The Southeast Missouri State baseball team is off to an explosive start in Ohio Valley Conference play this season.

The offense scored 60 runs in a single-series sweep against UT Martin and another 33 runs against Southern Illinois-Edwardsville and are now 12-0 in the conference for the first time in school history, and are in first place in the OVC.

Southeast is tearing it up offensively with confident hitting and terrific pitching. In the series finale against UT Martin, Southeast hit eight home runs, including five in the second inning leading to a final score of 26-2. Southeast has 26 home runs on the season.

Junior outfielder Chris Osborne leads Southeast with five home runs. Seniors first baseman Ryan Rippee and third baseman Hunter Leeper are both tied for second with four home runs each.

Senior shortstop Brandon Boggetto leads the team with 26 RBIs and a .354 batting average. Coach Steve Bieser said he was not surprised at all with the offensive explosion against UT Martin last week, but also gave some credit to the warmer weather.

"I've always felt that our offense is in good shape and we could score some runs and swing the bats well," Bieser said. "But the biggest thing for us is the change in the weather. It's getting warmer and not being in pitcher friendly ballparks."

One of the challenges after a series where the offense goes off and scores as many runs as Southeast has the past two weekends is to continue the success and not fall off, but Bieser said he isn't going to let up with the hitters and will continue to work them.

"They are going to continue to work really hard and stay focused," Bieser said. "Success breeds confidence and, as a hitter, being confident is one of the most important things when you step into the box."

It's not all about getting hits and home runs for Bieser. He said he also is looking for good, quality at-bats where they hit the ball hard or move the runner over to the next base.

"We are continuing to have good at-bats and to never take an at-bat off," Bieser said.

Southeast added Matt Borgschult as the hitting coach before the season began. He helped last year as a volunteer assistant but was named the hitting coach for the season and has not disappointed.

Southeast has scored 10 or more runs in five of the last seven games, including 26 in the finale of the series against UT Martin and 20 in the series finale against SIUE.

They have scored 112 runs through the first 12 games of conference play as well.

"We have a ton of confidence at the plate right now," Borgschult said. "It's something that we didn't have at the beginning of the year."

Borgschult wants the hitters to step up to the plate and have some fun; he doesn't want them to be as serious.

Borgschult also said he isn't worried about a mid-season letdown with the offense.

"We have a lot of guys that are hard-working," Borgschult said. "We have five or 10 guys every day after practice that want extra swings. They want to get their work in and they want to get better even though we have been great as of late; they want to be prepared."

Southeast hasn't had all its success just come from the offensive side.

Senior left-handed pitcher Joey Lucchesi and junior right-handed pitcher Clay Chandler continue to dominate, both ERAs under 2.00 and a combined record of 10-1, including a complete game shutout by Chandler in the second game of the series against SIUE.

"One of the comforting factors for our offense is the fact that our pitchers have been really solid," Bieser said. "We know as an offense we can score a handful of runs that game and can win a game."

Southeast hosted Arkansas State April 5. The team will travel to Clarksville, Tennessee, to continue OVC play against Austin Peay Friday through Sunday.