Ohio Valley Conference

• OVC Baseball Report – May 14 (PDF)

This Week’s Schedule
 
Tuesday, May 15
Western Kentucky at #16 Tennessee Tech, 2:00 p.m. (OVC Digital Network)
Evansville at Belmont, 5:00 p.m.
Southeast Missouri at Georgia Tech, 5:00 p.m.
Western Carolina at Eastern Kentucky, 5:30 p.m.
UAB at Jacksonville State, 6:00 p.m.
Murray State vs. #16 Kentucky, 6:00 p.m. (Paducah, Ky.)
Bradley at SIUE, 6:00 p.m.
UT Martin at Memphis, 6:30 p.m.

Wednesday, May 16
Western Carolina at Morehead State, 3:00 p.m. (OVC Digital Network)

Thursday, May 17
Belmont at Northwestern, 3:30 p.m.
*#16 Tennessee Tech at Morehead State, 4:00 p.m. (OVC Digital Network)
*Southeast Missouri at Eastern Kentucky, 5:00 p.m.
*Jacksonville State at SIUE, 6:00 p.m.
*Murray State at UT Martin, 6:00 p.m.
*Eastern Illinois at Austin Peay, 6:00 p.m. (OVC Digital Network)

Friday, May 18
Belmont at Northwestern, 3:30 p.m.
*#16 Tennessee Tech at Morehead State, 4:00 p.m. (OVC Digital Network)
*Southeast Missouri at Eastern Kentucky, 5:00 p.m.
*Jacksonville State at SIUE, 6:00 p.m.
*Murray State at UT Martin, 6:00 p.m.
*Eastern Illinois at Austin Peay, 6:00 p.m. (OVC Digital Network)

Saturday, May 19
Belmont at Northwestern, 12:00 p.m.
*#16 Tennessee Tech at Morehead State, 12:00 p.m. (OVC Digital Network)
*Southeast Missouri at Eastern Kentucky, 12:00 p.m.
*Eastern Illinois at Austin Peay, 1:00 p.m. (OVC Digital Network)
*Jacksonville State at SIUE, 1:00 p.m.
*Murray State at UT Martin, 3:00 p.m.
 

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adidas® OVC Players of the Week
 
PLAYER
Brennon Kaleiwahea, C • 6-0, 205, Sr. • Lacey,  Wash. • Tennessee Tech
In four wins last week, Kaleiwahea hit .643 (9-for-14) with seven runs scored, two doubles, a triple, home run, five RBI, 1.143 slugging percentage and .706 on-base percentage. The catcher doubled and later scored in the team’s 6-4 win at Vanderbilt to open the week. He followed that by going 3-for-3 with two runs scored, a double and two RBI in the series opener against Eastern Kentucky. In the middle game of the EKU series, the senior was a double shy of the cycle, as he scored twice and drove in two runs. He capped the week by going 2-for-3 with two runs scored and a RBI as nationally-ranked Tennessee Tech improved to 44-6 on the season and 25-2 in OVC play. In all games in 2018, Kaleiwahea ranks second in the OVC in batting (.400), third in on-base percentage (.486), sixth in runs (1.14/game) and seventh in hits (1.51/game). In Conference-only games, he leads the OVC in batting average (.441) and on-base percentage (.529).
 
Others Nominated: Bobby Head, Austin Peay; Matt Cogen, Belmont; Jimmy Govern, Eastern Illinois; Nic Gaddis, Jacksonville State; Braxton Morris, Morehead State; Devon Wilson, Southeast Missouri; Jared McCunn, SIUE; Tyler Albright, UT Martin.
 
