Southeast Missouri State baseball team returns to OVC play vs. Morehead State

~ Southeast seeks a three-game winning streak

It's not exactly late in the Ohio Valley Conference baseball season, but it's not all that early either.

That's why Southeast Missouri State feels a sense of urgency heading into its three-game OVC series at Morehead State beginning at 4 p.m. today. There also will be contests at 1 p.m. Saturday and noon Sunday.

"We need to at least take two out of three in this series, and hopefully sweep," said Southeast senior shortstop Kenton Parmley, who would tie the OVC record 42-game hitting streak with a hit today. "It will be nice to get back in the conference race."

Southeast (10-24, 2-7) is last in the 10-team league. The Redhawks have 18 scheduled conference games left to make up the ground needed to extend their record of 17 consecutive OVC tournament appearances.

The top six finishers qualify for the tournament. Southeast never has missed the event under 18th-year coach Mark Hogan.

"We can't wait. We've got to start making a move," said Hogan, who is two wins shy of 900 during a 31-year career that has spanned Southeast, Division II and junior college. "Teams are going to start having some separation."

Hogan believes his inexperienced Redhawks are ready to make a move after Tuesday's 4-1 victory over SIU Carbondale that gave Southeast its first two-game winning streak since late February.

A victory today would match Southeast's season-high three-game winning streak.

"I've got a feeling our club is starting to jell," said Hogan, whose squad had lost 14 of 15 before its current stretch. "I feel like we're playing our best baseball right now."

The Redhawks face one of the OVC's early surprise teams this weekend.

MSU (19-14, 5-4) is tied for fourth place after finishing last a year ago and being picked to again occupy the basement. The Eagles are one of just two OVC teams with an overall winning record.

The Eagles won just six conference games in 2011 when they went 10-39 overall. They nearly have doubled their victory total from a year ago.

"They're having a good season so far," Hogan said. "I think it's going to be an interesting series. It usually is in their ballpark."

That's because the Eagles play their home games at quirky Allen Field, which features short distances in center and right field. Dead center is just 350 feet from home plate, while right-center is only 305 feet away.

"It's a bandbox," Hogan said.

Southeast feasted during its most recent visit to MSU in 2010. The Redhawks scored 50 runs, including 23 in one game, and bashed 13 home runs, including eight in one contest, while taking two of three in the series.

Offensive numbers generally elevate at Allen Field and the park is equally hard on pitchers.

MSU had a 9.05 ERA last year, among the nation's worst, but the Eagles have improved that mark to 6.12 this season.

MSU leads the league with a .305 batting average and 214 runs scored.

Senior third baseman Andrew Deeds, who was second-team all-conference last year, is the OVC's No. 2 hitter with a .435 mark. Junior college transfer shortstop Chase Greenwell is seventh at .356.

The Eagles' young conference starting pitching rotation features true freshman Aaron Goe (2-4, 5.12 ERA), sophomore left-hander Noah Smallwood (2-1, 5.48) and true freshman Blake Smith (3-1, 6.48).

MSU has an elite closer in juco transfer Matt Duncan (1-0, 0.42), who leads the league with nine saves. He has allowed just nine hits over 21 2/3 innings.

Southeast features the OVC's Nos. 3 and 4 hitters in All-American senior third baseman Trenton Moses (.408) and Parmley (.401).

Moses is first in runs scored (33), second in home runs (12) and second in RBIs (37).

While Parmley has Southeast's record for longest hitting streak, Moses has the school mark of reaching base safely in 54 consecutive games. Neither the OVC nor NCAA keeps records for consecutive games reaching base safely.

Southeast junior ace Shae Simmons (2-4, 4.65) leads the OVC with 50 strikeouts.