• OVC Baseball Report – April 1 (PDF)
This Week’s Schedule
Tuesday, April 2
Southeast Missouri at Missouri State, 2:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
Butler at
Eastern Illinois, 3:00 p.m.
SIUE at Saint Louis, 4:00 p.m.
Southern Indiana at Murray State, 5:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
Eastern Kentucky
at Morehead State, 5:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
Lindenwood at Southern Illinois, 6:00 p.m.
Little Rock at Louisiana Tech, 6:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
Middle Tennessee
at Tennessee Tech, 6:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
UT Martin at Missouri, 6:00 p.m. (SEC Network+)
Wednesday, April 3
McKendree
at Eastern Illinois, 3:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
UT Martin at Missouri, 3:00 p.m. (SEC Network+)
Blackburn
at Lindenwood, 5:00 p.m.
Murray State
at Southern Indiana, 6:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
Western Illinois at Bradley, 6:00 p.m.
Illinois State
at SIUE, 6:00 p.m.
Friday, April 5
*Eastern Illinois at Western Illinois, 3:00 p.m.
*Lindenwood at Southern Indiana, 6:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
*Southeast Missouri at Little Rock, 6:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
*Morehead State at Tennessee Tech, 6:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
*UT Martin at SIUE, 6:00 p.m.
Saturday, April 6
*Eastern Illinois at Western Illinois, 1:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
*Morehead State at Tennessee Tech, 2:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
*UT Martin at SIUE, 2:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
*Lindenwood at Southern Indiana, 3:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
*Southeast Missouri at Little Rock, 4:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
Sunday, April 7
*Eastern Illinois at Western Illinois, 1:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
*Lindenwood at Southern Indiana, 1:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
*Southeast Missouri at Little Rock, 1:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
*Morehead State at Tennessee Tech, 1:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
*UT Martin at SIUE, 1:00 p.m.
OVC Players of the Week
PLAYER
Roman Kuntz, 1B • 6-3, 180, Sr. • New Carlisle, Ind. • Morehead State
In four games last week Kuntz hit .500 (8-for-16) with four runs scored, two doubles, three home runs, two walks, a .579 on-base percentage and 1.188 slugging percentage. The senior had two hits in each of his games during the week and has six multi-hit games in a row overall. Kuntz opened the week by going 2-for-3 with a double in a non-conference game with Bellarmine. In the weekend series with Southern Indiana, the first baseman homered in each game, including hitting a walk-off home run on Thursday. In Saturday's win he also added a double and two walks. Nationally, he ranks third in home runs (15), ninth in total bases (90), 11th in RBI (40) and 22nd in slugging (.811).
Others Nominated: Lucas Loos, Eastern Illinois; Jake Wright, Little Rock; Roman Kuntz, Morehead State; Josh Cameron, Southeast Missouri; Lucas Spence, SIUE; Terrick Thompson-Allen, Southern Indiana; Theo Bryant IV, Tennessee Tech; Zac Rice, UT Martin; J.R. Heavilin, Western Illinois.
CO-PITCHER
Landon Smiddy, RHP • 6-0, 225, Sr. • Knoxville, Tenn. • Tennessee Tech
Smiddy picked up a victory in Thursday's series-opener with Western Illinois. The senior struck out a career-high 11 without issuing a walk over 8.1 innings of work. He scattered nine hits and allowed three runs (two earned). Smiddy had just one strikeout through four innings, but struck out 10 over his final 8.1 innings of work; after the fourth inning he allowed only two singles. Smiddy's 37 strikeouts ranks fifth among OVC players.
CO-PITCHER
Tristan Walton, LHP • 6-3, 210, Sr. • Clay, Ala. • UT Martin
Walton struck out a career-high 10 with only one walk allowed over seven innings in UT Martin's extra inning victory over Eastern Illinois on Friday. Although he did not factor into the decision, the lefty scattered six hits (five of which were singles) and did not allow a run before exiting the contest following the seventh inning. Among OVC players Walton ranks second in strikeouts per nine inning (10.38), third in E.R.A. (2.77) and fifth in opponent batting average (.234)
Others Nominated: Colton Coca, Eastern Illinois; Jacob Weatherley, Little Rock; Eli Brown, Lindenwood; Sam Heyman, Southeast Missouri.
