By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – Tennessee Tech first baseman Jason Hinchman and designated hitter John Dyer were each named to the Preseason All-Ohio Valley Conference Team for the upcoming 2020 campaign Friday.
Hinchman spent the year among the national leaders in home runs, leading the country with 0.44 per game and finishing second in total with a whopping 24 in his first full season of action. It marked the second-most in program history and fifth in league history. He earned an All-OVC First Team nod after batting .278 with 54 runs scored, 11 doubles, 55 RBI and .697 slugging percentage, as well as a team-high 43 walks. The Winston, Ga. native also made just three errors all season at first base.
Dyer quickly became one of the top freshmen in the league and one of the best overall hitters in his first season, batting .330 with 63 hits, a .420 on base percentage and .581 slugging percentage. He led all OVC rookies in doubles (13), home runs (11), RBI (54) and slugging, ranked second in on base percentage and third in both average and total hits. A Mt. Juliet native, Dyer also finished third in the league overall in RBI and eighth in slugging.
Tech, which begins its first year under recently hired head coach Steve Smith, was picked ninth in this year's OVC Predicted Order of Finish. The Golden Eagles tallied 54 points in the overall voting by OVC head coaches and sports information directors.
The Golden Eagles open their 2020 season with a three-game series at home against Evansville on Feb. 14-16.
2020 OVC Baseball Predicted Order of Finish
(Selected by OVC Head Baseball Coaches and Sports Information Directors)
1. Jacksonville State (19 first-place votes) - 199
2. Eastern Kentucky (2) - 154
3. Austin Peay - 153
4. Belmont - 136
5. Morehead State (1) - 135
6. Murray State - 114
7. Southeast Missouri - 94
8. Eastern Illinois - 79
9. Tennessee Tech - 54
10. UT Martin - 52
11. SIUE - 40
2020 Preseason All-OVC Baseball Team
C A.J. Lewis, Eastern Kentucky
1B Jason Hinchman, Tennessee Tech*
2B Daniel Harris IV, Eastern Kentucky
SS Tyler Wilber, Southeast Missouri*
3B Christian Pena, Eastern Illinois*
OF Garrett Spain, Austin Peay**
OF Brock Anderson, Murray State**
OF Nick Howie, Eastern Kentucky*
DH John Dyer, Tennessee Tech*
DH Alex Webb, Jacksonville State*
UT Cole Frederick, Jacksonville State**
SP Kenny Serwa, SIUE**
SP Joshua South, Belmont
SP Isaiah Magwood, Jacksonville State
SP Jason Goe, Morehead State
SP Noah Niznik, Southeast Missouri
RP Nick Wohlbold, UT Martin**
* - 1st team All-OVC team in 2019
# - 2nd team All-OVC team in 2019
Preseason Player of the Year: Nick Howie (OF), Eastern Kentucky
Preseason OVC Pitcher of the Year: Joshua South (RHP), Belmont
Photos by Tony Marable