Ohio Valley Conference

Team Notes

Austin Peay (28-25, 8-13 OVC): Austin Peay entered the final week of the season already having been eliminated from OVC Tournament contention for the second straight season. But the team played well the last week, going 4-0, including beginning the week with an 8-7, 10-inning victory on the road at Lipscomb. The Governors followed that up by sweeping UT Martin in OVC action, going from ninth place to seventh place in the final OVC standings. That placed the Govs just one game out of the sixth and final spot for the OVC Tournament. In those final four games senior Adam Browett hit .500 (8-for-16) with six runs scored, six doubles, two home runs and four RBI. All eight of his hits during the week went for extra bases. Senior hurler Ricky Marshall tossed a seven-inning complete game against UTM, scattering six hits while striking out four in picking up the victory. Marshall led the team with seven victories and three complete games on the year. On the season the Govs were 21-7 at home and 20-12 in non-conference play, including a win over nationally-ranked Vanderbilt. Trey Lucas led the team with a .356 batting average while Matt Kole drove in a team-best 52 RBI.

Eastern Illinois (18-35, 11-12 OVC): Eastern Illinois went 1-2 at the OVC Tournament, topping Southeast Missouri State in its first game before losing to Jacksonville State and Murray State. To end the regular season, the Panthers needed to win two games to secure its No. 5 spot in the OVC Tournament field, and doing just that on the final weekend of the season. EIU won two of three from Southeast Missouri to secure its third-straight OVC Tournament berth. The Panthers won the title in 2008 and lost its first two games at the event last year. Zach Borenstein ended the season as the team’s batting leader, hitting .353 with 11 home runs and 47 RBI (also both team highs). Mike Hoekstra was had dominating control on the mound, walking only five batters in 67 innings of work (which set a new OVC single-season record). That ranked him first nationally in walks allowed per nine innings (0.67). Overall the EIU pitching staff led the OVC in team E.R.A., at 5.60.

Eastern Kentucky (28-27, 9-12 OVC): Eastern Kentucky may have had the most difficult time of any OVC team the final weekend of the regular season as the Colonels had a bye from OVC competition and had to scoreboard-watch to see if it would keep its sixth-place spot in the league standings and make the OVC Tournament field for the first time since 2007. After all was said and done everything fell into place for the Colonels and ended up as the No. 6 seed for the championship. Although EKU had missed the tournament in each of the past two seasons, it was the 25th overall OVC Tournament berth for the Colonels in the 31 years the event has been held. From 1984-89 Eastern won five championships in six years but the team has not won a tournament title since 1989. The program’s five tournament titles are second in OVC history (behind former member Middle Tennessee’s nine championships). EKU won its first game in the tournament, topping Murray State 4-3. The Colonels were then topped by regular season champion Tennessee Tech and eventually eliminated by Murray State. All-OVC selection Jayson Langfels ended his career with 18 triples (4 in 2010), which set the OVC all-time record. Langfels hit .353 with 14 doubles, 16 home runs and 52 RBI on the season. Richie Rodriguez led the team in batting average, hitting .357.

Jacksonville State (32-26, 15-8 OVC): After ending up as the No. 6 seed at the OVC Championship in 2009, Jacksonville State finished as the No. 2 seed this season, getting a first round bye. The Gamecocks made the most of that opportunity, winning all three of its games (Eastern Illinois, Tennessee Tech, Tennessee Tech) and claiming its first OVC Tournament title since 2006. Jacksonville State would earn the No. 4 seed at the Auburn regional in the NCAA Tournament, facing the host Tigers in the first game. JSU played Auburn tight before falling 9-7. A day later the team was eliminated by Southern Miss. Senior 2B Bert Smith (who was named the MVP of the OVC Tournament) ended his career as the OVC’s all-time leader in games played (234), game started (233), at-bats (947) and hits (323). For the season Smith was the team’s leading hitter, hitting .371 with 89 hits, 40 RBI and 36 stolen bases. Todd Cunningham, who was the first OVC player drafted (selected in the second round by the Atlanta Braves) hit .359 with 85 hits, 17 doubles, 11 home runs, 42 RBI and 21 stolen bases. Pitcher Austin Lucas was a perfect 6-0 on the season in 13 total starts.

