Ohio Valley Conference

CO-PLAYER
Sam Eberle, OF ? Fr., 6’0, 196 ? Chattanooga, Tenn. ? Jacksonville State
Eberle helped Jacksonville State win two of three games against nationally-ranked Eastern Illinois last week. In five games overall during the week he hit .550 (11-for-20) with six runs scored, five home runs and 14 RBI. Eberle tied a school record with three home runs (while driving in 6 runs) against Kennesaw State to open the week. One night later in a road game against Kennesaw State, Eberle added a two-run homer. For the week he had a 1.350 slugging percentage, a .591 on-base percentage and raised his batting average 56 points after four multi-hit games.

CO-PLAYER
Drew Lee, SS ? Jr., 5’11, 180 ? Mt. Sterling, Ky. ? Morehead State
Lee hit .563 (9-for-16) in four games last week, clubbing five home runs, driving in 11 RBI and stealing two bases. Lee had a 1.563 slugging percentage and .611 on-base percentage and scored 11 total runs. In the first game of a doubleheader with UT Martin on Saturday, Lee hit three home runs (all from the left side of the plate); in the second game of that doubleheader he added two more long balls (both from the right side of the plate). In the field he handled 28 chances without an error and helped turn seven double plays.

Others Nominated: Jordan Tokarz, Eastern Illinois; Matt Davis, Eastern Kentucky; Daniel Hill, Murray State; Justin Wheeler, Southeast Missouri.

PITCHER
Daniel Calhoun, LHP ? Jr., 6’2, 190 ? Evansville, Ind. ? Murray State
Calhoun earned his third OVC Pitcher of the Week honor of the season after tossing his league-best sixth complete game (7 innings) of the season in an 8-1 victory over Eastern Kentucky on Saturday. He allowed just five hits (all singles) and struck out four without issuing a walk. All that stood between Calhoun and a shutout was a wild pitch in the sixth inning. Calhoun retired the first seven batters of the game and 10 of the first 11 batters he faced overall. It marked the third-straight game in which he allowed one earned run or less and the fifth start overall in which he has not issued a walk. On the year Calhoun is 8-1 with a 1.77 E.R.A. and has 61 strikeouts (against only 6 walks) in 61 innings of work.

Others Nominated: Richie Derbak, Eastern Illinois; Tanner Freshour, Jacksonville State; Todd Strahlendorf, Southeast Missouri; Chad Hayes, Tennessee Tech.

Team Notes

Austin Peay (16-22, 3-7 OVC): The Governors split a pair of non-conference games last week, beating Western Kentucky at home before falling to Memphis 5-4 in 13 innings in a neutral site contest in Jackson, Tenn. Austin Peay hosted Tennessee Tech in OVC play this weekend, splitting a doubleheader on Saturday before Sunday’s action was rained out. Austin Peay is now 3-7 in OVC play which is the team’s worst start in OVC play after the first four weekends since the 2000 campaign. That team rebounded and ultimately qualified for the OVC Tournament (the APSU program has been in the OVC Tournament each of the last 10 seasons). This team currently finds itself in eighth place in the OVC standings. Freshman shortstop Jon Clinard led the Govs with a .375 average during the week. He also stole three bases and now has a streak of 15 successful steals in a row. The team had two three-run home runs in the first inning against Tennessee Tech, one apiece in each end of the doubleheader. Adam Browett’s 3-run home run proved to be the game-winner in the 6-2 victory. Austin Peay will host Vanderbilt and play at Belmont in non-conference action this week before hosting second-place Southeast Missouri in OVC play this weekend.

Eastern Illinois (27-8, 10-3 OVC): Eastern Illinois won both of its non-conference games last week including an impressive 5-1 win over rival Illinois in Champaign to start the week. It was the team’s first win in Champaign since 1996. After a 24-4 win over non-Division I Blackburn the Panthers hosted defending regular season champion Jacksonville State. EIU came from behind to win game one 8-7 but dropped the final two games by scores of 13-3 and 10-5. After being ranked each of the last two weeks, the Panthers are now just in the others receiving votes categories of the national polls. The team has been playing without outfielder Brett Nommensen, who is leading the nation in on-base percentage and slugging percentage; Nommensen will have surgery on his wrist this week and miss the next 4-to-6 weeks. It marked the third straight year that EIU has won the opener against Jax State only to lose the next two games. Senior Jordan Tokarz hit .500 (5-for-10) with four home runs and eight RBI last week. He posted his first career five-hit game in the win over JSU on Saturday. Jordan Kreke delivered a two-out, walk-off single with the bases loaded to win the game over the Gamecocks on Saturday. Junior Richie Derbak was the winner in relief twice last week, allowing four hits and one earned run while striking out five in six innings of work. EIU will continue its 10-game home stand this week when Saint Louis, Bradley and Illinois College come to town. The weekend will see future OVC foe SIU Edwardsville come to Charleston for a three-game series.

