May 15, 2001

Paducah, Ky. - After a stellar regular-season campaign, Southeast Missouri State can begin collecting the fruits of its labor. It began tonight as 2B Clemente Bonilla was chosen the Ohio Valley Player of the Year and RHP Todd Pennington the league's Pitcher of the Year. Bonilla and Pennington, along with C Jeff Bourbon and SS Zach Borowiak were tabbed first team All-OVC performers. OF Vern Hatton, DH Brad Beatty, LHP Jeffrey Hilz and RHP Greg Lunski all were honorable mention All-OVC. The OVC honorees are selected by the league's eight head coaches and sports information directors.

Bonilla, who started the season red-hot with a 12-game hitting streak against such nationally-ranked opponents as South Alabama and Mississippi, led the league in hitting for the first 10 weeks of the season. Bonilla was ranked as high as 19th in the NCAA ranking with his batting average. He enters the tournament batting a team-best .388. Last weekend at Eastern Illinois, Bonilla reset his own single-season walks record of 53. He sits with 57 walks, just one off the OVC record, which was set in 1974 by Murray State's Jack Perconte. Bonilla also leads his team in doubles with 19 and won the team's prestigious Joe Uhls Award for the highest slugging percentage (.653). A tough out at the plate, he has struck out just 18 times this season. Bonilla is the second-consecutive OVC Player of the Year for Southeast and the program's third all-time. Outfielder Jeremy Johnson won the honor last season and catcher Rex Crosnoe was selected in 1995 - Coach Mark Hogan's inaugural season.

Teammates call him OVC Pennington. It's only fitting since RHP Todd Pennington has won the OVC Pitcher of the Week for five times this season. So it was no big surprise to hear his name announced as OVC Pitcher of the Year. The superlatives surrounding him are almost ridiculous, especially in the world of college baseball and aluminum bats. For the third-consecutive week he owns the lowest ERA in the country with a 0.81. He should finish the season as Southeast's record holder. Only 1976 All-American Trae Hastings has a lower mark - 1.07. He has is first in the league with a 12-1 record and 114 strikeouts. His 12 wins are a Southeast record, while the strikeouts are second on the season list. He has three shutouts to his credit and was the only OVC pitcher to hang a loss on Eastern Illinois. At one time Pennington had 29-scoreless innings under his belt.

Bourbon returns to the All-OVC after being named a second-teamer his rookie season in 1998. He leads the team with 53 RBI and ranks on nine Southeast all-time lists. Borowiak, a Rawlings

All-American a year ago, earned his first All-OVC honor. He is third on the team with a .322 batting average with 17 doubles, three homers and 34 RBI.

Hatton, a junior college transfer from Kishwaukee Community College, has been stellar in the field for Southeast. The Indian's centerfielder has started all but one game this season and has made just one error, while leading the team with seven homers and eight stolen bases. Beatty, a true freshman, has put together an All-American rookie campaign. He is second on the team with a .365 average and is second on the team with 58 hits. Last year's OVC Rookie of the Year, Hilz has once again been an ace out of the bullpen leading the team with 26 appearances. He has collected an ERA of 3.33 and has struck out 64 batters in just 48.2 innings. Lunski, a transfer from Los Angles Community College, has been Southeast's No. 4 starter this season. He was solid last weekend at Eastern Illinois as he assured Pennington of the win. Lunski owns a 4.05 ERA and has set down 53 batters in 53.1 innings.

Southeast, the No. 2 seed, will face Austin Peay, the No. 5, in opening round of the OVC Tournament this Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. The tournament is being held at Brooks Stadium in Paducah, Ky.