This Week's Schedule
Tuesday, May 15
Bradley at Eastern Illinois, 3:00 p.m.
Morehead State at #22 Louisville, 5:00 p.m.
Austin Peay at Belmont, 6:00 p.m.
Eastern Kentucky at Western Kentucky, 6:00 p.m.
Jacksonville State at Auburn, 6:00 p.m.
Murray State vs. #2 Kentucky, 6:00 p.m. (Paducah, Ky.)
Tennessee Tech at Lipscomb, 6:00 p.m.
UT Martin at Memphis, 6:30 p.m.
Thursday, May 17
*Eastern Kentucky at Murray State, 3:00 p.m.
*SIUE at Southeast Missouri, 3:00 p.m.
*UT Martin at Morehead State, 4:00 p.m.
*Austin Peay at Tennessee Tech, 6:00 p.m.
*Eastern Illinois at Jacksonville State, 6:30 p.m.
Friday, May 18
*UT Martin at Morehead State, 1:00 p.m.
*SIUE at Southeast Missouri, 1:00 p.m.
*Eastern Kentucky at Murray State, 2:00 p.m.
*Austin Peay at Tennessee Tech, 6:00 p.m.
*Eastern Illinois at Jacksonville State, 6:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 19
*UT Martin at Morehead State, 12:00 p.m.
*Austin Peay at Tennessee Tech, 1:00 p.m.
*SIUE at Southeast Missouri, 1:00 p.m.
*Eastern Kentucky at Murray State, 1:00 p.m.
*Eastern Illinois at Jacksonville State, 2:00 p.m.
adidas® OVC Players of the Week
CO-PLAYER
Jordan Hankins, 2B • So., 5-10, 191 • Wentzville, Mo. • Austin Peay
In five games last week Hankins hit .429 (9-for-21) with three runs scored, a double, home run and eight RBI. Hankins had a hit and RBI in Tuesday's win at Lipscomb and added a home run in the loss to Evansville. He opened the Morehead State series by going 2-for-2 with three RBI, a walk and sacrifice fly. On Saturday the second baseman was 3-for-6 with three RBI; included in that was a two-run double that proved to be the game-winning RBI. Hankins capped the series by going 2-for-5. For the week Hankins slugged .619 and had a .435 on-base percentage.
CO-PLAYER
Ryan Dineen, SS • Jr., 6-1, 200 • Valparaiso, Ind. • Eastern Illinois
In four games last week Dineen hit .643 (9-for-14) with six runs scored, a double, two home runs, four RBI, two stolen bases, a 1.143 slugging percentage and a .722 on-base percentage. In the team's non-conference game at Saint Louis, Dineen was 3-for-5 with a solo home run. He opened the OVC series with UT Martin by going 3-for-4 with a double, stolen base and two RBI and followed that by going 2-for-3 with a run scored and a stolen base. Dineen capped the week by hitting a home run and scoring three runs in the Panthers 13-4 victory over the Skyhawks. For the week the shortstop was 3-for-4 with two outs and 2-for-3 with runners in scoring position.
Others Nominated: Austin Grisham, Eastern Kentucky; Erik Underwood, Jacksonville State; Brandon Eggenschwiler, Murray State; Trenton Moses, Southeast Missouri; James Vazquez, SIUE; Chase Okey, UT Martin.
CO-PITCHER
Andy Cox, RHP • Sr., 6-2, 221 • Motezuma, Iowa • Austin Peay
Cox picked up two victories last week and allowed just one run in 11 innings of work. The senior started the week against Lipscomb, allowing a run in the first inning, but then finished the week with 10 consecutive scoreless innings. Against Lipscomb he lasted five innings, allowing five hits and striking out four. On Saturday, on just three days rest, he was called in as the emergency starter against Morehead State and allowed just three hits over six innings while striking out six. For the week Cox issued just one walk while striking out 10 in 11 innings of work. On the season Cox is now 4-1 with a 2.63 E.R.A. in 27.1 innings of work.
