Around the Ohio Valley - January 25

Austin Peay

As the Govs baseball team prepares for the season, multiple players are already receiving honors. Junior second baseman, Jordan Hankins, was named Preseason Field Player of the Year by CollegeSportsMadness.com, while Reed Harper and Cody Hudson were also recognized by being selected to the first team all conference team. Pitcher, Ryan Quick, joins his teammates as he was selected as a second team pitcher.

Belmont

With baseball season just weeks away, the Belmont Bruins find themselves aiming toward a third straight NCAA Tournament appearance. The last two seasons Belmont earned a bid by winning the Atlantic Sun Tournament. This year will be their first season competing in the Ohio Valley Conference, and they are receiving votes in the top 25 preseason poll. Belmont opens their season on February 15 at Rose Park in Nashville in a match up with Valparaiso.

Eastern Illinois

EIU wide receiver, Erik Lora, sweeps the FCS All-American teams after being named to the College Sporting News 2012 Fabulous 50 FCS All-American Team. Lora earned first team honors this year from Sports Network, AFCA, Associated Press and Walter Camp after after setting the FCS single-season reception record at 136 for 1,664 yards. 

Eastern Kentucky

12 of the 15 Colonel athletic teams finished the 2012 fall semester with an average GPA of 3.0 or higher. This marks the best academic semester for EKU student athletes since the turn of the century. The women tennis team topped the list of team with an average GPA of 3.69. 45 student athletes recorded a perfect 4.0 GPA.

Jacksonville State

Gamecock freshman defensive back, Jermaine Hough, has been named to the College Sports Journal Freshman All-American Football Team. Hough played in all 11 games, and finished the season with 42 tackles, 29 of which were solo and led the team with 3 interceptions, 11 passes defended, and 8 pass breakups. 

Morehead State

When Super Bowl XLVII kicks off in New Orleans, the Morehead State Community will have much to be proud of. The game marks the first time two brother’s will coach against each other, and one of the brothers coaching experience can be traced back to Morehead State. John Harbaugh coached the Eagle special teams and defensive backs, as well as serving as the strength and conditioning coordinator in 1988 before moving on to Cincinnati.

Murray State

Racer freshman, Erika Sisk, takes home her third consecutive Freshman of the Week Honor. Sisk help the team to two victories last week while averaging 16 point per game, and tied her career-high with 26 points in a game against SIU Edwardsville. She and the rest of the Racer women will look to win a third straight game as they travel to Jacksonville State on Saturday.

Southeast Missouri

As opening day for baseball creeps closer, preseason awards are being awarded. Southeast Missouri junior outfielder, Derek Gibson, was named to the Preseason First Team All-OVC by College Sports Madness on Tuesday morning. In 2012, Gibson Finished the season with a .338 batting average, 7 homeruns, and 38 RBIs. He finished 3^rd in the OVC with 31 RBIs in conference play. 

SIUE

Tierny Austin has become a stand out sophomore on the lady Cougars basketball team.  She and her coaches attribute her success to the hard work and dedication she has shown throughout the preseason workouts, and that has continued on into the regular season practices and games. "After preseason workouts, she would always come in and want to shoot extra. She has worked on her game tirelessly, and it has showed," said SIUE Head Coach Paula Buscher. Austin is second on the team in scoring average and first in minutes played per game, field goal percentage, steals, free throws made, and blocks. 

Tennessee State

For TSU, Super Bowl XLVII is not just a match up of Harbaughs. Tiger fans will find names they may recognize on each roster. Lamar Divens, who left TSU as an undrafted free agent, finds himself on the San Francisco 49ers practice squad for this match up. Anthony Levine, a former safety for the Tigers, is currently on the Ravens injured reserve list. No matter the outcome, a Tiger will be guaranteed a ring.

Tennessee Tech

At Saturday’s doubleheader against Austin Peay, Tennessee Tech fans will be asked by the Student Athlete Advisory Committee to give generously to the Ohio Valley Conference initiative “Hoops for Heroes.” The initiative involves student athletes on OVC campus as they raise money in association with the Wounded Warriors Project to bring Veterans and their families to the OVC Tournament.  

