• Complete 2021 All-OVC Baseball Teams (PDF)
BRENTWOOD, Tenn. - Southeast Missouri senior
Dylan Dodd was named OVC Pitcher of the Year while his coach,
Andy Sawyers, was named OVC Coach of the Year in a vote of league head coaches and communication directors. Additionally, Eastern Illinois redshirt sophomore shortstop
Trey Sweeney was named OVC Player of the Year while Morehead State freshman
Jackson Feltner earned Freshman of the Year honors.
The honors, along with first and second-team All-OVC and All-Freshman honors were announced ahead of the 2021 OVC Baseball Championship which begins on Thursday at The Ballpark at Jackson in Jackson, Tennessee. Murray State had the most selections across the three teams with seven, followed by Tennessee Tech with five and Belmont, Eastern Kentucky, Jacksonville State, Morehead State and Southeast Missouri with four apiece.
Dodd helped Southeast Missouri to the OVC regular season championship as he led the OVC in E.R.A. (2.36), wins (8), innings (84.0) and strikeouts (102). He ranks 18th nationally in strikeout-to-walk ratio (7.29), 26th in wins, 28th in total strikeouts and WHIP (0.95), 32nd in walks allowed per nine innings (1.50) and 43rd in E.R.A. Dodd twice struck out 10 in a game this season, doing so at nationally-ranked Arkansas (a game he left with the lead and got a no-decision) and against SIUE. Nine other times he struck out eight batters during a game and only three times did he walk more than one batter. Dodd, who has won his last five starts, had a streak of 28 consecutive scoreless innings that ended in the last game of the regular season He is the ninth SEMO pitcher to win the honor and first since 2016 (Joey Lucchesi).
Sawyers is in his fifth year as Southeast Missouri's head coach. In the team's last full season (2019), the Redhawks failed to make the OVC Tournament field for the first time in a quarter of a century and were picked fifth in this year's OVC preseason poll. But he helped the Redhawks exceed those predictions, finishing 27-19 overall and 17-10 in the OVC as the program won its fifth OVC regular season championship (2002, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2021). The Redhawks won eight of nine Conference series this year and 11 series overall. SEMO led the OVC in fielding percentage (.974) and was second in team E.R.A. (5.06) in 46 total games. Sawyers joins Mark Hogan (2002) and Steve Bieser (2014 and 2016) as SEMO skippers to win the award.
Sweeney was having a great season a year ago when the pandemic cut the 2020 campaign short. But the redshirt sophomore did not miss a beat in 2021 as he finished the regular season ranked in the Top 50 nationally in 11 different categories including seventh in on-base percentage (.522), ninth in walks (46) and 13th in RBI (58). In 48 games Sweeney hit .382 hit 65 hits, 52 runs, 10 doubles, 14 home runs and a .712 slugging percentage while striking out only 24 times in 170 at-bats. Among OVC players Sweeney ranked first in total bases (2.52/game), walks (0.96/game), on-base percentage and slugging percentage, third in batting, second in runs (1.08/game) and RBI (1.21/game), fourth in home runs (0.29) and fifth in hits (1.35/game). Sweeney also led the OVC with 17 multi-RBI games and had a streak of 40 consecutive games reaching base safely (a streak that extended to 53 dating back to 2020). Sweeney has been named a semifinalist for the Dick Howser Trophy and the Brooks Wallace Award. He is the fourth Eastern Illinois player to be named OVC Player of the Year and first since 2009 (Jordan Kreke, who was also the last shortstop to win the OVC Player of the Year award).
