• 2018 OVC Baseball Report - Final (PDF)
Highlights From Around the League: For the first time an OVC team competed in the Super Regionals (which have been in place since 1999), as Tennessee Tech won three-straight elimination games, including two-straight over No. 4 national seed Ole Miss, in the Regional to advance to play Texas...The Golden Eagles beat Texas in the first game before falling in the final two games...This season Tennessee Tech had been the first OVC team to earn an at-large bid to the NCAA Regionals, after falling to Morehead State in the OVC Tournament Championship Game...Tech had a RPI of 23 and became just the second OVC team to earn a No. 2 seed in the Regional (joining the 2013 Austin Peay team)...Tennessee Tech was in the NCAA Tournament field for the fifth time (1997, 2001, 2009, 2017, 2018) and is now 9-11 all-time in the event, including winning at least one game in each of its five appearances...Prior to the Super Regionals, Tech was ranked No. 10 in the NCBWA poll, becoming the first OVC baseball team to ever be ranked in the Top 10 nationally...The Golden Eagles finished the year ranked in all six polls, including as high as No. 11 in two polls...Tech finished the year with 53 wins, the most ever by an OVC team (breaking the old mark of 47) and second most in Division I this year...TTU also set the OVC record for Conference wins in a season (27) and had a 28-game overall winning streak (the longest nationally, just six off the all-time record) during the season...The Golden Eagles won its 10th OVC regular season championship this season...TTU was the top offensive team in the country and established a new OVC single-season record with 135 home runs; the Golden Eagles are one of just three teams in the BBCOR Bat Era (since 2011) to hit more than 100 home runs in a season...The 135 home runs was 35 more than second place in 2018 (Florida, 100)...Overall OVC teams combined to hit 714 home runs this season, the second-most in league history (trailing only 753 home runs in 2017)...TTU teammates Kevin Strohschein (106) and Chase Chambers (101) became just the sixth and seventh members of the OVC 100-hit in a season club, and the first teammates to do it in the same season; Strohschein's 106 hits were two off the all-time record...Morehead State was 5-1 in the OVC Tournament (including winning three elimination contests) to capture the OVC Baseball Tournament Championship; it was the fourth overall title for Eagles (1983, 1993, 2015, 2018)...EKU's Alex Holderbach was one of three finalists for the Johnny Bench Award, given to the nation's top catcher; he was the first OVC catcher to be a finalist for the award...Seven OVC players earned All-American honors after the season, with Strohschein being named to five of the six major teams (Chambers was named to four); in addition eight OVC players were named Freshman All-Americans...Four OVC players were named Google Cloud Academic All-Americans following the season...A record 16 OVC players were selected in the MLB First-Year Player Draft.
Tennessee Tech First OVC Team to Make Super Regionals: With back-to-back wins over No. 4 national seed Ole Miss on June 4, Tennessee Tech finished 4-1 in the Oxford Regional and became the first OVC team to advance to the Super Regionals (which began in 1999). The four wins in a regional was also the most by an OVC team. Tech was one of five first time Super Regional teams this season joining Duke, Minnesota, Stetson and Washington. The 1979 Murray State team won its first two games of its regional (and was one win away from the College World Series) under a different format with only 34 total teams in the field. Tennessee Tech beat Texas in game one of the Super Regional before falling in the final two games.
Chambers Named MVP of Oxford Regional: Tennessee Tech senior 1B
Chase Chambers was named the MVP of the Oxford Regional after hitting .467 (7-for-15) with seven runs scored, a double, two home runs, six RBI, .933 slugging percentage and .636 on-base percentage in five games. Joining him on the All-Region Team was C
Brennon Kaleiwahea, 3B
Trevor Putzig, OF/RHP
Nick Osborne and LHP
Alex Hursey.
OVC Puts Two Teams in NCAA Baseball Championship For First Time: For the first time, the OVC sent two teams to the NCAA Baseball Championship. In addition to Morehead State, who won the OVC Tournament and received the league's automatic bid, Tennessee Tech became the first OVC team to receive an at-large bid. Morehead State appeared in its fourth NCAA Tournament (1977, 1983, 2015, 2018) and now has a 2-8 all-time record in the event. After winning an OVC record 48 overall and 27 Conference games during the regular season, TTU had a RPI of 23 to secure the at-large bid and a No. 2 seed in the Oxford Regional. The Golden Eagles were the second OVC team to earn a No. 2 seed, joining the 2013 Austin Peay team. Tech made its fifth overall and second-straight NCAA Regional appearance (1997, 2001, 2009, 2017, 2018) and is now 9-11 all-time NCAA play, winning at least one game in each of its appearances.