Morehead State (24-25-1, 6-12-1 OVC): Morehead State was on the outside of the top six of the OVC standings entering the final week of the regular season and needed to win games at home in order to advance to the tournament for the second year in a row. But the Eagles were unable to win a game from the Gamecocks, getting swept at home and ending the year 24-25-1 overall and 6-12-1 in OVC play. MSU finished the year in eighth place in the league standings, just 1.5 games out of sixth place. The Eagles went just 2-8-1 overall in its last 11 games of the season. Despite the disappointing end to the season, Drew Lee finished his fabulous four-year career by hitting .412 with 17 home runs and 66 RBI in 2010. Lee finished his career with 186 RBI, which was the most in Morehead State history. J.D. Ashbrook also finished a fantastic year that saw him hit .432 with 69 runs, 18 home runs and 55 RBI in 49 games.

Murray State (28-28-1, 12-8-1 OVC): Murray State entered the final weekend of regular season play in first place in the OVC standings and controlling its own destiny. The Thoroughbreds traveled to Cookeville, Tenn. to battle second place Tennessee Tech as both teams would search for its first regular season title in a long time (MSU has not won a regular season championship since 1991). But Murray State would not win a game from the Golden Eagles (who were a perfect 11-0 in OVC play at home on the year), falling in the three games and dropping to the No. 3 overall seed for the OVC Tournament. MSU dropped its first game of the OVC Tournament (to Eastern Kentucky) but battled back to top Southeast Missouri (in extra innings), Eastern Kentucky and Eastern Illinois to make it to the championship game of the loser’s bracket. It was there the T’Breds fell to Tennessee Tech. OVC Player of the Year Wes Cunningham had a great OVC Tournament (earning All-Tournament honors) and finished his career with several school and OVC records. Cunningham set the OVC single-season marks for RBI (86) and total bases (192) during the championship. During the year the All-American hit .408 with 95 hits, 77 runs, 19 doubles, 6 triples, 22 home runs and 86 RBI. Matt McGaha earned All-OVC honors as a reliever after posting a 5-3 record and 3.90 ERA in 27 appearances during the season.

Southeast Missouri (30-25, 13-9 OVC): Southeast Missouri State made its record 16th-straight OVC Tournament appearance this season, having qualified every year in the tenure of head coach Mark Hogan. But for the second-straight season the Redhawks would lose both of its games at the OVC Championship, losing to Eastern Illinois and Murray State, both in extra innings. The season went down as one to remember for senior catcher Jim Klocke, who was named the OVC Male Athlete of the Year and an All-American on the baseball diamond. He also got the job done in the classroom and was named the ESPN the Magazine Academic All-American of the Year by CoSIDA for being a standout on the field and in the classroom. Klocke also set the Southeast career RBI mark during the year. For the year Klocke hit .370 with 85 hits, 59 runs, 22 doubles, 13 home runs and 66 RBI. Newcomer Casey Jones led the team in hitting, batting .398 on the season with 10 home runs and 66 RBI. On the mound Shae Simmons was named OVC Rookie of the Year after having a team-low .320 E.R.A. in 25 appearances, and racking up five saves. Kyle Gumieny was 8-1 in 19 total appearances (9 starts) during 2010.

SIU Edwardsville (14-38): SIU Edwardsville saw its second season as a Division I team come to an end with three games at future OVC foe Eastern Kentucky this past weekend. That included a pair of 4-1 losses in a doubleheader on Friday and an 8-7 loss in the season finale on Saturday. On the season the Cougars were 5-13 against OVC teams, including winning two of three at OVC champion Tennessee Tech, a team that was 21-8 at home on the year (11-0 in the OVC). On the year SIUE played 34 of its 52 games at true road sites, going 4-30 in those games. The team was 1-4 in neutral site games and 9-4 in home games. Dustin Brooks finished the year leading the team in batting (.342), netting 55 hits, 15 doubles, five home runs and 32 RBI in 44 games. Dustin Quattrocchi won four games for SIUE, and saved two others in his 15 appearances.

Tennessee Tech (31-25, 14-6 OVC): Tennessee Tech finished the regular season with a three-game sweep of Murray State giving the Golden Eagles a 14-6 OVC mark and the program’s seventh OVC regular season championship. After winning the OVC Tournament as a No. 5 seed last season, the Golden Eagles entered this year’s event as the No. 1 overall seed and the advantage of having a first round bye. Overall Tech started the OVC season 0-5 but then ran off 11-straight OVC wins and overall won 14 of its final 15 Conference contests on the season a feat that earned Matt Bragga OVC Coach of the Year honors. Tennessee Tech was, however, unable to defend its OVC Tournament crown, falling twice to Jacksonville State (the team they topped in last year’s championship game). TTU’s A.J. Kirby-Jones and Chad Oberacker racked up multiple All-American honors in the postseason. Kirby-Jones finished the year with 26 home runs, which equaled the OVC single-season record. It was just one home run off the Division I national lead in 2010. Oberacker established a new OVC single-season hits record (108 - which ranked fourth nationally) and tying the OVC single-season doubles mark (29).