Feltner joined Sweeney as the only players in the OVC to rank in the top five in batting (.397, 2nd), slugging (.673, 2nd) and on-base percentage (.458, 5th). Among OVC players he also ranked second in total bases (2.50/game), third in hits (1.48/game) and fifth in RBI (1.00/game). Overall he appeared in 42 games (starting 40) and compiling 62 hits, 28 runs, 10 doubles, 11 home runs and 42 RBI. His batting average was second among true freshmen nationally (behind only Air Force's Paul Skenes at .418) and he is just the fifth freshman in MSU history to hit double-digit home runs in a season. Entering the postseason he has reached base safely in 35 games (the longest active streak in the OVC) and has a 26-game hitting streak (the longest streak in the OVC this year). Feltner is the first Morehead State player to be named the OVC Freshman of the Year since the award was first bestowed in 2005.
Dodd, Sweeney and Feltner were three of the 14 first-team All-OVC selections that included six seniors, five juniors, two sophomores and a freshmen from 10 different teams. The trio was joined by Jacksonville State senior catcher
Alex Webb (.304, 66 hits, 9 home runs, 54 RBI) who was the only repeat first-team selection from 2019 (no awards were given out for the 2020 season), and Austin Peay junior outfielder
Garrett Spain (.323, 62 hits, 41 RBI, 14 stolen bases) who was a second-team pick in 2019. The first-team infield also included Murray State senior second baseman
Jordan Cozart (.312, 64 hits, 51 runs, 17 2B 15 HR, 50 RBI) and Belmont junior third baseman
Logan Jarvis (.346, 62 hits, 38 runs, 53 RBI). Joining Spain in the outfield was Belmont sophomore
John Behrends (.332, 64 hits, 49 runs, 15 doubles, 42 RBI, 13 stolen bases) and Tennessee Tech senior
Cody Littlejohn (.324, 55 hits, 40 runs, 14 HR). Austin Peay junior
Bobby Head (.304, 9 hits, 38 runs, 11 doubles, 8 HR, 10 stolen bases), who saw action at four infield spots as well as in the outfield and at designated hitter, earned the first-team nod as a utility player while Eastern Kentucky junior
Caleb Upshaw (.325, 65 hits, 11 home run, 48 RBI) was the designated hitter pick. Jacksonville State junior
Christian Edwards (5-2, 2.48 E.R.A., 83 strikeouts) and UT Martin senior
Winston Cannon (66, 3.78 E.R.A., 83 strikeouts) joined Dodd among the starting pitching picks while JSU senior
Corley Woods (7 saves, 2.43 E.R.A., 32 strikeouts) earned the first-team relief pitcher selection.
The second-team included 16 players due to two ties in voting and was made up of four seniors, six juniors, three sophomores and three freshmen from eight different teams. Included were two players who had previously received All-OVC honors in their careers in Southeast Missouri junior shortstop
Tyler Wilber (.400, 72 hits, 11 doubles, 45 RBI) and Murray State senior outfielder
Brock Anderson (ninth nationally with 17 home runs with 40 RBI and a .585 slugging percentage). The infield included Eastern Illinois senior catcher
Ryan Knernschield (.331, 46 hits, 35 RBI), Tennessee Tech sophomore first baseman
Golston Gillespie (.302, 48 hits, 38 runs, 13 home runs) and redshirt freshman second baseman
Brett Roberts (.343, 70 hits, 13 doubles, 17 stolen bases) and Murray State junior third baseman
Bryson Bloomer (.298, 61 hits, 18 doubles, 9 home runs, 41 RBI). In addition to Anderson the outfield included another Murray State player in junior
Jake Slunder (.295 62, hits, 53 runs, 33 RBI, 23 stolen bases) and SIUE sophomore
Brett Johnson (.305, 58 hits, 46 runs, 12 doubles, 10 home runs, 14 stolen bases). SIUE redshirt freshman
Brady Bunten (.280, 49 hits, 13 home runs, 42 RBI) earned the designated hitter spot while Jacksonville State utility player
Alex Carignan (.374, 49 hits, 26 runs, .511 slugging percentage) was also selected. The starting pitchers included Belmont freshman
Andy Bean (5-2, 4.10 E.R.A., 62 strikeouts), Murray State senior
Sam Gardner (5-5, 5.07 E.R.A. 2 complete games, 63 strikeouts), Eastern Illinois junior
Cameron Doherty (3-2, 3.45 E.R.A., 71 strikeouts) and Eastern Kentucky junior
Darren Williams (4.10 E.R.A., 92 strikeouts). Two relief pitchers made the second-team in UT Martin senior
David Hussey (6 saves, 2.95 E.R.A., 52 strikeouts) and Eastern Kentucky sophomore
Will Brian (10 saves, 2.48 E.R.A., 48 strikeouts).
