Ohio Valley Conference

• OVC Baseball Report – May 18 (PDF)
 
This Week’s Schedule
 
2026 OVC Baseball Championship
Mtn Dew Park - Marion, Illinois
All Games Air on ESPN+

Tuesday, May 19
Game 1: #6 Lindenwood vs. #7 UT Martin, 3:00 p.m.
Game 2: #5 Morehead State vs. #8Southern Indiana, 7:00 p.m.

Wednesday, May 20
Game 3: #3 Southeast Missouri vs. Winner of Game 1, 3:00 p.m.
Game 4: #4 Little Rock vs. Winner of Game 2, 7:00 p.m.

Thursday, May 21
Game 5: #2 Eastern Illinois vs. Winner Game 3, 9:30 a.m.
Game 6: #1 SIUE vs. Winner Game 4, 1:00 p.m.
Game 7: Loser Game 4 vs. Loser Game 5, 4:30 p.m.
Game 8: Loser Game 3 vs. Loser Game 6, 8:00 p.m.

Friday, May 22
Game 9: Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6, 11:00 a.m.
Game 10: Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8, 3:00 p.m.
Game 11: Winner Game 10 vs. Loser Game 9, 7:00 p.m.

Saturday, May 23
Game 12: Winner Game 9 vs. Winner Game 11, 1:00 p.m.
Game 13: Repeated Pairing (if necessary), 60 minutes after Game 12

NOTE: The first two games are single elimination. All Times Central.
 

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OVC Players of the Week
 
PLAYER
Brooks Kettering, 2B • 5-11, 175, Jr. • Springfield, Mo. • Southeast Missouri
Kettering helped Southeast Missouri to a three-game road sweep of Little Rock and a tie for second in the final regular season standings by hitting .545 (6-for-11) with three runs scored, two doubles, two home runs, six RBI, a .571 on-base percentage and 1.273 slugging percentage. The junior was 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI in SEMO's 4-2 win on Thursday; the homer came in the ninth inning to push the advantage to 4-0. Kettering added a single and ninth inning sacrifice fly in Friday's win and capped the week by going 3-for-4 with two doubles, a home run and three RBI as the Redhawks completed the sweep.
 
Others Nominated: Mike O'Conor, Eastern Illinois; Kam Edwards, Lindenwood; Angel Cano, Little Rock; Alex Kean, Morehead State; Joshua Heyder, SIUE; Parker Martin, Southern Indiana; Jackson Rooker, Tennessee Tech; Garner Anderson, UT Martin; Kamryn Link, Western Illinois.
 
PITCHER
Mason Pennington, RHP • 6-3, 215, Sr. • Collinsville, Okla. • Southeast Missouri
Pennington got Southeast Missouri off to a solid start in the weekend series at Little Rock, allowing only two hits over 6.2 innings. The righty struck out three and did not allow a run, as the Redhawks took a shutout into the bottom of the ninth inning on its way to the 4-2 win and eventually the series sweep. Pennington improved to 7-3 on the season and lowered his E.R.A. to 3.97.
 
Others Nominated: Tyler Conklin, Eastern Illinois; Spencer Stearns, SIUE; Harrison Dubois, Western Illinois.
 
 
Other Notable Performances
Below are other notable performances from the past week.
 
• Tyler Conklin (RHP, Grad.), Eastern Illinois. Pitched seven innings, allowing one run while striking out six in a victory over Western Illinois, his ninth of the season.
 
• Joshua Heyder (DH, Grad.), SIUE. In three games he hit .600 (6-for-10) with four runs scored, a double, three home runs and five RBI as SIUE locked up the OVC regular season title.
 
• Mike O'Conor (INF, Sr.), Eastern Illinois. O'Conor drove in 11 runs in four games, hitting .353 (6-for-17) while homering twice and tallying two doubles.
 
• Angel Cano (1B, Sr.), Little Rock. The senior hit .429 (6-for-14) with two home runs and three RBI in a three-game series with SEMO.
 
• Alex Kean (1B, Jr.), Morehead State. In sweep of Tennessee Tech, hit .700 (7-for-10) with three runs scored, two doubles and a home run.
 
• Spencer Stearns (RHP, R-Jr.), SIUE. Stearns struck out seven without issuing a walk in a win over UT Martin. He pitched six innings in picking up the win.
 
• Garner Anderson (OF, R-Jr.), UT Martin. In three games, hit .600 (6-for-10) with five runs scored, a home run and two RBI.
 
• Kam Edwards (OF, 5th Year), Lindenwood. The outfielder hit .389 (7-for-18) with six runs scored, a triple, four RBI and three stolen bases.
 