UT Martin (24-31, 8-16 OVC): Entering the final week of the season the UT Martin Skyhawks had a chance to make the OVC Tournament field, which would have been only the second tournament appearance for the program since joining the OVC. Unfortunately for the Skyhawks it was not meant to be, as Austin Peay swept the series during the final weekend, and UT Martin finished the season 24-31 overall and 8-16 in OVC play. The 24 victories on the season are the most in a single-season under head coach Bubba Cates. It is the best mark for the program since going 31-8 in 1992 (which was before joining the Division I ranks and the OVC). Sophomore Jordan Owen blasted three home runs during the APSU series, giving him a league-best 14 round-trippers in 24 total OVC games in 2010. He went yard at least once in every OVC series during the year and led UTM with 18 home runs overall on the season, establishing a record that had been standing for 38 years (17 by Don Jackson in 1972). Ty Nelson finished the season as the team’s leading hitter, batting .396 in 55 games (all of which he started). He hit eight home runs, drove in 45 runs and stole 19 bases. Junior Trey Karlen hit .356 in 55 games and stole 30 bases in 35 total attempts. He smashed 14 home runs and led the team with a .671 slugging percentage. Pitcher Coty Green finished the year with a league-best nine wins, going 9-4 in 17 appearances (87.2 innings pitched). Wes Alsup led the way with seven saves.

Notes From Around the League　

 Jacksonville State Wins 2010 OVC Tournament: Entering the OVC Championship as the No. 2 seed (including winning five of its last six games), Jacksonville State went through the tournament undefeated, winning all three games to claim its third crown since joining the Conference in 2004. The Gamecocks were also OVC Tournament Champions in 2004 and 2006. Since the league moved to a neutral site format for its championship in 2001, Jacksonville State’s three titles are the most for any OVC team. It also marked the third-straight season that the league’s regular season champion did not win the league’s tournament. In the seven years that JSU has been in the OVC, the team has played in the championship round of the event six times (2008 was the exception).

OVC Tournament First Held at Pringles Park: This year’s OVC Baseball Championship was the first held at Pringles Park in Jackson, Tenn. In May 2009, the OVC Board of Athletic Directors and Board of Presidents approved a plan to move the OVC Baseball Championship to Jackson, Tenn. for the next three years, beginning with the 2010 season. The six-team, double-elimination tournament was held May 26-30 at Pringles Park, home of the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx, the AA affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. This year marked the 31st OVC Baseball Championship. The first elimination style tournament was held in 1980, most usually being played at the site of the regular season champion. Beginning in 2001 the tournament switched to a neutral site for the first time (with the last nine championships have been held at Brooks Stadium in Paducah, Ky.). Pringles Park opened in 1998 and has a seating capacity of 6,000. The venue hosted the 1999 Southern League All-Star Game and will also host that event in 2011. Pringles Park also has luxury suites, a video board and merchandise shop that will be used for the championship. More information on the stadium and the Diamond Jaxx can be found at http://www.diamondjaxx.com. Jackson, Tenn. is located 130 miles from Nashville and 77.2 miles from Memphis on Interstate 40.

Tennessee Tech Wins 2010 OVC Regular Season Championship: With a sweep of Murray State to end the regular season, Tennessee Tech claimed the 2010 OVC Baseball regular season championship, the seventh for the program and first since 1997. The Golden Eagles have also won OVC regular season championships in 1949, 1955, 1956, 1970 (East Division), 1988 (South Division) and 1997. After starting the OVC season 0-5, TTU ran off 11-straight OVC wins and finished the year with 14 of its final 15 Conference contests. Tennessee Tech’s title marks the fifth-straight season that the OVC has had a different regular season champion (Samford, Austin Peay, Jacksonville State, Eastern Illinois, Tennessee Tech).

Murray State’s Cunningham, Tennessee Tech’s Henry Take Home Top Honors: Murray State senior first baseman Wes Cunningham was named 2010 OVC Player of the Year while Tennessee Tech senior hurler Lee Henry was named OVC Pitcher of the Year. Southeast Missouri State relief pitcher Shae Simmons took home OVC Rookie of the Year honors while Tennessee Tech head coach Matt Bragga was named OVC Coach of the Year. The awards are voted on by league head coaches and sports information directors and were awarded along with first and second-team All-OVC honors. Regular season champion Tennessee Tech and Southeast Missouri State each had three players selected to the first-team. Jacksonville State and Morehead State (two apiece) were the only other programs with multiple first-team selections. Southeast Missouri and UT Martin led the way with four second-team selections apiece while five teams (Austin Peay, Eastern Kentucky, Murray State, Tennessee Tech and UT Martin) each had two picks on the All-Freshman team. Southeast Missouri’s eight total selections across the three teams were the most of any school.

