Ohio Valley Conference

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The 2023 Ohio Valley Conference Baseball Championship gets underway with four single elimination games on Wednesday. This year marks the 44th OVC Baseball Tournament (the first elimination style event was held in 1979).

Tickets for the event are $10 per adult per day and $5 per day for children (12 and under) and college students with valid ID. An all-session pass (all four days, 10 games) is available for $25. All tickets can be purchased in person at Mtn Dew Park. All seats are general admission for the OVC Championship.

The venue opened in 2007 was previously known as Rent One Park. It is now home to the Prospect League Team the Thrillville Thrillbillies, who begin play at the end of May. The OVC Championship has been held at the venue one previous time in 2019.

This year's bracket is the same for the second straight year and includes 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.

Fans can watch the entire 2023 OVC Baseball Tournament live on ESPN+. Fans can subscribe to ESPN+ for $9.99 a month (or $99.99 per year) or as part of the Disney Bundle.  ESPN+, the multi-sport, direct-to-consumer video service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer & International segment, is an integrated part of the ESPN App and (on mobile and connected devices) and ESPN.com. More information can be found at www.OVCSports.com/ESPN.

Game 1: #5 Eastern Illinois 5,  #8 Southern Indiana 4
Box Score | Live Video | Live Stats | Photo Gallery | Postgame: EIU

Game 2: #6 Tennessee Tech 4,  #7 SIUE 0
Box Score | Live Video | Live Stats | Photo Gallery | Postgame: TTU, SIUE

Game 3: #5 Eastern Illinois 7, #5 Southeast Missouri 6
Box Score | Live Video | Live Stats | Photo Gallery | Postgame: EIU, SEMO

Game 4: #6 Tennessee Tech 7, #3 UT Martin 3
Box Score | Live Video | Live Stats | Photo Gallery | Postgame: TTU, UTM
 

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#5 EASTERN ILLINOIS 5, #8 SOUTHERN INDIANA 4
MARION, Ill. - Eastern Illinois baseball (34-18, 13-11 OVC) won game one of the Ohio Valley Conference Championship against No. 8 Southern Indiana by a final score of 5-4. EIU trailed until the seventh inning before taking their first lead.
 
Cole Gober got the offense started for the Panthers after a slow start to the ballgame at Mtn. Dew Park. Gober had a solo home run as one of his three hits and two RBI. Logan Eickhoff also had three hits for Eastern.
 
Closer Zane Robbins (W, 4-1) picks up his fourth win of the season in relief after throwing the final 2.1 innings for the Panthers. Ryan Ignoffo also pitched in relief allowing one run on three hits with three strikeouts in two innings of work.
 
Starting pitcher Ky Matthews-Hampton got off to a fast start on the mound with a one, two, three first inning. USI struck first in the second with an RBI single by Caleb Niehaus.
 
Gober picked up his first of three hits in the ballgame in the second but was thrown out trying to stretch a single into a double. Hampton made quick work again in the third by retiring three straight USI batters.
 
The Screaming Eagles extended their lead to three runs in the top of the fourth after Niehaus picked up two more RBI with a single into center field. Ryan Ignoffo would take over for Hampton on the mound with two outs in the fifth and get a strikeout to end the inning.
 
Eastern Illinois broke their scoring drought in the fifth inning with Gober's solo home run to left field to cut the lead to 3-1. USI's Blake Ciuffetelli got Grant Lashure to ground into a double play to end the inning.
 
Southern Indiana regained a three run lead in the sixth with a Tucker Ebest RBI single into right field off of Ignoffo. The Panthers would get out of the inning with two runners on.

The seventh inning saw the Panthers take control for the first time in the game after scoring four runs. Ignoffoo led off by reaching safely on an error. Kolten Poorman then hit a single to put two runners on for Gober who then had an RBI single to cut the lead to two.

Eickhoff continued the inning with a single to load the bases where Lashure was hit by pitch to bring home another run. Chris Worcester then hit a sac fly into right field to tie the game at 4-4. Lincoln Riley would give EIU the lead after reaching on an error and scoring the fifth run for EIU.

Robbins closed out the game with a double play and a strikeout in the eighth. USI managed two runners in the ninth, but their rally fell short after Robbins struck out one and got Niehaus to ground out to Lucas DiLuca to end the game.

#6 TENNESSEE TECH 4, #7 SIUE 0
MARION, Ill. - The No. 6 seeded purple and gold blanked No. 7 SIUE (26-28) in the team's first game of the day, capturing a 4-0 victory behind one of the better pitching displays by a Tech hurler in OVC Tournament history. Right-handers Hunter Mann and Jacob Morin teamed up to twirl the shutout over the Cougars, setting up a match-up with No. 3 UT Martin (22-34) later in the evening.

Mann and the defense set the tone for the day in the first inning of game number one, turning in the classic throw-him-out, strike-him-out double play to end the frame. Catcher Hayden Gilliland threw a dart to second baseman Eddie Garza to nab the runner trying to steal.

