Redhawks baseball struggles through early season

It's been a rough start to the season for the inexperienced Southeast Missouri State baseball team, which isn't used to being treated this rudely.

The Redhawks saw their losing streak reach eight games Sunday when Austin Peay finished off a three-game sweep of the Ohio Valley Conference-opening series with an 11-7 win at Capaha Field.

There is no shame in being swept by the talented Governors, who won the 2011 OVC regular season and tournament titles and were picked first in this year's preseason poll.

Southeast had its chances in all three games, especially Sunday when the Redhawks led 7-5 through five innings. The other decisions were 5-2 on Saturday and 8-5 on Friday.

But the Redhawks simply did not do enough consistently well to knock off the experienced Govs.

The Redhawks, who fell to 7-18 overall, have dropped 14 of their last 16 games.

But the good news for the Redhawks is that, except for a recent five-game stretch in which they were outscored 64-17, Southeast has been in most of its losses.

Eight of Southeast's defeats are by either one run or two runs, and two more -- the first two contests of the Austin Peay series -- are by three runs.

And there still are 24 OVC games remaining, so the Redhawks have plenty of time to dig out of the early hole.

More good news is that so many of Southeast's first-year Division I players -- 21 of their 34 players are new to the roster -- are gaining valuable experience.

Mark Hogan, who has led the Redhawks to a conference-record 17 consecutive OVC tournament appearances -- every year that he has coached at his alma mater -- can only hope that experience starts paying off soon.

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While the Redhawks are struggling, senior standouts Trenton Moses and Kenton Parmley are having sensational seasons during their final campaigns of brilliant four-year starting college careers.

Moses, an All-American third baseman from Advance High School, leads the OVC in the three triple crown categories of batting average (.466), home runs (11) and RBIs (33).

Moses also leads the league in runs scored (27), on-base percentage (.593) and slugging percentage (.943). He entered last week ranked second nationally in on-base percentage, fourth in batting average, fourth in slugging percentage and sixth in home runs.

Parmley, Southeast's shortstop, also is among the OVC's top hitters (.414).

Moses has reached base safely in 45 consecutive games dating back to last year, three shy of the school record of 48. He has a current 16-game hitting streak.

Parmley has a 32-game hitting streak dating back to last year and has reached base safely in 41 straight contests.

It's fun watching Southeast baseball no matter how the Redhawks are doing, but having the opportunity to see the likes of Moses and Parmley on a regular basis adds even more enjoyment.

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Both former Southeast basketball coaches who left amid allegations of NCAA violations that resulted in the university being placed on probation enjoyed banner junior college seasons this year. Their teams cracked the national top-10 rankings.

Scott Edgar led Eastern Oklahoma State College to its first national junior college tournament berth since 1961.

The Mountaineers (32-5) upset defending champion Southern Idaho in the first round and wound up placing fourth.

Edgar's first year at Eastern Oklahoma saw the Mountaineers post 19 victories following a winless 2009-10 campaign.

Edgar's two-year tenure as Southeast men's coach ended with his firing in December of 2008.

B.J. Smith, in his first season at Highland (Kan.) Community College, led the Scotties (27-3) to their most successful campaign ever and their first winning season since 1984.

Smith was Southeast's women's coach for four seasons from 2002 through 2006 before resigning under pressure.

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The seventh annual Southeast Athletics Night will be Wednesday at the Jackson Elks Lodge.

The event, free of charge and open to the public, begins at 6 p.m.

Marty Mishow is a sports writer for the Southeast Missourian .