Klocke Named OVC Male Athlete of the Year: Southeast Missouri State senior catcher Jim Klocke was named OVC Male Athlete of the Year and honored at the league’s annual Honors Luncheon on June 4. Klocke capped a brilliant four-year career this season earning first-team All-OVC honors for the third-straight season after leading Southeast Missouri State to 30 victories for the eighth time in the past 16 years. Along the way he was named one of just 16 semifinalists for the Johnny Bench Award, named after the former Cincinnati Reds star and given to the top catcher in collegiate baseball. Drafted last season by his hometown St. Louis Cardinals, our winner decided to come back to school and finish his degree, an honor that was bestowed to him on May 15 when he graduated Summa Cum Laude. Those traits also earned him a spot among the final 10 nominees for the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award as well as being named the ESPN The Magazine Baseball Academic All-America of the Year by CoSIDA. Along the way he broke the Southeast Missouri State career RBI record (190), breaking the mark of Jeremy Johnson, who was named OVC Male Athlete of the Year in 2000. In 55 total games this season the catcher compiled a .370 batting average with 85 hits, 59 runs scored, 22 doubles, 13 home runs and 66 RBI.

A Record 13 OVC Players Selected in MLB First-Year Player Draft: In total 13 OCV players were selected in the 2010 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. That marked an all-time record high for the league. Twelve OVC players were selected in rounds 2-30 while one player were picked in rounds 31-50 as the draft concluded. The players selected were:
  Todd Cunningham, OF/INF (Jacksonville State) - Atlanta Braves, 2nd Round (No. 53)
  Stephen Pryor, RHP (Tennessee Tech) - Seattle Mariners, 5th Round (No. 162)
  A.J. Kirby-Jones, 1B (Tennessee Tech) - Oakland Athletics, 9th Round (No. 275)
  Drew Lee, SS (Morehead State) - Chicago White Sox, 12th Round (No. 368)
  Josh Mueller, RHP (Eastern Illinois) - Colorado Rockies, 13th Round (No. 410)
  Jayson Langfels, 3B (Eastern Kentucky) - Colorado Rockies, 16th Round (No. 500)
  Wes Cunningham, 1B (Murray State) - San Diego Padres, 17th Round (No. 514)
  Chad Oberacker, OF (Tennessee Tech) - St. Louis Cardinals, 19th Round (No. 589)
  Daniel Adamson, OF (Jacksonville State) - Houston Astros, 20th Round (No. 603)
  Adam Liberatore, LHP (Tennessee Tech) - Tampa Bay Rays, 21st Round (No. 641)
  Andrew Edge, C (Jacksonville State) - Los Angeles Dodgers, 24th Round (No. 742)
  Alex Jones, RHP (Jacksonville State) - Milwaukee Brewers, 27th Round (No. 819)
  Jim Klocke, C (Southeast Missouri) - Philadelphia Phillies, 31st Round (No. 951)

All-Americans: Overall the OVC had 15 All-American selections (six different players) across the five major All-America teams in 2010.

  Louisville Slugger/Collegiate Baseball News
   Chad Oberacker, Tennessee Tech (1st Team)
   A.J. Kirby-Jones, Tennessee Tech (2nd Team)
   Wes Cunningham, Murray State (3rd Team)
  Ping!Baseball
   Wes Cunningham, Murray State (2nd Team)
   Chad Oberacker, Tennessee Tech (2nd Team)
   A.J. Kirby-Jones, Tennessee Tech (2nd Team)
   Jim Klocke, Southeast Missouri (3rd Team)
   Drew Lee, Morehead State (3rd Team)
   J.D. Ashbrook, Morehead State (3rd Team)
  Baseball America
   A.J. Kirby-Jones, Tennessee Tech (3rd Team)
  Pro-Line Athletic NCBWA
   A.J. Kirby-Jones, Tennessee Tech (2nd Team)
   Chad Oberacker, Tennessee Tech (3rd Team)
   Wes Cunningham, Murray State (3rd Team)
  ABCA/Rawlings
   A.J. Kirby-Jones, Tennessee Tech (1st Team)

Freshman All-Americans: Overall in 2010 the OVC had three Freshman All-American selections.

