfrow, Klocke and junior first baseman Matt Wagner were voted to the preseason all-OVC team earlier this week.

Renfrow went 5-1 with a 2.46 ERA, the latter figure ranking third in the OVC and 40th nationally.

Klocke was the OVC freshman of the year after batting .324, with four homers, 10 doubles and 38 RBIs, while striking out 13 times in 179 official at-bats. He was a freshman All-American.

Wagner batted .318 with seven homers and 42 RBIs.

Another freshman All-American from last year is Nick Harris, who batted .281 while tying for the team lead in homers with eight, doubles with 12 and stolen bases with 10. He led the team in triples with four, and added 37 RBIs.

Harris played third base a year ago, but is now at shortstop. He welcomes the move.

"I played it in high school, so it shouldn't be a big adjustment," he said. "It's exciting. Everybody wants to play shortstop."

Southeast's other full-time position starter is junior Matt Wulfers from Notre Dame Regional High School.

Wulfers, who will open as the Redhawks' designated hitter, batted .245 with 11 doubles, two homers and 33 RBIs.

Also back with plenty of starting experience is junior center fielder Daniel Schuh, who had a strong freshman season, but batted just .158 a year ago.

Schuh, who is slated to start in center, also will do his share of pitching.

Senior Zachary Blemker, who batted just .080 in 25 at-bats last year but had a strong summer playing for the Plaza Tire Capahas, will open at second base.

Justin Wheeler, a junior college transfer from California, will take over for Harris at third base.

Another junior college transfer, Tyrell Cummings from Oklahoma, will start in right field.

"Those are two very talented players that I think our fans will enjoy seeing," Hogan said.

Left field figures to begin with a platoon, consisting of senior Sean Zollner, who has seen limited action in his Southeast career -- he hit .167 in 12 at-bats last year -- and freshman Blake Slattery from Cape Central High School.

Also figuring into the mix are sophomore catcher Andrew Wiese, along with juco transfers Tony Spencer at second base and Kieran Bradford at either catcher or first base.

Wiese hit .316 in 19 at-bats last year, while Spencer played at Mineral Area College in Park Hills, Mo., and Australian native Bradford played at Three Rivers Community College in Poplar Bluff, Mo.

Renfrow will head up the pitching staff, but Hogan plans to use him for only a couple of innings in the season opener, and then have him start Tuesday at the University of Arkansas.

Sophomore left-hander Josh Syberg, who joined Klocke and Harris on the OVC all-freshmen team, will start the season opener. He went 4-4 with a 4.32 ERA last year.

Junior lefty James Leigh (0-1, 6.23), who has battled arm problems but was drafted twice before he got to Southeast, will get the nod in game two this weekend.

Either juco transfers Josh Manning or Todd Strahlendorf will get the nod next. Manning played at TRCC, while Strahlendorf is from California.

Hard-throwing senior Ivan Nails should be a key hurler out of the bullpen. He tied for the team lead in saves last year with three, while going 3-2 with a 5.21 ERA.

Other returning hurlers who should see considerable action are senior Lance Rhodes from Sikeston (1-1, 8.75) and senior Sam Rosener (1-0, 9.64).

Several newcomers also figure into the mix on the mound, including juco transfer Ryan Poole from TRCC, freshman Brad LaBruyere from Cape Central and sophomore lefty Andy Stephens from Scott City. Stephens played last year at Meramec Community College in St. Louis.