The offense provided all the support the pitching staff would need in the third, with right fielder Theo Bryant IV beating out a single to third base. After stealing second base, Bryant came around to score on an RBI single through the left side by left fielder Austin Turner.

Already with three punch-outs through the first three innings, Mann racked up two more in the fourth and required just four pitches to work through a scoreless fifth. He dominated the sixth, striking out the side before dialing up another two punchies in the seventh.

Garza delivered a defensive gem to close the frame and keep the lead in favor of the Golden Eagles. With runners on first and second and breaking on a 3-2 offering, the OVC All-Freshman Team honoree made a diving stop toward second base and made a nice throw to first baseman John Dyer to end the threat and steal a likely RBI single.

Overall, Mann picked up his fourth win of the year while tossing seven innings without allowing a run. The junior fanned 10 Cougars, scattering four hits and a pair of walks in arguably his best start of the year. Mann became the first Golden Eagle to strike out 10 batters or more in three starts in one season since David Hess did so back in 2014.

To lock down the win, the purple and gold added three insurance markers in the seventh, with designated hitter Preston Ford, Garza, and Bryant loading the bases with three singles. Center fielder Nicho Jordan kept the train rolling with an RBI base knock to right field.

Shortstop Troy Baunsgard reached on a fielder's choice to drive in another run and make it a 3-0 ball game. Turner sprinted to first safely on an RBI single that bounced off the pitcher's glove.

Morin took over on the hill for the eighth, picking up a punch-out with just a single base hit in the frame. He locked down a scoreless ninth as well, sandwiching a flyout with a pair of line outs to third base after a lead-off single. Mann and Morin combined for just the second shutout by the Golden Eagles in the OVC Tournament in program history.

#5 EASTERN ILLINOIS 7, #4 SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 6
MARION, Ill. - Eastern Illinois baseball (35-18, 13-11 OVC) wins a nail-biter with a 7-6 victory over No. 4 Southeast Missouri (26-30, 14-10 OVC) to advance into the double elimination portion of the Ohio Valley Conference Baseball Championships. It marks the first time EIU has won an OVC Tournament game since 2014.

Grant Lashure was clutch all day picking up big insurance RBIs for the Panthers in the seven hole. Lashure had two hits on the day with three runs batted in. Lincoln Riley and Nicholas Rucker both had three hits to lead Eastern at the plate.

Starting pitcher Tyler Conklin (W, 8-5) becomes the first OVC pitcher this season with eight wins after a 5.2 innings outing against SEMO. Conklin allowed six hits and three runs with none of them being earned. He also struck out three.

Zane Robbins (S, 6) now is one save short of tying the Eastern Illinois record for saves in a career. Robbins followed up a winning performance earlier in the day with 1.1 innings pitched vs. SEMO allowing two hits and one run.

With 35 wins on the season, it marks the most in a single season by an EIU team since 2001 (35-20). There total wins now is tied for third all-time in a single season with the mark of 37 to beat set in 1998.

Continuing their success in the first inning this season, the Panthers scored three of their first seven runs in the first. With two runners on, Rucker delivered an RBI ground rule double to score Ryan Ignoffo.
 
The Panthers continued hitting the ball hard in the first with a two RBI single by catcher Lashure right up the middle to put EIU on top 3-0. EIU had four total hits in the first inning.
 
Conklin had started off the game allowing just one hit through two innings of work. SEMO knotted the game up at 3-3 in the third after posting three hits. Lincoln Andrews' two RBI double into the right field corner tied the game before EIU got out of the inning.
 
Eastern Illinois did not leave the game tied for long as they would score one in the fourth. Chris Worcester hit a double into shallow right field before being moved over to third with a flyout by Lucas DiLuca. An error by the third baseman of SEMO would score Worcester.
 
Conklin after giving up three runs in the third would throw 2.2 innings of scoreless baseball allowing just two hits in that span. Jonathon Hanscom would take over on the mound and get the final out of the sixth with runners at the corners.
 
Southeast Missouri's pitching staff of Noah Niznik and Hunter Ralls slowed EIU's offense down in the middle innings allowing just one hit through the fifth, sixth and seventh.
 
The eighth inning proved to be important as the Panthers extended their lead to three runs after a four hit inning that plated two runs.
 
Eickhoff started off the inning with a single and was moved over by Lashure with a sac bunt. With two outs, DiLuca had an RBI single with a bouncing ball up the middle to bring home one. Ignoffo then delivered his first RBI of the weekend with a single to push the lead to 6-3.

The Redhawks did not go down without a fight scoring two more runs in the eighth inning to cut the lead back to one. Carlos Aranda hit a two-run home run off of Hanscom to cut the deficit to 6-5.