UT Martin

Skyhawks senior defensive lineman, Montori Hughes, will play in the Senior Bowl Saturday January 26 in Mobile, Alabama. Hughes is currently ranked as the 19^th best Defensive Tackle entering the 2013 draft by ESPN. He finished the regular season with 42 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, and 4 sacks. The game kicks at 3:00pm CST and will air on NFL Network. 

Around the Ohio Valley - January 18

Austin Peay

Austin Peay’s Red Coat Society will welcome a new member Saturday, January 19. Local businessman Charles Hand, chairman and CEO of Hand Family Companies and long-time supporter of Austin Peay State University's athletics programs, will be inducted at halftime of the basketball game against Eastern Illinois Saturday evening.  The Red Coat society serves as a Hall of Fame for Austin Peay’s booster club, the Governors Club. 

Belmont

Former Belmont men’s tennis coach, Brian Baker, had won his first round match in the Australian Open, as well as the first set in the second round before his knee gave out on him in the second set. Due to the injury, he was unable to finish the match. The injury has been reported to be a torn meniscus. Baker is expected to be out 4 months.

Eastern Illinois

EIU will be hosting an event to celebrate Title IX March 1st and will go through the 2nd. Eastern Illinois Alumnus and NCAA Vice President Dr. Joni Comstock will be the keynote speaker, as the EIU Athletic Department pays tribute to the successes of women’s athletics. To register online to attend the event or for more information, click here.  

Eastern Kentucky

Several EKU student-athletes visited Lee and Owsley High Schools last week to speak about the importance of continuing their education after high school. The program is called “Colonels in Education” and this is the third year for EKU student-athletes to reach out to regional high schools to encourage education. 

Jacksonville State

The OVC announces on Wednesday the JSU softball team has been picked to finish first in the Eastern division of the conference for the 2013 season. The Gamecock’s did so by receiving 21 of 24 first places votes. “Competing for championships is where we expect to be as a program, but we don't put any emphasis on preseason polls. We are just excited and eager to get the season started, and hope to be there at the end of the season,” Head Coach Jana McGinnis said. 

Morehead State

The Eagles football program has announced they have hired former Kentucky Wildcat quarterback, Andre Woodson, to be the Wide Receivers coach. Woodson led UK to two bowl games and passed for over 9,000 yards as a Wildcat. Head Coach Rob Tenyer had this to say about the hire, “Andre played football at the highest level of Division I, and all indications point to him being a fantastic college coach.” 

Murray State

MSU quarterback Casey Brockman and offensive tackle Roderick Tomlin will come together one more time to compete in the inaugural Raycom College Football All-Star Classic on January 19. Kick-off is set for 2:00 p.m. The game can be seen on the CBS Sports Network. 

Southeast Missouri

The women’s Redhawks basketball team will be hosting a Youth Night on January 21. The game will be played against Morehead State, and all youth teams and players are welcome. Each player will receive free admission to the game as well as other exciting opportunities. 

SIUE

The SIUE Student Athlete Advisory Committee held its second annual talent show to raise money for the OVC’s “Hoops for Heroes” initiative. The event raised more than $400, which will go towards assisting veterans in attending the 2013 OVC Basketball Championship in Nashville, Tennessee March 6-9. 

Tennessee State

On January 15, members of the Tigers basketball team took a trip to the Monroe Carroll Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt to give back to the Nashville Community. “We talk a lot about basketball and the stuff that goes on in our world, but I think it was important for our players to see what life is truly about and impact someone else's life," head coach Travis Williams said.

Tennessee Tech

TTU has announced Bonnie Bynum will take over as the Golden Eagles softball head coach effective immediately. Bynum is a former member of the Golden Eagle softball team, and was twice names OVC Pitcher of the Year. “I’m excited to have the opportunity to build on an already great program that Coach Acheson has established and I’m looking forward to the future of Tennessee Tech softball,” Bynum said. “I want to thank Tory for everything he has done for me in my career, both as a player and as a coach.

UT Martin

The UT Martin softball team earned an average GPA of 3.43 for the fall semester, as 90 percent of the team earned University Honor Roll honors. Four of those players earned a perfect 4.0 in the classroom. In order to be named to the Honor Roll the student must achieve a 3.20 for the semester. 

