Southeast baseball slotted for fourth in OVC

The Southeast Missouri State baseball team had three players named to the 2009 all-OVC preseason team and the Redhawks were picked to finish fourth in the Ohio Valley Conference standings.

Defending regular-season champion Jacksonville State was selected to repeat in the voting by the conference coaches, nipping Eastern Illinois by one point.

The Gamecocks, who feature the preseason OVC Pitcher of the Year in junior right-hander Ben Tootle, collected 61 points to lead the nine conference teams. Austin Peay was tabbed for third (48), followed by Southeast (42), Tennessee Tech (38), Murray State (23), Morehead State (22), Eastern Kentucky (20) and Tennessee-Martin (10).

Tootle, who is the first player in OVC history to be named to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association preseason All-America first team, was 10-2 in 2008, including 8-0 in the OVC.

Eastern Illinois senior outfielder Brett Nommensen was chosen the preseason OVC Player of the Year.

Southeast players voted to the 14-player preseason team were junior catcher Jim Klocke, senior first baseman Matt Wagner and senior outfielder Tyrell Cummings. All three players were first-team all-OVC selections in 2008.

-- Southeast Missourian