It’s still early, but the Eastern softball is in prime position if it wants to make the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament.

The Panthers missed the OVC Tournament last season after they started out 1-5 in conference games.

This season, the Panthers (8-11, 4-1 OVC) have started out strong winning two series against OVC opponents.

Granted, two of the conference wins have come against Austin Peay, which will be a league bottom dweller. The two other wins came against Tennessee State, a team that looks to be no better than middle of the pack.

The softball team is drawing comparisons to the Eastern women’s basketball team, and head softball coach Kim Schuette is making those connections.

Schuette said she tried to take a page from Eastern head women’s basketball coach Brady Sallee.

Sallee scheduled difficult non-conference games as the women’s basketball team went 2-7 in the non-conference season. The women’s basketball team won its first five conference games and finished in a three-way tie for second place in the OVC with a 15-5 record en route to a runner-up finish in the OVC title game.

“They never got too high, too low,” Schuette said. “But they had to come back to work the next day. It’s kind of a similar philosophy we’re taking. Conference, we’re supposed to battle our way to win.”

Last season, the softball team lost its first five conference games, and they won just three of nine conference series. The Panthers finished 23-21 and 9-16 in the OVC.

The Panthers’ solid start in OVC play this season is a step in the right direction. It is better to win early than wait for other teams to lose. All that does is guarantee a stressful end to the regular season as teams face win or miss the tournament scenarios.

But through two weekend series, the Panthers have themselves in prime position to do well in each conference game.

But each conference game is going to be a challenge.

Schuette isn’t the only coach to think so.

“It’s going to be interesting around the league,” SEMO head softball coach Lana Richmond said. “No one’s dominating right now. It’s going to be a very competitive down the home stretch. Each conference game is going to be critical. Each conference game is a challenge.”

It’s true.

While the Panthers and Jacksonville State are 4-1 in the OVC and tied for second, only Eastern Kentucky (5-1) has a better league record.

No one team has a dominating pitcher or a dominant position player.

This bodes well for the Panthers who don’t have marquee players but have players who help them win games.

And winning games is important. Especially in conference play.

Kevin Murphy can be reached at 581-7944 or at kjmurphy@eiu.edu.