Eastern Kentucky (19-16, 6-8 OVC): Eastern Kentucky opened last week with a 9-8 come-from-behind victory over Georgetown (Ky.) College. Senior Matt Davis had a pinch-hit, two-run double in the bottom of the eighth inning to push the team to the lead. For the week Davis, who has been battling a hamstring injury, was limited in action but hit .667 (6-of-9) with three runs, three doubles and four RBI. In Saturday’s first game Davis was 4-for-4 with two doubles, two runs scored and two RBI. EKU would lost a non-conference game to Marshall and then drop both Conference games with Murray State over the weekend. The final game of the MSU series was cancelled due to rain. In non-conference action this week EKU will host Xavier and then travel to Western Kentucky. This weekend’s OVC series pits the Colonels against Jacksonville State.

Jacksonville State (22-14, 7-5 OVC): Jacksonville State split a home/road series with Kennesaw State last week before traveling to Charleston, Ill. for a three-game set with nationally-ranked Eastern Illinois. After dropping the first game in walk-off fashion, Jacksonville State rebounded to win the final two games by margins of 13-3 and 10-5. The Gamecocks have now won 15 of its last 16 OVC series overall and find themselves in third place in OVC play (7-5). The wins over No. 29 EIU were the squad’s first over a nationally-ranked opponent since topping Troy 10-9 in 2005. Freshman Sam Eberle tied a school record with three home runs in the team’s win over Kennesaw State on April 14. Eberle, who was named OVC Co-Player of the Week, hit .550 (11-for-20) with six runs, five home runs and 14 RBI in five games last week. Eberle raised his batting average by 56 points during the week. Steven Leach and Blake Seguin both lead the Gamecocks with 16 multiple-hit games this season while Daniel Adamson and Kyle Bluestein are leading the squad with eight multiple-RBI games. Reliever Bill Henke suffered his first loss of the season against Kennesaw State last week; he still leads the team with a 1.47 E.R.A. and has allowed just three earned runs in 13 appearances this season. Freshman lefty Tanner Freshour made two appearances during the week, picking up a win and not allowing a run in 6.2 innings of work. Jax State will host No.1-ranked Georgia on Wednesday at Rudy Abbott Field. It marks the second time in the past few years that the No. 1 ranked team has come to Jacksonville (No. 1 Mississippi State visited in 2006). In OVC play this weekend the Gamecocks will host Eastern Kentucky.

Morehead State (14-21, 7-7 OVC): Morehead State split four total games last week, losing at nationally-ranked (No. 28) Vanderbilt before taking two of three OVC games at UT Martin. After starting the OVC season 1-7 the Eagles have turned it around the last three weekends, winning six of their last seven games to even their mark at 7-7. That places the team in a tie for fourth place in the standings. Junior shortstop Drew Lee had quite the week at the plate, earning OVC Co-Player of the Week honors. Lee hit .563 (9-for-16) with 11 runs scored, a double, five home runs, 11 RBI and two stolen bases. In Saturday’s doubleheader against UT Martin, Lee hit three home runs in game one, all coming from the left-side of the plate. In the second game of the twin-bill, Lee added two more long balls, both of which were from the right-side of the plate. He finished the week with a 1.563 slugging percentage and a .611 on-base percentage. He also did it with his glove, not committing an error in 28 chances and helping turn seven double plays. Lee is hitting .465 on the season, which is second in the OVC. He is tied for the league-lead with 22 multiple hit games on the season. Freshman Andrew Deeds hit .563 (9-for-16) with two triples while fellow freshman Eric Bainer hit .455 with two home runs. Through 35 games this season the Eagles have scored more runs and hit more home runs than all of last season. The Eagles will play at Cincinnati on Tuesday and host Marshall on Wednesday. This weekend Murray State comes to town for a key three-game OVC series; the Eagles and Thoroughbreds are currently tied for fourth place in the league standings.