CO-PITCHER
Matt Fyffe, RHP • Sr., 6-2, 205 • Paintsville, Ky. • Eastern Kentucky
Fyffe tossed a three-hit, complete game shutout in Eastern Kentucky's 4-0 victory over Tennessee Tech (the OVC's top hitting team) on Saturday. Fyffe allowed a walk in the first inning before retiring the next 11 batters before surrendering his first hit (a double) in the fifth inning. Fyffe would also allow two additional singles but retired the final four batters of the game to improve to 8-0 on the season. It was EKU's first nine inning, complete game shutout since the 2006 season. Fyffe now leads the OVC and ranks 10th nationally with a 1.51 E.R.A.
Others Nominated: Troy Barton, Eastern Illinois; Todd Hornsby, Jacksonville State; Shae Simmons, Southeast Missouri; Travis Felax, SIUE; Alex Mills, UT Martin.
Team Notes
Austin Peay (32-19, 17-6 OVC): Austin Peay won four of five games last week, splitting non-conference games with Lipscomb (W, 3-1) and Evansville (L, 12-1) before sweeping Morehead State in OVC play. The Governors now have a one game lead over Eastern Kentucky, 2.5 game lead over Jacksonville State and a three game lead over Eastern Illinois entering the final weekend of play. APSU can guarantee itself its seventh overall OVC regular season championship (since divisional play ended) with two wins at Tennessee Tech (the team wins the head-to-head tiebreaker with EKU). The Govs pitching staff had a great week, including a complete game shutout by senior Zach Toney on Friday night. Toney allowed three hits and struck out 10 in recording the first nine-inning complete game since Shawn Kelley did so in 2007. Senior Andy Cox had two starts during the week and picked up a pair of wins while allowing just one earned run in 11 innings of work. Cox started against Lipscomb on Tuesday and returned on just three days list to beat Morehead State on Saturday. He allowed a run in the first inning against Lipscomb and then had 10-consecutive scoreless innings; Cox is now 4-1 with a 2.63 E.R.A. on the season. Austin Peay starters pitched 22 of the 27 total innings against Morehead State over the weekend and held MSU to a .154 batting average. Senior Jon Clinard became the 13th APSU player to record 200 career hits last week while Greg Bachman became the program's all-time leader in doubles and knocked his 30th home run of his career as well. This week Austin Peay will play at Belmont on Tuesday and then travel to Tennessee Tech for a three-day OVC series.
Eastern Illinois (24-25, 14-9 OVC): Eastern Illinois locked up a spot in the six-team OVC Tournament field last week, appearing in the tournament after just barely missing the field a year ago. The Panthers lost a non-conference game at Saint Louis and then dropped game one of the UT Martin series 5-4 (snapping a seven-game OVC winning streak for the Panthers) before rebounding to win the final two games of the series by margins of 6-2 and 13-4. The Panthers are now 14-9 in OVC play (having won nine of its last 10 Conference games) and three games behind league leader Austin Peay with three OVC games to go. During last week's four games junior Ryan Dineen hit .643 (9-for-14) with six runs scored, a double, two home runs, four RBI and two stolen bases. Dineen had a 1.143 slugging percentage, was 3-for-4 with runners in scoring position and did not commit an error at shortstop. Senior Ben Thoma now has 37 career home runs, which is just three away from breaking the school record of 39 held by Matt Marzec (1996-00). Senior Darin Worman has made 33 appearances on the mound this season, one shy of tying the EIU single-season record and three shy of tying the OVC single-season mark of 35 set by Zach Gerler in 2010. Defensively EIU made just one error during the week, posting a .993 fielding percentage. The pitching staff had a 3.33 E.R.A. in the UTM series and leads the OVC with a 4.02 E.R.A. on the season. The Panthers will host Bradley for a non-conference tilt on Tuesday and then travel to Jacksonville State to close out the regular season with a three-game OVC set. EIU and Jax State are battling each other for the opportunity to move up into the top two of the OVC standings and get a first round bye in the OVC Tournament.
