• OVC Baseball Report – May 1 (PDF)
This Week’s Schedule
Tuesday, May 2
Little Rock at Ole Miss, 11:00 a.m. (SEC Network+)
Lindenwood at Western Illinois, 3:00 p.m.
University of Cumberlands
at Morehead State, 4:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
Murray State
at Southeast Missouri, 6:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
Southern Indiana at Southern Illinois, 6:00 p.m.
Wednesday, May 3
Eastern Kentucky
at Morehead State, 4:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
Miami (Ohio)
at Southern Indiana, 6:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
Friday, May 5
*Eastern Illinois at Morehead State, 4:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
*SIUE at Tennessee Tech, 6:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
*UT Martin at Lindenwood, 6:00 p.m.
*Little Rock at Southern Indiana, 6:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
Southeast Missouri at #22 Kansas State, 6:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
Saturday, May 6
*Eastern Illinois at Morehead State, 1:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
*UT Martin at Lindenwood, 1:00 p.m.
*SIUE at Tennessee Tech, 2:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
*Little Rock at Southern Indiana, 2:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
Southeast Missouri at #22 Kansas State, 4:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
Sunday, May 7
*Eastern Illinois at Morehead State, 12:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
*Little Rock at Southern Indiana, 12:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
*UT Martin at Lindenwood, 1:00 p.m.
*SIUE at Tennessee Tech, 1:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
Southeast Missouri at #22 Kansas State, 1:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
OVC Players of the Week
CO-PLAYER
Brett Graber, OF • 6-0, 190, Sr. • Sacramento, Calif. • Southeast Missouri
In four SEMO wins last week Graber hit .571 (8-for-14) with six runs scored, three doubles, a home run, 11 RBI, a stolen base, a .600 on-base percentage and 1.000 slugging percentage. The senior drove in nine runs during the Lindenwood series, as the Redhawks swept the Lions to vault back into first place in the league standings. Graber added three RBI in each of the weekend games, also having multi-hits in each contest. He drove in two more runs in the midweek win over Southern Illinois, as SEMO snapped a six-game losing streak to its regional rival. Graber ranks ninth in the OVC in doubles (0.28/game).
CO-PLAYER
John Dyer, 1B • 6-2, 225, Sr. • Mt. Juliet, Tenn. • Tennessee Tech
In three games at Eastern Illinois over the weekend, Dyer smashed five home runs with nine RBI in 14 plate appearances. The senior hit .462 (6-for-13) while slugging 1.615 and scoring five runs while making plenty of history. He became the 29th member of the OVC's 40-home run club for a career and tied the Tech program record for consecutive games with a home run (5); he smashed two dingers on Friday, one on Saturday, and two more on Sunday. Dyer ranks first in the OVC in home runs (17, 0.41/game), fourth in slugging (.722), fifth in total bases (2.66/game) and eighth in batting (.331)
Others Nominated: Kolten Poorman, Eastern Illinois; Luke Pectol, Little Rock; Jackson Feltner, Morehead State; Drew Mize Jr., SIUE; Tucker Ebest, Southern Indiana; Caleb Hobson, UT Martin.
PITCHER
Noah Niznik, LHP • 5-11, 196, Sr. • St. Louis, Mo. • Southeast Missouri
Niznik had a dominant start on Friday in a 10-2 win over Lindenwood. The senior tossed a complete game, his first of the season, and struck out seven without walking a batter. He allowed two unearned runs (both in the sixth inning) while scattering four hits over the nine innings. After allowing a single in the second inning (which was erased by a double play), he retired 11 batters in a row. After allowing the two unearned runs in the sixth, he retired 11 of the final 14 batters he faced in improving to 6-3 on the season. Among OVC players he ranks first in wins (6) and strikeouts (74) and second in E.R.A. (2.92) and opponent batting average (.209).
Others Nominated: Zane Robbins, Eastern Illinois; Noah Burkey, Little Rock; Jacob Morin, Tennessee Tech; Zach Wagner, UT Martin.
