• OVC Baseball Report - Postseason (PDF)
Highlights From Around the League: Southeast Missouri went 3-1 at the OVC Tournament to win its sixth OVC Tournament crown, which is second among all OVC schools ... This year marked the 45th OVC Tournament (the first elimination style event was held in 1979) and it was held at Mtn Dew Park in Marion, Illinois for the second-straight year and third time overall (the event will also be there in 2025) ... Little Rock finished 19-8 to win the OVC Regular Season Championship; it marked the first-ever Conference championship for the Trojans ... Morehead State's Roman Kuntz set the OVC single-season record for home runs (33), RBI (100) and total bases (202) ... Kuntz ranks first nationally in RBI (and second in home runs and total bases) entering the NCAA Tournament ... Teammate Ryley Preece established a new OVC career runs scored record during the season (249) ... As a team Morehead State hit 129 home runs this season, which was the second-highest total in OVC history (trailing only the 135 by Tennessee Tech in 2018).
Southeast Missouri Wins 2024 OVC Tournament: Southeast Missouri topped Morehead State in the Championship Round to win its third OVC Tournament crown in the past four years and its sixth overall. Overall the Redhawks have won OVC titles in 1998, 2002, 2016, 2021, 2022 and 2024), a mark that ranks second in OVC history (behind MTSU's 10 titles).
SEMO in NCAA Tournament: Southeast Missouri is 1-10 all-time in the NCAA Division I Championship; they topped Alabama in their 2002 appearance. OVC teams are 34-94 all-time in the NCAA Tournament.
Little Rock Wins 2024 OVC Regular Season Championship: Little Rock won its final seven OVC contests to finish the Conference season 19-8 and win the 2024 OVC Regular Season Championship. It was the first-ever Conference title for the Trojans, who were members of the Sun Belt prior to joining the OVC on July 1, 2022.
2024 OVC Baseball Championship presented by SERVPRO: For the second year in a row the OVC Baseball Championship presented by SERVPRO was held at Mtn. Dew Park in Marion, Illinois. This year the event ran 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 included 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 marked 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.
Seeding Success: Since the OVC Tournament switched to a neutral site format in 2001 (23 tournaments), the No. 1 seed has won eight championships, the No. 2 seed has seven titles, the No. 3 seed has won four times, the No. 4 seed has won twice and the No. 5 seed has won twice (including Eastern Illinois last year).
MSU's Preece Sets OVC All-Time Runs Record: Morehead State outfielder
Ryley Preece established a new OVC career runs scored record on May 11 at Eastern Illinois. The senior scored his 242nd career run to pass the record of 241 previously held by Jacksonville State's Bert Smith (2006-10). Preece finished his career with 249 career runs scored.
MSU's Kuntz Sets OVC Single-Season Home Run Record: Morehead State 1B
Roman Kuntz established a new OVC single-season home runs record on May 11 at Eastern Illinois when he smashed his 28th home run, breaking the mark previously held by Morehead State's Niko Hulsizer (who hit 27 home runs in the 2017 season on his way to OVC Player of the Year honors). Kuntz finished the year with 33 home runs which ranks second nationally behind Georgia's Charlie Condon (35 - which is a new BBCOR era NCAA single-season record).
Kuntz Sets OVC Single-Season RBI Record; Reaches 100: Morehead State 1B
Roman Kuntz set the OVC single season RBI record on May 16 against SIUE, smashing his 87th RBI to pass the previous record of 86 set by Murray State's Wes Cunningham in 2010. Kuntz finished the season with 100 RBI, which ranked first nationally entering the NCAA Tournament.
Kuntz Sets OVC Single-Season Total Bases Record: Morehead State 1B
Roman Kuntz set the OVC single-season total bases record in 2024 with 202. That broke the previous record of 192 set by MSU's Niko Hulsizer in 2017.
Becker Named Semifinalist for Brooks Wallace Award Watch List: Morehead State's
Colton Becker has been named a semifinalist for the 2024 Brooks Wallace Award. 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. Previously three other OVC players - UT Martin's
Andrew Fernandez, Western Illinois'
Trevor Leon and Eastern Illinois'
Lucas Loos - were on the Watch List for the Award.
Two OVC Players Named to Pitcher of the Year Watch List: Two OVC players - Little Rock's
Hoss Brewer and Tennessee Tech's
Peyton Calitri - have been named to the 2024 Pitcher of the Year Watch List by the College Baseball Foundation. The award is presented by the College Baseball Foundation.
Stopper of the Year Watch List: Little Rock senior
Jacob Weatherley was one of 59 pitchers nationally on the Midseason 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. The NCBWA will announce the finalists on Wednesday, June 5 with the winner being named on Friday, June 14 at the 2024 College World Series.
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.