• OVC Male Athlete of the Year Award History
The 11 finalists for the 2025-26 OVC Male Athlete of the Year Award have been announced.
Each OVC member school was allowed to nominate one individual for consideration for the award. The award will be voted on by school administrators and Conference office staff and announced at the end of next week.
This marks the first year the awards have been announced in June, instead of at the annual OVC Honors Dinner at the end of May. The updated timeline now allows the voting panel more time to consider the entirety of the athletic seasons.
The finalists for the OVC Female Athlete of the Year award will be released on Wednesday.
2025-26 OVC Male Athlete of the Year Finalists
Bryce Riggs, Eastern Illinois (baseball)
• OVC Pitcher of the Year
• Compiled 7-2 record and 3.32 E.R.A. while striking out 75
• Named semifinalist for National Pitcher of the Year Award
Luca Bartoni, Lindenwood (soccer)
• OVC Forward of the Year
• OVC Men's Soccer Championship MVP
• Scored 7 goals and led team with 19 points as Lions made first NCAA Division I Tournament appearance
Tag Andrews, Little Rock (baseball)
• OVC Baseball Championship MVP
• Helped Trojans to Hattiesburg Regional Championship and berth in Super Regionals
• Compiled 5-2 record with 3.13 E.R.A. and seven saves
Hayden Bell, Morehead State (rifle)
• OVC Air Rifle Individual Champion
• Earned first-team All-OVC honors in each Smallbore and Air Rifle
• Broke school Air Rifle record (598)
Sullivan Gleason, Southeast Missouri (track & field)
• Won Pole Vault Championship at OVC Indoor & Outdoor Championships
• Qualified for NCAA Championships, earning honorable mention All-American honors
• Won six pole vault competitions during the regular season (two in indoor, four in outdoor)
Ryan Niedzwiedz, SIUE (baseball)
• OVC Co-Player of the Year
• Smashed an OVC-best 27 home runs, seventh nationally in 2026 and second-most in OVC single-season history
• Hit .351 with 80 hits while adding 69 RBI
Alex Nolan, Southern Indiana (cross country/track & field)
• OVC Cross Country Athlete of the Year
• Won 3,000 & 5,000 meter events at OVC Indoor Championships
• Won 5,000 & 10,000 meter events at OVC Outdoor Championships
Aaron Nkrumah, Tennessee State (basketball)
• OVC Player of the Year
• Led Tennessee State to first OVC Tournament Championship in 32 years
• Averaged 17.7 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.9 assists/game
Kekoa Visperas, Tennessee Tech (football)
• Offensive Player of the Year
• Led Golden Eagles to first outright League title since 1975
• Passed for 2,764 yards and 26 touchdowns, while rushing for 485 yards and three more scores
TJ Grines, UT Martin (baseball)
• OVC Co-Player of the Year
• Led Division I with 66 steals, setting OVC single-season and single-game records (6)
• First NCAA Division I player with 50+ stolen bases and 50+ RBI in same season since 2010
Liam Bushey, Western Illinois (baseball)
• Set WIU single-season home run record (15)
• Earned second-team All-OVC honors
• Led Leathernecks with .338 batting average, 59 RBI and .637 slugging percentage