PITCHER
Dalton Stambaugh, LHP • 6-1, 195, So. • Frederickstown, Ohio • Morehead State
Stambaugh had a career-high 11 strikeouts while allowing no runs over 7.2 innings in a 10-0 shutout victory over Murray State on Saturday. The sophomore scattered six hits (all singles) and did not walk a batter, before giving way to the bullpen to pitch the final 1.1 innings and combine for the shutout. Stambaugh retired the first 10 batters of the game (seven by strikeout) in improving to 5-3 on the season. He ranks 10th in the OVC in strikeouts (8.11/game). It marks the second time this season he has been named OVC Pitcher of the Week.
 
Others Nominated: Michael Constanzo, Austin Peay; Casey Queener, Belmont; Garrett Farmer, Jacksonville State; Marcus Evey, Tennessee Tech; Sam Folks, UT Martin.
 
 
Notes From Around the League
 
Highlights From Around the League: Seven teams have clinched spots in the eight-team 2018 OVC Baseball Championship field: Austin Peay, Eastern Kentucky, Jacksonville State, Morehead State, Murray State, Southeast Missouri and Tennessee Tech...The final spot will go to either Belmont or Eastern Illinois (EIU holds the head-to-head tiebreaker with Belmont if they finish in a tie)...Tennessee Tech has won the outright 2018 OVC Regular Season Championship, its second-straight and 10th overall crown...The Golden Eagles are now 44-6 overall (one of three teams nationally with 40 wins) and 25-2 in the OVC and have won 35 of its last 36 games...The Golden Eagles are ranked in each of the six major baseball polls...The team has a RPI of 22 (out of 297 teams) entering this week...TTU’s 25 Conference wins are the most in OVC single-season history...TTU is just three wins away from tying the OVC record for overall wins in a season (47)...Tennessee Tech has 113 home runs this season, 14 away from the OVC record; they are just the second team nationally to hit 100 home runs in a season since a switch to the BBCOR bats in 2011 (Wake Forest hit 106 in 2017)...TTU’s Travis Moths has 11 pitching wins on the season (second nationally) and tied the school record with 23 career wins...Jacksonville State’s Clayton Daniel established a new OVC career record for doubles last week; he currently has 67 for his career...Daniel needs just eight hits and 12 at-bats to tie the OVC career marks in those categories as well...Austin Peay topped No. 5 Clemson last Friday night, marking its first win ever over a Top 5 ranked opponent...Austin Peay’s Parker Phillips has hit 14 home runs in his last 18 games and has 18 home runs on the year; the 18 home runs is one shy of the APSU single-season record...Morehead State’s Reid Leonard set his school’s record for consecutive games reaching base safely and has an active streak of 44...Former Tennessee Tech pitcher David Hess made his first career start last Saturday against Tampa Bay and walked away with the victory, allowing six hits and three runs over six innings...That came a week after another former TTU pitcher, Adam Liberatore, was part of a combined no-hitter for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
 
Tennessee Tech Wins 2018 OVC Regular Season Championship: Tennessee Tech won its 10th OVC regular season championship this season. The Golden Eagles have now won titles in 1949, 1955, 1956, 1970, 1988, 1997, 2010, 2013, 2017 and 2018 (the 1970 and 1988 titles were divisional championships under a different scheduling formats).
 
Tennessee Tech Ranked in All Six National Polls: After starting the season 25-5 overall and 14-1 in the OVC, Tennessee Tech jumped to No. 25 in the Collegiate Baseball Top 30 poll on April 9, and entered the NCBWA poll at No. 30. On April 23, the team entered the Baseball America poll for the first time this season, coming in at No. 21, the D1Baseball.com and USA TODAY Coaches Polls at No. 25.  The team appeared in the Perfect Game Top 25 poll for the first time on May 7, marking the first time the team had appeared in all six polls in the same week. It marks the second-straight year the team has been ranked, as they were No. 26 for one week in the Collegiate Baseball poll a season ago. Prior to the past two years, the last OVC team ranked was Austin Peay in 2013 (ranked in the final five polls of that season).  Here are Tennessee Tech’s current rankings:
            NCBWA - 16
            Collegiate Baseball - 18
            Perfect Game - 18
            D1Baseball.com - 20
            USA TODAY Coaches Poll - 21
            Baseball America - 22
 
TTU Sets OVC Record For Conference Victories in a Season: Tennessee Tech enters the final week of the season with 25 OVC victories, which has established a new single-season record. The old mark was 24 by the 2013 Tennessee Tech squad.
 