Murray State (22-15, 5-5 OVC): Murray State lost non-conference games to Evansville (11-9) and Belmont (4-3) to open the week, which marked the team’s eighth loss in its last 10 games overall. But the Thoroughbreds rebounded by going on the road and winning both ends of a doubleheader against Eastern Kentucky. The teams saw their game on Sunday rained out, marking the second game this season that MSU has lost due to rain. With those wins the T’Breds have won four of its last five Conference games and have moved up to a tie for fourth place with Morehead State, the team it will play this weekend. Junior pitcher Daniel Calhoun was named OVC Pitcher of the Week for the third time this season after pitching his sixth complete game of the season in a 7-inning affair with EKU. The lefty allowed five hits (all singles) and struck out four without walking a batter. All that stood between him and a shutout was a wild pitch in the sixth inning. Calhoun is now 8-1 on the season with a 1.77 E.R.A. in 61 innings of work. He has 61 strikeouts and only six walks. Calhoun is won tied for eighth on the Murray State single-season win list, only three behind former Major League player Kirk Reuter. Junior outfielder Daniel Hill hit .471 (8-for-17) with eight runs, two doubles, a home run and four RBI. Against Belmont he was 4-for-5 with two doubles and four runs scored. Murray State now has 22 wins on the season, more than it had all of last season. Murray State will host Memphis in non-conference action this week and then travel to Morehead State for a weekend series.

Southeast Missouri (22-14, 9-3 OVC): Southeast Missouri had a week off from Conference play, as they hosted future OVC foe SIU Edwardsville at Capaha Park. The Redhawks scored nine runs in all three games (the fourth game was cancelled in due to rain) as they won by margins of 9-5, 9-2 and 9-4. Senior outfielder Justin Wheeler hit .462 (6-for-13) with seven runs scored, two doubles, two home runs, nine RBI and two stolen bases last week. That included a game-winning grand slam on Friday that broke a 5-5 tie and lifted Southeast to a 9-5 victory. On Saturday he hit a 3-run homer and added two doubles during the doubleheader sweep. Wheeler now has 13 multi-hit and 11 multi-RBI games this season. Senior Todd Strahlendorf picked up the win in game on of Saturday’s doubleheader, pitching six innings and allowing eight hits and striking out five while allowing just two earned runs. Southeast Missouri will host Evansville and Arkansas State in non-conference action this week. The team returns to OVC action for the first time in two weeks when they play at Austin Peay. The Redhawks are currently 9-3 in OVC play, half a game behind first place Eastern Illinois in the standings. Southeast will battle Eastern Illinois in two weeks.

SIU Edwardsville (9-24): The Cougars opened last week with their second home game of the season as they topped Missouri-St. Louis 3-0. Starting pitcher Mitchell Fairley went a season-best seven innings to even his record at 2-2 as he struck out six and allowed only four hits. Three other pitchers finished out the game with Dustin Quattrocchi finishing up the game and picking up the save. A day later SIU Edwardsville traveled to Indianapolis and topped Butler 7-1. Going to the ninth inning tied at one, SIUE scored six runs to blow the game open. Josh Street hit his 10th home run of the season in the game, becoming the first SIUE player since 2001 to reach double-figure home runs in a season. Over the weekend the Cougars traveled to future OVC foe Southeast Missouri and lost games by margins of 9-5, 9-2 and 9-4. This week SIUE will host Central Missouri and Indianapolis and then travel to Eastern Illinois for a three-game set.

Tennessee Tech (18-15, 5-8 OVC): Tennessee Tech went 1-2 in non-conference action last week, splitting a doubleheader with Covenant and losing at East Tennessee. In OVC action over the weekend the Golden Eagles split a Saturday doubleheader with Austin Peay before Sunday’s contest was rained out. Tennessee Tech is now 5-8 in OVC play and in seventh place overall in the standings. Freshman Chad Hayes pitched a great game in the 8-0 win over Covenant, pitching a seven-inning complete game shutout. He became the 38th Tech player to toss a two-hit complete game. He struck out seven batters and did not issue a walk. He also pitched two innings of relief against Austin Peay on Saturday. A.J. Kirby-Jones became the first player in Tennessee Tech history to hit three grand slams in a season during the week. Tennessee Tech will host Georgia State for a two-game set this week before welcoming UT Martin to town for a three-game OVC series this weekend.

