By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Down to just one week in the countdown to the 2015 season opener, senior shortstop Dylan Bosheers was honored by the coaches and sports information directors of the Ohio Valley Conference by earning the league's honor as its Preseason Player of the Year selection.
The award, which was released Friday, headlines an afternoon that included the Golden Eagle baseball team being selected third in the preseason poll.
Tech compiled a 40-19 record last year, tying the program record for wins and representing the second-straight season the program had won 40 or more games, marking only the second time in OVC history a team had achieved that feat.
The Golden Eagles led the nation in home runs, scoring and slugging a season ago but will have to replace five All-OVC selections (four positional players, one pitcher) from that squad. Tech ranked just behind last year's regular season champion, Southeast Missouri, and last year's tournament champion, Jacksonville State.
The biggest name returning from last year's squad, Bosheers earned four All-American nods while also setting career-high marks in batting average (.368), runs scored (66), hits (86), home runs (11), RBI (56) and slugging percentage (.577) a season ago. For the second straight year, he was named one of 16 finalists for the Brooks Wallace Award, given to the top shortstop in Division I baseball.
A native of Lawrenceburg, Tenn., Bosheers played spectacular defense on his way to being named a semifinalist for the Dick Howser Trophy, making just nine errors all year for a fielding percentage of .965. He became the first Tennessee Tech player to be invited to play in the Cape Cod Baseball League, the premier wood-bat, summer league in all of collegiate baseball and earned his first All-OVC First Team honors after receiving Second Team accolades in 2013 and a spot on the All-Freshman team in 2012.
In addition to being named the Preseason Player of the Year, Bosheers also took home a spot on the Preseason All-OVC Team. The shortstop has already collected two Preseason All-America nods (one from Collegiate Baseball newspaper, one from NCBWA) as well as an OVC Preseason Player of the Year honor from d1baseball.com.
Tech will kick off the 2015 season on Friday, Feb. 13 in a 3 p.m. CST tilt against Longwood. The contest will feature free admission (as all Tech baseball game do) and take place at Bush Stadium at the Averitt Express Baseball Complex. The Golden Eagles will wrap up the series against Longwood with a 2 p.m. contest on Saturday and 1 p.m. match-up on Sunday.
2015 OVC Baseball Predicted Order of Finish
1. Southeast Missouri (12 first-place votes) – 187 points
2. Jacksonville State (7) – 171
3. Tennessee Tech (3) – 160
4. Austin Peay – 149
5. Morehead State – 134
6. SIUE – 92
7. Eastern Illinois – 91
8. Belmont – 87
9. Eastern Kentucky – 59
10. Murray State – 56
11. UT Martin – 24
2015 Preseason All-OVC Baseball Team
Preseason OVC Player of the Year: Dylan Bosheers (SS), Tennessee Tech
Preseason OVC Pitcher of the Year: Brock Downey (LHP), Murray State
C - Chris Robinson, Morehead State
1B - Kane Sweeney, Morehead State
2B - Anthony Bayus, Murray State
SS - Dylan Bosheers, Tennessee Tech
3B - Brant Valach, Eastern Illinois
OF - Brandon Rawe, Morehead State
OF - Caleb Howell, Eastern Illinois
OF - Drew Ferguson, Belmont
DH - Paschal Petrongolo, Jacksonville State
UT - Ridge Smith, Austin Peay
SP - Brock Downey, Murray State
SP - Ryan Daniels, SIUE
SP - Travis Hayes, Southeast Missouri
SP - Alex Robles, Austin Peay
RP - Travis Stout, Jacksonville State
Photo by Tony Marable