  Ping!Baseball   Shae Simmons, Southeast Missouri (3rd Team)
   Brandon Elliott, Murray State (3rd Team)
  Louisville Slugger
   Shae Simmons, Southeast Missouri

The OVC in the NCAA Statistical Leaders: In the final set of national statistical leaders, the OVC had several teams and individuals among the leaders. As a team Morehead State ranked third in home runs (1.94/game), 13th in scoring (8.9 runs/game) and fifth in slugging (.569). Southeast Missouri ranked seventh in batting average (.346). Individually, Murray State senior Wes Cunningham was second in RBI (1.51/game), fourth in slugging (.824), fifth in total bases (192), 11th in home runs (0.39/game) and 11th in runs (1.35/game). Tennessee Tech junior A.J. Kirby-Jones ranked second in home runs (0.46/game), second in slugging (.859), 10th in on-base percentage (.531) and fifth in walks (1.04/game). Tennessee Tech’s Chad Oberacker was third in batting average (.452), fourth in hits (108) and eighth in doubles (0.52/game). Morehead State’s J.D. Ashbrook was fourth in runs (1.41/game), fifth in on-base percentage (.540) and 10th in slugging (.795). Morehead State’s Michael Bottoms was the third toughest nationally to strike out (one strikeout per every 33.0 at-bats) while Eastern Illinois’ Mike Hoekstra was first nationally in walks allowed per nine innings (0.67).

Tennessee Tech Wins OVC Team Sportsmanship Award: Tennessee Tech University was the recipient of the 2009-10 Team Sportsmanship Award for baseball. Voted on by the student-athletes and coaches of the respective sports, the team awards are bestowed upon the Conference squads deemed to have best exhibited the standards of sportsmanship and ethical behavior as outlined by the OVC and NCAA. Included in the areas for evaluation are the conduct of student-athletes, coaches, staff and administrators and fans. The 2009-10 school year marks the fifth year the team sportsmanship honors have been awarded. This marks the first award for the Golden Eagles program. Implemented in August 2005, the team honors are the most recent addition to an awards program that recognizes and celebrates sportsmanship within the Conference.

JSU’s Smith Sets OVC Record for Career Hits, At-Bats and Games Played/Started: This season Jacksonville State senior second baseman Bert Smith set OVC career marks for each hits, at-bats, game played and games started. On April 17 Smith set the record for hits, registering his 288th mark against Austin Peay and breaking the previous record of 287 held by Jeremy Johnson (Southeast Missouri, 1997-2000). Smith finished his career with 323 hits. On April 7 against No. 19 Alabama Smith became the OVC’s all-time leader in at-bats, passing the mark of 831 career at-bats previously held by Middle Tennessee’s Clay Snellgrove (1994-97). Smith finished his career with 947 career at-bats. On May 16 Smith played in his 225th career game, setting a new OVC record in that category. That passed the previous record of 224 held by MTSU’s Snellgrove (1994-97). Smith finished his career with 234 games played, and 233 games started (also a record).

EKU’s Langfels Sets OVC Career Triples Mark: With a triple on March 24 against Miami (Ohio) Eastern Kentucky’s Jayson Langfels netted his 17th career triple, which set the OVC career mark (previously 16 by Tennessee Tech’s Bill Maclin from 1968-71). Langfels finished his career with 18 career triples.

Oberacker Sets Single-Season OVC Hits Record, Ties Single-Season Doubles Mark: Tennessee Tech junior outfielder Chad Oberacker recorded 108 hits in 2010, which ranked fourth nationally and established a new single-season OVC mark. He broke the old mark of 106 held by Eastern Kentucky’s Josh Anderson in 2003. Oberacker also finished the season with 29 doubles, equaling the all-time mark of 29 held by Austin Peay’s Ryan Bennett (1996).

Cunningham Sets OVC Single-Season Marks for RBI and Total Bases: Murray State senior first baseman Wes Cunningham set the OVC single-season records for RBI and total bases during the 2010 OVC Baseball Championship. Cunningham ended the year with 86 RBI, which broke the record of 85 held by Eastern Kentucky’s Neil Sellers (2003). Cunningham also finished the year with 192 total bases, besting the mark of 191 held by Austin Peay’s Nate Manning (1996).

Kirby-Jones Equals OVC Single-Season Home Run Record: Tennessee Tech junior designated hitter A.J. Kirby-Jones equaled the OVC single-season record for home runs in 2010. The slugger belted 26 home runs, equaling the mark of 26 also done by Morehead State’s Cary Page in 2002. Kirby-Jones ranked second nationally in home runs in 2010 (one of the national leader).