UT Martin (13-22, 3-9 OVC): UT Martin dropped a one-run non-conference game with Saint Louis before going on the road to top Lipscomb 10-6 on Wednesday. The Skyhawks welcomed Morehead State to town for OVC action, as UTM took game two of Saturday’s doubleheader but lost the other two games in the series. Seniors Scott Gladstone and Miles Hartsfield continued their hitting streaks by hitting safely in all five games last week. Gladstone has now hit safely in 31 straight games while Hartsfield has a 29-game hitting streak. No teammate duo nationally has longer streaks. Junior catcher Ty Nelson had four multiple hit games last week and two multiple-hit games. He hit .526 (10-for-19) with two doubles, two home runs and six RBI. The Skyhawks will host Arkansas State on Tuesday and then battle Memphis at a neutral site (Pringles Park) in Jackson. In OVC play this weekend the team will travel to Tennessee Tech.

Notes From Around the League

OVC Overview/This Week’s Highlights: Jacksonville State took two of three games from nationally-ranked Eastern Illinois last week...The losses dropped Eastern Illinois from the national rankings this week...EIU is still in first place (10-3) while Jacksonville State is now 7-5 in league play, 2.5 games out of first place...The Panthers are without senior outfielder Brett Nommensen, one of the top players in the country, for the next 4-to-6 weeks after he suffered an injury that needed surgery...Before he was hurt Nommensen ranked first nationally in slugging percentage and on-base percentage and second nationally in batting average...Southeast Missouri, the only team to win an OVC series against Jacksonville State over the past 16 series, took a break from non-conference action with three games against SIU Edwardsville last week; the Redhawks are in second place in the OVC, just a half a game behind EIU in the standings...Morehead State shortstop Drew Lee hit five combined home runs in a doubleheader against UT Martin last week; Lee hit three home runs in the first game (all from the left-side of the plate) and two home runs in the second game (both from the right-side of the plate)...This weekend’s OVC games feature Murray State at Morehead State; those two teams are currently tied for fourth place in the league standings...Other games include Eastern Kentucky at Jacksonville State, Southeast Missouri at Austin Peay and UT Martin at Tennessee Tech.

EIU’s Nommensen Out 4-6 Weeks With Wrist Injury: Eastern Illinois baseball senior center fielder Brett Nommensen will undergo a medical procedure on April 21 after suffering a fracture to the "hook" of the hamate bone in his right wrist. A complete recovery is expected in 4-6 weeks. Nommensen was hitting .521 with 13 doubles and 11 home runs prior to the injury. As of April 13, he was leading the nation in on-base (.649) and slugging percentages (1.021) while ranking second in batting average.

UT Martin Duo Among Nation’s Best in Hitting Streaks: UT Martin’s Scott Gladstone and Miles Hartsfield are currently riding 31 and 29-game hitting streaks respectively. No other team in Division I can claim a duo that has a longer streak. The second-best streak nationally is by UT Arlington teammates who have each hit in 26 consecutive games.

Lee Hits Five Home Runs in Doubleheader; Three From Left Side of Plate and Two From Right Side of Plate: In a doubleheader split against UT Martin on April 18, Morehead State junior shortstop Drew Lee hit three home runs in the first game and two home runs in the second game of the twin-bill. The interesting fact is that all three home runs in the first game came from the left-side of the plate while the two home runs in the nightcap were from the right-side of the plate.

Nommensen Named a Mid-Season All-American by Baseball America: Eastern Illinois’ Brett Nommensen has been one of 10 position players in the nation named to Baseball America's Midseason All-America Team. At the time of the honor, Nommensen entered the week leading the country in on-base and slugging percentages, while also ranking second in batting average. Baseball America's lead college writer Aaron Fitt selected a nine-player lineup based on positions along with a utility player (pitcher and hitter). The pitching staff featured six hurlers. Fresno State's Tom Mendonca (third base), San Diego State's Stephen Strasburg (starting pitcher) and Nommensen were the only three players among the 15 recognized that play for universities not affiliated with the big six BCS conferences.