Morehead State Wins 2018 OVC Baseball Tournament: Morehead State compiled a 5-1 record, including winning three elimination contests, to capture the 2018 OVC Baseball Tournament Championship. It was the fourth overall title for Eagles (1983, 1993, 2015, 2018). MSU topped Eastern Kentucky and Southeast Missouri before falling to No. 1 seed Tennessee Tech. The Eagles then bested Eastern Kentucky before topping Tennessee Tech twice to claim the title.
Hulsizer Named OVC Tournament MVP: Morehead State junior OF
Niko Hulsizer was named the MVP of the 2018 OVC Tournament. In six games he hit .375 (9-24) with 8 runs scored, 3 doubles, 3 home runs, nine RBI, a .875 slugging percentage and the game-winning home run in the Top of the 9th inning of the Championship Game. In two OVC Tournaments at Choccolocco Park (10 total games), Hulsizer hit .341 (14-41) with 13 runs scored, 6 home runs and 17 RBI.
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 Finishes Season Ranked in All Six National Polls; First OVC Team Ever Ranked in Top 10: 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. On June 5, the Golden Eagles moved to No. 10 in the NCBWA poll, marking the highest-ever ranking for an OVC baseball team. This is the second-straight year TTU had been ranked, as they were No. 26 for one week in the Collegiate Baseball poll in 2017. 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 final 2018 national poll rankings:
Baseball America - 11
NCBWA - 11
D1Baseball.com - 12
USA TODAY Coaches Poll - 12
Collegiate Baseball - 13
Perfect Game - 16
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). This season OVC teams hit 714 home runs, which trailed only the SEC (although OVC teams have combined for 7,000 fewer at-bats). The OVC sported the No. 1 and No. 2 scoring teams nationally in Tennessee Tech (9.8 runs/game) and Morehead State (8.4 runs/game).
TTU Sets OVC Single-Season Home Runs Record: Tennessee Tech finished the year with 135 home runs, which was a new OVC single-season record, breaking the previous mark of 127 by the 2002 Morehead State team. TTU is one of just three teams in the BBCOR bats era (since 2011) to hit 100 home runs in a season (joining Wake Forest who hit 106 in 2017 and Florida who hit 100 home runs in 2018).
Tennessee Tech Also Sets OVC Record for Runs, RBI and At-Bats, Ties Hits Record: In addition to establishing a new OVC single-season home run record, Tennessee Tech set new single-season records for at-bats (2370), runs scored (639) and RBI (597) and tied the record for hits (788). The Golden Eagles broke the previous records of at-bats (2315), runs (603) and RBI (548) each held by the 1985 Eastern Kentucky team and tied EKU for the hits record.
Morehead State Sets OVC Single-Season Record for Strikeouts: Morehead State pitchers struck out 570 batters this season, which broke the previous record of 565 set by Tennessee Tech in 2017.
TTU Sets OVC Single-Season Record for Wins: Tennessee Tech finished this year with 53 victories, the most in OVC history, and second-most among Division I teams in 2018 (trailing only the 55 by national champion Oregon State). The 53 wins broke the old mark of 47 held by the 1980 Western Kentucky and 2013 Austin Peay teams. Tech reached 40 wins back on May 6, marking the fourth time in program history the team has reached that mark (the old TTU school record was 41 in 2017).
TTU Sets OVC Record For Conference Victories in a Season: Tennessee Tech finished this season with 27 Conference victories (27-3), which established a new single-season record. The old mark was 24 by the 2013 Tennessee Tech squad.
Tennessee Tech Establishes 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.
TTU's Strohschein and Chambers Two of Seven Players in OVC History With 100 Hits in a Season: Tennessee Tech junior
Kevin Strohschein, the OVC Player of the Year, and senior first baseman
Chase Chambers are two of just seven players in OVC history with 100 or more hits in a season, and the first pair of teammates to achieve the feat in the same season. Strohschein finished the year with 106 hits, second-most in OVC history (two off the record), while Chambers had 101, the fifth-most in OVC history.
