This is a combative conference where it’s obvious that anybody can beat anybody and pitching is a mere suggestion. But I will say this, if you doubt the OVC’s ability, go and ask Alabama, Oklahoma or Vanderbilt. They are just a few of the victims from last season.

2009 in a Paragraph:
Last year was about as close as you could get to an OVC team getting an at-large bid as Eastern Illinois – the best team for 13 of the 14 weeks of the season – just missed in the RPI department. That’s pretty typical of a mid-major team, even with wins over Oklahoma, South Florida, Bethune-Cookman and Ohio State, they were still left at home after tanking out in the OVC tourney. Tennessee Tech, who struggled all season with the contending teams, pulled together a solid week to take the OVC tournament crown and make the NCAAs. And once there, they did the Valley proud, barely losing to Clemson and picking off Alabama in an elimination game.

Conference RPI: 18

2008 Results:
1- Eastern Illinois, 14-4
2- Murray State, 13-8
3- Morehead State, 12-10
4- Southeast Missouri State, 12-11
5- Tennessee Tech, 10-11
6- Jacksonville State, 10-13
6- Eastern Kentucky, 10-13
8- Austin Peay State, 7-12
9- Tennessee-Martin, 9-15

2010 in a Paragraph:
Look for the pride of the conference to come through again in 2010. The top of the standings – EIU, Murray State, Tennessee Tech – will all have lots of returnees and play with a lot of confidence after having some great outings against some NCAA tournament teams in ‘09. The Panthers are rightfully the heavy favorites for the 2010 crown and hope to make amends when the do-or-die season kicks in come late May. Traditional heavies Jacksonville State and Southeast Missouri have taken a few seasons off but are primed to make runs at the top as well. This should be a better race, but still EIU’s to lose. So don’t muck it up guys.

EIU's Mike Recchia teams with Josh Mueller to form a great 1-2 punch for the Panthers.

Favorite: Eastern Illinois

Contenders: Murray State, SEMO, Tennessee Tech

Darkhorse: Jacksonville State

Can’t-Miss Series of the Year: Eastern Illinois at Murray State, April 24-26

Best Non-Conference Series: Middle Tennessee State at Jacksonville State, March 5-7.

Hot Coach: Jim Schmitz, Eastern Illinois

Hot Seat Coach: Bubba Cates, UT-Martin

The “You Gotta See” Player: SS Drew Lee, Morehead State
Close Second: 3B Jayson Langfels, Eastern Kentucky

Three Non-Conference Series OVC Opponents Better Take Seriously:
1- Tennessee Tech at Georgia Southern, Feb. 19-21
2- Eastern Illinois at South Florida, March 12-14
3- SEMO at Auburn, Feb. 19-21

Three Bold Predictions:
1- Eastern Illinois won’t screw around this year. Lesson learned, they’ll win an NCAA bid.
2- There won’t be an impressive list of BCS victims this year. Easier schedules.
3- For the first time in four years, UT-M won’t finish in last place

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- AUSTIN PEAY (22-30, 7-12)
2009 RPI: 199
Starters Returning: 8
Weekend Starters: 3
Mid-Week Starters: 2
Key Relievers (20+inns.): 1

All Conference Candidates:
RHP Ryne Harper (4-3, 4.12, .255OBA)
C Trey Lucas (.382-4-35)
3B Greg Bachman (.342-10-42, 11SBs)
UTL Matt Kole (.333-9-42)

The Good News:
The skid that the Peay is on could be halted in 2010 as a lot of experience returns. Coach Gary McClure is a veteran coach that has seen it all and loves his senior-heavy lineup for this season, led by Lucas and Bachman, solid leaders. Middle infielders Chris Lewellyn (.221) and Jon Clinard (.287, 22SBs) could be the best double-play combo in the OVC. All three weekend starters come back led by Harper and also features seniors Ricky Martin (4-3, 4.60) and Jack Snodgrass (3-3, 7.33). The Governors stole 108 bases in ‘09, and will do more of the same with the help of Clinard and OF Adam Browett (.303, 22SBs), who uses his speed to dominate the outfield.

The Bad News:
On the heels of that great 2007 season, APSU has now had two straight losing seasons since. The Govs had the weakest offense in the OVC, hitting just .288 as a team. The arms corps needs to lock down a bit more as well, especially after issuing 250 walks last year, second-most in the conference. A tough road schedule in the OVC (at EIU, at TTU and at SEMO) could be a big hill to overcome.

Schedule Note:
Gracious hosts.
APSU will host a trio of early-season tournaments, including the opening weekend vs. Illinois State and Iowa and in weekend three when they’ll take on Wisconsin-Milwaukee, SIU Edwardsville and A-10 champion Dayton. Then, just before OVC play begins, they’ll have Georgia State and Centenary come to town. The Govs will also venture to Vanderbilt and Ole Miss in a pair of tough mid-week tests.

