OVC RELEASE

MOREHEAD, Ky. -- After winning the 2018 Ohio Valley Conference Tournament title, the Morehead State baseball team has been selected to win the title in 2019. In addition, the Eagles led the 17-member preseason All-OVC team with four players named.

This marks the first time since the preseason polls have been voted on (2001) that the Eagles are the league preseason favorites. Senior first baseman Trevor Snyder, senior shortstop Reid Leonard, senior centerfielder Connor Pauly and sophomore relief pitcher Cory Conway are on the preseason all-conference squad.

"I am excited and looking forward to the 2019 season," said head coach Mike McGuire, now in his seventh season at MSU. "We have the makings to be a very good club. I like who we have returning, and our pitching staff might be our strongest since I have been here. Being picked first doesn't always guarantee anything, we still have to go out and wins games. The OVC is always a tough league with great talent."

Morehead State opens the 2019 campaign on Friday, Feb. 15 in the first of a three-game scheduled series at Furman.

The Eagles garnered 11 of the 22 first-place votes. Jacksonville State was picked second, followed by Tennessee Tech.

Snyder, from Ft. Wayne, Ind., was named Second Team All-OVC. He appeared in 59 games, starting 56. Snyder ranked second in the OVC and 17^th in the NCAA, slugging a career-high 18 home runs. He ranked fifth in the OVC and 17^th in the NCAA, notching a career-high 69 RBI. He also ranked sixth in the OVC with a .606 slugging percentage. Snyder hit .335 with 84 hits, 14 doubles, and 152 total bases. He had 25 multi-hit games and 17 multi-RBI games. Snyder once had a season-high 12 game hitting streak and a season-high 17 game reached-base streak.

Leonard is now in his final collegiate season after relocating from Glen Allen, Va. In 2018, he was named one of five finalists for the Brooks Wallace Award. Leonard was named First-Team All-OVC. He established a new school-record by reaching base safely in 50 consecutive games and hit .344 with 65 runs, 86 hits, 14 doubles, two triples, four home runs, 40 RBI, and 116 total bases. Leonard ranked fourth in the OVC in on-base percentage at .468. He also ranked third in the OVC and 10^th in the NCAA, drawing 55 walks. Leonard finished with 26 multi-hit games and 11 multi-RBI games.

Pauly, from Glenview, Ill., was named First-Team All-OVC. He started all 60 games in which he appeared, all in centerfield. Pauly hit .339 with 58 runs, 78 hits, 17 doubles, a triple, eight home runs, 53 RBI, and 121 total bases. He had 23 multi-hit games and 14 multi-RBI games. Pauly once carried a season-high 11 game hitting streak and enters the 2019 season holding an active reached-base streak of 29 games.

Conway, who hails from Noblesville, Ind., was named to the OVC All-Newcomer Team. He appeared in a school single-season record 35 games in relief. Conway tied for the team lead with four saves. He tossed 52 innings, striking out 54. Conway also held opponents to a .223 batting average and collected a team-high eight wins.