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CHARLESTON, Ill. – Eastern Illinois baseball strives to defend its Ohio Valley Conference Tournament title and establish a new program single-season wins record in the process at the league's annual six-team postseason event this week in Paducah, Ky.

 

The Panthers (36-12, 14-4 OVC) are the top seed after winning the OVC regular-season title and receive an opening-round bye. Eastern is scheduled to play its first game Thursday at 6:30 p.m. The opponent will be determined by Wednesday's opening-round results, with EIU possibly taking on Southeast Missouri, Tennessee Tech or Jacksonville State.

 

Second-seeded Murray State also gets an opening-round bye and plays at 2:30 p.m. Thursday. The Thoroughbreds are guaranteed of playing third-seeded Morehead State if the Eagles defeat JSU Wednesday night.

 

The Panthers need two victories to surpass the 1998 team's program record for wins (37).

 

The OVC Tournament is being held at Brooks Stadium in Paducah for the ninth straight year. Eastern and Murray are both receiving opening-round byes for the first time since the current format was adopted in 2005.

 

The Panthers are striving to become the first team since Middle Tennessee State in 1994-95 to repeat as OVC Tournament champs. Additionally, since the event moved to Paducah in 2001, only twice has the regular-season champion also won the tournament: Southeast Missouri in 2002 and Austin Peay in 2007.

 

However, EIU made history of its own last season. As the four seed, the Panthers won four games in four days vs. four different teams to win the tournament title. In the process, EIU became the first team that did not receive an opening-round bye to win the title since the current format was introduced in 2005. Eastern was also the lowest-seeded champ since Murray State in 2003.

 

“Last year coming down here and doing well, that's the first thing on the players' minds,” EIU head coach Jim Schmitz said. “We're excited to be back in the tournament. There are lots of good memories of the field. The guys are even excited about practice [Tuesday]. The key thing about being the No. 1 seed is the bye. I look at it as not more pressure, but an easier path to the title. I really feel like the shorter path takes the pressure off. It will be fun [Wednesday] finding out who we play.”

 

The Panthers worked out at Brooks Stadium Tuesday afternoon before the postseason awards banquet. Schmitz said the plan was to practice Wednesday morning at Paducah Heath High School, and was encouraged that the team would get to hit on a field rather than in batting cages.

 

The team's first opponent not being determined until the last out is made Wednesday night is just part of the current format that neither of the top two seeds can do anything about.

 

“Playing the 6:30 game Thursday it's not an issue,” Schmitz said. “We have plenty of time to watch video Thursday. And Wednesday is really wide open; we could play three of the four teams playing that first day. You don't wish to play anybody. You've just got to deal with who you end up with.”

 

The uncertainty surrounding the team's first opponent also leaves the probable lineup in flux. Schmitz unveiled a new lineup combination Friday for the doubleheader against Eastern Kentucky, moving Richie Derbak to left field and starting both Alex Gee and Jake Samuels. However, for Saturday's regular-season finale, Curt Restko was back in left and Gee started at first base against the left-handed pitcher. Gerik Wallsten also started his first game behind the plate since April 10.

 

Therefore, a number of lineup combinations are possible this week involving the mixing-and-matching of Derbak (DH/LF), Restko (LF), Gee (1B/DH), Samuels (1B), Wallsten (C) and Ben Thoma (C/DH). Brett Nommensen is also available for pinch running and defensive replacement duty.

 

“The question is do we stay with what we did on Friday,” Schmitz said. “I was impressed with how Curt Restko handled the situation. It's hard when you start the whole year, but not the last weekend. The same thing applies with the catching. Right now I would say we have different variations, not a set lineup. The guys don't seem to mind it. We'll just try to make decisions as opponents are determined and let the team know as soon as possible.”

 

Josh Mueller will again get the ball in EIU's tournament opener. As a freshman, the right-hander set the stage for the title run with 6 2/3 innings of one-run ball against Tennessee Tech. At 8-0 this season, he's the only undefeated regular weekend starter in the conference. Remarkably, Mueller has started game one of every weekend series this year and the Panthers have won 11 of the 12 games.

 

Jordan Tokarz was named the 2008 OVC Tournament MVP after a 9-for-19 showing at the plate. He recorded six extra-base hits, including a three-run double in the ninth inning against Samford, an early home run versus Jax State and a three-double performance in the title game against SEMO. This year, Tokarz enters the tourney riding an eight-game hitting streak, reaching base safely 17 times and driving in 10 runs during the hot stretch.

 

Eastern went 10-2 against 2009 OVC Tournament field, both losses coming against sixth-seeded JSU. The Gamecocks won two-of-three in Charleston the weekend of April 18-19, handing EIU its only back-to-back defeats and series loss of the season in the process.

 

However, EIU would be advised not to rest easy on its regular-season success against upcoming tourney opponents. In 2008, the Panthers defeated Tennessee Tech and Samford in the first two rounds after getting swept by both teams during the regular season.

Eastern has compiled a 15-14 all-time record in OVC Tournament play, including a 10-10 mark since the event moved to Paducah. The Panthers are 9-7 all-time in tourney play against the other five teams that qualified this season. Eastern has played the most OVC Tournament games against SEMO (six), and gone the longest without playing Morehead (2002).

More Info: Contact Ben Turner, Asst. SID