Around the Ohio Valley - January 11

Austin Peay
Dr. Bruce Myers is a co-recipient of the inaugural Ohio Valley Conference Thurston Banks Award of Distinguished Academic Service. Myers is currently the Chair of the Computer Science and Information Technology Department at Austin Peay. He has served the university for a total of 40 years.

Belmont

Coach Byrd and the men’s basketball team are adjusting to life in the Ohio Valley Conference rather quickly as they just recorded their third straight win in conference and are off to a 3-0 start in their first season as a part of the OVC … The Lady Bruins have started quickly as well. Coach Ezell has her team off to a 3-1 start in conference, as they look forward to a match-up with UT Martin Saturday, January 12, at home in the Curb Event Center. That game is the first part of a double-header with the men facing off in the nightcap…To the read the feature article on Coach Byrd in The Tennessean Click Here.

Eastern Illinois
Dr. Gail Richard has been named one of two inaugural winners of the Ohio Valley Conference Thurston Banks Award for Distinguish Academic Service. Dr. Richard has served the university for 30 years both in academics and athletics. She is currently the Department Chair for Communications Disorders and Sciences.

Eastern Kentucky
EKU’s Aaron Adams and Tyrone Goard have been selected to play in two upcoming college football all-star games. Adams is a two-time first team all-OVC selection and was selected to be a second team All-American and The Sports Network. Adams will be playing in the Casino del Sol All-Star game tonight, January 11, at 8 p.m. The game will be available on WatchESPN.com … Goard finished this season with four 100-yard receiving games including a 175-yard game against UT Martin. He will leave EKU ranked in the top ten in receiving yards and touchdown. Goard will be competing East-West Shrine game on January 19 at 4 p.m. The game will be broadcast on NFL Network.

Jacksonville State
Jacksonville State’s new head football coach, Bill Clark, recently announced 9 new assistants to who will be joining the Gamecock’s coaching staff. Four on the offensive side, while the other five will handle the defense. The offensive side of the ball includes John Grass (Offensive Coordinator), Mike Bennefield (Offensive Line), Cornelius Williams (Wide Receivers), and Jimmy Ogle (Running Backs), who will be retained from the previous staff. Duwan Walker (Defensive Coordinator/Safeties), Chuck Dunn (Inside Linebackers), Daric Riley (Outside linebackers/Special Teams), David Reeves (Defensive Line), and Blake Shrader (Cornerbacks) will make up the defensive staff.

Morehead State
A pair of Morehead State Softball student-athletes have been named to the College Sports Madness Preseason All-Ohio Valley Conference Teams. Amber Riddle, senior infielder, was a first team selection, and Stephanie Etter, a junior infielder, was named to the second team.

Murray State

Roderick Tomlin selected to play in the second annual Casino Del Sol College All-Star game (his second selection to the game). Tomlin started his final 37 games at MSU, and was selected to the second team All-OVC team following the 2012 season.

SIUE
SIUE recorded a record breaking GPA for the Fall Semester of 2012. Coming in with a GPA of 3.233, the student athletes set the record for the highest average GPA in school history. While this achievement alone is impressive it is just part of the accomplishment. SIUE’s student athletes have now recorded 13 consecutive semesters with an average GPA of over a 3.0. 79 of which, were awarded Dean’s List honors for posting a 3.5 or higher.

Southeast Missouri
Junior point guard, Jordan Hunter, has been recognized by the Ohio Valley Conference for two awards over the last week. She earned the OVC’s women’s basketball player of the week and Newcomer of the week. Hunter averaged 20 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 5 assists in the two victories this last week.

Tennessee State
TSU’s sophomore softball player, Shea Morris, has been selected to the College Sports Madness Preseason All-OVC second team. As a freshman, Morris set a freashman record for most strikeouts recording 190 and finished second overall in the conference.

Tennessee Tech
Tennessee Tech Athletics Director’s Honor Roll hit 215 names for the fifth time in seven semesters. This was the second highest total for a semester in school history, coming just two students short of the record. Each student named to the list has recorded a GPA of 3.0 or higher.

UT Martin
The UT Martin cross country teams earned an average GPA of 3.4 for the 2012 Fall semester. The Skyhawk teams also combined for 13 members who were selected to the Dean’s List.