CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Austin Peay State University will face Eastern Kentucky to open play at the Ohio Valley Conference Softball Championship, 5 p.m., Thursday at Choccolocco Park in Oxford, Alabama, looking to claim its first ever OVC title.
The Governors (27-14, 22-11 OVC) will be the tournament's No. 3 seed, while the Colonels (32-15, 22-9 OVC) are the tournament's No. 2 seed.
Joining the Govs and Colonels in the double-elimination tournament, are the tournament's No. 1 seed Southeast Missouri Redhawks (28-15, 23-6 OVC) and fourth-seeded Jacksonville State Gamecocks (23-23, 21-13 OVC).
Austin Peay posted a 5-3 combined record versus teams in the tournament this spring, going 2-0 versus EKU, 2-1 versus JSU and 1-2 versus SEMO.
Heading into the post season, the Govs are led offensively by junior All-OVC First Team third baseman Lexi Osowski (.433, 5 HR, 26 RBI), senior shortstop Brooke Pfefferle (.337, 2 HR, 17 RBI) and senior center fielder Bailey Shorter (.315, 4 HR, 20 RBI).
In the circle, the Govs pitching staff is led by senior All-OVC Second Team selection Kelsey Gross, who is 9-2 this season, with two shutouts, four saves, a 2.08 ERA and 52 strikeouts in 77.1 innings of work.
She is followed by OVC Freshman of the Year and All-OVC Second Team pick Jordan Benefiel (8-6, 1.70 ERA, 77 K's), junior Harley Mullins (8-5, 5.14 ERA, 50 K's) and sophomore Shelby Harpe (2-0, 4.13 ERA, 9 K's).
Govs Hit and Run
- This is Austin Peay's third-straight appearance in the OVC Championship Tournament and 13th time overall.
- The Govs have a 5-4 record in their previous two OVC Tournaments played at Choccolocco Park.
- Austin Peay is 5-1 in neutral-site games this season.
- The Govs tournament-opening game on Thursday will be the Govs first game played on a Thursday this season.
- The Governors senior class enter the tournament having won 110 games in their careers, the most by any senior class in program history.
- Austin Peay has committed the fewest errors by an OVC team this season, with 38.
- Jordan Benefiel has given up the fewest runs by a qualifying pitcher in the OVC this season, with 23.
- Kelsey Gross is tied for the most saves by an OVC pitcher this season, with four.
- Brett Jackson has thrown out a OVC co-leading 12 base stealers this season.
- Kelsey Gross recorded her 41st RBI last weekend, becoming just the third player in the program's 36-year history to drive in at least 40 runs in a season.