• Harrison Dubois (RHP, Grad.), Western Illinois. Made two appearances over the weekend, allowing only one hit over 2.1 innings of work while striking out three.
 
 
GENERAL TOURNAMENT NOTES
This year marks the 47th OVC Baseball Tournament; the first elimination style event was held in 1979 (prior to that the winner of each division matched up in a three-game series to be crowned league champion)...Since 2001 the event has been played at a neutral site, first Paducah, Kentucky (2001-09), then Jackson, Tennessee (2010-16), Oxford, Alabama (2017-18), Marion, Illinois (2019, 2023-present), Jackson, Tennessee (2021) and Lexington, Kentucky (2022)...This year marks the 25th at a neutral site...No event was held in 2020 due to the pandemic...Since the tournament went to a neutral site, the No. 1 seed has won eight titles, the No. 2 seed has won seven titles, the No. 3 seed has won four titles, the No. 4 has won twice, No. 5 seed has claimed two championships and the No. 8 seed has won once (Little Rock last year).
 
EASTERN ILLINOIS
Appearances: 21
Titles: 3 (1999, 2008, 2023)
All-Time Record: 27-29
Eastern Illinois, the 2025 regular season champions, is back in the field for the fifth-straight season ... The Panthers fell in the Tournament Final last season to Little Rock ... EIU finished OVC play 18-9, tied for second in the standings ... In 2023 the team was the No. 5 seed and won twice (to advance out of the single elimination portion of the bracket) before losing to No. 1 seed Morehead State; the Panthers then won three-straight games to claim its third tournament title ... The team ranks sixth nationally in sacrifice bunts (55) ... EIU won 22 games away from home this season (including 19 true road games) ... As the No. 2 seed the team gets a bye until Thursday's action; they will play with Southeast Missouri, Lindenwood or UT Martin.
 
LINDENWOOD
Appearances: 2
Titles: 0
All-Time Record: 3-2
Lindenwood made its first OVC Tournament appearance last year when they won their first three games ... The team has completed its reclassification to Division I and is fully eligible for NCAA postseason play ... The Lions led the OVC and ranked 22nd nationally in E.R.A. (4.26) ... That included having the top two individuals in terms of E.R.A. in the League in Seth Benes (2.33 -- 14th nationally) and Seth Benes (2.48 -- 22nd nationally) ... The team is one win away from reaching the 30-win plateau for the second year in a row ... As the No. 6 seed, Lindenwood will play No. 7 seed UT Martin in an elimination game on Tuesday; it is a rematch of last year's opening day contest that LU won 6-5.
 
LITTLE ROCK
Appearances: 4
Titles: 1 (2025)
All-Time Record: 5-4
Little Rock made history a season ago in becoming the first No. 8 seed to ever win the OVC Tournament championship ... The Trojans were a perfect 5-0 in the event to claim its first OVC title ... That came one year after the team was the No. 1 seed and went 0-2 in the event ... Little Rock is first in the OVC and 59th nationally in hits allowed per nine innings (8.65) ... As the No. 4 seed, the Trojans will play the winner of the Morehead State/Southern Indiana game; Little Rock was 2-1 against each of those teams this season ... Little Rock is 0-2 all-time against MSU in the OVC Tournament and 1-1 against USI.
 
MOREHEAD STATE
Appearances: 29
Titles: 4 (1983, 1993, 2015, 2018)
All-Time Record: 41-48
After missing the OVC Tournament a season ago, the Eagles are back in this year's field for the 29th time overall (second all-time behind SEMO) ... The Eagles, in year two under head coach Chris Rose, started OVC play 0-5 before going 15-7 over its final 22 games to finish in fifth place overall ... The team won 31 overall games during the regular season, reaching the 30-win plateau for the eighth time in the past 12 seasons ... The team has won seven games in a row and 13 of its last 15 entering the postseason ... MSU hit 82 home runs this season, the second-most among OVC teams ...As the No. 5 seed, the Eagles will face No. 8 seed USI on Tuesday; MSU swept the Screaming Eagles at home this season ... Morehead State is 1-0 all-time against USI in the OVC Tournament (2024).
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI
Appearances: 31
Titles: 6 (1998, 2002, 2016, 2021, 2022, 2025)
All-Time Record: 51-51
After going one-and-done in the OVC Tournament a year ago, Southeast Missouri is back in the OVC Tournament field for the 31st time this season (an all-time OVC record) ... SEMO's 51 all-time OVC Tournament wins are the second-most all-time (behind only EKU) ... Southeast has won three of the past six OVC Tournament titles (2021, 2022, 2025) ... The team has 38 overall wins this season, one away from tying the school record ... The Redhawks RPI is 38 entering the OVC Tournament ... The Redhawks swept Little Rock to close out the regular season and finish in a tie for second place in the OVC standings; the team has won seven-straight games overall ... The team had a 13-game winning streak between February 27 and March 22 ... SEMO's pitching staff ranks No. 5 nationally in walks per nine innings (3.05) ... As the No. 3 seed the team will play the winner of the Lindenwood/UT Martin contest; SEMO swept UTM and was 1-2 against LWU this year.
 
