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Eastern Illinois 31-19 (18-9 OVC) vs. SEMO/Lindenwood  

Date & Time: Thursday, May 21st | 9:30 a.m.  

Location: Marion, Illinois | MTN Dew Park 

Live Coverage: ESPN+ | Live Stats
 

Eastern Illinois heads to Marion, Illinois, for the OVC Tournament as the number two seed. The tournament champion receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Regionals. EIU finished the season with a 31-19 (18-9 OVC) record. This marks the fourth time the Panthers have finished with 30 or more wins in the past five years. As the number two seed, EIU received a double bye and will play their first game on Thursday at 9:30 a.m. Their opponent will be the winner of SEMO vs. Lindenwood.  
 

Weekend Recap  
Panthers traveled to Western Illinois and built strong momentum heading into the postseason. EIU swept the Leathernecks for their third OVC sweep of the year. Offensively, the Panthers scored 29 runs on 43 hits. They had seven hitters above a .300 batting average, including three above .400.  

Zak Goodwin and Tyler Castro had the top two averages, with Goodwin hitting .556 in nine at-bats. Castro followed with a .462 average in 13 at-bats, recording six hits. 

Mike O'Conor totaled seven RBIs, five hits, two doubles, and a .357 batting average. He also ended the weekend with a .714 slugging percentage.  

On the mound, Tyler Conklin was named an OVC notable performer for his lights-out performance on Friday afternoon. He threw 7.0 innings, allowing only one run on six hits. He earned his ninth win of the season by striking out six Leathernecks.  

Anthony Solis was a bright spot out of the bullpen, allowing only one run in 4.2 innings. He finished his weekend with six strikeouts and allowed only four hits.  
 

Panthers in the OVC Tournament  
EIU is making their 21st OVC tournament appearance in the program's history. The 2025 regular-season champions are back in the field for the fifth straight season. With a 27-29 all-time tournament record, the Panthers fell in the tournament final last season to Little Rock. In 2023, EIU was the No. 5 seed and won twice before losing to No. 1 seed Morehead State; the Panthers then won three straight games to claim their third tournament title. Prior to 2023, Eastern Illinois had won OVC tournament titles in 2008 and 1999. Heading into the 2026 OVC tournament, the Panthers are the second seed for only the third time in program history. As a two seed, EIU holds a 3-4 losing record.  
 

All-OVC Honorees 
The Panthers landed six all-conference selections, including Bryce Riggs, named as the OVC Pitcher of the Year.  

Chris Worcester and Mike O'Conor joined Bryce Riggs on the All-OVC first team. James Love and James Geshel earned All-OVC second-team recognition. Jarrett Kinder rounded out the Panthers' awards with an All-Freshman OVC Team selection.  
 

At the Plate 
Quade Peters continues to lead the team in batting average at .349, which ranks ninth in the OVC.  

O'Conor has established himself as the best player for the Panthers, hitting .338 and leading the team in home runs (15) and RBIs (53). O'Conor ranks third in the OVC with a .727 slugging percentage.  

James Love spearheads the Panthers in the on-base percentage category at .473. Love is also second in conference with 17 hit-by-pitches.  

Brett Stanley, who held the NCAA's longest active hitting streak with 31 consecutive games earlier in the year, finished the regular season hitting .327 with 35 RBIs.  

Tyler Castro was the fifth Panther to bat over .300. Castro holds a .306 batting average and a .433 on-base percentage. He is fourth on the team in total hits with 52 and second in walks with 33 on the year. 
 

On the Mound  
The OVC Pitcher of the Year, Bryce Riggs, finished the regular season with a 3.32 ERA in 84.0 innings of work. Appearing in 14 games, Riggs held opponents to a .187 batting average while totaling an OVC best 75 strikeouts.  

The Friday starter, Tyler Conklin, leads the team with nine wins, which is one shy of tying the program record. He finished the regular season with a 4.96 ERA in 81.2 innings of work. He has recorded 41 strikeouts heading into the OVC tournament. 

Coach Anderson's closer, James Geshel, earned an All-OVC second team selection in his first year as a Panther. Geshel finished the year with a 4.70 ERA in 44.0 innings of work. He is two shy of tying the program record for single season saves with nine during the regular season.  
 

Team Category Leaders 
Hits: Brett Stanley (68), James Love (63), Chris Worcester (55), Tyler Castro (52), Mike O'Conor (52) 

Home Runs: Mike O'Conor (15), Chris Worcester (8), James Love (8), Peyton Wilson (5), Ethan Rossi (4) 

RBIs: Mike O'Conor (53), James Love (45), Chris Worcester (43), Peyton Wilson (37), Brett Stanley (35) 

Strikeouts: Bryce Riggs (75), Anthony Solis (45), Tyler Conklin (41) 

Wins: Tyler Conklin (9), Bryce Riggs (7), Anthony Solis (4) 
 

OVC Leaders 
Bryce Riggs – Opponent Batting Average (.187) | Strikeouts (75) 

Tyler Conklin – Wins (9) 
 

NCAA Top 25 Leaders  
Team Sacrifice Bunts – 6th (55) 

Bryce Riggs – 10th H/9 (6.0) | 12th Complete Games (2)  

Tyler Conklin – 10th Wins (9) | 11th Games Started (14) 

Mike O'Conor - 18th RBIs Per Game (1.29) 

James Geshel – 23rd Saves (9)