40 Wins: Tennessee Tech reached 40 wins on May 6, marking the fourth time in program history the team has reached that mark. The team now has 44 victories, setting a new school single-season record (breaking the mark of 41 set in 2017). The OVC record for victories in a season is 47 by the 1980 Western Kentucky and 2013 Austin Peay teams. Currently the Golden Eagles are one of just three teams nationally with 40-plus wins (Florida and Stetson are the others).
 
Tennessee Tech Established OVC Record for Consecutive Wins: From March 13 to a loss on April 29, Tennessee Tech won 28-straight games, establishing a new OVC record, breaking the previous mark of 22-straight wins by Murray State in 1975. The mark was just six shy of the NCAA record held by FAU and Texas.
 
Tennessee Tech Ties OVC Record for Consecutive Conference Wins: Tennessee Tech won 17 consecutive OVC games from beginning on March 16 and ending with a loss on April 29. The 17-straight Conference wins tied the all-time mark held by the 2001 Eastern Illinois team.
 
Wins Against Nationally-Ranked Non-Conference Opponents: OVC teams have won five games against nationally-ranked non-conference opponents during the 2018 season.
            Eastern Kentucky 7, #15 Virginia 6 (Feb. 23)
            UT Martin 13, #13 Southern Miss 10 (Feb. 24)
            Eastern Kentucky 6, #11 Vanderbilt (March 14)
            Belmont 8, #5 Vanderbilt 5 (March 21)
            Austin Peay 6, #5 Clemson 3 (May 11)
 
Daniel Establishes OVC Career Doubles Record: Jacksonville State senior Clayton Daniel established a new OVC career doubles record on May 11 against UT Martin. Daniel recorded his 66th career double, which broke the old mark of 65 held by Southeast Missouri’s Jeremy Johnson (1997-00).
 
TTU Hits 100-Home Run Plateau: Tennessee Tech has hit 113 home runs in 50 games this season, making them one of just two teams in the BBCOR bats era (since 2011) to hit 100 home runs in a season (joining Wake Forest who hit 106 in 2017). The OVC record for home runs in a season is 127 by the 2002 Morehead State team.
 
Offensive Valley Conference: Last season (2017) OVC teams combined for 753 home runs, which established a new OVC single-season record. That ranked second among all Division I conferences, trailing only the ACC (who hit 816 but did so in 821 more at-bats). Through May 13, OVC teams have hit 630 home runs, which trails only the SEC (although OVC teams have combined for nearly 5,000 fewer at-bats). There are five OVC players ranked in the Top 10 nationally in runs/game and six players ranked in the Top 11 in RBI/game.
 