SIUE
Appearances: 7
Titles: 0
All-Time Record: 3-10
A year after earning its highest-ever OVC Tournament seed (No. 2), SIUE was predicted the preseason favorite and won its first OVC regular season championship with a 19-7 record (matching the most OVC wins in program history) ... The team has won 10 of its last 11 games (only falling in extra innings to UTM on Friday) ... The Cougars started the year 8-0 in OVC play and finished the season with 32 overall wins, the most in its Division I era ... SIUE has hit 104 home runs this season, the 10th most nationally ... 1B Ryan Niedzwiedz has 27 home runs, which ranks fifth nationally and is tied for the second-most in OVC single-season history (six away from the record) ... The team was 0-2 in Tournament play last year but had two wins in 2022 and one win in 2024 ... SIUE has a bye until Thursday's action and will play either Little Rock, Morehead State or Southern Indiana.
 
SOUTHERN INDIANA
Appearances: 4
Titles: 0
All-Time Record: 2-4
Southern Indiana has now qualified for the OVC Tournament in all four years as a member of the OVC ... The team won two games (Little Rock, UT Martin) during the 2024 OVC Tournament but have lost first round elimination games in each 2023 and 2025 ... The Screaming Eagles won two of three against Lindenwood last weekend to clinch a spot in the field and earn the No. 8 seed ... The team has completed the reclassification process to Division I and is fully eligible for NCAA postseason play ... USI will play No. 5 seed Morehead State in Tuesday's opening round; the team was swept in a three-game series at MSU earlier this season.
 
UT MARTIN
Appearances: 8
Titles: 0
All-Time Record: 3-8
For the first time in its history UT Martin has qualified for the OVC Tournament in four-straight years ... The team has been in the event all five times it has been held in Marion ... The team was eliminated by Lindenwood a season ago; the two teams match up in the opening round against this season ... UTM swept Lindenwood during the regular season ... The Skyhawks have stolen a school record 144 bases this season (which ranks ninth nationally) ... UTM also ranks sixth nationally in batting average (.320) ... Outfielder TJ Grines ranks first nationally in stolen bases (65), which is 22 more than second-place; he has already set the OVC and UTM single-season records and the OVC single-game record (6 steals)... He is the first NCAA player to have 50 RBI and 50 stolen bases in a season since 2019 (and four RBI away from becoming just the second college player ever to have a 60/60 season) ... Grines enters this week ranked second nationally in hits (92) and sixth in runs (74).
 
 
Notes From Around the League
 
Highlights From Around the League: The 2026 OVC Tournament gets underway this week at Mtn Dew Park in Marion, Illinois; it marks the fifth time the event has been at the venue (fourth in a row) and it is scheduled to be there through 2029 ... The eight-team field features seven of the same teams as last year (Morehead State is in the field instead of Tennessee Tech this season) ... There has been a different champion each of the past three years (EIU, SEMO, Little Rock) ... SIUE won its first OVC regular season title, finishing the team 19-7 after being picked the preseason favorites ... The Cougars have 32 overall wins, which is a Division I record for the program, and have hit a program record 104 home runs this year ... SIUE is one of five OVC teams to have reached the 30-win mark this season, while another team is one win away from that mark; only one time in League history (2016) have six teams won 30 games in the same season ... Southeast Missouri has 38 overall wins, one victory from tying its school record set in 2016; the Redhawks have a RPI of 38, while the OVC is No. 13 overall as a Conference ... OVC teams are 25-8 in non-conference games over the past four weeks ...  UT Martin has 26 overall wins, which is the most of its Division I era ... UT Martin's TJ Grines set the OVC single-season stolen bases record on May 8, swiping his 58th base and erasing a record that had stood since 2003; he ranks first nationally in stolen bases (22 ahead of second place) ... Grines is the first NCAA Division I baseball player to have at least 50 stolen bases and 50 RBI’s in a single season since Coastal Carolina’s Rico Noel (56 stolen bases, 63 RBI’s) in 2010 ... He is also just four RBI away from a 60 RBI/60 SB season which has only been done once in college baseball (Javy Rodriguez of Miami in 2001 had 66 stolen bases and 60 RBIs) ... Grines enters the week with 92 hits, the second-most in Division I, and 74 runs, which is sixth nationally ... SIUE's Ryan Niedzwiedz has 27 home runs, which ranks fifth nationally and is tied for the second-most in OVC single-season history (six away from the record) ... The 2026 All-OVC teams and award winners will be announced on Tuesday morning.
 