Eastern Kentucky (28-20, 16-7 OVC): Eastern Kentucky remains the hottest team in the OVC as the Colonels won all four of its games last week to increase its winning streak to six games, 11 of its last 12 and 21 of its last 26 overall. EKU is now 16-7 in OVC play, just one game behind Austin Peay with one week of the regular season left to be played. EKU has clinched a spot in the six-team OVC Tournament field (the team will be making its record 28th appearance) and is looking to win its first OVC regular season championship since 2000. Eastern Kentucky got a lift from senior hurler Matt Fyffe on Saturday, tossing a three-hit, complete game shutout against Tennessee Tech (who is the top hitting team in the OVC). It was the first nine inning complete game shutout for the team since Christian Friedrich (who is now with the Colorado Rockies) had a no hitter at Morehead State in March 2006. Fyffe allowed just two single and a double while striking out one batter. He improved his record to 8-0 on the season and lowered his E.R.A. to an OVC-best 1.51 (a mark that ranks 10th-nationally). Offensively Austin Grisham hit .529 (9-for-17) with six runs scored, a double, home run, four RBI and three stolen bases in the Colonels four games. Senior Richie Rodriguez now ranks seventh nationally in slugging percentage (.707). As a team EKU leads the OVC in slugging, RBI, doubles, triples, home runs, total bases, complete games and double plays turned. Eastern Kentucky will play at Western Kentucky on Tuesday and then play a three-game set at Murray State to close out the regular season.
Jacksonville State (23-27, 15-9 OVC): Jacksonville State lost a non-conference game with UAB to start last week and then dropped the first two games of the SIUE series in Edwardsville before winning Sunday's finale 4-3. The Gamecocks improved to 15-9 in the OVC with that victory and have clinched a spot in the six-team OVC Tournament field for the ninth-straight season. On Sunday Todd Hornsby picked up his 11th save of the season and 31st save of his career, matching the OVC career record also held by EKU's Joe Witten. The 11 saves on the season is currently tied for the fourth-most in OVC single-season history; Hornsby set the single-season record of 15 a year ago. Hornsby has allowed just two runs over his last seven outings against OVC opponents. Senior Sam Eberle increased his career hit total to 260, moving him into second place in JSU history. Eberle also ranks third in home runs and fourth in RBI in Gamecocks history. Eberle leads the team with 19 multi-hit games this season while Ben Waldrip has 12 multi-RBI games this season. Waldrip's 15 home runs on the season is tied for 10th nationally. Jacksonville State will play a non-conference game at Auburn on Tuesday before returning home to host Eastern Illinois for three OVC games to close out the regular season.
Morehead State (25-24, 10-14 OVC): Morehead State suffered a sweep in its OVC series at Austin Peay this past weekend and slipped to 10-14 in OVC action, putting the team in a tie with Southeast Missouri for the final spot in the six-team OVC Tournament field. Overall the Eagles have lost five games in a row and nine of its last 10 overall (all of which were OVC contests). MSU needs to win games this week to secure its first OVC Tournament berth since 2009. Senior Andrew Deeds hit .364 (4-for-11) with two runs and a RBI in the team's three games last week. The Morehead State team, however, hit just .154 during the series. Junior closer Matt Duncan enters the final week of the regular season with 11 saves, tied for the fourth-most in OVC single-season history. This week Morehead State will battle in-state for Louisville, ranked No. 22 in the latest Baseball America poll, before hosting UT Martin for three OVC games over the weekend.
Murray State (22-30, 8-16 OVC): Murray State took one of three games last week at Southeast Missouri, winning the middle game 7-2 (to snap a five-game losing streak), to move to 8-16 in OVC play on the season. The Thoroughbreds will need to win three games this weekend and hope for some help in order to make the OVC Tournament field for next week. In its games last week sophomore Brandon Eggenschwiler hit .500 (7-for-14) with two runs scored, a double and five RBI. The outfielder had a two-run double in Saturday's victory and closed out the weekend by going 3-for-5 with three RBI on Sunday as the Thoroughbreds nearly erased a seven-run deficit in losing 9-8. Entering the week Ty Stetson leads the team with a .313 batting average. Murray State will play a neutral site game at Brooks Stadium in Paducah on Tuesday against Kentucky, who is ranked No. 2 nationally entering the week.