NCAA Statistical Leaders: In the latest NCAA statistical leaders, Tennessee Tech ranks first nationally in batting average (.350), scoring (10.7 runs/game), runs (537), hits (656), home runs (2.26/game), slugging (.615) and on-base percentage (.442) and second in doubles (2.52/game). Morehead State ranks second in hits (602), third in runs (434), fourth in scoring (8.3 runs/game) and slugging (.497), fifth in double plays (1.08/game), sac flies (32) and on-base percentage (.408), sixth in batting average (.314), seventh in home runs (1.33/game) and eighth in doubles (2.31/game). Eastern Kentucky is eighth in hits (549), 11th in runs (380) and 15th in stolen bases/game (1.81). Austin Peay is eighth in runs (382), ninth in base on balls (282), 11th in scoring (7.3 runs/game) and 16th in doubles (2.19). Murray State is fourth in base on balls (296) and 11th in on-base percentage (.402) while Jacksonville State is third in shutouts (7). Individually, Tennessee Tech’s Alex Junior is second nationally in runs (1.42/game) while teammate Kevin Strohschein is first in total bases (153), second in hits (88), 12th in batting average (.398) and 14th in slugging (.692).  TTU’s Chase Chambers is third in runs (1.24/game), fourth in RBI (1.36/game) and eighth in batting average (.408), hits (82) and on-base percentage (.508) while teammate Trevor Putzig is first in sac flies (9), third in RBI (1.37/game) and seventh in runs (1.20/game). Eastern Kentucky’s Alex Holderbach is fifth in RBI (1.35/game), 11th in slugging (.699) and total bases (137) and 14th in home runs (0.33/game) while teammate Cornell Nixon is second in stolen bases (0.69/game). Murray State’s Davis Sims is third in doubles (0.52/game) while teammate Grant Wood is sixth in on-base percentage (.521). Morehead State’s Braxton Morris is second in hits (88), eighth in doubles (0.46/game) and 12th in batting average (.398). Austin Peay’s Parker Phillips is fifth in home runs (0.38/game) while  Jacksonville State’s Clayton Daniel is fourth toughest to strikeout (one per every 23.9 at-bats) while Belmont’s Chas Hadden is second in walks (1.10/game). TTU’s Travis Moths is second nationally in pitching (11) while Austin Peay’s Michael Costanzo is seventh (9).
 
Choccolocco Park to Host 2018 OVC Baseball Championship: The 2018 OVC Baseball Championship will be held May 22-27 at Choccolocco Park in Oxford, Alabama. It marks the second year in a row the event has been held at the venue. Choccolocco Park is run by the Oxford Parks & Recreation Department which oversaw the completion of the 370-acre sports complex which includes baseball, soccer, softball and track & field/cross country facilities. The first major event hosted at the complex was the 2016 OVC Softball Championship held in May of this past year. The 2018 season marks the 40th year the OVC Baseball Tournament Championship has been held. The first elimination style tournament was held in 1979 (prior to that the winner of each division matched up in a three-game series), 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 nine championships (2001-09) being held at Brooks Stadium in Paducah, Kentucky. That was followed by seven years (2010-16) at the Ballpark in Jackson in Jackson, Tennessee. Oxford, Alabama is located on I-20, 88 miles West of Atlanta and 61 miles East of Birmingham.
 
Holderbach Ties OVC Single-Game Home Run Record: Eastern Kentucky’s Alex Holderbach tied the OVC single-game record for home runs with four in the team’s 12-8 win over Xavier on April 25. He equaled the mark also held by Morehead State’s Jamey Bennett (1979), Southeast Missouri’s Scott Pruneau (1992), Murray State’s Tyler Lawrence (2015) and Murray State’s Tyler Dixon (2016).
 
Four OVC Shortstops Named to Brooks Wallace Award Watch List: A quartet of Ohio Valley Conference shortstops are among the 53 players nationally named to the 2018 Brooks Wallace Award Watch List by the College Baseball Foundation. The award, sponsored by Mizuno, honors the nation’s top shortstop and will be presented this summer by the College Baseball Foundation. The OVC players on the list include Tennessee Tech senior David Garza, Eastern Kentucky junior Ryland Kerr, Austin Peay junior Garrett Kueber and Morehead State junior Reid Leonard.
 
Trio of Gamecocks Toss No-Hitter Against Radford (Feb. 24): Jacksonville State’s Colton Pate, Grant Chandler and Trent Simpson combined for a no-hitter in a 5-0 win over Radford on Feb. 24. It was the first no-hitter in the OVC since Murray State’s Cameron Finch against SIUE on March 22, 2013.

Hulsizer Named to Golden Spikes Awards Watch List: Morehead State junior Niko Hulsizer was one of 55 players nationally named to the Golden Spikes Award Watch List at the beginning of the season. The award is given to the nation’s top amateur player. Hulsizer set a new OVC home run single-season home run record in 2017 (29) with a mark that ranked second nationally. the winner of the award will be announced in June.
 
