• 2019 All-OVC Baseball Teams (PDF)
MARION, Ill. - Tennessee Tech senior outfielder
Kevin Strohschein was named OVC Player of the Year for the third time in his career, while Jacksonville State, the 2019 OVC regular season champions, saw starter
Garrett Farmer named OVC Pitcher of the Year and coach
Jim Case named OVC Coach of the Year in a vote of league head coaches and sports information directors. In addition, Austin Peay outfielder
Garrett Spain was named the OVC Freshman of the Year.
The honors, along with first and second-team All-OVC and All-Freshman honors were announced ahead of the 2019 OVC Baseball Championship which begins on Tuesday night at Rent One Park in Marion, Illinois. Austin Peay had the most selections across the three teams with eight, followed by seven from Eastern Kentucky, six from Jacksonville State and five apiece from Eastern Illinois, Morehead State and Tennessee Tech.
Strohschein became just the second player in OVC history to win the OVC Player of the Year award three times, joining Murray State's George Dugan (1963-65). The senior was also named OVC Player (and Freshman of the Year) in 2015 and was also the winner in 2018. A year after leading his team to the Super Regionals, he returned as one of the few upperclassmen on the Tennessee Tech squad. This season he ranks fifth nationally in total bases (161), sixth in hits (89), 10th in doubles/game (0.43), 26th in slugging (.691) and 28th in batting average (.382). Among OVC players he was first in hits, doubles (23) and total bases, third in batting average, runs (57) and slugging, fourth in home runs (15) and fifth in on-base percentage (.447). Strohschein's numbers were even better in Conference games, hitting .417 in 30 total games. Arguably one of the best hitters in OVC history, Strohschein finished his career ranked 10th in NCAA history in hits (362), and first in OVC history in hits, RBI (247), home runs (62), doubles (74), total bases (642) and at-bats (1,009) and second in each runs scored (238 - three off the record) and games played/started (236 - one off the record).
Farmer became just the second player from Jacksonville State to be named OVC Pitcher of the Year, joining Joe McGuire from 2017. He showed great control on the mound ranking third nationally in strikeout-to-walk-ratio (9.90), seventh in walks allowed per nine innings (0.97), 12th in WHIP (0.91) and 52nd in E.R.A. (2.32). Over 93 innings pitched, Farmer struck out 99 batters and walked only 10 while holding batters to a .220 batting average. The junior struck out 12 batters against each Florida International and in his final start of the season at Austin Peay. Over the last six games of the year (all OVC opponents), he walked only three total batters. His 6.64 innings pitched per outing was tops among OVC pitchers (Farmer had seven starts of seven innings or longer).
Case, now in his 18th season as Jacksonville State head coach, led his team to victories in 13 of its final 14 games (including nine-straight to end the regular season) as the Gamecocks earned its third OVC regular season crown and first since 2008. JSU finished Conference play with a 22-8 record and the team enters the postseason 34-21, the 16th time in his 18 seasons they have reached the 30-win plateau. With a victory in the team's regular season finale, Case tallied his 526th career victory since Jacksonville State joined the OVC in 2004, tying him for fifth place in OVC history for career wins. Case has guided the Gamecocks to 16-straight OVC Tournaments (every year the team has been in the league), which is the longest active stretch in the OVC. This marks the third OVC Coach of the Year award for Case, who also claimed the honor in 2005 and 2008.
Spain started 52 of Austin Peay's 53 games this season, helping the Governors compile a 19-11 OVC record and finish in a tie for second place in the OVC standings. The outfielder ranked third in the OVC in triples (0.08/game), eighth in RBI (0.94/game) and ninth in hits (1.31/game) while also ranking eighth in multi-RBI contests (14) and ninth in multi-hit games (21). Overall he batted .332 with a .502 slugging percentage and .405 on-base percentage while adding 68 hits, 48 runs, six doubles, four triples, seven home runs, 49 RBI and six stolen bases. He reached base safely in the first 43 games of the season, the second-longest streak in program history. Spain was named OVC Player of the Week on April 15 after hitting .500 (8-for-16) with five runs, two home runs, nine RBI and a .938 slugging percentage as APSU compiled a 3-1 record during the week. He had a season-high four hits against Belmont and had a season-high four RBI twice. Spain is the second Austin Peay player to be named OVC Freshman of the Year, joining Alex Robles in 2014 (Rowdy Hardy won the Rookie of the Year award as a sophomore in 2004).