Eastern Illinois' biggest run of the afternoon came in the top of the ninth with two outs. With Rucker at second base, Lashure delivered a single into left field to bring home the game winning run. Robbins allowed one run in the ninth, but it was not enough as the Panthers advanced to the semifinals.

#6 TENNESSEE TECH 7, #3 UT MARTIN 3
MARION, Ill. - After a win earlier in the day, Tennessee Tech capped the day with a 7-3 win over UT Martin.

The defense picked things up a notch in the second contest of the day, helping support a quality start by junior hurler Peyton Mills. The right-hander fanned a pair in the opening frame before the Skyhawks looked to do damage in the second.

Following a lead-off base knock and follow-up double, things looked good for the higher seed with runners in scoring position and nobody out. Enter Troy Baunsgard.
The shortstop covered nearly 100 feet tracking down a ball in foul territory down the left-field line, making a sliding grab for the first out of the inning. He then rifled a perfect, one-hop strike to Gilliland at the plate to gun down the runner attempting to tag from third base for a massive double play.

Third baseman Peyton Mills followed it up with a nifty snag on the short hop off a hard-hit grounder down the line, hurling a rocket to first to escape the inning clean.

Calitri dialed up two more strikeouts in the third before the Golden Eagles flashed the leather yet again. This time, Turner turned in the highlight-reel catch, sprinting to foul territory down the left-field line and making his own sliding grab to end the frame.

Using the momentum from the defensive gems and strong pitching display, Tech scored in each of the next five frames, starting in the fourth. Dyer led things off with an automatic double that bounced over the wall in right-center field. Two batters later, Ford drove him in with a base knock down the right-field line, a masterful at-bat that saw the junior work a nine-pitch at-bat.

Baunsgard doubled the Golden Eagle lead in the fifth, smashing the first pitch he saw in the frame to right field and clearing the wall for a two-out blast. It marked his ninth home run of the season.

Moving to the bottom half, Calitri picked up a quick out and a strike on the next batter before he lost his control for a small spell. The Tech starter missed with six straight offerings, allowing a walk and falling behind 2-0 to the next batter.

Gilliland and Dyer took a quick break to speak to the hurler and help him refocus. The talk worked, as Calitri used the next pitch to force a double play ball that Baunsgard, Garza, and Dyer turned with ease to move on to the sixth.

After turning in a brilliant scoop to lock down the double play in the fifth, Dyer led off the sixth with a bang. The senior slugger crushed a long ball down the right-field line, his fifth lead-off jack of the season. The round-tripper marked his 23rd of the year, breaking a tie for fourth in a single season in program history.

The dinger also represented the Mt. Juliet native's 47th career trip around the bases, ranking Dyer 17th in OVC history and sixth in program history. He now owns 22 blasts in his past 34 games and 15 jacks over his past 20 contests.

Tech's lone defensive miscue of the day allowed the Skyhawks to finally dent the dish in the bottom of the sixth. UT Martin plated a pair of unearned runs in the frame before Calitri worked through the rest of the frame without further damage.

Clinging to a one-run advantage, the Golden Eagles took their turn taking advantage of mistakes on defense, with Jordan reaching safely after a dropped third strike and error on the catcher. Turner drove him in two batters later with a double to left-center field.

With two outs in the inning and the bases loaded, the Skyhawks looked likely to walk away trailing by just two, with a pop fly sent high into the air just shy of first base. The UT Martin first baseman tracked the ball, but couldn't secure the catch, with the ball squirting out at the last second and allowing a pair of runs to cross safely for a 6-2 Tech lead.

The Skyhawks finally chased Calitri from the ballgame in the seventh, using a pair of base hits to force Tech head coach Matt Bragga's hand. The veteran manager turned back to Morin to close out the ball game and the junior delivered in a huge way. He struck out a pair before UT Martin picked up one RBI single to cut the deficit to three.

One final defensive gem from the Golden Eagles saved at least one if not two more runs in the frame. A shallow fly ball nearly landed fairly down the right-field line, but Garza made a remarkable catch, chasing down the towering pop-up and corralling it over his shoulder to end the frame.

The purple and gold added one more run in the eighth for good measure, with defensive substitute Tanner Shiver, who entered the game at shortstop in the seventh, laying down a perfect sacrifice bunt to move a runner to second and drive in Bryant from third.

Morin worked around a lead-off base knock by the Skyhawks in the eighth, picking up another punch-out. UT Martin led off the ninth with another base knock, but Tech's All-OVC Second Team reliever responded by striking out the next two batters. He then induced a weak ground ball to Dyer at first, raced over to cover the bag, and recorded the final out of the night.

The League City, Texas native earned his fifth save of the season while completing the final three innings with no runs, no walks, and five strikeouts. He scattered three hits. Calitri picked up his fourth win of the year, fanning five while allowing just one earned run over six frames.

Jordan, Turner, Dyer, and Garza all recorded multi-hit efforts on the day, with Dyer scoring three times.