CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Southeast Missouri placed five players on the 2023 All-Ohio Valley Conference Baseball teams announced ahead of this week's conference tournament Tuesday night.
Starting pitcher
Noah Niznik earned First-Team All-OVC honors, while outfielder
Josh Cameron and starting pitcher
Haden Dow were second-team selections. Pitchers
Gavin Johnston and
Eddie White each made the league's All-Freshman Team.
A native of St. Louis, Niznik claimed All-OVC accolades for the first time in his career during his fifth and final season as a Redhawk. He is 6-6 with a 3.94 ERA in 14 starts on the mound at the front of SEMO's weekend rotation. Niznik leads the team with 83 strikeouts in 80 innings, has thrown one complete game and combined on a shutout. He was named OVC Pitcher of the Week on May 1.
Cameron, who hails from Pflugerville, Texas, secured All-OVC laurels in his first season of competition at SEMO. He ranks third on the team with a .307 batting average through 55 starts, including 45 in right field. Cameron is the Redhawks leader in home runs (16), hits (65), doubles (13), triples (4), RBI (51), total bases (134), slugging percentage (.632) and stolen bases (13). He ranks among OVC leaders in slugging percentage (7th), runs (7th), RBI (t6th), home runs (5th) and total bases (4th).
Dow, who is from St. John, New Brunswick, won a spot in SEMO's weekend rotation during his first NCAA Division I season. He is 4-3 with a 4.55 ERA in 14 starts. Dow has struck out 51 in 63.1 innings and is second behind Niznik in wins, ERA and innings pitched.
A native of Arnold, Missouri, Johnston is tied for second on the team with 19 relief appearances. He combined on one shutout and picked up a save to go along with 29 strikeouts in 25.2 innings.
White, who hails from Kansas City, Missouri, appeared in 13 games and made four starts. He recorded 16 strikeouts and walked four in 21 innings.
Morehead State outfielder Ryley Preece was tabbed OVC Player of the Year and Eagles Head Coach Mik Aoki was voted the league's Coach of the Year. Little Rock's Jackson Wells earned OVC Pitcher of the Year and UT Martin relief pitcher Zach Wager rounded out the conference's specialty awards with Freshman of the Year accolades.
Fourth-seeded SEMO opens postseason play against the winner of #5 Eastern Illinois and #8 Southern Indiana in the first round of the OVC Tournament Wednesday. First pitch is set for 4 p.m., CT at Mtn Dew Park in Marion, Illinois.