Strohschein and Farmer were two of the 15 first-team All-OVC selections (due to one tie) that included five seniors, seven juniors, two sophomores and one freshman. Strohschein and Morehead State senior outfielder
Connor Pauly were the only first-team repeat selection from a season ago. Pauly hit .342 with 83 hits, 11 doubles, 11 home runs and 60 RBI for a MSU team that tied for second in the standings. That duo was joined in the outfielder by Eastern Kentucky junior
Nick Howie, a second-team pick a season ago. Howie leads the OVC in on-base percentage (.488) and is fourth in batting average (.361). The All-OVC first-team also included Jacksonville State senior catch
Nic Gaddis who was fifth in the OVC in slugging (.597) and sixth in on-base percentage (.446). The infield includes Tennessee Tech sophomore
Jason Hinchman, Eastern Illinois senior second baseman
Jimmy Govern and junior third baseman
Christian Pena and Southeast Missouri sophomore shortstop
Tyler Wilber. Hinchman is tied for second nationally with 24 home runs, which ranks fifth in OVC single-season history; he is second in the OVC and 22nd nationally in slugging (.697) and fourth in total bases (138). Out of the leadoff position for the Panthers, Govern led the OVC and ranked 17th nationally in runs (1.2/game) while ranking second in the OVC in total bases (141), third in home runs (16), fourth in slugging (.618) and sixth in hits (75). Pena finished second in the OVC in batting average (.382) and fourth in on-base percentage (.453) while also adding 73 hits and 42 RBI. Wilber led the OVC in batting average (.383), starting all 55 games for Southeast Missouri; his .416 batting average in Conference action was just 0.01 out of first place. There was a tie at the designated hitter spot between Tennessee Tech freshman
John Dyer and Jacksonville State junior
Alex Webb. Dyer was third in the OVC in RBI (1.02/game) while ranking eighth in slugging percentage (.581), while Webb was third in the OVC in doubles (0.33/game) to go along with his .300 batting average and 51 RBI. Austin Peay junior
Parker Phillips was the first-team utility pick after splitting time between first base and the outfield. Phillips, who was a second-team pick last year, enters the postseason tied for second nationally with 24 home runs, a mark that is fifth in OVC single-season history. Phillips, who has third-most career home runs in OVC history (55), also ranks 14th nationally in slugging (.734) and 25th in RBI/game (1.17). Farmer was joined at the starting pitcher spot by Austin Peay senior
Jacques Pucheu and Morehead State junior
Dalton Stambaugh. Pucheu led the OVC in opponent batting average (.192) and was second in the OVC in victories (7) while Stambaugh hurled two complete games, also won seven games and struck out 95 batters in 83 innings of work. Eastern Kentucky junior closer
Aaron Ochsenbein rounded out the first-team. He enters the postseason with a 0.53 E.R.A. in 51.1 innings this season, going 5-2 with nine saves (second in the league). He is currently one of only 11 players in OVC history with a sub-1.00 E.R.A. with at least 50 innings pitched in a season.
The second-team included 17 players due to three ties in voting and was made up of 11 seniors, two juniors, two sophomores and two freshmen. Included in the 17 were Spain, the OVC Freshman of the Year, and five players who had previously earned some type of All-OVC honor (first-team, second-team, or All-Freshman team) in SIUE senior catcher
Brock Weimer (.298, 56 hits, 15 doubles, 12 home runs, 48 RBI), Morehead State senior shortstop
Reid Leonard (earned his fourth All-OVC career honor after hitting .330 with 76 hits, 54 runs, nine home runs and 40 RBI), Jacksonville State sophomore third baseman
Cole Frederick (.293, 67 hits, 13 doubles, 36 RBI), UT Martin senior outfielder
Jordan Stoner (.333, 69 hits, 17 doubles, 29 RBI) and Belmont senior starting pitcher
Casey Queener (5-3, 4.52 E.R.A., 110 strikeouts). The squad also included Austin Peay senior catcher
David Martinez (.346, 65 hits, 42 runs, 41 RBI), Eastern Illinois senior first baseman
Hunter Morris (.282, 61 hits, 50 runs, 14 doubles, 12 home runs, 53 RBI), Eastern Kentucky senior second baseman
Ryland Kerr (.315, 69 hits, 58 runs, 14 doubles, 16 stolen bases), Murray State junior outfielder
Brock Anderson (.285, 55 hits, 45 runs, 10 doubles, 12 home runs, 43 RBI), Morehead State senior outfielder
Jake Hammon (.344, 77 hits, 53 runs, 14 doubles, 41 RBI, 14 stolen bases), Austin Peay freshman designated hitter
Matt Joslin (.311, 37 hits, 22 runs, 4 home runs, 34 RBI), Eastern Kentucky senior utility player
Will Johnson (.299, 64 hits, 55 runs, 11 doubles, 15 home runs, 44 RBI, 27 stolen bases), Eastern Kentucky senior pitcher
Kaven Brown (8-1, 3.06 E.R.A., 57 strikeouts), Austin Peay senior starting pitcher
Josh Rye (7-3, 3.86 E.R.A., 64 strikeouts), SIUE junior starting pitcher
Kenny Serwa (3-2, 3.19 E.R.A., 2 complete games, 33 strikeouts) and UT Martin sophomore closer
Nick Wohlbold (a UTM record 12 saves, which ranks ninth in OVC history).
