May 21, 2002

PADUCAH, Ky. - The 2002 Ohio Valley Conference regular season champion Southeast Missouri State baseball Indians took home half of the major hardware at Tuesday's annual banquet, with senior pitcher Brad Purcell winning the OVC Pitcher of the Year award and Indian skipper Mark Hogan bringing home his first ever OVC Coach of the Year honor.

Purcell posted one of the league's top two pitching efforts in 2002, producing an impressive 10-2 record that also ranks among national leaders. The senior from Ipswich, Australia, sports a 3.02 ERA, the second-lowest effort by an OVC hurler this season. Purcell worked a league-high 95.1 innings, striking out an OVC-best 81 batters while holding opponents to a .241 hitting average. He is the second consecutive Indian to win Pitcher of the Year honors and fourth overall. Last season, junior Todd Pennington, now in the Cleveland Indians organization, claimed the honor after a record-setting season in which he set the school record for victories in a season (12) and led the nation in earned run average (1.33). Ryan Spille claimed the honor in 1998 and David Michel was the award winner in 1995.

Hogan was named OVC Coach of the Year for the first time in his eight seasons with the Indians, thanks in part to leading the team to their first ever OVC regular season championship.

Besides the two major awards, the Tribe placed three total members on the All-OVC first-team and five more on the second team. The first-team selections included senior outfielder Vern Hatton, junior infielder Denver Stuckey and Purcell. Hatton led the team in batting with a .378 average and 51 RBI's. His eight triples ranked him sixth in the nation entering the week. Stuckey was second on the team with a .373 average and a team-high 18 stolen bases in 22 attempts.

The second-team honorees included junior catcher Tristan McDonald, senior infielder Clemente Bonilla, junior infielder Zack Borowiak, senior pitcher Brandon Smith and junior pitcher Tim Alvarez. In his first year behind the plate, McDonald hit .353 with a team-high eight homeruns. Bonilla, the 2001 OVC Player of the Year, hit .317 and led the team with an impressive 44 base on balls. Borowiak also hit .317 and was third on the team with 14 doubles. Smith tied for the league lead in victories with his teammate Purcell. Smith was 10-2 with a 4.15 E.R.A. in 16 total appearances. Alvarez led the league with a 2.88 E.R.A., posted a 5-1 record in six starts and also had a save.

Two other players, junior outfielder Brian Hopkins and senior relief pitcher Mark Frazier, were named to the honorable mention squad. Hopkins was fourth on the team in hitting with a .339 average and second in stolen bases with 10. Frazier recorded a team-high four saves in 22 appearances.

Eastern Illinois senior outfielder Pete Pirman was named OVC Player of the Year after hitting a league-high .401 and Tennessee Tech freshman outfielder/pitcher Cole Helms was OVC Newcomer of the Year.

Southeast opens the 2002 OVC Baseball Tournament against sixth seed Morehead State at 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon at Brooks Stadium.

2002 All-Ohio Valley Conference Baseball Team
As selected by head baseball coaches and sports information directors)

FIRST TEAM
C - A.J. Ellis (Austin Peay) - 6'3, 220, Jr., Lexington, Ky.
1B - Brett McCutchan (Murray State) - 6'3, 205, Jr., Evansville, Ind.
2B - Jake Allen (Tennessee Tech) - 6'0, 180, Jr., Farragut, Tenn.
SS - Casey Benjamin (Tennessee Tech) - 6'1, 180, Jr., West Fargo, N.D.
3B - Denver Stuckey (Southeast Missouri) - 6'1, 170, Jr., Benton, Mo.
OF - Pete Pirman (Eastern Illinois) - 6'0, 185, Sr., Palatine, Ill.
OF - Josh Anderson (Eastern Kentucky) - 6'2, 190, So., Eubank, Ky.
OF - Vern Hatton (Southeast Missouri) - 6'2, 195, Sr., Cicero, Ill.
UTIL - Neil Sellers (Eastern Kentucky) - 6'0, 195, So., Robards, Ky.
DH - Bret Pignatiello (Eastern Illinois) - 6'1, 205, Jr., Tinley Park, Ill.
SP - Brad Purcell (Southeast Missouri) - 6'3, 220, Sr., Ipswich, Australia
SP - Mike Weel (Austin Peay) - 6'3, 190, Sr., Schaumburg, Ill.
RP - Doug Vincent (Tennessee Tech) - 6'2, 190, Jr., Brentwood, Tenn.

OVC PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Pete Pirman, Eastern Illinois
OVC PITCHER OF THE YEAR: Brad Purcell, Southeast Missouri
OVC COACH OF THE YEAR: Mark Hogan, Southeast Missouri
OVC ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Cole Helms, Tennessee Tech

SECOND TEAM
C - Tristen McDonald (Southeast Missouri) - 5'11, 200, Jr., Melbourne, Australia
1B - Will Renaker (Morehead State) - 6'0, 230, Sr., Cynthiana, Ky.
2B - Clemente Bonilla (Southeast Missouri) - 5'9, 170, Sr., Mission Viejo, Calif.
SS - Zach Borowiak (Southeast Missouri) - 6'1, 180, Jr., Nashville, Ill.
3B - Michael Johnson (Austin Peay) - 6'0, 180, Sr., Columbia, Tenn.
OF - Bubba Lavender (Morehead State) - 6'2, 205, Sr., Columbus, Ohio
OF - Cary Page (Morehead State) - 6'4, 235, Jr., Burlington, Ky.
OF - Casey Gilvin (Morehead State) - 5'10, 170, So., Lexington, Ky.
UTIL - Jon Childers (Morehead State) - 6'1, 195, So., Catlettsbug, Ky.
SP - Brandon Smith (Southeast Missouri) - 6'2, 185, Sr., St. Louis, Mo.
SP - Tim Alvarez (Southeast Missouri) - 6'4, 215, Jr., Central Point, Ore.
RP - Nick Albu (Eastern Illinois) - 6'2, 190, Sr., Arlington Heights, Ill.

HONORABLE MENTION: Mike Meihls, C, Tennessee Tech; Ryan Hays, 1B, Tennessee Tech; Travis Beech, 2B, Austin Peay; Joseph Peer, SS, Austin Peay; Ben Duke, 3B, Eastern Illinois; Kevin Matuszek, 3B, Morehead State; Cole Helms, OF, Tennessee Tech; Brian Hopkins, OF, Southeast Missouri; Ben Fuller, OF, Austin Peay; Chris Hyde, 1B/DH, Austin Peay; Nathan Stone, P, Eastern Illinois; Mark Frazier, P, Southeast Missouri; Tony Mathews, P, Austin Peay; Ben Downs, P, Tennessee Tech; Scott Metz, P, Eastern Illinois; Kyle Perry, P, Murray State