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- EASTERN ILLINOIS (36-14, 15-4)
2009 RPI: 63
Starters Returning: 7
Weekend Starters: 2
Mid-Week Starters: 1
Key Relievers (20+inns.): 1

All Conference Candidates:
DH/1B Richie Derbak (.417-5-41/6-3, 3.76, 7svs, 1st team All-OVC)
3B Zach Borenstein (.394-5-28, Frosh All Am.)
RHP Josh Mueller (8-1, 4.85)
RHP Mike Recchia (8-2, 3.02 .226OBA, 1st team All-OVC)

The Good News:
EIU got a lot of pub (from me at least) for their hot regular season that included wins over South Florida, Bethune-Cookman, Oklahoma and Illinois. As witnessed by their .362 average which was 2nd in the country, the Huskies can hit with anyone. Having Derbak, Borenstein (led all frosh with .506OB%) and part-time starter Jake Samuels (.345-5-28) come back will mean big numbers again. Ben Thoma (.277-8-23) is also a big stick that should emerge. Mueller and Recchia are a great one-two punch on the weekends and are expected to be June draftees of the MLB. Also, Scott Foley, the closer from ‘08, is back from injury, as is RHP Mike Hoekstra, who started six games as a frosh.

The Bad News:
(Insert grumble here) I’m not real happy with the Panthers right now. All season long I gave them props for some great early season wins and their dominating the OVC. Then came the post-season. That 0-2 swan dive in the OVC tourney cost them a return trip to the Regionals. A 10-8 finish should’ve been an indication that something wasn’t right. Saying goodbye to Brett Nommensen and his .525 average is painful. Replacing the sticks and gloves of SS Jordan Kreke and 2B Jordan Tokarz will be vital. Derbak was a great closer last year, but an injury will keep him from pitching in ‘10, so the bullpen will need new blood, which is never good..

Schedule Note:
Returning to some old haunts.
EIU starts just like last season with a series at Southeastern Louisiana, where they won two of three. They’ll also go back to the scene of their infamous crime, South Florida. This time it will be for three games against the Bulls. They’ll also have OVC contenders Morehead State and SEMO at home, the series against the Redhawks is the final weekend of the regular season.

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- EASTERN KENTUCKY (27-24, 10-13)
2009 RPI: 163
Starters Returning: 6
Weekend Starters: 2
Mid-Week Starters: 2
Key Relievers (20+inns.): 1

All Conference Candidates:
3B Jayson Langfels (.441-12-72, 15SBs)
1B Anthony Ottrando (.340-8-50, 11SBs)
SS Richie Rodriguez (.302, 15SBs, Freshman All Am.)
OF/DH Jacob Daniel (.361, 10SBs)
RHP Paul Duncan (7-6, 6.01)

The Good News:
Coach Jason Stein had a star-crossed first season, but it wasn’t a total disaster, finishing with a winning mark. There’s more to be excited about, particularly on offense where they finished 10th in the country, hitting .345. Langfels finished 3rd in the nation, hitting .441 and has plenty of pop around him as you see above. The Colonels also led the OVC with 123 stolen bases, expect more of the same.

The Bad News:
Turns out the series loss at Jacksonville State is what kept EKU out of the OVC tourney, since they both finished 10-13. Saying goodbye to wicked sticks like Matt Davis (.418) and Tyler Rehmel (.398) will be a tough pill to swallow. The pitching staff was pretty weak as none of the returnees have an ERA below 5.00. Opponents hit a robust .327 off of them.

Schedule Note:
Carolina on their minds.
The Colonels will play 11 of their first 13 games in the state of North Carolina, playing at Western Carolina, Presbyterian, UNCG, NCA&T and High Point. They will also have a tough start to OVC play, with Eastern Illinois in weekend No. 1 and trips to SEMO and Morehead in the first four weekends.

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- JACKSONVILLE STATE (31-26, 10-13)
2009 RPI: 113
Starters Returning: 9
Weekend Starters: 2
Mid-Week Starters: 2
Key Relievers (20+inns.): 2

All Conference Candidates:
OF Todd Cunningham (.339-10-47)
OF Kyle Bluestein (.393-9-46, Frosh All Am.)
1B Steven Leach (.343)
OF Daniel Adamson (.320-10-58, 14SBs)
RHP Bill Henke (2-3, 2.10, 9svs)

The Good News:
It may be time for the Gamecocks to return to the top of the standings in the OVC. It all starts with the wildly-talented Cunningham, whom Baseball America tabbed as the No. 20 prospect for the 2010 draft. He’ll team with Bluestein, the next great Gamecock talent. Lots of terrific talent all up and down the lineup returns, including six hitters that went .300+ or better last season. Look for the .297 team average to bloom. Good patience, the Gamecocks led the conference earning 248 walks. And don’t forget about 3B Sam Eberle (.311-11-46), who is another returning Freshman All American as well. The bullpen is a certain strength with Henke and set-up man Jordan Beistline (7-2, 4.53, 1sv) as a comfort for any late lead as well.