SIUE’s Roberts on Stopper of the Year Watch List: Tennessee Tech junior Ethan Roberts is one of 41 players nationally on the Watch List for the 14th annual National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Stopper of the Year Award, given to the top relief pitcher in NCAA Division I Baseball. Roberts was a new addition to the mid-season list.
 
Four OVC Catchers on Johnny Bench Award Watch List: The Greater Wichita Area Sports Commission announced the official watch list for the 2018 Johnny Bench Award presented by BaseballSavings.com. Four OVC catchers were among the 97 candidates for the award given to the top Division I catcher. The OVC candidates include Eastern Kentucky junior Alex Holderbach, Morehead State junior Hunter Fain, Murray State junior Mike Farnell and SIUE junior Brock Weimer. The watch list will be narrowed down to the semifinalists, whom will be announced May 16, 2018. Ballots will 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 4, 2018. 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 21st Annual Greater Wichita Sports Banquet on June 28, 2018.
 
Holderbach National Player of the Month: Eastern Kentucky junior catcher Alex Holderbach was been named the National Player of the Month for April by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA). He is the first OVC baseball player to be named National Player of the Month since the honor was created in 2016. During the month he hit .449 (31-for-69) with 10 homers and 36 RBI in 17 games. He finished the month with a 1.542 OPS, drawing 12 walks and striking out just eight times. He had a hit in 15 of 17 games and nine multi-RBI contests. He also tied the OVC record for home runs in a game (4).
 
 
Holderbach Named National Player of the Week by NCBWA, Collegiate Baseball and Perfect Game (April 30): Eastern Kentucky catcher Alex Holderbach was named National Player of the Week by the NCBWA, Collegiate Baseball and Perfect Game/Rawlings on April 30/May 1 after he hit .471 (8-for-17) with eight runs scored, six home runs, 12 RBI, five walks, a 1.529 slugging percentage and .591 on-base percentage in four games. Included was a four-home run performance against Xavier which established a new EKU single-game record and tied the OVC single-game mark.
 
Garza Named National Player of the Week by Collegiate Baseball (April 23): Tennessee Tech shortstop David Garza was named the National Player of the Week by Collegiate Baseball on April 23 after his performance during a five-hit week. Garza belted five home runs, had 10 RBI and scored nine runs as Tennessee Tech extended its winning streak to 25 games.
 
Phillips Named National Player of the Week (April 16): Austin Peay sophomore Parker Phillips was named National Player of the Week by Collegiate Baseball on April 16.  In five games during the  week, Phillips hit .556 (10-for-18), with nine runs scored, a double, five home runs, 15 RBI, a 1.444 slugging percentage and .577 on-base percentage for Austin Peay. In a three-game series against OVC foe Eastern Kentucky, the sophomore was 8-for-13 (.615) with five home runs, 12 RBI and a 1.769 slugging percentage as he reached base in 10 of 15 at-bats. He opened the series with three home runs (a grand slam, solo shot, and two-run home run) in his first three at-bats, finishing the game 4-for-7 with seven RBI. Phillips added two more home runs in the second game of a doubleheader, as the Governors completed the sweep.
 
Hulsizer Named National Player of the Week by Collegiate Baseball (April 9): After missing a month of action due to injury, reigning OVC Player of the Year Niko Hulsizer earned National Player of the Week honors from Collegiate Baseball. The Morehead State senior went 7-for-12 with three home runs (including on the first pitch he saw), six runs scored, four RBI and a 1.333 slugging percentage.
 