Hoekstra Establishes New OVC Walk Record: Eastern Illinois pitcher Mike Hoekstra set a new OVC record for fewest walks in a season in 2010, walking only five batters in 67 total innings. That mark led the nation.

Four OVC Baseball Student-Athletes Named Academic All-America; Klocke Named Academic All-America of the Year: Four OVC baseball student-athletes were named ESPN The Magazine Academic All-Americans as selected by CoSIDA on May 25. The honorees included Southeast Missouri State catcher Jim Klocke, who was named the "Academic All-America of the Year" for being the top selection on the team. Klocke, a repeat first-team Academic All-American selection, has a 3.94 G.P.A. in business administration and was named a first-team All-OVC selection for the third year in a row in 2010. He is joined by two second-team Academic All-Americans in Murray State senior Wes Cunningham (3.35 in history) and Morehead State senior Drew Lee (3.57 in industrial engineering technology), who was a repeat selection. The team also included third-team selection Kyle Gumieny from Southeast Missouri (3.97 in engineering technology).

Southeast Missouri Makes Record 16th Straight OVC Tournament Appearance: Southeast Missouri State is appearing in its 16th straight OVC Baseball Tournament in 2010, which is an all-time OVC record for consecutive appearances. The Redhawks set the record two years ago, passing Eastern Kentucky’s mark of 13-straight appearances from 1981-93. Southeast Missouri has made the tournament field in every season under head coach Mark Hogan.

Klocke a Semifinalist for the Johnny Bench Award Watch List: Southeast Missouri State senior Jim Klocke was one of 16 semifinalists for the 2010 Coleman Company Johnny Bench Award Watch List delivered by Papa John's Pizza and announced by The Greater Wichita Area Sports Commission. The award is given annually to the top Division I collegiate catcher. Originally 53 players were announced to a watch list at the beginning of the season (that list included Eastern Kentucky senior Joey Stevens) and was reduced to 16 on May 19. Ballots will now be sent to the national voting panel at the end of May for a vote to determine the three finalists. The finalists will be announced June 2, 2010 prior to the NCAA Regionals and Major League Baseball Draft. A final vote among the national committee will occur during the College World Series. All finalists will be brought to Wichita and the winner will be announced at the 13th Annual Greater Wichita Sports Banquet on July 1, 2010.

Lee, Parmley Named to Brooks Wallace Award Watch List: Morehead State senior Drew Lee and Southeast Missouri State sophomore Kenton Parmley were two of 25 quarterfinalists for the Brooks Wallace Shortstop of the Year award as announced by the College Baseball Foundation. The Wallace Award, sponsored by Mizuno, recognizes the nation’s top shortstop and will be presented on July 2 in Lubbock, Texas, as part of the College Baseball Awards Show. The revised watch list features shortstops from 15 conferences, with the ACC, Big 12 and SEC leading the pack with three representatives each. The award is a tribute to Brooks Wallace, a slick fielding shortstop that played at Texas Tech University, from 1977 to 1980 and led that team to its first ever trip to the Southwest Conference championship. The College Baseball Awards Show will take place on July 2 in Lubbock, Texas, as part of a nearly weeklong schedule of festivities sponsored by the College Baseball Foundation. The events also include the induction ceremony for the National College Baseball Hall of Fame.

Three OVC Players Named to Olerud Award Watch List: Three Ohio Valley Conference players were among the 25 quarterfinalists for the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award as announced by the College Baseball Foundation on Monday. The players are Morehead State senior Michael Bottoms (RHP/1B), Southeast Missouri State junior Michael Adamson (OF/LHP) and Tennessee Tech junior Chad Oberacker (OF/LHP). The three selections from the OVC are second among all conferences, trailing only the four picks from the SEC. The Olerud Award, which recognizes a player who makes an impact both on the mound and at the plate, will be presented in Lubbock, Texas, on July 2 as part of the College Baseball Awards Show. The award is named for Olerud, who was named freshman All-American, All-American 1B and Pitcher, and Baseball America College Player of the Year. Olerud left a legacy of character and greatness in college and professional baseball.

