5/21/2019 5:16:00 PM | Baseball
MARION, Ill. – For the second time in three seasons a Jacksonville State pitcher has been named the Ohio Valley Conference Pitcher of the Year as Garrett Farmer earned the distinction in 2019, while head coach Jim Case claimed the 2019 OVC Coach of the Year honor to highlight JSU's postseason league honors.
JSU placed four All-OVC selections, including three on the conference's first team, which matched Tennessee Tech. Along with Farmer, senior Nic Gaddis and junior Alex Webb were earned All-OVC First Team status. Sophomore Cole Frederick was tabbed to the All-OVC Second Team. The Gamecocks had two first-year players named to the All-OVC Freshman Team For the third consecutive year, the Gamecocks have had multiple selections to the All-OVC Freshman Team. Isaiah Magwood and Carson Crowe were voted to the squad after solid rookie seasons.
The league office revealed the All-OVC squads on the opening day of the 2019 OVC Baseball Tournament that will be played at Rent One Park in Marion, Illinois.
Farmer became just the second player from JSU to be named OVC Pitcher of the Year, joining Joe McGuire from 2017. He showed great control on the mound ranking third nationally in strikeout-to-walk-ratio (9.90), seventh in walks allowed per nine innings (0.97), 12th in WHIP (0.91) and 52nd in E.R.A. (2.32). Over 93 innings pitched, Farmer struck out 99 batters and walked only 10 while holding batters to a .220 batting average. The junior struck out 12 batters against each Florida International and in his final start of the season at Austin Peay. Over the last six games of the year (all OVC opponents), he walked only three total batters. His 6.64 innings pitched per outing was tops among OVC pitchers (Farmer had seven starts of seven innings or longer).
Case, now in his 18th season as Jax State head coach, led his team to victories in 13 of its final 14 games (including nine-straight to end the regular season) as the Gamecocks earned its third OVC regular season crown and first since 2008. JSU finished Conference play with a 22-8 record and the team enters the postseason 34-21, the 16th time in his 18 seasons they have reached the 30-win plateau. With a victory in the team's regular season finale, Case tallied his 526th career victory since Jacksonville State joined the OVC in 2004, tying him for fifth place in OVC history for career wins. Case has guided the Gamecocks to 16-straight OVC Tournaments (every year the team has been in the league), which is the longest active stretch in the OVC. This marks the third OVC Coach of the Year award for Case, who also claimed the honor in 2005 and 2008.
Gaddis, the first team catcher, had the resume for OVC Player of the Year honors with a team-best .335 batting average and delivered 41 RBI. The lone four-year senior on the club had 15 doubles and 13 home runs. He was fifth in the OVC in slugging (.597) and sixth in on-base percentage (.446). The Trenton, Georgia native hit over .300 in OVC games-only with a .312 clip at the plate. Gaddis turned in 22 multiple hit games and nine multi-RBI contests. He had a 16-game on-base streak during the season, which is the best on the squad. Gaddis reached base in 51 of the 54 games this season.
Webb claimed the designated hitter spot on the first team after hitting an even .300 in his first season with the Gamecocks. He platooned with Gaddis at the catchers' spot and in the lineup as the designated hitters role in 20 games. The transfer from Chipola Junior College holds the team lead in RBI with 51 RBI. Webb posted 18 doubles and nine home runs along with a triple in 54 games-played. The Columbia, Tennessee product ranked third in the OVC in doubles. Webb also threw out 10 base runners on the season.
After earning All-OVC Freshman Team honors in 2018, sophomore Cole Frederick maintained his all-conference status with a spot on the All-OVC Second Team after leading JSU offensively in the 30 league games. Frederick hit .373 against league opposition with 50 hits and driving in 22 runs. The Tuscaloosa, Alabama utility guy collected nine doubles, four home runs and a trio of triples. Frederick enters the postseason riding a 15-game hitting streak. Frederick, the second baseman on the second team, has played third base and all three outfield spots throughout the season.
Magwood, from Hazel Green, Alabama, started his first season with JSU in the weekend rotation before working in relief midway through the season and then inserted back into the weekend rotation. The right-handed pitcher has made 16 total appearances on the mound and has started seven games. Against OVC competition, Magwood has collected a pair of wins and an earned run average of 2.76. He has posted 34 strikeouts in 29.1 innings of work in the OVC. His best outing in the regular season was six innings against Morehead State, fanning nine batters and allowing a pair of hits.
Crowe became an everyday player in the outfield for the Gamecocks in late March, having 31 starts on the season. The Tuscaloosa, Alabama freshman hit .284 in league games with 10 RBI. All six of his home runs this season have come off OVC arms.
The top-seeded Gamecocks will begin their quest for the sweep of OVC Championships on Thursday at 11 a.m. JSU will face the winner of the No. 4 Seed Belmont and No. 5 Seed Murray State contest. All OVC Tournament games will be available on ESPN+ and the Gamecock Sports Network will air all of JSU's contests.