Notes From Around the League
Highlights From Around the League: After slipping out of first place in the league standings last week, Southeast Missouri is back on top after sweeping Lindenwood; the Redhawks have a 2.5 game lead over Morehead State and Little Rock ... Little Rock's
Nico Baumbach has the longest hitting streak in the OVC this season at 18 games; he has also reached base safely in 39 games, also the longest streak in the league this year ... His teammate ranks fourth nationally in E.R.A. (1.39) ... EIU's
Ryan Ignoffo has 22 stolen bases this season, which ranks second in program single-season history; he needs just one more to tie the record ... UT Martin has now won all four of its home series (Eastern Illinois, SIUE, Southern Indiana, Morehead State) in OVC play ... After going 2-8 in a 10-game stretch, Southern Indiana is now 6-4 over its last 10 games, hitting .350 and scoring 11.3 runs/game over that stretch ... SIUE's
Brennan Orf is 11th nationally in walks (43) and nine in runs/game (1.38) ... Morehead State ranks 16th nationally in double plays (39) and 18th in home runs/game (1.79) ... EIU is ninth nationally in sac bunts (37) and ninth in shutouts (5) ... SEMO is 18th in walks allowed per nine innings (3.44).
Ranked Wins: Here is a look at OVC teams with wins over nationally-ranked teams this season. From 2018 to the present OVC teams have 26 wins over nationally-ranked non-conference opponents.
Feb. 26 - Eastern Illinois 12, #3 Arkansas 3
Apr. 12 - Little Rock 11, #5 Arkansas 4
Apr. 18 - Tennessee Tech 12, #19 Tennessee 5
Dyer Named National Player of the Week by Collegiate Baseball (May 1): Tennessee Tech senior 1B
John Dyer was named National Player of the Week by Collegiate Baseball on May 1 after he smashed five home runs with nine RBI in 14 plate appearances against EIU. The senior hit .462 (6-for-13) while slugging 1.615 and scoring five runs while making plenty of history. He became the 29th member of the OVC's 40-home run club for a career and tied the Tech program record for consecutive games with a home run (5).
Ignoffo on John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award Watch List: Eastern Illinois utility player
Ryan Ignoffo was named to the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Watch List; he is one of 47 players nationally on the list. The award is given to the best player in the country that contributes both on the mound and in the batters box. Ignoffo, known for his play as a utility player, has excelled not only has a hitter but also on the mound. The semifinalists for the Olerud Award will be announced in mid-May, with the five finalists being announced before the beginning of the NCAA tournament. The winner will be announced on June 15.
Two OVC Shortstops Named to Brooks Wallace Award Watch List: Morehead State's
Colton Becker and SIUE's
Chase Bloomer were named to the initial 2023 Brooks Wallace Award watch list, the College Baseball Foundation announced Tuesday. The award honors the nation's top shortstop and will be presented by the College Baseball Foundation later this year. It is named for former Texas Tech shortstop Brooks Wallace, who played for the Red Raiders from 1977 to 1980. Wallace died of leukemia at the age of 27.
Four OVC Players on Stopper of the Year Watch List: Four OVC baseball players were among the 81 players nationally named to the initial Watch List for the 18th Annual National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Stopper of the Year Award, given to the top relief pitcher in NCAA Division I Baseball. The OVC players included Morehead State's
John Bakke and
Jarrett Miller, Southeast Missouri's
Kyle Miller and Eastern Illinois'
Zane Robbins. Of the initial 81 members, 17 were featured on last year’s midseason watch list. In total, 21 conferences are represented on this list with at least two players coming from 15 different leagues.
Wright on Buster Posey Award Watch List: Little Rock senior catcher
Jake Wright is currently on the Buster Posey Award Watch List. The award is given to the top collegiate catcher. The watch list will be narrowed down to the semifinalists, who will be announced May 22, 2023. Ballots will be sent to the national voting committee at the end of May for a vote to determine the three finalists. The finalists will be announced June 6, 2023. 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 on June 29, 2023.
Becker Named National Hitter of the Week by NCBWA and D1Baseball (April 10): Morehead State junior shortstop
Colton Becker was named National Hitter of the Week by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) and D1Baseball after leading MSU to four wins. For the week he hit .625 (10-for-16) with nine runs scored, a double, two triples, four home runs, 15 RBI, three stolen bases, a .667 on-base percentage and 1.688 slugging percentage. He had four multi-hit and multi-RBI games during the week.
Mann Named National Pitcher of the Week by Collegiate Baseball (April 10): Tennessee Tech pitcher
Hunter Mann was named one of the National Pitchers of the Week by Collegiate Baseball on April 10 following his outing against Lindenwood. Mann struck out 11 batters without issuing a walk over six innings in the 4-3 victory.