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Southeast baseball roster

No. Player Ht Wt Pos B/T CL Hometown

Pitchers

36 Corey Harness^ 5-11 175 P R/R FR Spring, Texas

37 Jake Kemper 6-4 190 P R/R JR Hillsboro, Mo.

18 Brad LaBruyere 6-0 175 P R/R FR Cape Girardeau

26 James Leigh* 6-4 215 P L/L JR Bryant, Ark.

2 Josh Manning 6-0 180 P R/R JR De Soto, Mo.

17 Ivan Nails* 6-0 190 P R/R SR Horn Lake, Miss.

12 Ryan Poole 5-10 185 P R/R JR Bradford, Ark.

22 Dustin Renfrow* 6-3 215 P L/R SR West Plains, Mo.

10 Lance Rhodes* 5-11 190 P R/R SR Sikeston, Mo.

19 Sam Rosener* 6-2 185 P R/R SR Festus, Mo.

23 Andy Stephens 6-0 200 P L/L SO Scott City, Mo.

11 Isaac Stoll* 6-4 215 P R/R JR Washington, Ind.

7 Todd Strahlendorf 6-0 180 P R/R JR Rohnert Park, Calif.

16 Josh Syberg* 5-11 160 P L/L SO St. Louis, Mo.

35 Mike Taylor* 6-6 180 P R/R JR McClure, Ill.

Catchers

30 Kieran Bradford 6-2 230 C-1B R/R JR Brisbane, Australia 15 Jim Klocke* 6-0 195 C L/R SO St. Louis, Mo.

21 Andrew Wiese* 6-2 205 C R/R SO Waterloo, Ill.

Infielders

4 Zachary Blemker* 6-2 190 2B L/R SR Vincennes, Ind.

8 Nick Harris* 6-0 170 SS R/R SO Alabaster, Ala.

33 Louie Haseltine^ 6-1 200 1B R/L FR St. Louis, Mo.

1 Trevor Irwin 5-8 170 IF R/R JR Oran, Mo.

39 Brett Kolons 6-0 200 IF R/R FR St. Louis, Mo.

9 Trenton Moses 6-4 210 IF R/R FR Advance, Mo.

5 Tony Spencer 5-8 160 2B L/R JR Hillsboro, Mo.

32 Matt Wagner* 6-4 225 1B L/R JR Wahoo, Neb.

3 Justin Wheeler 5-11 205 3B R/R JR Lakewood, Calif.

Outfielders

27 Tyrell Cummings 6-0 205 RF R/R JR Muskogee, Okla.

14 Greg Dambach* 5-10 160 OF R/R SO St. Louis, Mo.

6 Blake Dirnberger 6-2 185 OF R/R FR Scott City, Mo.

-- Rynn Eskew 6-1 185 OF R/R FR Scott City, Mo.

40 Matt Hester 5-11 190 OF R/R FR Cape Girardeau

25 Daniel Schuh* 6-2 200 CF-P R/R JR Jacksonville, Fla.

28 Blake Slattery 6-3 195 LF-CF R/R FR Cape Girardeau

20 Matt Wulfers* 6-3 205 LF L/R JR Cape Girardeau

31 Sean Zollner* 6-1 210 LF R/R SR Sparta, Ill. *returning player

^redshirted last year

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2008 schedule

Feb. 22 -- at Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 6 p.m.

Feb. 23 -- at Arkansas-Pine Bluff (2), 1 p.m.

Feb. 24 -- at Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 1 p.m.

Feb. 26 -- at Arkansas, 3:05 p.m.

Feb. 29 -- Northern Colorado, 2 p.m.

March 1 -- Northern Colorado (2), 1 p.m.

March 2 -- Northern Colorado, noon

March 4 -- at Saint Louis, 3 p.m.

March 8 -- William Woods (2), noon

March 9 -- Lyon College, 1 p.m.

March 11 -- Saint Louis, 5 p.m.

March 14 -- at Memphis, 6:30 p.m.

March 15 -- at Memphis, 2 p.m.

March 16 -- at Memphis, 1 p.m.

March 19 -- Southern Illinois-Edwardsville, 6 p.m.

March 21 -- Tennessee Tech* (2), 1 p.m.

March 22 -- Tennessee Tech*, 1 p.m.

March 25 -- Missouri State, 5 p.m.

March 26 -- Missouri State, 2 p.m.

March 29 -- at Tennessee-Martin* (2), 1 p.m.

March 30 -- at Tennessee-Martin*, 1 p.m.

April 2 -- Evansville, 6 p.m.

April 5 -- Murray State* (2), 1 p.m.

April 6 -- Murray State*, 1 p.m.

April 8 -- Southern Illinois, 3 p.m.

April 9 -- Arkansas State, 6:30 p.m.

April 12 -- at Jacksonville State* (2), 1 p.m.

April 13 -- at Jacksonville State*, 1 p.m.

April 15 -- at Southern Illinois, 3 p.m.

April 19 -- Samford* (2), 1 p.m.

April 20 -- Samford*, 1 p.m.

April 22 -- at Arkansas State, 6 p.m.

April 26 -- Austin Peay* (2), 1 p.m.

April 27 -- Austin Peay*, 1 p.m.

April 30 -- at Evansville, 6 p.m.

May 3 -- at Eastern Illinois* (2), 1 p.m.

May 4 -- at Eastern Illinois*, 1 p.m.

May 10 -- Eastern Kentucky* (2), 1 p.m.

May 11 -- Eastern Kentucky*, 1 p.m.

May 13 -- Central Arkansas, 6:30 p.m.

May 14 -- Central Arkansas, 3 p.m.

May 16 -- at Morehead State* (2), noon

May 17 -- at Morehead State*, noon

May 21-24 -- OVC tournament, at Paducah, Ky., TBD

* -- OVC game