Track teams look for conference sweep

Junior Aaron Iaun jumps over a hurdle during track practice on April 22 at O'Brien Stadium. The men's and women's track teams compete in the Ohio Valley Conference Outdoor Championships this weekend in Richmond, Ky. (Kelley Crement/The Daily Eastern News)

The Eastern men's and women's track and field teams are looking to sweep the Ohio Valley Conference Championships.

The Panthers took the men's and women's indoor titles in February. Both squads have not won an outdoor title since 2007.

The 2006-2007 school year was the first year the Panthers took home all four conference titles.

In early March, both Eastern squads were voted as the preseason favorites to take the conference titles.

The men's team earned 22 points to share the title with Southeast Missouri, which also had 22 points. The women's team edged Southeast Missouri 45-40 in the preseason poll. The leagues head coaches conducted these polls.

If an athlete wins a conference individual championship, they earn the automatic berth to the NCAA Regional. An athlete can also qualify to the NCAA Regional by hitting a regional qualifying time.

Red-shirt freshman Zye Boey and freshman DeMarcus Brooks have qualified for the NCAA Regional in the 100-meter dash. Boey and Brooks have also qualified in the 200-meter dash.

Boey was named the OVC Male Track Athlete of the Year by the league on Thursday. Brooks was named OVC Freshman of the Year.

Junior jumper Ian Winston had already qualified in the high jump.

Junior hurdler Chandra Golden and junior thrower Kandace Arnold have qualified for the NCAA Regional.


Baseball in first place battle

A first place showdown is on tap this weekend as the Eastern baseball team travels to Cape Girardeau, Mo., to take on Southeast Missouri.

The Panthers and Redhawks will play a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. Saturday, and the series finale will be at 1 p.m. Sunday. Whichever team wins the three-game series will take first place in the Ohio Valley Conference.

The Redhawks (25-16) have played two more OVC games than the Panthers (32-10) because of rainouts the Panthers suffered early in the season.

Eastern is 10-3 in the OVC while Southeast Missouri is 11-4.

The teams are in a virtual tie for the conference lead at this point, but the Panthers are in first by percentage points (.769 to .733).

Eastern will throw its usual weekend rotation against the Redhawks, with sophomore right-handers Josh Mueller and Mike Recchia starting Saturday's doubleheader games and junior left-hander Tyler Kehrer starting Sunday's finale.

Kehrer is coming off a career-performance last weekend as he threw a complete game one-hitter with 14 strikeouts against Southern Illinois Edwardsville. Mueller, Recchia and Kehrer combined to allow only two earned runs total last weekend against the Cougars.

The weekend games are the start of a five-game road trip for the Panthers. They continue OVC play next weekend as they travel to Clarksville, Tenn., for a three-game series against Austin Peay.


Softball looks to snap skid

The Eastern softball team is closing out its regular season looking for an Ohio Valley Conference Tournament berth.

The Panthers (24-25, 8-12 OVC) are tied for sixth place in the league with the top six teams headed to the conference tournament in Jacksonville, Ala.

The Panthers face Austin Peay to close out the regular season. All three games will be played in Clarksville, Tenn., with a doubleheader at 1 p.m. Saturday and the final game at noon Sunday.

"Everybody knows there's know a lot at stake," said Eastern head coach Kim Schuette. "You have to make sure you're playing to win."


Kreke named to national list.

Eastern senior shortstop Jordan Kreke one of 38 players nationally named to the College Baseball Foundation's Brooks Wallace Award Watch List, given to the nation's top shortstop.


-Compiled by Kevin Murphy and Collin Whitchurch. They can be reached at 581-7944 or DENsportsdesk@gmail.com.