Â
JSU placed four All-OVC selections, including three on the conference's first team, which matched Tennessee Tech. Along with Farmer, senior Nic Gaddis and junior Alex Webb were earned All-OVC First Team status. Sophomore Cole Frederick was tabbed to the All-OVC Second Team. The Gamecocks had two first-year players named to the All-OVC Freshman Team For the third consecutive year, the Gamecocks have had multiple selections to the All-OVC Freshman Team. Isaiah Magwood and Carson Crowe were voted to the squad after solid rookie seasons.
The league office revealed the All-OVC squads on the opening day of the 2019 OVC Baseball Tournament that will be played at Rent One Park in Marion, Illinois.
Farmer became just the second player from JSU to be named OVC Pitcher of the Year, joining Joe McGuire from 2017. He showed great control on the mound ranking third nationally in strikeout-to-walk-ratio (9.90), seventh in walks allowed per nine innings (0.97), 12th in WHIP (0.91) and 52nd in E.R.A. (2.32). Over 93 innings pitched, Farmer struck out 99 batters and walked only 10 while holding batters to a .220 batting average. The junior struck out 12 batters against each Florida International and in his final start of the season at Austin Peay. Over the last six games of the year (all OVC opponents), he walked only three total batters. His 6.64 innings pitched per outing was tops among OVC pitchers (Farmer had seven starts of seven innings or longer).
Case, now in his 18th season as Jax State head coach, led his team to victories in 13 of its final 14 games (including nine-straight to end the regular season) as the Gamecocks earned its third OVC regular season crown and first since 2008. JSU finished Conference play with a 22-8 record and the team enters the postseason 34-21, the 16th time in his 18 seasons they have reached the 30-win plateau. With a victory in the team's regular season finale, Case tallied his 526th career victory since Jacksonville State joined the OVC in 2004, tying him for fifth place in OVC history for career wins. Case has guided the Gamecocks to 16-straight OVC Tournaments (every year the team has been in the league), which is the longest active stretch in the OVC. This marks the third OVC Coach of the Year award for Case, who also claimed the honor in 2005 and 2008.
Gaddis, the first team catcher, had the resume for OVC Player of the Year honors with a team-best .335 batting average and delivered 41 RBI. The lone four-year senior on the club had 15 doubles and 13 home runs. He was fifth in the OVC in slugging (.597) and sixth in on-base percentage (.446). The Trenton, Georgia native hit over .300 in OVC games-only with a .312 clip at the plate. Gaddis turned in 22 multiple hit games and nine multi-RBI contests. He had a 16-game on-base streak during the season, which is the best on the squad. Gaddis reached base in 51 of the 54 games this season.
Webb claimed the designated hitter spot on the first team after hitting an even .300 in his first season with the Gamecocks. He platooned with Gaddis at the catchers' spot and in the lineup as the designated hitters role in 20 games. The transfer from Chipola Junior College holds the team lead in RBI with 51 RBI. Webb posted 18 doubles and nine home runs along with a triple in 54 games-played. The Columbia, Tennessee product ranked third in the OVC in doubles. Webb also threw out 10 base runners on the season.
After earning All-OVC Freshman Team honors in 2018, sophomore Cole Frederick maintained his all-conference status with a spot on the All-OVC Second Team after leading JSU offensively in the 30 league games. Frederick hit .373 against league opposition with 50 hits and driving in 22 runs. The Tuscaloosa, Alabama utility guy collected nine doubles, four home runs and a trio of triples. Frederick enters the postseason riding a 15-game hitting streak. Frederick, the second baseman on the second team, has played third base and all three outfield spots throughout the season.
Magwood, from Hazel Green, Alabama, started his first season with JSU in the weekend rotation before working in relief midway through the season and then inserted back into the weekend rotation. The right-handed pitcher has made 16 total appearances on the mound and has started seven games. Against OVC competition, Magwood has collected a pair of wins and an earned run average of 2.76. He has posted 34 strikeouts in 29.1 innings of work in the OVC. His best outing in the regular season was six innings against Morehead State, fanning nine batters and allowing a pair of hits.
Crowe became an everyday player in the outfield for the Gamecocks in late March, having 31 starts on the season. The Tuscaloosa, Alabama freshman hit .284 in league games with 10 RBI. All six of his home runs this season have come off OVC arms.
The top-seeded Gamecocks will begin their quest for the sweep of OVC Championships on Thursday at 11 a.m. JSU will face the winner of the No. 4 Seed Belmont and No. 5 Seed Murray State contest. All OVC Tournament games will be available on ESPN+ and the Gamecock Sports Network will air all of JSU's contests.
Â
Players Mentioned
OF/RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
C
/ Baseball
RHP/OF
/ Baseball
C
/ BaseballWednesday, May 13
Sunday, May 10
Sunday, April 26
Saturday, April 25
