The Eagle defense rolled up 70 double plays, a majority of them the traditional middle infield variety, in 2009. That figure amounted to 1.35 double plays turned per game, and that was the highest figure for all 288 Division I teams. Seventy was the sixth highest total for all of Division I. 

Defense wasn't the only area MSU received national recognition. Offensively, the Eagles concluded the year ranked 14th nationally in home runs per outing and slugging percentage, 41st in batting average and 48th in runs scored per game.

Drew Lee and Michael Bottoms are playing for the Bethesda Big Train club in Bethesda, Md. Taylor Davis, Matt Robertson, and Michael Fear are with the Southern Ohio Copperheads in Athens, Ohio. The Copperheads are in the Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League as are the Lima Locos with J.D. Ashbrook.

Cameron Flynn and Travis Redmond are members of the Fulton Railroaders in Fulton, Ky. The Railroaders are in the K.I.T (Kentucky, Illinois, Tennessee) League. Also in the K.I.T. league are Trey Smith and Daniel Pugh, both with the Marion (Ky.) Bobcats.

Pitcer Jeff Arnold is on the mound with the Macon Giants in the Great South League. Jake Helvey and Michael Fahs are both with the Northcoast Knights in Lorain, Ohio. The Knights are members of the Prospect League.

The Bainer brothers (Eric and Luke), as well as Kris Sipes and Matt Nichols are playing with teams in the Derby City League. Andrew Deeds is playing with the Nashville Navigators of the Sandlot League in Nashville, Tenn.

On the field Lee had one of MSU's best offensive seasons in school history. He set a school record for hits in a season with 86 and also had a team high 18 doubles and 17 home runs. He had 67 RBI, scored 62 runs and totaled a league-best 159 bases during the 52 games MSU played this year. He ranked in the top five in the OVC in homers, doubles, RBI and runs scored and his total base final stats were only three shy of the MSU single season mark.

He ended with a .413 batting average and was named First-Team All-OVC. He was also one of 15 semifinalists for the 2009 Brooks Wallace Award, which honors NCAA Division I's best shortstop. Drew was also named OVC Player of the Week and was listed on the College Baseball Foundation and Diamond Sports National All-Star Lineup on April 23.

He was also honored as a CoSIDA Second-Team Academic All-American and was named Academic All-District IV as well.

"The Ohio Valley Conference is excited to have the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx, the City of Jackson and the Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce as the new hosts of the OVC Baseball Championship," said Brad Walker, Interim OVC Commissioner. "The opportunity to play games at Pringles Park and build on the student-athlete experience and community support of the event is attractive."

The 2009 season marked the 30th year the OVC Baseball Championship had been held. The first elimination style tournament was held in 1980, most usually being played at the site of the regular season champion. Beginning in 2001 the tournament switched to a neutral site for the first time, as the last nine championships have been held at Brooks Stadium in Paducah, Ky.

"On behalf of the OVC member institutions and conference staff I would like to thank the City of Paducah and the staff at Brooks Stadium for providing a great experience as the host of our tournament for the past nine years," Walker said. "We are going to miss them, but we are excited about the new possibilities that are in store for the tournament."

Pringles Park opened in 1998 and has a seating capacity of 6,000. The venue hosted the 1999 Southern League All-Star Game and will also host that event in 2011. Pringles Park also has luxury suites, a video board and merchandise shop that will be used for the championship. More information on the stadium and the Diamond Jaxx can be found at http://westtenn.diamondjaxx.milb.com.

"We are thrilled to have been awarded the OVC Baseball Tournament for the next three years," said Tom Hanson, General Manager of the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx. "Our community always does a great job in supporting major events, and I'm sure this tournament will be no different. We look forward to making this a special experience for all players, coaches, families and friends."

Jackson, Tenn. is located 130 miles from Nashville and 77.2 miles from Memphis on Interstate 40.

The Ohio Valley Conference currently has nine baseball-playing institutions including Austin Peay State University, Eastern Illinois University, Eastern Kentucky University, Jacksonville State University, Morehead State University, Murray State University, Southeast Missouri State University, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Tennessee Technological University and the University of Tennessee at Martin. Tennessee State University, a member of the OVC in all other sports, does not sponsor baseball. SIU Edwardsville, the league's newest member, is ineligible for postseason play until 2013 due to the program's reclassification efforts to full Division I status.

Deeds, who was one of five Ohio Valley Conference first-year student-athletes named Freshmen All-Americans, was also honored on the OVC All-Freshman Team in 2009.

He finished the year ranked tied for second on the team with a .366 batting average. He totaled 60 hits, scored 38 times, slapped seven doubles, legged out three triples, and circled the bases six times via home runs. He also led the Eagles by going 14-of-17 in stolen bases.

Deeds added 37 RBI and posted a .555 slugging percentage.

On the field Lee had one of MSU's best offensive seasons in school history. He set a school record for hits in a season with 86 and also had a team high 18 doubles and 17 home runs. He had 67 RBI, scored 62 runs and totaled a league-best 159 bases during the 52 games MSU played this year. He ranked in the top five in the OVC in homers, doubles, RBI and runs scored and his total base final stats were only three shy of the MSU single season mark.

He ended with a .413 batting average and was named First-Team All-OVC. He was also one of 15 semifinalists for the 2009 Brooks Wallace Award, which honors NCAA Division I's best shortstop. Drew was also named OVC Player of the Week and was listed on the College Baseball Foundation and Diamond Sports National All-Star Lineup on April 23. Recently he was also honored as a CoSIDA Second-Team Academic All-American.

Lee was among five Ohio Valley Conference student-athletes named Collegiate Baseball/Louisville Slugger TPX Third-Team All-Americans

Lee and Bottoms add to the long and storied list of former MSU student-athletes who have been named Academic All-Americans. The list now includes 29 different award winners representing Morehead State since Don Russell was honored first in 1974. It is also the first time since 2006, when Brian Babcock was a First-Team honoree, that MSU has had an Academic All-American. Bottoms and Lee are only the fifth and sixth players in the baseball program to be honored with this prestigious honor. They join Mike Ishmael, Adam Smith, Brad Allison and Sam Hoehner.

To be eligible for the awards program, a student-athlete must be a sophomore or higher in eligibility standing and possess at least a 3.30 cumulative grade point average.

Lee sported a 3.64 GPA in engineering technology and on the field posted one of MSU's best offensive seasons in school history. He set a school record for hits in a season with 86 and also had a team high 18 doubles and 17 home runs. He had 67 RBI, scored 62 runs and totaled a league-best 159 bases during the 52 games MSU played this year. He ranked in the top five in the OVC in homers, doubles, RBI and runs scored and his total base final stats were only three shy of the MSU single season mark.

He ended with a .413 batting average and was named First-Team All-OVC. He was also one of 15 semifinalists for the 2009 Brooks Wallace Award, which honors NCAA Division I's best shortstop. Drew was also named OVC Player of the Week and was listed on the College Baseball Foundation and Diamond Sports National All-Star Lineup on April 23.

Bottoms was honored as a designated hitter, and he also played first base and pitched for the Eagles. Offensively, he hit .350 with 15 doubles and eight homers. He also drove in 61 runs, had 75 hits and scored 43 times. On the mound, he sported the team's best earned run average at 4.15, made a team high 20 appearances, and led the squad with five saves. He was named OVC Pitcher of the Week as well on the last week of the regular season.