Murray State University Athletics
Three Named Preseason All-OVC, Racers Picked Third
2/11/2021 11:06:00 AM | Baseball
Brock Anderson, Shane Burns and Jordan Cozart selected to the 2021 Preseason All-OVC Team.
The Murray State baseball team has been picked to finish third in the 2021 Ohio Valley Conference Preseason Poll, as announced by the OVC on Thursday. The predicted order of finish, as voted on by the league's coaches and sports information directors, selected Belmont to claim the top spot after receiving 14 first-place votes.
The Racers went 10-7 overall last season before their year was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. MSU returns all nine positional starters from a season ago to the 2021 squad – including 2020 Collegiate Baseball News Third-Team All-American, senior Jordan Cozart.
In addition to the preseason poll, the Racers land three on the preseason All-OVC Team for the first time since 2017. Senior outfielder Brock Anderson is a repeat selection, landing on the list a season ago. He is joined by second baseman and pitcher Jordan Cozart and sophomore left-handed pitcher Shane Burns.
Anderson, an All-OVC Second Team selection in 2019, hit .274 and had team-highs in home runs (8), runs batted in (23) and total bases (46). He also tallied 17 hits and 17 runs scored, six walks and three doubles, and a .342 on-base percentage and a .742 slugging percentage.
Cozart, also a 2021 Collegiate Baseball News Third-Team All-American, hit .417 and led the Racers with 25 hits, 18 runs scored, nine walks, a .486 on-base percentage, and a .750 slugging percentage. He also hit five home runs, five doubles, and drove in 19 runs.
Burns, who earned All-OVC Freshman team accolades in 2019, went 1-2 overall with a 2.60 ERA. He led the team with 24 strikeouts in 17.1 innings pitched, along with a .190 opponent's batting average.
The complete OVC Preseason poll and Preseason All-OVC Baseball Team can be found below.
2021 OVC Baseball Predicted Order of Finish
1. Belmont (14 first-place votes) – 188 points
2. Jacksonville State (7) - 176
3. Murray State - 136
4. Austin Peay - 132
5. Southeast Missouri (1) - 131
6. Eastern Kentucky - 117
7. SIUE - 78
8. Eastern Illinois - 73
9. Morehead State - 67
10. Tennessee Tech - 66
11. UT Martin - 45
2021 Preseason All-OVC Baseball Team
Preseason OVC Player of the Year: Jason Hinchman (OF), Tennessee Tech
Preseason OVC Pitcher of the Year: Joshua South (RHP), Belmont
C – Alex Webb, Jacksonville State
1B - John McDonald, Austin Peay
2B - Daniel Harris IV, Eastern Kentucky
2B – Jordan Cozart, Murray State
SS - Tyler Wilber, Southeast Missouri
3B – Stephen Hill, Morehead State
OF – Jason Hinchman, Tennessee Tech
OF – Brock Anderson Murray State
OF - Garrett Spain, Austin Peay
DH - Jon Burghardt, Morehead State
UT – Christian Pena, Eastern Illinois
SP - Joshua South, Belmont
SP – Dylan Dodd, Southeast Missouri
SP - Isaiah Magwood, Jacksonville State
SP – Collin Baumgartner, SIUE
SP – Shane Burns, Murray State
RP - Kyle Brennan, Belmont
The Racers went 10-7 overall last season before their year was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. MSU returns all nine positional starters from a season ago to the 2021 squad – including 2020 Collegiate Baseball News Third-Team All-American, senior Jordan Cozart.
In addition to the preseason poll, the Racers land three on the preseason All-OVC Team for the first time since 2017. Senior outfielder Brock Anderson is a repeat selection, landing on the list a season ago. He is joined by second baseman and pitcher Jordan Cozart and sophomore left-handed pitcher Shane Burns.
Anderson, an All-OVC Second Team selection in 2019, hit .274 and had team-highs in home runs (8), runs batted in (23) and total bases (46). He also tallied 17 hits and 17 runs scored, six walks and three doubles, and a .342 on-base percentage and a .742 slugging percentage.
Cozart, also a 2021 Collegiate Baseball News Third-Team All-American, hit .417 and led the Racers with 25 hits, 18 runs scored, nine walks, a .486 on-base percentage, and a .750 slugging percentage. He also hit five home runs, five doubles, and drove in 19 runs.
Burns, who earned All-OVC Freshman team accolades in 2019, went 1-2 overall with a 2.60 ERA. He led the team with 24 strikeouts in 17.1 innings pitched, along with a .190 opponent's batting average.
The complete OVC Preseason poll and Preseason All-OVC Baseball Team can be found below.
2021 OVC Baseball Predicted Order of Finish
1. Belmont (14 first-place votes) – 188 points
2. Jacksonville State (7) - 176
3. Murray State - 136
4. Austin Peay - 132
5. Southeast Missouri (1) - 131
6. Eastern Kentucky - 117
7. SIUE - 78
8. Eastern Illinois - 73
9. Morehead State - 67
10. Tennessee Tech - 66
11. UT Martin - 45
2021 Preseason All-OVC Baseball Team
Preseason OVC Player of the Year: Jason Hinchman (OF), Tennessee Tech
Preseason OVC Pitcher of the Year: Joshua South (RHP), Belmont
C – Alex Webb, Jacksonville State
1B - John McDonald, Austin Peay
2B - Daniel Harris IV, Eastern Kentucky
2B – Jordan Cozart, Murray State
SS - Tyler Wilber, Southeast Missouri
3B – Stephen Hill, Morehead State
OF – Jason Hinchman, Tennessee Tech
OF – Brock Anderson Murray State
OF - Garrett Spain, Austin Peay
DH - Jon Burghardt, Morehead State
UT – Christian Pena, Eastern Illinois
SP - Joshua South, Belmont
SP – Dylan Dodd, Southeast Missouri
SP - Isaiah Magwood, Jacksonville State
SP – Collin Baumgartner, SIUE
SP – Shane Burns, Murray State
RP - Kyle Brennan, Belmont
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