Eastern Illinois Spends Two Weeks in Collegiate Baseball News National Polls: Eastern Illinois became the first OVC school in a long time (believed to be since the 1996 season) to break into the national polls when they entered the Collegiate Baseball News poll at No. 27 on April 6. It marked the first time the Panthers have been ranked at the Division I level. The Panthers were No. 29 a week later but dropped out of the national polls on April 20 after losing two of three games to Jacksonville State. Eastern Illinois is still among the teams receiving votes in several of the polls. EIU has a win over then No. 15 ranked Oklahoma (the Sooners are No. 10 in this week’s NCBWA poll) and key road win over in-state rival Illinois. The Panthers still rank among the Top 40 (No. 39) in the latest RPI rankings.

OVC Players Among National Leaders: Brett Nommensen (who is injured but currently the nation’s leader in on-base and slugging percentage) is not the only OVC player putting up impressive numbers this season. Through last week’s NCAA rankings, EKU’s Matt Davis is first nationally in runs per game (1.83). Teammate Jayson Langfels is first nationally in RBI/game (1.79). Murray State’s Daniel Calhoun is fourth in victories (7). As for team’s, Eastern Illinois is second in batting average (.380) while Eastern Kentucky is fourth (.361). EKU also ranks fourth nationally in scoring (10.4), second in triples (0.71) and eighth in slugging (.570). EIU is seventh in scoring (10.1 runs/game) and third in slugging (.622). Murray State is ninth in walks allowed (2.64 per 9 innings) while Morehead State ranks fifth in double plays/game (1.29).

OVC Players in the Pros: Entering the 2009 season, there were five players from OVC schools on Major League Baseball Opening Day rosters. Austin Peay has the distinction of having three former players on teams including 2008 All-Star reliever George Sherrill (Baltimore), reliever Jamie Walker (Baltimore) and rookie pitcher Shawn Kelley (Seattle). Former Morehead State pitcher Jon Rauch is a setup man in Arizona while former Eastern Kentucky outfielder Josh Anderson is a backup in Detroit. Two other former OVC players are on 40-man rosters but will not begin the season with the major league club. Those two players are Austin Peay catcher A.J. Ellis (L.A. Dodgers) and pitcher Ehren Wassermann (who played for Samford when they were in the OVC). One OVC school - Eastern Illinois - has two alumni who are coaching at the highest level of professional baseball. Former Panther Kevin Seitzer is the Kansas City Royals hitting coach with Tim Bogar is the Boston Red Sox first base coach.

Austin Peay’s Tenholder on NCBWA’s Midseason Stopper of the Year Watch List: Austin Peay relief pitcher Daniel Tenholder has been named to the updated midseason National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Stopper of the Year Award, given to the top relief pitcher in NCAA Division I baseball. Tenholder, who was also on the preseason list released in February, has five saves in 20 total appearances in 2009. He has 29 strikeouts in 31.1 innings of work. Last season Tenholder posted a 4-1 record and an OVC-best 11 saves. He ranked 18th nationally in saves and compiled a 2.72 ERA in 36.1 innings over 30 appearances, striking out 41 batters. At the conclusion of the regular season, the Division I national saves leader and four other relief pitching standouts will be selected as finalists and released Wednesday, May 27, prior to start of NCAA regional tournament competition. The NCBWA’s All-America Committee will then select the winner, with this year’s recipient to be announced in early June.

College Baseball Foundation National All-Star Lineup: Each week during the season the College Baseball Foundation (CBF) will release its "National All-Star Lineup" giving accolades to the week’s top performers. The awards are presented by the CBF and Diamond Sports and are nominated by college coaches, staff and baseball media relations contacts. Below is a list of OVC players who have been honored this season.
    Week 2 - Daniel Calhoun, Murray State
    Week 3 - Daniel Hill, Murray State
    Week 4 - Brett Nommensen, Eastern Illinois
    Week 5 - Austin Lucas, Jacksonville State
    Week 6 - Jordan Kreke, Eastern Illinois
    Week 7 - Brett Nommensen, Eastern Illinois

