Brentwood, TN – Austin Peay State University (APSU) redshirt junior first baseman John McDonald and redshirt sophomore center fielder Garrett Spain each were named to the Ohio Valley Conference’s Preseason Baseball Team, Thursday, February 11th, 2021.
The league’s predicted order of finish listed the APSU Governors fourth with 132 points in what promises to be a tight race for the final two spots in the now four-team OVC tournament.
Belmont was picked to win the regular-season title with 14 first-place votes and 188 points.
Jacksonville State followed closely with seven first-place votes and 176 points. Murray State (136 points) was picked ahead of APSU and Southeast Missouri (131) to round out the top five spots.
McDonald earns preseason recognition as he looks to return from a 2020 campaign that saw him suffer an injury in the season’s first game. However, he batted .289 with three home runs and 14 RBI in an injury-shortened 2019 turn.
Spain makes his second straight appearance on the Preseason All-OVC team as he saw a promising 2020 season cut short. After a slow start – he was hitting .188 on February 28th – he ended the season with hits in six of his final nine games, batting .367 in that stretch. He finished the season leading the Govs in home runs (4), triples (2), and walks (10) while batting .274 and 13 RBI.
Austin Peay State University opens its 55-game schedule when it travels to nationally-ranked Dallas Baptist for a three-game series, February 19th-21st. The APSU Govs open their home schedule with a Tuesday, February 23rd matchup with Southern Illinois on Joe Maynard Field at Raymond C. Hand Park.