NCAA Statistical Leaders: In the final NCAA statistical leaders for 2018, Tennessee Tech ranked first nationally in batting average (.332), scoring (9.8 runs/game), runs (639), hits (788), home runs (134), home runs (2.08/game), slugging (.576) and on-base percentage (.430) and were second in base on balls (371). Morehead State ranked first in sacrifice flies (45), second in scoring (8.4 runs/game) and runs (529), third in hits (734) and slugging (.498), fourth in batting average (.316), fifth in on-base percentage (.406) and double plays (1.05/game), seventh in doubles (2.29/game) and ninth in home runs (1.32/game). Jacksonville State ranked third in shutouts (8) while Murray State ranked ninth in on-base percentage (.402). Individually, Tennessee Tech's
Chase Chambers ranked fourth in runs/game (1.23/game), fifth in hits (101) and total bases (167), sixth in RBI (1.29/game), eighth in on-base percentage (.500) and ninth in batting (.395) while teammate
Kevin Strohschein ranked first in total bases (187) and second in hits (106). TTU's
Alex Junior was third in runs (1.25/game) while teammate
Travis Moths was third in pitching wins (13) and closer
Ethan Roberts was ninth in saves (15), 29th in strikeouts per nine innings (11.83) and 37th in E.R.A. (2.30). Austin Peay's
Parker Phillips was seventh in home runs (0.36/game) and 19th in slugging (.667), Eastern Kentucky's
Alex Holderbach was third in RBI (1.32/game), Murray State's
Davis Sims was first in doubles (0.52/game) and teammate
Grant Wood was fifth in on-base percentage (.520). Jacksonville State's
Clayton Daniel was the third toughest nationally in strikeout (one per every 25.5 at-bats).
Seven Earn All-American Honors, Eight Named Freshman All-Americans: Seven OVC players earned All-American honors after the 2018 season, while eight others earned Freshman All-American honors. Tennessee Tech's
Kevin Strohschein was named to five of the six teams, while teammate
Chase Chambers earned four honors. EKU's
Alex Holderbach was named to three teams, while TTU's
Travis Moths and
Ethan Roberts each made two teams.
Wins Against Nationally-Ranked Non-Conference Opponents: OVC teams won 10 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)
#20 Tennessee Tech 6, #22 Missouri State 4 (June 2)
#20 Tennessee Tech 2, #22 Missouri State 1 (June 3)
#20 Tennessee Tech 15, #2 Ole Miss 5 (June 4)
#20 Tennessee Tech 3, #2 Ole Miss 2 (June 4)
#10 Tennessee Tech 5, #5 Texas 4 (June 9)
Strohschein Named Semifinalist for Golden Spikes Award: Tennessee Tech junior
Kevin Strohschein was one of 25 semifinalists for the Golden Spikes Award. The award is given to the nation’s top amateur player. The winner of the 41st Golden Spikes Award was California's Andrew Vaughn.
Three OVC Players Named Semifinalists for the Dick Howser Trophy: Three OVC baseball players were among 35 semifinalists nationally for the Dick Howser Trophy, presented by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) to the top player in collegiate baseball. The players were Eastern Kentucky junior catcher
Alex Holderbach and Tennessee Tech senior first baseman
Chase Chambers and junior designated hitter
Kevin Strohschein. The OVC’s three selections ranked them fifth among all Conferences while TTU was one of just six schools with multiple picks (Florida, Kentucky, NC State, Oregon State, and Texas Tech were the others). This is the 32nd year of the Dick Howser Trophy; the 2018 award went to Florida pitcher Brady Singer.
EKU’s Holderbach Named Finalist for Johnny Bench Award: Eastern Kentucky junior
Alex Holderbach was one of the three finalists for the 2018 Johnny Bench Award presented by BaseballSavings.com; the award is given to the top Division I catcher. Holderbach is the first-ever finalist from an OVC school. All finalists were brought to Wichita for the 21st Annual Greater Wichita Sports Banquet on June 28, 2018; Georgia Tech's Joey Bart was named the winner. Previously Morehead State junior
Hunter Fain, Murray State junior
Mike Farnell and SIUE junior
Brock Weimer were on the watch list.
Leonard Named Finalist for Brooks Wallace Award: Morehead State junior
Reid Leonard is one of five finalists nationally for the 2018 Brooks Wallace Award Watch List presented by the College Baseball Foundation. The award, sponsored by Mizuno, honors the nation’s top shortstop was presented to Oregon State's Cadyn Grenier. Tennessee Tech senior
David Garza was one of 16 semifinalists for the award by did not make the final cut.
TTU’s Roberts on Stopper of the Year Watch List: Tennessee Tech junior
Ethan Roberts was 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. Florida's Michael Byrne was named the winner of the award.
Record 16 Players Drafted in MLB First-Year Player Draft: A record 16 OVC players were selected in the 2018 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. That included eight players from Tennessee Tech, the most by an OVC school in a single season. Overall the OVC has had 101 players selected over the past nine years.