Nommensen Named National Hitter of the Week by the NCBWA: Eastern Illinois outfielder Brett Nommensen was named the Pro-Line Athletic National Hitter of the Week by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association on April 6. Nommensen hit .769 (10-of-13) with seven runs scored, two doubles, three home runs and nine RBIs in the four EIU wins last week. He reached base safely in 14 of his 17 plate appearances, including in each of his first 13 trips to the plate. Nommensen homered twice in a 12-8 road win over Saint Louis, including leading off the game with a home run for the fourth time this season. He hit a two-run home run in game one against Murray State and knocked in the first run in the second game of that doubleheader (a 2-1 EIU victory). The NCBWA Board reviews candidates from every NCAA Division I conference each week and names winners on Tuesdays throughout the season. Founded in 1962, the NCBWA is dedicated to the advancement of college baseball. Membership is open to writers, broadcasters and publicists of the sport.

Murray State’s Hill Named Louisville Slugger & Pro-Line Athletic National Player of the Week: Murray State junior outfielder Daniel Hill was named a Louisville Slugger National Player of the Week by Collegiate Baseball and the Pro-Line Athletic National Player of the Week by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) on March 9. Hill (Germantown, Tenn.) helped the ?Breds to a 5-1 week by going 15-for-26 (.577) with two doubles, five home runs, 18 RBIs and nine runs scored. He had a slugging percentage of 1.231 and an on-base percentage of .633. He started the week by going 3-for-4 with a pair of RBIs in a mid-week victory over Freed-Hardeman and followed it up the next day by going 3-for-5 with a home run and three RBIs against Arkansas State. Hill stepped up his game in the four-game series against North Dakota State as he led school-record 28-hit attack in the series opener by going 5-for-7 with a double, three home runs and eight RBIs in the 20-9 victory. He tied the MSU single-game record for hits and home runs in a game. In the first game of a doubleheader on Saturday, Hill did not get much to hit at the plate as he walked twice and was hit by a pitch in four plate appearances. The Bison did not fare so well in the second game as Hill was 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs. The series finale turned into a classic slugfest as the ?Breds rallied twice and survived a ninth-inning rally. Hill hit his fifth home run of the week and drove in three runs in the 13-11 victory.

EIU’s Morrell One of 30 Student-Athletes Up for Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award: For his all-around excellence as a student-athlete, Brian Morrell of Eastern Illinois baseball has been named one of 30 candidates nationally for the prestigious Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award. Morrell is a senior pitcher for the Panthers and has served as the bullpen’s long-relief ace each of his upperclassman seasons. The Quincy native carries a 4.0 GPA while majoring in biological sciences. He was an ESPN the Magazine Second Team All-America honoree as a junior. The list of 30 candidates in baseball will be trimmed to a group of 10 finalists in April. Those 10 names will then be placed on the official ballot for a nationwide vote beginning April 15 and concluding May 31. Fan balloting will be coupled with votes from coaches and media to determine the recipient of the award. The award, given annually to senior student-athletes across nine NCAA Division I sports, has become one of the most prestigious honors in college athletics. The candidates were selected based on their dedication and achievement in four areas: Classroom, Character, Community, and Competition. The Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award is distinctive from many other honors in that on-the-field performance is only one factor in determining candidacy ? a major emphasis is placed on off-the-field commitments and personal character. An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the award was launched during the 2001-02 season in response to the trend of college basketball players leaving college early to turn professional.

Tootle Named to Brooks Wallace Award Watch List: Jacksonville State junior pitcher Ben Tootle has been named to the preseason Brooks Wallace Player of the Year Award Watch List as announced by the College Baseball Foundation. The Wallace Award is dedicated to the memory of former Texas Tech player and assistant coach Brooks Wallace. Wallace was a slick-fielding shortstop at Texas Tech from 1977 to 1980. A four-year starter, he was named All-Southwest Conference and All-District his senior year. He led the Red Raiders to their first-ever appearance in the Southwest Conference Tournament in 1980. The Wallace Award is presented annually to the nation’s top collegiate baseball player in conjunction with the College Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremonies. The 2009 award banquet will be at 7 p.m., Thursday, July 2, in the United Spirit Arena on the campus of Texas Tech University.