Notes From Around the League
Highlights From Around the League: After two weekends of Conference play, Southeast Missouri is on top of the standings at 5-1; the Redhawks lone loss came by four runs in a contest they allowed nine runs in the eighth inning ... Little Rock and Tennessee Tech are one game back with 4-2 marks ... Little Rock outfielder Tyler Williams recorded his 241st career hit on Saturday, establishing a new program record for career hits ... In the latest NCAA rankings, Morehead State is third nationally in hits (323) and home runs (63), fifth in runs (278), seventh in slugging (.578) and ninth in batting (.327) while Tennessee Tech is first in triples (8) and eighth in double plays (28) ... Individually, TTU's Austin Turner is second in walks (35) and sixth in triples (4) while teammate Peyton Calitri is third in strikeout-to-walk ratio (15.00), MSU's Roman Kuntz is third in home runs (15), ninth in total bases (90), 11th in RBI (40) and 22nd in slugging (.811) while teammate Ryley Preece is fifth in runs (43) and 11th in RBI (40), EIU's Lucas Loos is 11th in doubles/game (0.50) and WIU's Caden Kratz is fourth in saves (6).
2024 OVC Baseball Championship presented by SERVPRO: For the second year in a row the OVC Baseball Championship presented by SERVPRO will be held at Mtn. Dew Park in Marion, Illinois. This year the event runs May 22-25. The event was also held at the venue (which was previously known as Rent One Park) in 2019. For the third year in a row, the bracket 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). The venue, home to the Thrillville Thrillbillies of the Prospect League (the team completed its first season in 2023),.opened in 2007 and has a Sportexe Turf synthetic surface and features 3,400 chairback seats and lawn seating for over 2,000. It also has a 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 45th 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.
Stopper of the Year Watch List: Eastern Illinois senior
Zane Robbins and Lindenwood sophomore
Easton Rakers were among 73 players named to the initial Watch List for the 19th Annual National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Stopper of the Year Award, given to the top relief pitcher in NCAA Division I Baseball.
Kuntz Named National Hitter of the Week by the NCBWA (March 20): Morehead State senior DH Roman Kuntz has been named the Dick Howser Trophy National Hitter of the Week by the NCBWA. In five games Kuntz hit .455 (10-for-22) with 10 runs scored, two doubles, five home runs, 14 RBI, a .538 on-base percentage and 1.227 slugging percentage. The senior homered in four of five games (each of which was a MSU victory) as the Eagles averaged 16 runs per game during the week. He scored twice and drove in three runs in the team's midweek win over Ohio. In the first game of a weekend series with Eastern Michigan, he was 2-for-4 with two runs scored and three RBI before combining to go 6-for-9 with five runs scored and eight RBI in a Saturday doubleheader sweep. Overall Kuntz scored 10 of the 12 times he reached base.
Little Rock Picked as 2024 OVC Preseason Favorite: Little Rock was picked as the 2024 OVC preseason baseball favorite in a vote of OVC head baseball coaches and communications directors. The Trojans picked up 12 of 20 first-place votes and 155 points in being picked first, just ahead of Morehead State who received the other eight first-place votes and 148 points. Southeast Missouri was predicted third (127) and followed by UT Martin (106), defending tournament champion Eastern Illinois (100), Tennessee Tech (93), SIUE (67), Southern Indiana (52), Lindenwood (31) and Western Illinois (20).
MSU's Preece and LR's Wells Named OVC Preseason Player/Pitcher of the Year: In a vote of OVC head baseball coaches and communications directors, Morehead State senior outfielder
Ryley Preece and Little Rock junior right-hander
Jackson Wells were tabbed OVC Preseason Player and Pitcher of the Year. Each earned their respective Player of the Year award at the end of the 2023 season. Additionally, 18 total players were named to the Preseason All-OVC team, all of whom were either first or second-team selections last year and were automatic picks for this year’s team. The 18 players came from six OVC teams with Morehead State leading the way with five selections and Little Rock and UT Martin having four apiece.
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 2020 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.
New Teams: After welcoming three new teams last year, the OVC welcomed another new program in 2023-24. Western Illinois joined the OVC on July 1 after previously being in the Summit League. They are just the 25th full-time member in the 76-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).
The 2024 Season: The 2024 season marks the 76th year of competition in the OVC. Over the previous 75 years, 13 different teams have claimed an OVC baseball regular season championship.
ESPN+: This year marks the sixth 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 $10.99 a month (or $109.99 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.