Around the Ohio Valley - March 29

Austin Peay – Govs men’s tennis player Drew Kerr has been selected as only one of 13 students nationally to participate in the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program at the Louvre in Paris, France this summer. Kerr, a junior physics major from Johnson City, Tenn., will be studying optics in art restoration with faculty from the University of Michigan while at the Louvre. Last season for the Govs, Kerr finished with a 4-2 doubles record and 1-4 singles record on the court. For the full release on Kerr’s selection to the REU program, visit this link.

Eastern Illinois – In their home opener this past Tuesday, the Panther baseball team upset No. 30-ranked Saint Louis 13-6, snapping the Billikens’ 13-game win streak. With the win, EIU improves to 9-13 on the season and 17-1 for home openers under head coach Jim Schmitz. In the game, the Panthers knocked four home runs, including career-firsts for sophomore Jacob Reese and junior Nick Priessman. The Panthers will look to continue the momentum in a series against Southeast Missouri this weekend.

Eastern Kentucky – The Colonel baseball team had an impressive showing against Marshall on Tuesday, knocking out a season-high nine doubles in a 10-3 win over the Thundering Herd. Senior Richie Rodriguez and sophomore Bryan Soloman each had two doubles, while seniors Michael Garcia, A.J. Jamison, juniors Austin Grisham, Alex Hughes and Matt Phipps each had one. Taking the win on the mound for EKU was sophomore Brent Cobb. The Colonels currently sit at a 9-15 record.

Jacksonville State – The Gamecocks’ women’s indoor track and field team has been honored by the OVC with the 2011-12 Team Sportsmanship Award for the indoor season after placing third at the Conference championships in February. The award, which is voted on by student-athletes and coaches in each particular sport, is in its sixth year for indoor track. Tennessee State received the award on the men’s side. For the full release, see this story on OVCSports.com.

Morehead State – Eagles’ head volleyball coach Jaime Gordon’s contract was extended this week, following a third OVC Championship-winning season for MSU and the program’s first NCAA Tournament berth this past fall. Gordon, who will be entering his tenth season with the Eagles next fall, has led the Eagles to six-straight 20-win seasons and coached players to many accolades, including the first two All-Americans in program history. His new contract extends through 2015.

Murray State – The Murray State Athletic Department is partnering with the Murray Ledger and Times to produce “Racing into History”, a special publication commemorating the Racers’ record-breaking 31-2 men’s basketball season. The publication includes a game-by-game breakdown, feature stories, exclusive photos and highlights from Murray State’s OVC-winning season and NCAA Tournament appearance. “Racing into History” is available through the Ledger and Times for $4.99 a copy.

Southeast Missouri – Two Redhawk gymnasts have been selected to represent Southeast Missouri at the NCAA Regional Championships in Champaign, Ill. on Monday. Sophomore Megan Fosnow will be competing in the all-around and junior Taylor Westrick in the balance beam. Fosnow has scored a 38.300 in the all-around in four of the last nine meets, while Westrick currently ranks 48th in the nation in the beam with an RQS of 9.840.

SIUE – The Cougar track and cross country teams took time to give back this past week, volunteering their time at the 4th Annual Confluence Trash Bash in St. Louis. The student-athletes helped pick up illegal trash dumps in various locations across the city, cleaning up along steams and in neighborhoods. SIUE opens their outdoor track and field season this coming Saturday at the Ole Miss Invite in Oxford, Miss.

Tennessee State – Earlier this month, TSU football senior Devin Wilson was named a Collegiate Scholar-Athlete winner by the National Football Foundation of Middle Tennessee. Wilson, a Human Performance and Sport Science major, had a team-best 48 catches for 586 yards and two touchdowns this past season, all while keeping a 3.15 GPA. He was one of only seven athletes to be honored at the NFF banquet. Congrats Devin!

Tennessee Tech – Senior TTU women’s basketball player Tacarra Hayes has been selected to participate in the “So You Want to be a Coach” program at the NCAA Women’s Final Four in Denver. The program, which selects only 50 participants per year, is geared toward developing women’s college basketball players who are looking to go into coaching upon graduating, giving players the opportunity to develop professional skills and network. Hayes, who hopes to coach upon graduating, finished her career ninth in the TTU record books with 1, 786 points.

UT Martin – Freshman pitcher Casey Vincent threw a one-hitter against future OVC foe Belmont this week, earning the Skyhawk softball team their 20th win of the season. With the 3-1 victory, Vincent improved to 5-3 on the season and the Skyhawks continued in their run atop the OVC standings. They will return to conference action today at Southeast Missouri.