Nine of the 11 OVC baseball squads had at least one representative on the All-Freshman Team, which was awarded for the 15th time in 2021. The 14-member team was highlighted by Feltner, the OVC Freshman of the Year, and two other players who earned second-team All-OVC honors in Belmont's Bean and TTU's Roberts. The team also included Austin Peay pitcher
Drew McIllwain, Eastern Kentucky outfielder
Kendal Ewell, Morehead State outfielder
Ryley Preece and pitcher
Luke Helton, Murray State pitcher
Jack Wenninger and utility player
Jacob Pennington, Southeast Missouri pitchers
Kyle Miller and
Collin Wilma, SIUE pitcher
Noah Matheny, Tennessee Tech pitcher
Ty Fisher and UT Martin outfielder
Wil LaFollette.
2021 All-OVC Teams and Award Winners
OVC Player of the Year: Trey Sweeney (SS), Eastern Illinois
OVC Pitcher of the Year: Dylan Dodd (LHP), Southeast Missouri
OVC Freshman of the Year: Jackson Feltner (1B), Morehead State
OVC Coach of the Year: Andy Sawyers, Southeast Missouri
ALL-OVC FIRST TEAM
C - Alex Webb, Jacksonville State
1B - Jackson Feltner, Morehead State
2B - Jordan Cozart, Murray State
SS - Trey Sweeney, Eastern Illinois
3B - Logan Jarvis, Belmont
OF - Garrett Spain, Austin Peay
OF - John Behrends, Belmont
OF - Cody Littlejohn, Tennessee Tech
DH - Caleb Upshaw, Eastern Kentucky
UT - Bobby Head, Austin Peay
SP - Dylan Dodd, Southeast Missouri
SP - Christian Edwards, Jacksonville State
SP - Winston Cannon, UT Martin
RP - Corley Woods, Jacksonville State
ALL-OVC SECOND TEAM
C - Ryan Knernschield, Eastern Illinois
1B - Golston Gillespie, Tennessee Tech
2B - Brett Roberts, Tennessee Tech
SS - Tyler Wilber, Southeast Missouri
3B - Bryson Bloomer, Murray State
OF - Brock Anderson, Murray State
OF - Jake Slunder, Murray State
OF - Brett Johnson, SIUE
DH - Brady Bunten, SIUE
UT - Alex Carignan, Jacksonville State
SP - Andy Bean, Belmont
SP - Sam Gardner, Murray State
SP - Cameron Doherty, Eastern Illinois
SP - Darren Williams, Eastern Kentucky
RP - David Hussey, UT Martin
RP - Will Brian, Eastern Kentucky
ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
1B - Jackson Feltner, Morehead State
2B - Brett Roberts, Tennessee Tech
LHP - Andy Bean, Belmont
OF - Ryley Preece, Morehead State
LHP - Ty Fisher, Tennessee Tech
OF - Kendal Ewell, Eastern Kentucky
UT/RHP - Jacob Pennington, Murray State
RHP - Drew McIllwain, Austin Peay
RHP - Kyle Miller, Southeast Missouri
RHP - Luke Helton, Morehead State
RHP - Collin Wilma, Southeast Missouri
OF - Wil LaFollette, UT Martin
RHP - Noah Matheny, SIUE
RHP - Jack Wenninger, Murray State
***Note: There are 4 SP's and 2 RP's on the second-team and 14 All-Freshmen due to ties in voting.