Jan. 15, 2008

By Tyler Koonce, Baseball Contact

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Southeast Missouri State baseball head coach Mark Hogan released the 2008 schedule Tuesday. The 55-game slate begins Friday, Feb. 22 at Arkansas-Pine Bluff at 6 p.m. It also includes 31 home contests at Capaha Field with the home opener scheduled for Friday, Feb. 29 vs. Northern Colorado at 2 p.m. Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) play begins on Friday, March 21 with a doubleheader against Tennessee Tech beginning at 1 p.m.

"It's going to be an exciting year, especially with 31 home games," Hogan said. "It will be very entertaining for the fans and the OVC will be a balanced league. I think five or six teams could win the league. We will benefit by hosting five conference series', which is one more OVC series than we play on the road."

The schedule features a road contest at the University of Arkansas at 3:05 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 26 in Fayetteville. The Redhawks will also travel to play at the University of Memphis for a three-game set beginning on Friday, March 14 at 6:30 p.m.

Family Weekend will be on March 8-9 with home contests vs. William Woods and Lyon College at noon and 1 p.m., respectively. The 1998 OVC Championship team will be honored on Saturday, April 5 before the doubleheader against Murray State at Capaha Field. Senior Weekend will be on May 10-11 with all outgoing seniors being recognized prior to the 1 p.m. matchup vs. Eastern Kentucky on Sunday.

Southeast returns 10 position players and 10 pitchers from last year's squad that finished 32-24 and 16-10 in the OVC while advancing to the second round of the OVC Tournament. The Redhawks welcome 15 newcomers, including eight junior college transfers.

OVC Freshman of the Year Jim Klocke (St. Louis, Mo./St. John Vianney) returns at catcher along with second team All-OVC pitcher Dustin Renfrow (West Plains, Mo./Jefferson CC). Third basemen Nick Harris (Alabaster, Ala./Thompson) and pitcher Josh Syberg (St. Louis, Mo./St. John Vianney) return to the squad after being placed on the OVC All-Freshman squad in 2007. First basemen Matt Wagner (Wahoo, Neb./Nebraska) and outfielder Matt Wulfers (Cape Girardeau, Mo./Missouri), both former Big XII transfers, return for their junior seasons after starting a year ago.