Southeast Missouri (19-33, 10-14 OVC): Southeast Missouri took two of three games from Murray State over the weekend to improve to 10-14 in the league, which ties them (with Tennessee Tech) for the final spot in next week's OVC Tournament field. The Redhawks will look to hold on to one of those spots this week and qualify for the event for the 18th consecutive season (the team's 17-straight appearances are already the OVC all-time record). Senior third baseman Trenton Moses enters the final week of the regular season leading each of the Triple Crown categories, as he looks to become the first player in the OVC to win the award since the 1982 season. Moses is hitting .431 with 18 home runs and 56 RBI. He currently ranks first nationally in home runs, slugging (.803) and on-base percentage (.547), fifth in average and nine in RBI. Last week Moses hit .500 (5-for-10) with two doubles and two RBI and extended his reaching base safely streak to 72 games dating back to last season. Moses now has a 20-game hitting streak, which is the longest active streak in the league and third-longest in the OVC this season (he had an 18-game streak earlier in the season). Shae Simmons picked up his fifth victory of the season on Friday, striking out six batters in six innings of work; the allowed just one earned run in the 7-1 Redhawks victory. Southeast Missouri will look to secure its OVC Tournament berth with three home games against SIUE this week.
SIUE (26-26, 12-12 OVC): SIUE split four games last week, losing a non-conference game with Indiana State before winning two of three games from Jacksonville State over the weekend. The Cougars are now .500 on the season both overall (26-26) and in OVC action (12-12). Sophomore hurler Travis Felax tossed a complete game in the team's 7-1 victory over JSU on Friday night. Felax scattered seven hits and struck out six while allowing just one run. It was his second complete game of the season and Felax is now 6-4 with a 3.08 E.R.A. in 90.2 innings of work (14 starts) this year. Dustin Quattrocchi picked up his 11th save of the season on Saturday, tying him for fourth in OVC single-season history. Quattrocchi is now 5-1 with a 0.71 E.R.A. in 24 appearances (38.0 innings) this season; the senior has allowed just three earned runs and struck out 45 batters while walking only five walks. Junior second baseman James Vazquez hit .625 (5-for-8) with a run scored, double and five RBI in three games. SIUE, who is not eligible for the postseason as the team completes its reclassification to Division I this year, will close out the season with three games at Southeast Missouri this week.
Tennessee Tech (19-30, 9-14 OVC): Tennessee Tech opened last week with a 9-8, 10-inning loss at Clemson on Tuesday, in what was a rematch of the 2009 NCAA Regional that saw the two teams play twice. The Golden Eagles then dropped an 11-inning affair on Friday to Eastern Kentucky before losing 4-0 to the Colonels on Saturday. Mother Nature was not on Tech's side on Sunday as the team led 4-2 in the third inning before heavy rains rolled through the area and forced the cancellation of the contest. That left TTU half a game behind Morehead State and Southeast Missouri in the standings for the final two spots in next week's OVC Tournament field. Tech is now 0-6 this season in extra inning games. Of the team's last seven losses (which have come in the last nine games), five of those losses have been by one run. Sophomore first baseman Zach Stephens enters the week ranked fifth nationally in slugging (.720) and sixth in home runs (17). As a team Tennessee Tech continues to lead the OVC in batting (.303). This week Tech will play a non-conference game at Lipscomb on Tuesday before returning home to home Austin Peay in OVC action.
UT Martin (13-37, 7-17 OVC): UT Martin lost a non-conference game to future OVC foe Belmont to open last week and then won one of three OVC games at Eastern Illinois over the weekend. The Skyhawks are now 7-17 in OVC play, but not yet eliminated from contention of making the OVC Tournament field. UTM will need to sweep Morehead State this week and hope that Southeast Missouri gets swept by SIUE, that Tennessee Tech is swept by Austin Peay and that Murray State wins only one game against Eastern Kentucky. In the team's four games last week senior catcher Chase Okey hit .533 (8-for-15) with a double, home run and four RBI. Senior outfielder Jordan Owen launched his team-leading eighth homer of the season during the week, a blast that marked his 35th career home run; Owen is now second all-time on the Skyhawks career hits list (221), and needs six hits this week to become the program's all-time leader. Junior pitcher Alec Mills picked up the victory on Friday, striking out six (without walking any) in seven innings of work; over the past 28.1 innings of work (four starts) Mills has a 1.27 E.R.A. Junior Dan Tobik recorded his fifth save of the season on Friday; he has earned a victory or save in six of UTM's seven OVC victories this season. This week the Skyhawks will play at Memphis on Tuesday and then play a three-game weekend series at Morehead State.