SIUE Wins 2026 OVC Regular Season Championship: SIUE finished the season with a 19-7 OVC record to win its first OVC regular season championship. The Cougars, who were picked first in this year's preseason poll, played its first OVC season in 2012 and its previous best finish was second a year ago. The 19 OVC wins were tied for the most in program history (with the 2015 team). Overall the Cougars have 32 wins, the most of its Division I era.
 
2026 OVC Baseball Championship: For the fourth year in a row the OVC Baseball Championship will be held at Mtn Dew Park in Marion, Illinois (May 19-23). The event was also held at the venue (which was previously known as Rent One Park) in 2019. It was announced in May 2025 that the event will be held at the venue through 2029. This year the bracket has been slightly adjusted with the first two games (now played on Tuesday) being single-elimination (previously the first four games of the event were single-elimination and played on Wednesday). The winners of Tuesday's games will advance to the double elimination portion of the bracket. The Championship will now have 12 games (with the if necessary game being a 13th). The venue, home to the Thrillville Thrillbillies of the Prospect League (the team completed its first season in 2023), opened in 2007 and has a Sportexe Turf synthetic surface and features 3,400 chairback seats and lawn seating for over 2,000. It also has a new high-definition LED video board, 14 suites, a banquet facility, an entertainment plaza and kids’ play area. The stadium is located directly off Interstate 57. This year marks the 47th OVC Baseball Championship. The first elimination style OVC Baseball Tournament was held in 1980, most usually being played at the site of the regular season championship. Beginning in 2001 the tournament switched to a neutral site for the first time.
 
Seeding Success: Since the OVC Tournament switched to a neutral site format in 2001 (24 tournaments), the No. 1 seed has won eight championships, the No. 2 seed has seven titles, the No. 3 seed has won four times, the No. 4 seed has won twice, the No. 5 seed has won twice and the No. 8 seed has won once (Little Rock a year ago).
 
Grines Sets OVC Single-Season Steals Record: UT Martin senior OF TJ Grines leads all NCAA players (all divisions) with 65 stolen bases, which is 22 more than any other Division I player. On May 8 he stole is 58th base of the season, establishing a new OVC single-season record (breaking the old mark of 57 set by EKU's Josh Anderson in 2003). Grines already smashed the UTM single-season Division I record (37). Grines had six stolen bases against Western Illinois on May 3, setting the OVC and UTM single game records in that category.
 
Five Reach 30 Wins: Five OVC baseball teams (Eastern Illinois, Little Rock, Morehead State, Southeast Missouri and SIUE) have reached the 30-win plateau with another team (Lindenwood) one win away.  Only one time in OVC history (2016) have six OVC teams reached the 30-win mark in the same season.
 
Recent Baseball Success: Highest NET Ranking in 25 Years/Wins Over No. 1 Ranked Teams: Last season the OVC ranked 15th in the final NCAA RPI, its highest finish in the rankings in the past 25 years. This year will likely be even higher with the league's ranking being No. 13 entering the week. OVC teams also have four victories over the No. 1 ranked team since 2019, including Austin Peay over Vanderbilt (2-27-19), Morehead State over Louisville (3-2-21), Tennessee Tech over Tennessee (4-12-22) and Little Rock over LSU (6-1-25).
 
Ranked Wins: Here is a look at OVC teams with wins over nationally-ranked teams this season. From 2018 to the present OVC teams have 31 wins over nationally-ranked non-conference opponents.
            February 17 - Morehead State 8, #18 Kentucky 6
 
Thompson-Allen Named NCBWA National Co-Hitter of the Week (March 24): SIUE outfielder Terrick Thompson-Allen was named the National Co-Hitter of the Week by the NCBWA on March 24. He hit .650 (13-20) for the week with four home runs and 11 RBI. He ended the week with an on-base percentage of .682 and a slugging percentage at 1.450 and hit for the cycle in the final game of the week.
 
Two on Buster Posey Award Watch List: Tennessee Tech's Manny Garza and Little Rock's Cade Martin were named to the mid-year Buster Posey Award Watch List. The award is given to the top collegiate catcher. The award is sponsored by the Greater Wichita Sports Commission.
 