Nine of the 11 OVC baseball squads had at least one representative on the All-Freshman Team, which was awarded for the 14th time in 2019. The 14-member team was highlighted by Spain, the OVC Freshman of the Year, and two players who earned All-OVC honors in TTU's Dyer (first-team DH) and APSU's Joslin (second-team DH). The team also included Belmont starting pitcher
Joshua South, Eastern Illinois outfielder
Grant Emme and shortstop
Trey Sweeney, Murray State starting pitcher
Shane Burns, Southeast Missouri starting pitcher
Noah Niznik, Morehead State relief pitcher
Landon Weins, Jacksonville State starting pitcher
Isaiah Magwood and outfielder
Carson Crowe, Eastern Kentucky infielder
Logan Thomason and starting pitcher
Jacob Ferris and Tennessee Tech second baseman
Nathan McMeans.
2019 All-OVC Teams and Award Winners
OVC Player of the Year: Kevin Strohschein (OF), Tennessee Tech
OVC Pitcher of the Year: Garrett Farmer, Jacksonville State
OVC Freshman of the Year: Garrett Spain (OF), Austin Peay
OVC Coach of the Year: Jim Case, Jacksonville State
ALL-OVC FIRST TEAM
C - Nic Gaddis, Jacksonville State
1B - Jason Hinchman, Tennessee Tech
2B - Jimmy Govern, Eastern Illinois
SS - Tyler Wilber, Southeast Missouri
3B - Christian Pena, Eastern Illinois
OF - Kevin Strohschein, Tennessee Tech
OF - Connor Pauly, Morehead State
OF - Nick Howie, Eastern Kentucky
DH - John Dyer, Tennessee Tech
DH - Alex Webb, Jacksonville State
UT - Parker Phillips, Austin Peay
SP - Garrett Farmer, Jacksonville State
SP - Jacques Pucheu, Austin Peay
SP - Dalton Stambaugh, Morehead State
RP - Aaron Ochsenbein, Eastern Kentucky
ALL-OVC SECOND TEAM
C - David Martinez, Austin Peay
C - Brock Weimer, SIUE
1B - Hunter Morris, Eastern Illinois
2B - Ryland Kerr, Eastern Kentucky
SS - Reid Leonard, Morehead State
3B - Cole Frederick, Jacksonville State
OF - Garrett Spain, Austin Peay
OF - Jordan Stoner, UT Martin
OF - Brock Anderson, Murray State
OF - Jake Hammon, Morehead State
DH - Matt Joslin, Austin Peay
UT - Will Johnson, Eastern Kentucky
SP - Casey Queener, Belmont
SP - Kaven Brown, Eastern Kentucky
SP - Josh Rye, Austin Peay
SP - Kenny Serwa, SIUE
RP - Nick Wohlbold, UT Martin
ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
OF - Garrett Spain, Austin Peay
DH - John Dyer, Tennessee Tech
SP - Joshua South, Belmont
OF - Grant Emme, Eastern Illinois
DH - Matt Joslin, Austin Peay
SP - Shane Burns, Murray State
SP - Noah Niznik, Southeast Missouri
RP - Landon Weins, Morehead State
SP - Isaiah Magwood, Jacksonville State
3B/SS - Logan Thomason, Eastern Kentucky
SS - Trey Sweeney, Eastern Illinois
OF - Carson Crowe, Jacksonville State
SP - Jacob Ferris, Eastern Kentucky
2B - Nathan McMeans, Tennessee Tech
***Note: There are DH's on the first-team, 2 C's, 4 OF's & 4 SP's on the second-team and 14 All-Freshmen due to ties in voting.