By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Just one week remains before the 2016 Tennessee Tech baseball season finally gets under way, and with the anticipation building to new levels, the Ohio Valley Conference Preseason All-OVC Team announcement couldn't have come at a better time.
Redshirt junior Jake Rowland was honored with a selection as an outfielder to the Preseason All-OVC Team, despite missing the 2015 campaign due to season-ending injury suffered in the preseason.
"It speaks for volumes for him as a player that missed last year," head coach Matt Bragga said. "That just shows the respect he's garnered from across the league with what he's capable of and what he's done."
As a redshirt sophomore (Rowland sat out the 2013 season due to NCAA rules after transferring from the University of Tennessee), the Decatur, Tenn. native made an instant impact in one of the best seasons in program history. The outfielder helped lead Tech to tying the program record of 40 wins set the season prior, batting .328 with 78 hits, 11 doubles, six home runs, 46 RBI and team-high eight stolen bases. He also slugged .450 and finished the year with a .399 on base percentage.
"Jake is deserving of that honor, no doubt," Bragga added. "Two years ago, he had a one whale of a season with nearly 50 RBI. He's just a great baseball player and was fantastic in center field for us in 2014. He's going to bat in the middle of our lineup this season and he'll probably be out in center again. The great thing is, he's only a junior and we can't wait to see how he steps back onto the diamond this year.
Also included in the OVC's preseason release, was the predicted order of finish voted on by the league's head coaches and SIDs. The Golden Eagle squad ranked sixth among the 11 teams in the league, garnering one first-place vote.
"All we can do is control ourselves getting ready for the season," Bragga said. "I know what this program's accomplished and I know what we're capable of. Quite honestly, whether we're preseason number one, preseason 11 or whatever it may be, all that matters is where this program is at in 108 days. That's it."
The Golden Eagles finished the 2015 campaign at 26-29 overall, including a 16-14 mark in OVC play, making their fourth straight appearance in the OVC Tournament in Jackson, Tenn, all despite what could be deemed an injury-plagued season. A minimum of 17 players missed time during the year, including Rowland who missed the entire season.
Prior to the 2015 season, Tech had notched back-to-back 40-win campaigns and an OVC regular season championship in the 2013 season.
"We can't pick where we're selected in the preseason poll," Bragga explained. "What I do know is that this is a program that has one a lot of championships. This is a program that has been very consistent over time in this league. This is an incredibly solid program and has been among the tops in the league for a long time.
"Our job is to take care of what we can control. And what we can control is where this program is at in 108 days. I love this team and I believe it has a chance to have a special year. It's a great group of young men that's been working and fighting to get better every day."
Tech will kick off the 2016 season on Friday, Feb. 19 in a 3 p.m. CST tilt against Western Illinois. 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 Western Illinois with a 2 p.m. contest on Saturday and 1 p.m. match-up on Sunday.
The 68th season of OVC baseball will get underway on Friday, Feb. 19 with the first weekend of league play being held March 11-13. The season will culminate with the 2016 OVC Championship which will be held for the seventh year in a row at The Ballpark at Jackson in Jackson, Tennessee. The venue is the home of the Jackson Generals, the Double-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. The tournament runs May 25-29.
2016 OVC Baseball Predicted Order of Finish
1. Southeast Missouri (19 first-place votes) – 199 points
2. Jacksonville State – 151
3. Austin Peay (2) – 150
4. Morehead State – 145
5. Belmont – 134
6. Tennessee Tech (1) – 126
7. SIUE – 101
8. Eastern Kentucky – 74
9. Murray State – 59
10. UT Martin – 46
11. Eastern Illinois – 25
2016 Preseason All-OVC Baseball Team
Preseason OVC Co-Player of the Year: Logan Gray, Austin Peay
Preseason OVC Co-Player of the Year: Kyle Nowlin, Eastern Kentucky
Preseason OVC Pitcher of the Year: Joey Lucchesi, Southeast Missouri
C - Tyler Lawrence, Murray State
1B - Ryan Rippee, Southeast Missouri
2B - Tyler Fullerton, Belmont
SS - Branden Boggetto, Southeast Missouri
3B - Logan Gray, Austin Peay
OF - Kyle Nowlin, Eastern Kentucky
OF - Demetre Taylor, Eastern Illinois
OF - TJ Alas, Eastern Kentucky
OF - Jake Rowland, Tennessee Tech
DH - Paschal Petrongolo, Jacksonville State
UT - Alex Robles, Austin Peay
SP - Joey Lucchesi, Southeast Missouri
SP - Alex Robles, Austin Peay
SP - P.J. Schuster, SIUE
SP - Luke Humphreys, Morehead State
SP - Aaron Quillen, Belmont
RP - Justin Hoyt, Jacksonville State
RP - Patrick Bernard, UT Martin
Photo by Tony Marable
