Southeast Missouri State freshman Evans is lone Redhawks baseball player honored by OVC

The Southeast Missouri State baseball team, since joining the Ohio Valley Conference and moving up to the Division I level in 1992, had never failed to place a player on either the all-OVC first or second team.

That changed Tuesday when the Redhawks were shut out from the OVC's primary all-conference squads as voted on by the league's coaches and sports information directors.

Southeast did have a player receive recognition on the eve of the conference tournament in Jackson, Tenn., as center fielder Clayton Evans was voted to the OVC all-freshmen team.

Evans is having an impressive rookie season for the Redhawks, ranking third on the squad with a .322 batting average.

Evans also ranks second in on-base percentage at .413, third in slugging percentage at .443, third in triples with two and third in stolen bases with eight while being caught just twice.

The graduate of Rockwood Summit High School in suburban St. Louis has two home runs, eight doubles, 23 RBIs and 26 runs scored.

Top individual OVC honors went to Austin Peay junior first baseman Craig Massoni (player of the year), Austin Peay senior reliever Tyler Rogers (pitcher of the year), Eastern Kentucky freshman outfielder Kyle Nowlin (rookie of the year) and Tennessee Tech's Matt Bragga (coach of the year), who led the Eagles to the OVC regular-season title.

Massoni nearly won the OVC Triple Crown, leading the league in batting average (.389), sharing the lead in home runs (15) and ranking second in RBIs (64).

Rogers' 20 saves are an OVC single-season record and just three shy of tying the NCAA single-season record.