Eleven OVC Baseball Student-Athletes Named to ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Team: Eleven OVC baseball student-athletes have been named to ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Teams as selected by CoSIDA. Six of the players were first-team selections and five were second-team picks. The six first-team selections will now have their names appear on the national ballot for consideration for Academic All-American later this month. The ESPN the Magazine Academic All-America baseball team will be announced on Tuesday, May 25. The first-team selections included Murray State senior first baseman Wes Cunningham (3.35 GPA in history), Morehead State senior shortstop Drew Lee (3.57 GPA in industrial engineering technology), Austin Peay senior designated hitter Matt Kole (3.00 in business), SIU Edwardsville senior outfielder Dustin Brooks (3.83 in exercise and wellness), Southeast Missouri State senior pitcher Kyle Gumieny (3.97 in engineering technology) and Southeast Missouri State senior catcher Jim Klocke (3.94 in business administration). The five second-team selections included Morehead State senior infielder Michael Bottoms (3.73 in business), Tennessee Tech senior pitcher Lee Henry (3.31 in education), Tennessee Tech junior outfielder Chad Oberacker (3.31 in physical education), UT Martin senior catcher Ty Nelson (3.33 in engineering) and UT Martin junior infielder Cody Terry (3.81 in health and human performance). To be eligible for nomination, a student-athlete must have reached sophomore academic standing and have at least a 3.30 cumulative grade point average.

Hitting Streaks: Southeast Missouri State senior catcher Jim Klocke had a 25-game hitting streak come to an end this season. The streak was the longest in the OVC this year. The all-time OVC mark is 42 games by Austin Peay’s Chuck Abbott, set in the 1996 season (that streak is the fifth longest in NCAA history). Although a full list of all-time OVC hitting streaks are not available, below are a list of streaks of 25 or more games over the last eight years (2003-present).36 - Ryan Kane, Austin Peay (2006)
  32 - Miles Hartsfield, UT Martin (2009)
  31 - Scott Gladstone, UT Martin (2009)
  30 - Chris King, Tennessee Tech (2009)
  30 - Michael Marseco, Samford (2009)
  28 - Nick Cleckler, Jacksonville State (2006)
  28 - Clay Whittemore, Jacksonville State (2008)
  26 - Rafael Hill, Austin Peay (2008)
  26 - Eric Horstman, Southeast Missouri (2005) 
  25 - Jim Klocke, Southeast Missouri (2010)

Klocke One of 10 National Finalists for Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award; Finishes in Top 5 in Voting: Southeast Missouri State senior catcher Jim Klocke was named one of 10 finalists for the 2010 Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award. After the nationwide voting was held, Klocke finished as a first-team selection, finishing in the top five of the voting. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence - classroom, character, community and competition. An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities. Earlier in the year two additional OVC players - Murray State first baseman Wes Cunningham and Morehead State shortstop Drew Lee - were among the 30 candidates for the award but those two did not make the final cut to 10.

EIU’s Alex Gee Named Louisville Slugger National Player of the Week by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper: Eastern Illinois senior Alex Gee earned Louisville Slugger National Player of the Week honors from Collegiate Baseball Newspaper on May 10 after hitting four home runs and driving in nine RBI in a three game series at Jacksonville State. Gee went deep in four of his 13 at-bats in the three-game series at JSU, finishing the weekend 6-for-13 with nine RBIs (six coming with two outs) and five runs scored. He connected for a pair of solo homers in the series opener and hit a three-run shot in the nightcap of Saturday’s doubleheader. In an EIU victory Sunday, he gave the Panthers an early lead with a two-run homer in the first inning en route to a 3-for-4, four-RBI performance.

Lee Named Louisville Slugger National Player of the Week by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper: Morehead State senior shortstop Drew Lee was named Louisville Slugger National Player of the Week by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper as well as by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) on April 19/20 after an outstanding week. In four Morehead State victories Lee hit .550 (11-for-20) with 12 runs scored, three doubles, five home runs, 14 RBI, two stolen bases and a 1.450 slugging percentage. In a mid-week win over Marshall, the senior homered, drove in three runs and scored three times as the Eagles prevailed 15-6. Lee started a weekend sweep of OVC foe Eastern Kentucky by homering three times in game one of Saturday’s doubleheader. He drove in two more runs in the second game of the twin bill, bringing Saturday’s RBI total to six. Lee concluded the week by adding another home run and driving in five additional runs.

Flynn Named CollegeBaseballInsider.com National Player of the Week: Coming off a week where he doubled his season home run and RBIs total, Morehead State sophomore Cameron Flynn was named the National Player of the Week by CollegeBaseballInsider.com on March 31. In four games the previous week, Flynn batted .588 (10-for-17) with four home runs and 16 RBI. The Lexington native smacked two doubles and one triple, scored seven runs and slugged a remarkable 1.529. He knocked in a career-high six in a mid-week win over Indiana, before homering three times and tallying nine RBI in an OVC doubleheader against Southeast Missouri State on Saturday.