Notes From Around the League
OVC Overview/This Week's Highlights: Entering the final week of the regular season four teams have locked up spots in next week's six-team OVC Tournament field; those teams are defending champion Austin Peay, Eastern Kentucky, Jacksonville State and Eastern Illinois...Morehead State and Southeast Missouri enter the week tied for the final two spots, with Tennessee Tech just half a game back and Murray State two games back in the standings...Southeast Missouri is looking to complete its season turnaround and make the OVC Tournament field for the 18th consecutive season...Southeast Missouri senior third baseman Trenton Moses enters the week leading all three Triple Crown categories and is attempting to become the first OVC player to achieve the Triple Crown since 1982 (WKU's Ralph Antone); Moses ranks first nationally in slugging (.803), on-base percentage (.547) and home runs (18) entering the week...Jacksonville State senior Todd Hornsby tied the OVC career saves record of 31 on Sunday.
Hornsby Ties OVC Career Saves Record: Jacksonville State senior Todd Hornsby tied the OVC career saves mark with his 31st career save on May 13 at SIUE. The mark is now tied with Eastern Kentucky's Joe Witten (1995-98). A year ago Hornsby set the OVC single-season save record (15) and the senior has 11 saves this season.
Single-Season Saves Record: Set just a season ago by Jacksonville State's Todd Hornsby, the OVC single-season record of 15 is in jeopardy this season. Hornsby, Morehead State junior closer Matt Duncan and SIUE senior Dustin Quattrocchi each have 11 saves entering the week.
Triple Crown Contention: With one weekend of regular season play to go, Southeast Missouri State senior Trenton Moses is attempting to become the first OVC player to win the league's Triple Crown since Western Kentucky's Ralph Antone achieved the honor in 1982. Antone's crown in 1982 actually marked the third time in four years that an OVC player won the award (Morehead State's Jody Hamilton achieved the feat in 1979 and WKU's Mike Williams did in 1980) but the league has now gone the past 29 years without a player leading the league in batting average, home runs and RBI in the same season. Moses enters the week leading the league in batting average (.431 - .13 more than second place), home runs (18 - 1 more than second place) and RBI (56 - 2 more than second place).
Moses and Stephens Named to Golden Spikes Award Watch List: Two Ohio Valley Conference baseball players (Southeast Missouri State senior third baseman Trenton Moses and Tennessee Tech sophomore first baseman Zach Stephens) have been named by USA Baseball to the 60-man midseason Golden Spikes Award Watch List, bringing the organization one step closer to naming the top amateur baseball player in the country. The watch list will continue to be a "rolling" list until May 29 -- when the final 30 semifinalists for the award are announced -- ensuring that athletes can play themselves into consideration for the award. The Golden Spikes Award trophy will be awarded live at MLB Network's studios for the second year in a row, with a presentation scheduled for Friday, July 6. Through USA Baseball's partnership with Major League Baseball Advanced Media (MLBAM), the presentation will also be simulcast with a live stream available from GoldenSpikesAward.com, MLB.com and USABaseball.com.
Three OVC Shortstops Named to Brooks Wallace Award Watch List: Three Ohio Valley Conference baseball players are among the 50 players named to the first 2012 Brooks Wallace Shortstop of the Year Award Watch List by the College Baseball Hall of Fame. The three players are Austin Peay's Reed Harper, Eastern Kentucky's Richie Rodriguez and Southeast Missouri's Kenton Parmley. The Wallace Award, sponsored by Mizuno, recognizes the nation's top shortstop and will be presented on June 30 in Lubbock, Texas, as part of the College Baseball Hall of Fame's Night of Champions.