The Bad News:
It’s just weird to see JSU sitting way down at No. 6 in the Ohio Valley standings, but here we are. Missing ace Ben Tootle and his leadership will be tough to fill, but that’s one of the few bits of bad news for this team. But the .957 defense has got to improve for JSU to make a move to a winning season and – dare we say – a conference championship.

Schedule Note:
A killer May.
The end of the season won’t be easy for Jax State as the Cocks will take on defending champ Eastern Illinois then hit the road for Eastern Kentucky and Morehead State to wrap up the season. Interesting opening weekend as well, playing way out in west Texas against Michigan and Texas Tech.

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- MOREHEAD STATE (20-32, 12-10)
2009 RPI: 231
Starters Returning: NA
Weekend Starters: NA
Mid-Week Starters: NA
Key Relievers (20+inns.): NA

All Conference Candidates:
SS Drew Lee (.413-17-67)
C/RHP Michael Bottoms (.350-8-61/3-5, 4.15, 5svs)
3B Andrew Deeds (.366-6-37, 14SBs)

The Good News:
What a great job Jay Sorg is doing in his two short years at MSU, especially after last season’s third place finish in OVC play. SS Lee was beastly in 2009 as a semi-finalist for the Brooks Wallace Award and 3rd team All American. Bottoms is a real luxury to have, both offensively and on the mound. The Eagles hit a hearty .324 with 90HRs on offense and also led the country in double plays per game, getting 70 in all. Lee and Deeds will make for a solid left side.

The Bad News:
Last year’s 16 losses in their first 22 games came against a bunch of teams that MSU should have beaten. When the Eagles lost, they tended to lose really badly, as 19 of their 32 losses came while giving up double-digit run totals. The Eagles led the OVC with 106 errors on the ‘09 season and also brought up the rear in pitching, with a team ERA of 7.91. Oof!

Schedule Note:
Winning 20 should be easy.
The Eagles schedule will be pretty easy this season, making the 20-win mark easy to overcome. They’ll play in two weekend tourneys, once at UNC-Wilmington (against the Seahawks, Liberty and Lehigh) and at Evansville (against the Aces, Purdue and LeMoyne). The season ends with a showdown vs. Jacksonville State, which should have post-season ramifications.

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- MURRAY STATE (34-21-1, 13-8-1)
2009 RPI: 150
Starters Returning: 8
Weekend Starters: 2
Mid-Week Starters: 1
Key Relievers (20+inns.): 0

All Conference Candidates:
1B Wes Cunningham (.411-11-52)
C Jason Laws (.373)
OF Daniel Hill (.344-16-69)
OF Elliot Frey (.344-4-36)
OF Bryan Propst (.351-7-36)
RHP Chris Craycraft (10-3, 4.05)

The Good News:
How about that 2009 season for MSU? That was the first winning season since 2001 for the ‘Breds and saw them finish in second place in the OVC. And 2010 could be even better, as five of the eight returning starters are seniors, including Cunningham, Laws and Hill, the top three hitters from last year’s order. Two weekend starters come back on the mound, including Craycraft and RHP Marc Harmon (4-2, 4.64), who combined for 183 innings as juniors. MSU pitchers issued just 124 walks last season, easily the lowest in the league.

The Bad News:
Still some areas of improvement that must be met for the Racers to make the next step, including improving that tepid .959 defense. The bullpen took a lot of hits and must cultivate new roles from a slew of freshmen and J.C. transfers. Losing staff ace Daniel Calhoun (11-3 last season) will be a bit of a hit, along with relievers Lucas Allen and Anthony Stacy.

Schedule Note:
Good to be home.
The Racers have the advantage of a good home OVC schedule, including having defending champion Eastern Illinois and Morehead State at home during the stretch run. But the rivalry weekend with Tennessee Tech will come in Cookeville and will be played on the final weekend of the regular season. That could be big.