Kirby-Jones Named Louisville Slugger National Player of the Week by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper: Tennessee Tech junior A.J. Kirby-Jones was named Louisville Slugger National Player of the Week by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper on March 15. In six games during the week Kirby-Jones hit .526 (10-for-19) with eight runs scored, two doubles, five home runs and 13 RBI. The junior had a .655 on-base percentage and a 1.421 slugging percentage for the week. In the first game of the Buffalo series, Kirby-Jones was 4-for-4 at the plate with three home runs and five RBI. He also drove in three runs in a road win over South Alabama on Wednesday and in game two of the series against Buffalo.

College Baseball Foundation National All-Star Lineup: Each week the College Baseball Foundation and Diamond Sports releases a "National All-Star Lineup" which gives accolades to the past week’s top performers around the country. The "National All-Star Lineup" is nominated by college coaches, staff, and baseball media contacts. Below are a list of OVC players who have been honored by the CBF this season.
  March 23 - Wes Cunningham, Murray State
  March 30 - Cameron Flynn, Morehead State
  April 20 - Drew Lee, Morehead State

EKU’s Purcell Named to Mid-Season NCBWA Stopper of the Year Watch List: Eastern Kentucky junior closer Ryne Purcell is one of 45 players named to the NCBWA’s Stopper of the Year Award Watch List. The award is given to the top relief pitcher in college baseball. 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, June 2, prior to start of NCAA regional tournament competition. The NCBWA's All-America Committee then will select the winner, with this year's recipient to be announced on the opening day of the College World Series on June 19.

Cunningham Named to Golden Spikes Watch List: Jacksonville State's Todd Cunningham has been named to the preseason Golden Spikes Award Watch List, as released by USA Baseball. The watch list features 50 of the nation's top amateur talents, and it will be a "rolling" list to ensure that athletes can play themselves into consideration for the Golden Spikes Award, to be presented live on Tuesday, July 13, at the 2010 Major League Baseball All-Star FanFest in Anaheim, Calif. Cunningham, a native of Jacksonville, led the prestigious Cape Cod League with a .378 batting average after playing for the Falmouth Commodores. He also led the league in hits (59) and on-base percentage (.458) after winning the batting title by 36 points. On Tuesday, June 1, USA Baseball officials will cut the watch list of players to 30 names. The final list of 30 will then be sent to a voting body consisting of select professional baseball personnel, past USA Baseball National Team coaches, select members of the media, former USA Baseball sports information directors, and current USA Baseball staff - close to 150 voters in total.

OVC Players in the Pros: Entering the 2010 season, there were three players from OVC schools on Major League Baseball Opening Day rosters. Austin Peay has the distinction of having two former players on teams including 2008 All-Star reliever George Sherrill (Baltimore) and relief pitcher Shawn Kelley (Seattle). Former Morehead State pitcher Jon Rauch is now the closer in Minnesota after being the setup man in Arizona last year. That number became four at the end of the first week of the regular season as another former OVC player - Austin Peay catcher A.J. Ellis - was called up from AAA by the L.A. Dodgers. 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 third base coach.

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. That lists includes second-year head coach Jason Stein who played at Eastern Kentucky 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 Stein 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).

Eastern Illinois Picked as Preseason Favorite: Fresh off the 2009 OVC Regular Season Championship, Eastern Illinois has been picked as the 2010 preseason favorite for the nine-team league in a vote of Ohio Valley Conference head baseball coaches. The overall voting in the preseason poll was close as three different teams received first-place votes. Eastern Illinois garnered three first-place votes and 59 total points in being picked the favorites. Jacksonville State got the most first-place vote (4), but finished three points (56) behind Eastern Illinois in being picked second overall. Tennessee Tech, last year’s OVC Tournament Champions, picked up the other two first-place votes and finished third in the predicted order of finish with 51 points. Murray State was picked fourth (43), followed by Morehead State (33), Eastern Kentucky (26), Southeast Missouri (25), Austin Peay (22) and UT Martin (9).

Four Players Share Preseason OVC Player/Pitcher of the Year Honors: Preseason voting was so balanced in the OVC this season that four players shared the two major preseason honors. Morehead State senior shortstop Drew Lee and Eastern Kentucky junior third baseman Jayson Langfels were named OVC Preseason Co-Players of the Year while Murray State senior Chris Craycraft and Eastern Illinois junior Josh Mueller were tabbed OVC Preseason Co-Pitchers of the Year. In all, 14 players were selected to the Preseason All-OVC team. The 14 players represented seven of the nine teams who will compete for the OVC championship this season. Murray State led the way with four selections while Jacksonville State had three picks. Returning players who were first-team selections at the end of last season were automatic picks for this year’s team.

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.