SEMO's Parmley Sets OVC All-Time Hitting Streak Record, Finishes 3rd in NCAA History: From the end of last year until April 22 of this season Southeast Missouri senior Kenton Parmley put together a 47-game hitting streak which not only set the OVC mark but also tied for the third-longest in NCAA history. The streak included the last eight games of the 2011 season and the first 39 games of the 2012 season; it came to an end on April 22 when the senior failed to get a hit (going 0-for-3) against Tennessee Tech. Parmley broke the previous OVC record of 42 games held by Austin Peay's Chuck Abbott (1996 season). His streak ended up tied with Wichita State's Phil Stephenson (1981) in the all-time NCAA ranks. Below are the longest hitting streaks in NCAA Division I history.
58 - Robin Ventura, Oklahoma State (1987)
56 - Garrett Wittels, FIU (2010)
47 - Kenton Parmley, Southeast Missouri (2011-12)
47 - Phil Stephenson, Wichita State (1981)
45 - Roger Schmuck, Arizona State (1996)
42 - Chuck Abbott, Austin Peay (1996)
41 - Jarod Berggren, Northern Colorado (2010)
41 - Michael Campo, Penn State (2000)
41 - Todd Nace, Southern Miss (1989-90)
41 - Rusty Adkins, Clemson (1965-66)
40 - Shane Robinson, Florida State (2004-05)
40 - Brandon Caraway, Houston (1998-99)
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 10 years (2003-present).
47 - Kenton Parmley, Southeast Missouri (2011-12)
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)
29 - Derek Gibson, Southeast Missouri (2012)
29 - Reed Harper, Austin Peay (2011)
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)
Duncan and Quattrocchi on Midseason NCBWA Stopper of the Year Award Watch List: Morehead State junior Matt Duncan and SIUE senior Dustin Quattrocchi were each on the midseason Stopper of the Year Award Watch List released by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) on April 19. The award is given to the top relief pitcher in Division I baseball. Jacksonville State senior Todd Hornsby was on the preseason list but did not appear on the midseason update. The list will be updated at the end of the regular season with finalists announced on June 6.
McClure Becomes First in League-History to Reach 300 Career OVC Victories: Austin Peay head coach Gary McClure reached his 300 OVC victory in an 8-7 17-inning victory over Eastern Illinois in a game that started on April 6 and was concluded on April 7. He is the first-ever coach to reach 300 wins in OVC play. McClure, now in his 25th year at his alma mater, has 744 overall victories which is just 32 wins away from the all-time OVC record of 776 held by Murray State's Johnny Reagan (1958-93).
Three Murray State Players Set OVC Single-Game At-Bats Record; APSU's Bachman Equals Record: In Murray State's 6-5 17-inning victory over Central Arkansas on March 2, three Thoroughbreds set the OVC record for at-bats in a game. Travis Isaak, Mike Kozlowski and Jacob Rhodes each had nine official at-bats in the game, breaking the record of eight that had been accomplished nine times (most recently by Jacksonville State's Kyle Bluestein in the 2011 season). The nine at-bats was one shy of the NCAA single-game record. The trio was joined by Austin Peay senior third baseman Greg Bachman who had nine official at-bats in the team's 17-inning victory over Eastern Illinois on April 6.
Five OVC Baseball Student-Athletes Named to CoSIDA Capital One Academic All-District Team: Five Ohio Valley Conference baseball student-athletes were named to the Capital One Academic All-District ® baseball teams as selected by CoSIDA. The selections included two student-athletes from District II, one from District III and one from District VI. The selections were Austin Peay's Reed Harper, Morehead State's Nick Duff, Murray State's Travis Isaak and Paul Ritzheimer and Southeast Missouri's Kody Campbell. Each of the five were first-team selections and for making the first-team each will have his name appear on the national ballot for consideration for Academic All-American. The Capital One Academic All-America baseball team will be announced on Friday, June 1. 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.