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- SOUTHEAST MISSOURI STATE (26-25, 12-11)
2009 RPI: 180
Starters Returning: 5
Weekend Starters: 1
Mid-Week Starters: 1
Key Relievers (20+inns.): 2

All Conference Candidates:
C/RHP Jim Klocke (.394-9-46/2-4, 5.30, 7svs)
SS Kenton Parmley (.306-3-23, 17SBs)

The Good News:
SEMO set the tone early with a series win at Alabama in the opening weekend last season. Because of his importance, having a four-year backstop like Klocke behind the dish and barking out the defense is a coach’s dream. Three-fourths of the infield returns as well, including the power-bat of 1B Louie Haseltine (.325-11-37). Also watch for OF Nick Harris (.254, 17SBs) to increase his numbers and help put pressure on opposing pitchers.

The Bad News:
The end was a bummer, as the Redhawks went 1-9 to end the season, including an 0-2 finish in the OVC tournament. RHP Kyle Gumieny (3-2, 6.86) is the only weekend starter returning from a staff whose ERA was an uninspiring 6.76. Lots of new hurlers need to be cultivated. The .956 defense was a big problem as well, especially since SEMO went just 7-11 in one-or-two-run games last season.

Schedule Note:
The SEC challenge once again.
As mentioned above, SEMO beat Alabama in two of three to begin last season. Will they pull the same trick at Auburn this time around? We’ll see. Not only that but two weeks later they’ll play a weekend set at Mississippi State as part of the Cadence Bank Classic. Later on in the season, the Hawks will travel to play Nebraska during a weekend break in OVC action. Strap it up tight Redhawks, this will be a challenging slate to say the least.

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- TENNESSEE-MARTIN (20-31, 9-15)
2009 RPI: 225
Starters Returning: 5
Weekend Starters: 2
Mid-Week Starters: 1
Key Relievers (20+inns.): 1

All Conference Candidates:
C Ty Nelson (.345-6-27, 1error)
1B Wes Patterson (.331-11-47)
OF/DH Drew Mason (.321)

The Good News:
With almost zero pitching experience going into last year, a doubling of the win total from 2008 was pretty impressive for the Skyhawks. Hopefully that kind of effort will carryover to this year. SS and leadoff hitter Cody Terry (.277) should improve and sets the table for Mason, Patterson and Nelson (who is a standout backstop). Soph lefty Brendan Lozupone (3-3, 8.33) should be better in his second year of starting. And despite the last place finish, somehow the Skyhawks had the best defense in the OVC at .966. Really?

The Bad News:
The Skyhawks lost three All-OVC talents including the brother tandem of Mark and Miles Hartsfield. The pitching corps wasn’t very effective (7.50 team ERA) and loses some key arms, but has Cody Green (.5-8, 4.98) back to the start of the rotation. The offense loses the top three hitters on the team and also needs to kick up the aggressiveness after stealing just 24 bases last season.

Schedule Note:
Early confidence.
Martin will have some opportunities to get some early wins with games against IUPU-Ft. Wayne, Houston Baptist, Nicholls State, Indiana State, King College and Cleveland State before OVC play kicks in. We’ll see if it helps them for the 2010 season.

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- TENNESSEE TECH (31-24-1, 10-11-1)
2009 RPI: 114
Starters Returning: 5
Weekend Starters: 2
Mid-Week Starters: 2
Key Relievers (20+inns.): 2

All Conference Candidates:
1B/RHP A.J. Kirby-Jones (.325-20-68/3-3, 5.51)
OF/RHP Chad Oberaker (.354-4-27, 11SBs/2-3, 7.39)
OF Casanova Donaldson (.333, All-Name team)
RHP Lee Henry (9-3, 3.43, .254OBA)

The Good News:
Coach Matt Bragga really has this program turning a corner, with two straight 30+ win seasons in a row now. Strong work coach. Last year also saw the Eagles win the OVC tourney and upset Alabama in the Big Dance. This year’s edition has experience and depth, meaning better things may lie ahead. Kirby-Jones is a special talent, hitting a school-record 20 dingers last season and is a legit All American candidate. Tech has two additional dual-threat players in 2B/RHP Chad Hayes (.220/1-1, 7.27) and C/RHP Ben Burgess (.316-4-45/1-2, 6.85), giving this team a great amount of flexibility. Henry has the top returning ERA in the conference. Also, incoming RHP Tristan Archer was a 38th round pick of the A’s.

The Bad News:
Despite all the talent returning to the order, Tech still finished 2009 with the 2nd-worst offense in the Valley at .291 and just 27 stolen bases all season. The Eagles need to step up in competitiveness when they face the better teams, having gone 2-8 vs. SEMO, EIU and Morehead last season. Tech pitchers also walked more batters than anyone else in the OVC, doling out 263 free passes. Stop that! Now.

Schedule Note:
Heading home for the stretch run.
The Golden Eagles will only play seven road games from April 13th onward to the end of the regular season. Three-gamers with contenders Morehead State and Austin Peay are among the 15 home games that could mean a strong finishing kick to the OVC title chase.