Ethan Roberts, RHP (Tennessee Tech) - Chicago Cubs, 4th Round (No. 128)
Travis Moths, RHP (Tennessee Tech) - Arizona Diamondbacks, 7th Round (No. 219)
Alex Holderbach, C (Eastern Kentucky) - Houston Astros, 16th Round (No. 492)
Trevor Putzig, 3B (Tennessee Tech) - Baltimore Orioles, 17th Round (No. 505)
Chase Chambers, 1B (Tennessee Tech) - New York Mets, 18th Round (No. 530)
Dylan King, RHP (Belmont) - Los Angeles Angels, 18th Round (No. 541)
Niko Hulsizer, OF (Morehead State) - Los Angeles Dodgers, 18th Round (No. 554)
Alex Junior, OF (Tennessee Tech) - New York Yankees, 19th Round (No. 577)
Marcus Evey, RHP (Tennessee Tech) - New York Yankees, 20th Round (No. 607)
Carlos Vega, RHP (Southeast Missouri) - Chicago Cubs, 21st Round (No. 638)
Derrick Adams, LHP (Jacksonville State) - Kansas City Royals, 27th Round (No. 812)
Matt Cogen, OF (Belmont) - Los Angeles Dodgers, 30th Round (No. 914)
John Ham, SS (Tennessee Tech) - Baltimore Orioles, 31st Round (No. 925)
Michael Costanzo, LHP (Austin Peay) - Tampa Bay Rays, 31st Round (No. 930)
Clayton Daniel, 2B (Jacksonville State) - Chicago Cubs, 31st Round (No. 938)
David Garza, SS (Tennessee Tech) - Arizona Diamondbacks, 38th Round (No. 1149)
Four Named to Google Cloud Academic All-America Baseball Team by CoSIDA: Four Ohio Valley Conference student-athletes have been named to the Google Cloud Academic All-America® baseball teams as selected by CoSIDA. The selections included Eastern Kentucky junior catcher
Alex Holderbach (1st Team) and sophomore outfielder
Nick Howie (3rd Team) along with Tennessee Tech senior infielders
Chase Chambers (3rd Team) and
Trevor Putzig (2nd Team). It marked the first time since 2010 that four OVC players had earned Academic All-American honors in the same season.
Phillips Participates in College Home Run Derby: Austin Peay sophomore
Parker Phillips became the second OVC player in as many years to compete in the College Home Run Derby held at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Nebraska, the site of the College World Series. Phillips was one of six players nationally to compete in the event, hitting 12 home runs in the first round to advance to the second round. In 2017, Morehead State's Niko Hulsizer became the first OVC player to win the competition.
Daniel Establishes OVC Career At-Bats, Hits and 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). Daniel finished his career with 68 doubles. Daniel also established OVC career records for hits (330 - breaking the old mark of 323 by JSU's Bert Smith) and at-bats (975 - breaking the old mark of 947 by Smith).
Murray State Davis Ties OVC Single-Season Doubles Record: Murray State sophomore
Davis Sims recorded 29 doubles in 2018, tying the OVC single-season record also held by Austin Peay's Ryan Bennett (1996) and Tennessee Tech's Chad Oberacker (2010).
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).
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.
Choccolocco Park Hosted 2018 OVC Baseball Championship: The 2018 OVC Baseball Championship was held May 22-27 at Choccolocco Park in Oxford, Alabama. It marked 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. The 2018 season marked 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.
Rent One Park in Marion, Illinois to Host 2019 and 2020 OVC Baseball Championships: The 2019 and 2020 OVC Baseball Championships will be held at Rent One Park in Marion, Illinois. It marks the fourth different site to host the event since it moved to neutral sites in 2001. Rent One Park is the home of the Southern Illinois Miners, a professional baseball team playing in the Frontier League. The park, which opened in 2007 and has a Sportexe Turf synthetic surface, features 3,400 chairback seats and lawn seating for over 2,000. The venue includes a brand-new high-definition LED video board, 14 suites, a banquet facility, an entertainment plaza, kids’ play area and a 10-hole miniature golf course. The stadium is located directly off Interstate 57.
Seeding Success: Since the OVC Tournament switched to a neutral site in 2001 (16 total tournaments), the No. 1 seed has won six championships, the No. 2 seed has five titles, the No. 3 seed has won four times, the No. 4 seed has won twice and the 5 seed has claimed one title (Tennessee Tech in 2009).
Southeast Missouri Qualifies for 24th-Straight OVC Tournament: Southeast Missouri qualified for
its 24th-straight OVC Tournament this season, extending the OVC all-time record for that category. The second-longest streak is 15 (an active streak held by Jacksonville State).
Belmont Wins OVC Team Sportsmanship Award: Belmont has been named the winner of the 2018 OVC 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 2017-18 school year marks the 13th year the team sportsmanship honors have been awarded. This marks the second-straight and fifth overall award for the Bruins program who also won awards in 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2017).
Holderbach National Player of the Month: Eastern Kentucky junior catcher
Alex Holderbach was 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.