RICHMOND, Ky. - With an 11-4 defeat of Southeast Missouri State University Sunday in Cape Girardeau, MO, coach Jim Ward's Eastern Kentucky University baseball team captured the 2000 Ohio Valley Conference regular season championship and now prepares for the OVC Tournament which will also be held in Cape Girardeau later this week.

EKU, seeded No. 1, will receive a first-round bye and will play the winner of the Austin Peay-Murray State game Thursday afternoon at 6:00 p.m. EST at SEMO's Capaha Park.

Winning the OVC title Sunday capped off an outstanding 2000 regular season for the Colonels which was highlighted by their 18-6 league record. Southeast Missouri and Middle Tennessee tied for second place with 17-6 league marks.

"We had the best atmosphere we've had all year Sunday," said Ward. "We were loose, had a lot of energy and made a couple of real nice double plays that gave us a big boost.

"Chip (Albright, sophomore righthander) was in complete control, went the distance and threw really well. And then the big hit of the game for us came when Adam (Basil) hit the three-run homer that put us up 9-3 in the seventh."

Ward, whose Colonels stand 29-25 overall, said he will go with the rotation of senior lefthander Corey Eagle in Game 1, Albright in game 2 and sophomore righthanders Scott Santa or Spencer Boley in Game 3.

"Corey threw great over there Saturday and, at one point, retired 15 in a row. He's a senior, has a lot of confidence in what he's doing and we feel good about how he's been throwing lately," Ward said.

The Tournament opens Thursday morning with two single-elimination games as Austin Peay plays Murray State at 11 a.m. EST, followed at 2:30 p.m. by Middle Tennessee vs. Eastern Illinois.

EKU then plays the winner of the Austin Peay-Murray State game at 6:00 p.m., while Southeast Missouri has its first tournament appearance with a contest at 8:30 p.m. against the winner of the MTSU-Eastern Illinois game.

The tourney continues Friday and concludes Saturday with the OVC Tournament Champion heading to NCAA Regional play the next weekend at a site to be announced, Monday, May 22.