Gibson Named National Player of the Week (5/1): Southeast Missouri State sophomore outfielder Derek Gibson was named the National College Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) National Hitter of the Week on May 1. He earned the honor after extending his hitting streak to 29 games and hitting .571 (12-for-21) with seven runs scored, three doubles, three home runs, 13 RBI, a .591 on-base percentage and a 1.143 slugging percentage in four games the week prior. Gibson tied the Southeast Missouri single-game record with three doubles in the opener of the UT Martin series and closed the series with a pair of three-run home runs as he drove in seven total RBI.
Stephens Named National Player of the Week (3/19): Tennessee Tech sophomore Zach Stephens was named National Player of the Week by Collegiate Baseball newspaper on March 19 after hitting .588 (10-for-17) with seven runs scored, two doubles, four home runs, eight RBI, a 1.412 slugging percentage and a .650 on-base percentage. Stephens homered in all four games during the week, including the game-winner in a 7-4 victory over Central Michigan.
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 is a list of OVC players who have been honored by the CBF this season.
March 5 - Richie Rodriguez, Eastern Kentucky
April 23 - Kenton Parmley & Head Coach Mark Hogan, Southeast Missouri
April 30 - Derek Gibson, Southeast Missouri
CollegeBaseball360.com Primetime Performers Weekly Honor Roll: Each week during the season CollegeBaseball360.com (CB360) picks a Primetime Performer award and honor roll. Below is a list of OVC players selected to the honor roll during the season.
Week 4 - Travis Felax, SIUE
Week 10 - Sam Eberle, Jacksonville State
Hornsby Named Finalist for Lowe's Senior CLASS Award: Jacksonville State's Todd Hornsby has been named one of 10 finalists for the 2012 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award. To be eligible a student-athlete must be classified as a Division I senior and have notable achievement in four areas of excellence - community, classroom, character 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. Lowe's, an official Corporate Partner of the NCAA, will announce the Senior CLASS Award® winner during the 2012 NCAA College World Series, which will be held June 15-26 in Omaha. Prior to the season 30 candidates were announced and the list then also included Southeast Missouri's Trenton Moses (but he did not appear on the finalists lists). Ballots will be distributed through a nationwide voting system to media, Division I head coaches and fans who will select one finalist who best exemplifies excellence in the four Cs of community, classroom, character and competition.
2012 OVC Schedule Features Switch to Friday-Saturday-Sunday Format: In February 2011 the OVC announced a change in its Conference series format for the 2012 season. Previously the OVC played a three-game series spread over two days, with the teams playing a doubleheader on Saturday (with one of those games being a 7-inning game, the other a 9-inning affair) and a single 9-inning game on Sunday. Starting this year the series schedule moves to a three-game series over three days (Friday-Saturday-Sunday), with a single 9-inning game being played each day. The item was unanimously approved by the OVC Board of Presidents at its meeting in February 2011. The OVC was previously one of just six Division I Conferences that consistently played a three-game series over just two days. One of the biggest advantages of the new schedule is the improvement of student-athlete welfare. The new format will lessen the burden of long Saturday doubleheaders (that in the past could last up to 9-10 hours) and help protect the teams from an increased risk of injury. It will also give OVC programs a competitive advantage as it will allow them to use their ace pitchers (who will normally pitch during the Friday contest) during important mid-week contests with the appropriate amount of rest, thus improving the league's performance in those key matchups. Another advantage is the flexibility in playing the three-game series when weather becomes an issue. Previously when the Saturday doubleheader was rained out, the teams played a doubleheader on Sunday if possible and missed at least an entire game in the series. Should weather be a factor with the new schedule, teams could play a doubleheader on either Saturday or Sunday and avoid missing as many key Conference games.