2023 OVC Tournament: The 2023 OVC Baseball Championship will be held May 24-27 at Mtn Dew Park (formerly Rent One Park) in Marion, Illinois. It marks the second time the event has been held at the venue (2019 being the other). For the second year in a row, the bracket which will include four single elimination games on Wednesday, with the winners advancing to the double elimination portion of the bracket which will include the No. 1 and 2 seeds (who receive a bye until Thursday games). Saturday’s Championship Game will be a one-game “Winner Take All” matchup. Mt Dew Park is home to the new Prospect League Team the Thrillville Thrillbillies. The venue opened in 2007 and has a Sportexe Turf synthetic surface and 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 and kids’ play area. The stadium is located directly off Interstate 57. This year marks the 44th OVC Baseball Championship. The first elimination style OVC Baseball Tournament was held in 1980, most usually being played at the site of the regular season championship. Beginning in 2001 the tournament switched to a neutral site for the first time.
Recent NCAA Success: OVC teams have won at least one game in the NCAA Tournament in eight of the past 16 tournaments. OVC teams have reached the Regional Final round in four of the last 10 events. In 2018, 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. After winning an OVC record 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. TTU would win back-to-back games against No. 4 national seed Ole Miss to become the first team to advance to a Super Regional (which began in 1999). Tennessee Tech beat Texas in game one of the Super Regional before falling in the final two games.
OVC Professional Success: Former OVC baseball players have found professional success at the Major League. Former UT Martin pitcher
Alec Mills tossed the 16th no-hitter in Chicago Cubs history (and 305th in MLB history) against the Milwaukee Brewers on September 13, 2020. Former Belmont standout
Matt Beaty was a member of the 28-man playoff roster for the Los Angeles Dodgers, who defeated the Tampa Bay Rays four games to two to win the World Series. Since the OVC was formed in 1948, he is the first former OVC player to be on the active roster of a World Series Champion (most recently former SIUE pitcher Spencer Patton was a member of the 2016 Chicago Cubs championship team, but was not active for the World Series). In 2021, Eastern Illinois SS
Trey Sweeney was selected in the First Round by the New York Yankees (No. 20 overall), becoming just the third First Round pick in OVC history. SEMO pitcher
Dylan Dodd was then selected in the Third Round by the Atlanta Braves, marking the first time in OVC history two players were selected in the Top 3 rounds of the same draft.
Southeast Missouri Picked as 2023 OVC Preseason Favorite: Two-time defending OVC Tournament Champion Southeast Missouri has been picked as the 2023 OVC preseason baseball favorite in a vote of OVC head baseball coaches and communications directors. The Redhawks picked up 16 of 18 first-place votes (schools could not vote for themselves) and 128 points to be a unanimous first-place pick. Morehead State received the other two first-place votes to tally 100 points and be picked second. Eastern Illinois was tabbed third (89 points) and followed by Little Rock (86), Tennessee Tech (78), SIUE (76), UT Martin (41), Southern Indiana (26) and Lindenwood (24).
Morehead State's Feltner and Bakke Earn Preseason OVC Player/Pitcher of the Year Honors: Morehead State junior first baseman
Jackson Feltner was named OVC Preseason Player of the Year while MSU graduate left-handed pitcher
John Bakke was tabbed OVC Preseason Pitcher of the Year. In all 16 players were selected to the Preseason All-OVC team, seven of who were All-OVC picks a season ago. The 16 players represented eight of the nine teams who will compete for the OVC championship this season. Morehead State, Southeast Missouri and SIUE led the way with three selections apiece.
New Teams: The OVC welcomes three new teams this year in Lindenwood, Little Rock and Southern Indiana. Little Rock moves over from the Sun Belt while Lindenwood and USI are reclassifying from Division II and the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC). The trio marks just the 22nd, 23rd and 24th full-time members in the 75-year history of the OVC.
All Teams Eligible for OVC Tournament: Both reclassifying teams, Lindenwood and Southern Indiana, are eligible to compete and win the OVC Tournament Championship this season. Should a transitioning school win an OVC Tournament Championship, the AQ shall be awarded to the tournament runner-up. Should the tournament runner-up also be a transitioning school, the AQ representative shall be the third-place team (where the third-placed team cannot be determined, the AQ shall be the semifinal team that had the highest remaining seed going into the tournament).
ESPN+: This year marks the fifth of the OVC’s media rights deal with ESPN to air games on ESPN+, the multi-sport, direct-to-consumer video service from The Walt Disney Company Direct-to-Consumer & International segment. This season over 200 men’s and women’s basketball regular season Conference games and non-conference games will be streamed on ESPN+. Fans can subscribe to ESPN+ for $9.99 a month (or $99.99 per year) or as part of a bundle with Disney+ and ad-supported Hulu ($15.99/month). ESPN+ is an integrated part of the ESPN App (on mobile and connected devices). More information can be found at
www.OVCSports.com/ESPN.