Pauly Named National Hitter of the Week by the NCBWA (April 10): Morehead State junior outfielder Connor Pauly was named National Hitter of the Week by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) on April 10 for his performance in four wins.  Pauly hit .733 (11-for-15) with 10 runs scored, three doubles, a triple, two home runs, nine RBI, a 1.467 slugging percentage and .750 on-base percentage. The junior had hits in 11 of his 19 plate appearances, as he also drew three walks and was hit by a pitch and six of his 11 hits went for extra bases.
 
Strohschein Named National Player of the Week by Collegiate Baseball (March 26): Tennessee Tech junior OF/DH Kevin Strohschein was named National Player of the Week by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper on March 26 after he hit .471 (8-for-17) with seven runs, a double, four home runs, 10 RBI, a 1.235 slugging percentage and .500 on-base percentage as Tennessee Tech extended its winning streak to nine games.
 
OVC Players in Major League Baseball: Three former OVC baseball players were on Major League Baseball Opening Day rosters this season. Those active players included two players from Austin Peay in catcher A.J. Ellis (San Diego Padres) and relief pitcher Shawn Kelley (Washington Nationals) while the other player was Southeast Missouri State’s Joey Lucchesi (San Diego Padres).  They were joined by Tennessee Tech’s David Hess (Baltimore Orioles) and Adam Liberatore (Los Angeles Dodgers) who were each called up in mid-April. On May 4 Liberatore combined with Walker Buehler, Tony Cingrani and Yimi Garcia for a no-hitter, as he pitched the final inning, striking out two of three batters. Two other players were on 40-man rosters to open the 2018 campaign including Southeast Missouri pitcher Shae Simmons (Chicago Cubs) and UT Martin pitcher Alec Mills (Chicago Cubs).
 
Four OVC Players Named Preseason All-Americans: Four OVC players were named 2018 Preseason All-Americans. Morehead State junior outfielder Niko Hulsizer, who set the OVC record for home runs in a season (27) in 2017, earned multiple honors including being recognized by Athlon, Collegiate Baseball, NCBWA, Perfect Game, D1Baseball.com and Athlon Sports. Additionally, Collegiate Baseball named Morehead State infielders Braxton Morris and Reid Leonard, and Southeast Missouri first baseman Tristen Gagan, as third-team Preseason All-Americans.
 
Tennessee Tech Picked as 2018 OVC Preseason Favorite: Defending champion Tennessee Tech was picked as the 2018 OVC preseason favorite in a vote of OVC head baseball coaches and sports information directors. The voting saw four different teams pick up first-place votes with Tennessee Tech claiming 15 of the 22 top votes. Morehead State received five first-place votes while Jacksonville State and Belmont each picked up one. Tennessee Tech garnered 192 total points, edging Morehead State by 11 points. Jacksonville State was third with 156 points while Belmont was fourth with 148 points. Southeast Missouri was picked fifth (115) and followed by Murray State (104), Austin Peay (103), Eastern Illinois (62), SIUE (57), UT Martin (52) and Eastern Kentucky (42).
 
Morehead State’s Hulsizer and Belmont’s Dylan King Earn Preseason OVC Player/Pitcher of the Year Honors: Morehead State junior outfielder Niko Hulsizer was named OVC Preseason Player of the Year (after being named Co-Player of the Year at the end of last season) while Belmont junior Dylan King was tabbed OVC Preseason Pitcher of the Year. In all 14 players were selected to the Preseason All-OVC team. The 18 players represented seven of the 11 teams who will compete for the OVC championship this season. Tennessee Tech led the way with five selections while Eastern Illinois had three and Morehead State had two.
 
OVC Digital Network: The OVC launched the OVC Digital Network (OVCDN) in August 2012. The OVCDN is the exclusive home for live web streamed athletic contests involving OVC schools. This marks the 12th year the OVC has streamed live events, and seventh year the events will be offered free of charge and in an HD format. Fans will also find it easier to log onto OVCDigitalNetwork.com and access the streams and can do so without any registration. The events are available on any computer, tablet or smart phone as well as Roku. Select baseball games will be aired on the OVCDN this season.