By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – With the 2024 collegiate baseball closing in, the Ohio Valley Conference released its Preseason All-Conference Team and predicted order of finish Thursday morning.
In a vote of the league's head baseball coaches and communications directors, the Golden Eagles were picked to finish sixth among the 10 teams competing for a conference title in 2024. Little Rock was selected to place first with Morehead State following in second.
Last season, the purple and gold finished sixth in the regular-season standings, but turned in a solid showing at the OVC Tournament, making it to the final four teams in competition before falling to the eventual champion to the Trojans and eventual tourney winner Eastern Illinois in back-to-back tilts.
Head coach Matt Bragga's squad returns a hefty amount of experience for 2024, led by a veteran crop of senior bats. The purple and gold also boast a number of pitchers with a year or more under their belts on a collegiate mound.
Senior and All-OVC First Team catcher Hayden Gilliland leads the lineup, earning a spot on the Preseason All-OVC Team for the second straight year. Last season, the Maryville, Tenn. native led the Golden Eagles with a .454 on-base percentage, batting .309 with eight doubles, 10 home runs, 32 RBI, and an impressive 44 walks to just 27 strikeouts.
Infielders Troy Baunsgard and Eddie Garza both return as well after performing at high levels in their first season in Cookeville. Shifting to second base for 2024, Baunsgard slashed .284/.407/.479 with nine doubles, nine dingers, and 30 RBI a season ago with more walks than strikeouts. Sliding over to third base, Garza hit .272 with six long balls as a redshirt freshman, earning a spot on the OVC All-Freshman Team.
Preston Ford represents another senior bat back for Tech after ranking second on the team with a .312 average last season. The Cookeville crew also returns its entire starting outfield from a season ago, starting with senior left fielder Austin Turner. The veteran lefty hit .276 a season ago while ranking second on the squad with three stolen bases.
Now in his second season with the Golden Eagles, center fielder Nicho Jordan will look to play a full season after missing some time in 2024 due to injury. Even limited to 39 games, his impact was felt to the tune of a .339 average, .653 slugging percentage, nine doubles, nine blasts, and 25 RBI. Theo Bryant IV led Tech with seven stolen bases while contributing 24 RBI and stellar right field defense.
On the hill, Peyton Calitri returns for his third season on the bump for the purple and gold after serving in the rotation for the past two years. The right-hander ranked second on the Tech squad with 54 and two-thirds innings of work last season.
New to the Golden Eagles, but boasting four years of experience at ETSU, right-hander Landon Smiddy comes to Cookeville after tossing more than 60 innings for the Bucs a season ago, including 13 starts as the primary Friday starter. Sophomore Brody Lanham is expected to provide depth in the bullpen after earning a place on the OVC All-Freshman team last year following 19 appearances and three saves.
The Golden Eagles are scheduled to officially kick off the 2024 campaign Friday, Feb. 16 with a 3:00 p.m. CT contest against Bellarmine at Quillen Field and Bush Stadium at the Averitt Express Baseball Complex. The two teams will continue the series with a Saturday tilt at 2:00 p.m. and a Sunday affair at 1:00 p.m.
2024 Preseason All-Ohio Valley Conference Baseball Team
(Selected by OVC Head Baseball Coaches and Communications Directors)
Preseason OVC Player of the Year: Ryley Preece (OF), Morehead State
Preseason OVC Pitcher of the Year: Jackson Wells (RHP), Little Rock
C - Hayden Gilliland, Tennessee Tech
C - Grant Lashure, Eastern Illinois
1B - Blaze Bell, UT Martin
2B - Skyler Trevino, Little Rock
2B - Nick Gooden, Morehead State
SS - Andrew Fernandez, UT Martin
SS - Colton Becker, Morehead State
3B - Nico Baumbach, Little Rock
3B - Mac Danford, UT Martin
OF - Ryley Preece, Morehead State
OF - Tyler Williams, Little Rock
OF - Josh Cameron, Southeast Missouri
DH - Roman Kuntz, Morehead State
SP - Jackson Wells, Little Rock
SP - Luke Helton, Morehead State
SP - Haden Dow, Southeast Missouri
RP - Zane Robbins, Eastern Illinois
RP - Zach Wager, UT Martin
2024 OVC Baseball Predicted Order of Finish
(Selected by OVC Head Baseball Coaches and Communications Directors)
1. Little Rock (12 first-place votes) - 155 points
2. Morehead State (8) - 148
3. Southeast Missouri - 127
4. UT Martin - 106
5. Eastern Illinois - 100
6. Tennessee Tech - 93
7. SIUE - 67
8. Southern Indiana - 52
9. Lindenwood - 31
10. Western Illinois - 20
Photos by Drew Mattox