JSU’s Tootle Named to Golden Spikes Watch List: Jacksonville State’s Ben Tootle has been named to the 2009 Preseason Golden Spikes Award Watch List by USA Baseball, marking the organization’s first step toward identifying the top player in college baseball. The watch list features 50 of the nation’s top collegiate talents and will be presented in 2009 for the 32nd time. The award is sponsored by Major League Baseball. Last season Tootle was named first-team All-OVC after leading the conference with an impressive 10-2 record with two shutouts in 2008. He finished the season with 79 strikeouts, which was the second most in the OVC, and had a 3.87 earned run average. He was named OVC Pitcher of the Week three times during the season after going a perfect 8-0 against conference members. Baseball America named Tootle as the fourth-best prospect from this summer’s Cape Cod League, while ESPN’s Keith Law has named the Gamecock pitching ace as the 13th best prospect in the country for the 2009 season.

JSU’s Tootle Named to Numerous Preseason All-American Teams: Jacksonville State junior pitcher Ben Tootle was named to four preseason All-American lists this year. Tootle was a first-team NCBWA selection, second-team Louisville Slugger pick and a third-team choice by Ping! and Baseball America. Eastern Illinois’ Brett Nommensen was a third-team pick by Ping! while Southeast Missouri catcher Jim Klocke was a honorable mention pick by Ping!.

Five OVC Coaches Coaching at Their Alma Mater: This season five of the nine OVC head baseball coaches are currently coaching at their alma maters, including first-year head coach Jason Stein at Eastern Kentucky. Stein played at EKU from 1992-95 and graduated in 1997. He played against Morehead State head coach Jay Sorg who was at MSU from 1992-94. Ironically in the 1994 season, Sorg was named OVC Player of the Week on April 11 while Steen earned the same honor on May 2. The other coaches currently at their alma mater are Austin Peay’s Gary McClure (1987), Murray State Rob McDonald (1984) and Southeast Missouri’s Mark Hogan (1977).

Jacksonville State Picked as Preseason Favorite For Second Straight Season: For the second year in a row, Jacksonville State has been picked as the preseason favorite for the nine-team league in a vote of Ohio Valley Conference head baseball coaches. The Gamecocks claimed the 2008 regular season championship with a 23-4 record last season but came up just short in the OVC Tournament. The overall voting in the preseason poll was close as Jacksonville State, who received five first-place votes, edged Eastern Illinois, who had the other four first-place votes, by just one total point. Eastern Illinois swept through four games at the OVC Tournament last season on its way to team’s first title since 1999 and a berth in the NCAA Regionals. Those two teams were followed by Austin Peay (48 points), Southeast Missouri State (42), Tennessee Tech (38), Murray State (23), Morehead State (22), Eastern Kentucky (20) and UT Martin (10).

Nommensen and Tootle Named Preseason OVC Player/Pitcher of the Year: Jacksonville State junior right-hander Ben Tootle was tabbed the OVC Preseason Pitcher of the Year while Eastern Illinois senior outfielder Brett Nommensen was picked the OVC Preseason Player of the Year in a preseason vote of league head coaches. Nommensen produced gaudy numbers last year in earning All-OVC first-team honors as well as being selected to the NCAA Regional All-Tournament Team. He hit .402 with 82 hits, 56 runs, 18 doubles, five home runs and 36 RBI. His slugging percentage was .603 while his on-base percentage was a league-best .518. Nommensen also stole 18 bases. Tootle, who was named a preseason All-American by numerous outlets has been great in his first two seasons at JSU. In two years with Jax State, Tootle has compiled a 16-5 overall record, including an unblemished 8-0 mark against Conference opponents a season ago. Last season he struck out 79 batters and walked only 29 in 86 innings of work.

SIU Edwardsville Joins the OVC: On July 1 Southern Illinois University Edwardsville became the 11th member of the Ohio Valley Conference. SIU Edwardsville, who is in the reclassification process to Division I, will begin regular season competition in the OVC during the 2011-12 academic year and will be eligible for postseason competition in 2012-13. The exception is the SIUE softball program, which will be eligible for both regular season and tournament competition in 2010-11; the softball program was the department’s women’s sport designee to be fast-tracked to Division I, making it eligible to compete at Division I prior to other SIUE sports. SIUE is located in Edwardsville, Ill., which is just northeast of St. Louis (the 18th largest media market in the United States.