Pringles Park to Host 2012 OVC Baseball Championship: For the third year in a row Pringles Park in Jackson, Tenn. will host the Ohio Valley Conference Baseball Championship. The Championship was held there for the first time in 2010 as part of a three-year contract with the venue, which is the home of the Jackson Generals (formerly the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx), the AA affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. This year the six-team, double-elimination tournament will be held May 23-27 and marks the 34th OVC Baseball Championship. The first elimination style tournament was held in 1979, 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 (and was held at Brooks Stadium in Paducah, Ky. for nine years). Pringles Park opened in 1998 and has a seating capacity of 6,000. The venue hosted the 1999 and 2011 Southern League All-Star Games. Pringles Park also has luxury suites, a video board and merchandise shop that will be used for the championship. Jackson, Tenn. is located 130 miles from Nashville and 77.2 miles from Memphis on Interstate 40. Tickets for the event will be $10 per day or $30 for an all-session pass (up to 11 total games). There is also an $8 a day rate for students/faculty of OVC-member schools or groups. All seats at the 6,000-seat park are general admission for the OVC Championship. Fans can purchase tickets in person at the Generals box office or by calling (731) 988-5299.
OVC Players in the Pros: Entering the 2012 season, there were five players from OVC schools on Major League Baseball Opening Day rosters. Austin Peay had the distinction of having four former players on teams including 2008 All-Star reliever George Sherrill (Seattle), pitcher Matt Reynolds (Colorado), catcher A.J. Ellis (Los Angeles Dodgers) and relief pitcher Shawn Kelley (Seattle - Kelley has since be sent down to AAA). Former Morehead State pitcher Jon Rauch is now a setup man with the New York Mets. Former Eastern Kentucky pitcher Christian Friedrich started the year at AAA but was called up by the Colorado Rockies on May 8. 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 bench coach.
Six OVC Coaches Coaching at Their Alma Mater: This season six of the 10 OVC head baseball coaches are currently coaching at their alma maters. That lists includes fourth-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), Southeast Missouri's Mark Hogan (1977) and SIUE's Gary Collins (1970).
Austin Peay Picked as Preseason Favorite: After winning the OVC regular season and tournament championships a year ago, Austin Peay has been tabbed the 2012 preseason favorite for the 10-team league in a vote of OVC head baseball coaches. The overall voting in the preseason poll was close as three different teams received first-place votes and just six points separated first and second place. Austin Peay claimed seven of the 10 first-place votes and garnered 79 total points to be picked as the favorites. Jacksonville State was second with one first-place vote and 73 points while Tennessee Tech picked up the other two first-place votes and 63 total points to be picked third. Southeast Missouri was picked fourth (52) and was followed by SIUE (48), Eastern Kentucky (45), Eastern Illinois (34), UT Martin (25), Murray State (21) and Morehead State (10).
SEMO's Moses, JSU's Hornsby Earn Preseason OVC Player/Pitcher of the Year Honors: Southeast Missouri State All-American senior third baseman Trenton Moses was named OVC Preseason Player of the Year while Jacksonville State senior closer Todd Hornsby was tabbed OVC Preseason Pitcher of the Year. Moses, who was named OVC Player of the Year at the end of the season, was named an All-American by each Louisville Slugger and College Baseball Lineup following his outstanding junior season. Moses hit .395 with 70 hits, 44 runs, 14 doubles, 11 home runs and 53 RBI. He hit .405 during the regular season, becoming the first Southeast Missouri player to do that since 2003. A season ago Hornsby saved 15 games, establishing a new OVC single-season record (breaking the old mark of 12). Overall he appeared in 30 games a season ago, winning five games and compiling a 2.16 E.R.A.
SIUE Ready for Full OVC Schedule This Season: On July 1, 2008 Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) became the 11th member of the Ohio Valley Conference. This season marks the first for the Cougars playing a full OVC schedule. SIUE is eligible for the OVC Regular Season Championship but since they have one year left in the reclassification process to Division I, are ineligible for the OVC and NCAA Tournaments until next season.
Addition of Belmont Gives OVC Record 12 Schools in 2012-13: On May 13, 2011, Belmont University accepted an invitation to join the Ohio Valley Conference on July 1, 2012. Belmont, located just nine miles north of the OVC headquarters, will play its final year in the Atlantic Sun Conference this season. The Bruins men's basketball team has made four NCAA Tournament appearances in the past six season, including finishing 30-5 (one of nine Division I teams with at least 30 wins) and earning a No. 13 seed in 2010-11. The addition of Belmont (and SIUE's eligibility for postseason play next year) will give the OVC a record 12 schools for the 2012-13 season.