After winning five of six games against Great Lakes Valley Conference opponents last week, SIU Edwardsville baseball kept its hopes alive for a berth in the GLVC Baseball Championships.
        The Cougars moved from 10th to ninth place in the conference standings. Only the top six teams advance to the championships, which for the first time will take place at GMC Stadium in Sauget.
        "We are not mathematically eliminated," Coach Gary Collins said, "but the stars would have to line up right in order for us to get into the tournament."
        The Cougars must win this weekend at Bellarmine and get help from others in order to advance to its 10th straight conference tournament. Bellarmine, Saint Joseph's and Southern Indiana stand in the Cougars' way to the sixth spot in the standings.
        Last week, the Cougars swept a doubleheader with Quincy and took three-of-four games against Indianapolis.
        Kyle Jones (New Baden) and Ron Jones (Kankakee) each pitched complete-game shutouts at Indianapolis, and Robert Rahn (Wood River) banged out some timely hits as the Cougars are playing perhaps their best baseball of the season.
        "We are getting more production out of our offense, up and down the lineup," Collins said. "Our starting pitching has been good all year long."
       
                -siue cougars-