The OVC announced the 2026 All-OVC Baseball Team on Tuesday morning, with Bryce Riggs being named Pitcher of the Year. The Panthers earned six all-conference selections, including three members on the first team.
Bryce Riggs was named OVC Pitcher of the Year for the first time in his career, leading the Panthers as the Saturday starter. Overall, Riggs finished the regular season 7-2 with a 3.32 ERA. He was tied for first in the OVC in total strikeouts with 75 and tied for second in wins (7), trailing his teammate, Tyler Conklin. The standout starter led the OVC in opposing batting average at .187. He allowed 56 hits on the year, which was the second fewest in the Ohio Valley Conference. Finishing off his resume, he was named a National Pitcher of the Year semifinalist on April 22nd and was a two-time OVC Pitcher of the Week this season.
Chris Worcester was one of three EIU players named to the first team All-OVC. This season, Worcester reached 200 career hits in a Panther uniform against SIUE on May 10th. The 2022 OVC Freshman of the Year finished with a .293 batting average along with 43 RBIs. Worcester ranks fourth in the OVC in doubles with 17 to go along with his career best .511 slugging percentage.
Mike O'Conor earned his second consecutive first-team All-OVC selection after leading EIU in home runs (15) and RBIs (53). The third baseman's home run count ranks fourth in the OVC, while his 53 RBIs placed him ninth in the conference. O'Conor finished the season with a .338 batting average and a team best .727 slugging percentage. He earned the only OVC Player of the Week award for the Panthers on April 6th after a dominating weekend against Tennessee Tech. In the three-game series, O'Conor hit .667 with 11 RBIs and totaled four home runs.
James Love was named to the All-OVC second team after earning an All-Freshman team selection in 2025. Love was a catalyst in multiple positions, batting .333 with 18 doubles, the second most in the OVC. He also ranks second in the conference with 17 hit-by-pitches. Love led the team with a .473 on-base percentage and finished second in slugging percentage at .577. In 50 games, he recorded 63 hits, 50 runs, and blasted eight home runs.
In his first year with the Panthers, James Geshel was named to the All-OVC second team. He ranks third in the OVC in total saves with nine, which is two shy of the program record. In 44.0 innings of work, he held a 4.70 ERA and struck out 47 batters. In 19 appearances, he limited opponents to a .254 batting average while issuing just 18 walks.
Jarrett Kinder rounds out the awards for EIU, named to the OVC All-Freshman Team. The only freshman to crack the veteran lineup tossed 24.0 innings. In 12 appearances, he finished with a 3.00 ERA and struck out 16 batters.
2026 All-OVC Baseball Teams and Award Winners
OVC Co-Player of the Year: Ryan Niedzwiedz (1B), SIUE
OVC Co-Player of the Year: TJ Grines (OF), UT Martin
OVC Pitcher of the Year: Bryce Riggs (RHP), Eastern Illinois
OVC Freshman of the Year: Will Geary (2B), Lindenwood
OVC Coach of the Year: Sean Lyons, SIUE
ALL-OVC FIRST TEAM
C - Micajah Wall, Southern Indiana
1B - Ryan Niedzwiedz, SIUE
2B - Chris Worcester, Eastern Illinois
SS - Chase Bloomer, SIUE
3B - Mike O'Conor, Eastern Illinois
OF - TJ Grines, UT Martin
OF - Jorsixt Jimenez, Tennessee Tech
OF - Ian McCubbin, Morehead State
DH - Aubrey Kearns, Morehead State
UT - Joe Hall, Southeast Missouri
SP - Bryce Riggs, Eastern Illinois
SP - Josh Newell, Lindenwood
SP - Tim Teixeira, SIUE
RP - Easton Harris, SIUE
RP - Nathan Mertens, Southeast Missouri
ALL-OVC SECOND TEAM
C - Caden Sheridan, Morehead State
1B - Liam Bushey, Western Illinois
2B - Brooks Kettering, Southeast Missouri
SS - Andrew Ramirez, Southeast Missouri
3B - Nolan Freund, Little Rock
OF - TJ Dunsford, UT Martin
OF - Davis Germann, Morehead State
OF - Kade Smith, Little Rock
DH - Joshua Heyder, SIUE
UT - James Love, Eastern Illinois
SP - Brannon Westmoreland, Little Rock
SP - Seth Benes, Lindenwood
SP - Spencer Stearns, SIUE
RP - James Geshel, Eastern Illinois
RP - Tag Andrews, Little Rock
ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
RHP - Jarrett Kinder, Eastern Illinois
2B - Will Geary, Lindenwood
LHP - Lucas Niemeyer, Lindenwood
OF - Sam Driscoll, Lindenwood
3B - Owen Ralph, Lindenwood
RHP - Tag Andrews, Little Rock
OF - Kyle Krupp, Morehead State
INF - Nick Griffith, Morehead State
RHP - Connor Davis, Morehead State
C - Tank Sims, Southeast Missouri
LHP - Matt Wnukowski, Southeast Missouri
OF - Cooper Eggert, SIUE
INF - Tyler Bennett, Tennessee Tech