Two Named to Stopper of the Year Award Midseason Watch List: Two OVC baseball players were on the Midseason Watch List for the 21st Annual National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Stopper of the Year Award, given to the top relief pitcher in NCAA Division I Baseball. The selections were Southeast Missouri senior Jackson Kranawetter and SIUE redshirt sophomore Easton Harris.
 
Riggs Named Semifinalist for National Pitcher of the Year Award: Eastern Illinois' Bryce Riggs was named a semifinalist for the National Pitcher of the Year Award by the College Baseball Foundation. A total of 43 pitchers were selected as a semifinalist for the National Pitcher of the Year award.
 
Two on Brooks Wallace Player of the Year Award Semifinalist List: Southeast Missouri's Andrew Ramirez and SIUE's Chase Bloomer are two of 50 semifinalists for the Brooks Wallace Award, honoring the best shortstop in college baseball. The award is presented by the College Baseball Foundation.
 
SIUE Picked as 2026 OVC Preseason Favorite: SIUE was picked as the 2026 Ohio Valley Conference preseason baseball favorite in a vote of OVC head baseball coaches and communications directors. The Cougars picked up 10 first-place votes and 137 points in being picked first, one point ahead of Southeast Missouri, who received three first-place votes and 136 points. Eastern Illinois got four first-place votes and 132 points in being tabbed third while Little Rock picked up the other three first-place votes and 122 points in coming in fourth. The poll was rounded out by Tennessee Tech (98), Lindenwood (86), Southern Indiana (70), UT Martin (54), Morehead State (37) and Western Illinois (28).
 
OVC Professional Success: Former OVC baseball players have found professional success at the Major League level. To begin the 2026 MLB season, three former OVC players were on Opening Day rosters (Will Klein, Joey Lucchesi and Tyler Rogers) while four others were on 40-man rosters (including Trey Sweeney who started on the DL). At the end of the 2025 season, former Eastern Illinois pitcher Will Klein captured a World Series Championship as a member of the active playoff roster for the Los Angeles Dodgers, who topped the Toronto Blue Jays in extra innings in a thrilling Game 7. Klein appeared in both Game 1 and Game 3 of the World Series, including picking up the win in Game 3 when he pitched 4.0 innings of scoreless relief as L.A. won 6-5 in 18 innings. He allowed one hit and struck out five in that appearance. Klein pitched 1.0 innings in Game 1, allowing one hit. Klein is the first former OVC player to be on an active roster of a World Series Champion since 2020, when Belmont's Matt Beaty won a title also with the Dodgers. Former UT Martin pitcher Alec Mills tossed the 16th no-hitter in Chicago Cubs history (and 305th in MLB history) against the Milwaukee Brewers on September 13, 2020. In 2021 Eastern Illinois SS Trey Sweeney was selected in the First Round by the New York Yankees (No. 20 overall), becoming just the third First Round pick in OVC history; Sweeney is now with the Detroit Tigers and made his MLB debut in 2024. Also in 2021, former SEMO pitcher Dylan Dodd was selected in the Third Round by the Atlanta Braves, marking the first time in OVC history two players were selected in the Top 3 rounds of the same draft.
 
All Teams Eligible for Postseason Play: Lindenwood and Southern Indiana have completed their reclassification to Division I and are now eligible to earn to compete in NCAA sanctioned postseason play.
 
The 2026 Season: The 2026 season marks the 78th year of competition in the OVC. Over the previous 77 years, 14 different teams have claimed an OVC baseball regular season championship.
 
ESPN+/ESPN Unlimited: The OVC signed a new multi-year media rights agreement with ESPN ahead of the season that continues the long-standing partnership to air games on the Family of Networks. This season over 200 men’s and women’s basketball regular season Conference games and non-conference games will be streamed on ESPN+. Fans can subscribe to ESPN+ for $11.99 a month (or $119.99 per year). For the first time ever, ESPN now offers its full suite of 12 networks and services directly to fans within an enhanced ESPN App that integrates game stats, ESPN Fantasy sports, commerce, multiview options, a synchronized two-screen experience, a vertical video feature called Verts and a personalized SportsCenter For You. Designed to give fans more choice, flexibility and access to all of ESPN, these new features and functionality are available to all fans who watch on the ESPN App on mobile and connected TV devices, whether they subscribe directly or through a traditional pay TV package. Bundling options available for fans include a special offer at launch for the ESPN DTC Unlimited plan with Disney+ and Hulu for $29.99/month for the first 12 months.