Olson, Padilla named to all-OVC first team

~ Murray State infielder Hudson, a Central graduate, was chosen for the second team.

Two Californians are Southeast Missouri State's representatives on the all-Ohio Valley Conference baseball team announced Tuesday.

A Central High School product who went away to school was also recognized.

Senior catcher Levi Olson and junior second baseman Omar Padilla earned first-team honors in voting by the league's head coaches and sports information directors.

"I feel great for them because they've had terrific years," Southeast coach Mark Hogan said. "Both are very deserving statistically."

Murray State junior second baseman Seth Hudson, who starred for Central's Tigers, made the all-OVC second team.

Olson, from San Luis Obispo, Calif., has had an impressive bounce-back season for the Redhawks after he hit just .200 last year following his transfer from Santa Barbara City College in his home state.

Olson is Southeast's second-leading hitter with a .329 average. He leads the Redhawks in doubles with 17, which has him tied for second in the OVC. He is first on the team in runs batted in with 28.

In conference play, Olson is batting .343 and his 12 doubles are tied for first in the league.

"Levi has just done yeomen's work behind the plate, and he's done a great job offensive hitting in the 3 hole," Hogan said.

Padilla, from Treyes, Calif., is in his first season with the Redhawks after transferring from Santa Rosa Community College in his native state.

After a slow start, Padilla has lifted his average to a team-best .337. His 16 doubles are tied for fourth in the OVC. He also has four home runs and 25 RBIs, and he is tied for the team lead in stolen bases with nine, while being thrown out just once.

In league play, Padilla is tied for eighth in the OVC with a .368 batting average, and his 12 doubles are tied with Olson for first.

"Omar has done a great job batting leadoff for us, and he has been excellent at second base," Hogan said.

Hudson, already a three-year starter for Murray State, batted .385, which would be tied for third in the OVC. But Hudson does not have enough at-bats to qualify among the league leaders after he missed the final few weeks of the season with an injury.

Southeast also had two players make the OVC's inaugural all-freshmen team: Aaron Rave and Andrew Graham.

Rave, the Redhawks' first baseman, is batting .299 with 23 RBIs. Graham, Southeast's designated hitter, is batting .274 with two homers.

"I'm happy for Aaron and Andrew," Hogan said. "Daniel Schuh could have also very easily made it. We've got three outstanding freshmen."

Schuh, the Redhawks' third freshmen regular in center field, is batting .273 with two homers and 21 RBIs.

Top individual honors

Samford ace Josh Ehmke was voted the OVC pitcher of the year, and Eastern Kentucky first baseman Charlie Yarbrough was chosen the league's player of the year.

Also, Eastern Kentucky pitcher Christian Friedrich is the OVC freshman of the year, while Samford's Casey Dunn is the conference coach of the year.

Ehmke, a left-hander, went undefeated in conference play (8-0) while posting a 10-2 overall record and leading the league in victories, innings pitched (101 2/3) and strikeouts (school-record 121). His ERA is 2.92.

Yarbrough ranks among the league leaders in nine of 11 offensive categories. He is hitting .372 while leading the OVC in home runs (17), RBIs (61), slugging percentage (.712) and total bases (136).

Friedrich ranks among the league leaders in six of nine pitching categories. The left-hander is 9-2 with an OVC-best 1.92 ERA. He leads the league and ranks fourth nationally in strikeouts per nine innings (13.08).

Dunn guided Samford to a 21-6 conference mark, a school-record 32 wins overall and its first OVC regular-season title.