DELAND, Fla. – What a difference a year makes. In only its second season in the league, Austin Peay State University's baseball team enters the Atlantic Sun Conference's Baseball Championship as the No. 1 overall seed. The Govs begin play on Tuesday against Florida Gulf Coast at Stetson's Melching Field at Conrad Park in DeLand, Florida.

It is a dramatic turnaround from one year ago when the Govs were the last team to qualify for the eight-team championship, winning on the regular season's final day to clinch a spot. Austin Peay has charged to the top of the league in one season behind a phenomenal offensive display that sees it ranked as the nation's No. 1 offense in most statistical categories..

TRENDING GOVS

Austin Peay finished the regular season with an 11-game improvement over its 2023 record (26-32). It is the third best season-to-season improvement in program history. Austin Peay has won 14 of its last 17 games (since April 20) and 19 of its last 25 (since April 6). Since April 6, the APSU offense has averaged 13.1 runs per game while batting .401 with 80 home runs and a .488 on-base percentage. 

CHAMPIONSHIP GOVS

The Governors 2024 Atlantic Sun Conference title came in just its second season in the league. It is Austin Peay's 10th conference regular-season baseball championship in its Division I era, the most of any APSU program. It also is the Govs' 12th conference championship season in program history. Austin Peay is a tournament's No. 1 seed for the sixth time in program history and has won a title four times from that position (1996, 2007, 2011, 2012).

THESE GOVS ABSOLUTELY RAKE

Entering this weekend's action, the Govs' offense is producing at a historic pace. APSU enters the weekend leading all Division I teams in total home runs (144) and doubles (152). In addition, the Govs lead the ASUN, rank among the NCAA's top teams, and will set program records in each of the following averages:

BEWARE THE K

Meanwhile, Austin Peay's pitching staff continues to strike out opponents at a near-record pace, averaging 9.49 strikeouts per nine innings. That rate is among the best in program history, behind the 2019 staff's 9.92 strikeout rate (556 Ks/504.1 IP). This season's strikeout rate ranks 42nd among Division I teams and leads all ASUN squads.

FIRST HACKS

• Center fielder John Bay has hit four grand slams this season (see page 4). However, he enters the tournament batting only .250 in his last 10 games but has three home runs and 12 RBI. Bay ranks seventh nationally in slugging percentage and 10th in home runs.
• First baseman/right fielder Harrison Brown closed the regular season batting .455 (10-22) with five RBI and six runs scored over his final five games. He has batted .400 with 11 homers and 41 RBI since April 6.
• Utility man Jaden Brown also closed the regular season strongly, batting .611 (11-18) in his last five games with five doubles, eight RBI, and eight runs scored. He has 12 multi-hit outings in 17 games since April 9.
• Catcher Keaton Cottam enjoyed his second straight three-hit outing on May 7, going 3-for-4 with a career-best three RBI against Belmont after going  3-for-5 with four runs scored against AAMU the previous Tuesday.
• Catcher Gus Freeman has been the ringleader of the Govs' second-half surge. He leads the team with a .449 batting average (31-69) with 23 RBI and 29 runs scored in 20 games place since April 6.
• Shortstop Jon Jon Gazdar has been on a tear in May, batting a team-best .500 (23-46) in this month's 10 games with six doubles, two home runs and 14 RBI. It helped him to finish the regular season batting .400.
• On May 16, Gazdar was named a Brooks Wallace Award semifinalist, which the College Baseball Hall of Fame presents to the nation's best shortstop.
• Infielder Conner Gore broke out with a 4-for-5 outing in his last outing against Alabama A&M on April 30 including a double, two RBI, and three runs scored.
• Right fielder Clayton Gray extended his reached safely streak to 39 games against North Alabama. It is the sixth longest streak in APSU history. With his 23 doubles this season, he became the first Govs hitter with two 20-double seasons after finishing last season with 24 doubles and 24 stolen bases.  
• Two-way man Lyle Miller-Green, the ASUN Preseason Player of the Year, hit his 28th and 29th home runs against North Alabama to break the ASUN record. He leads all Division I hitters in runs scored (93) and RBI (93) and is third in home runs (29) – all APSU records.  
• Last week, Miller-Green was named a semifinalist for the Dick Howser Trophy, presented by the NCBWA to College Baseball's Player of the Year, and the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award, presented by the College Baseball Hall of Fame. LMG also is on the Golden Spikes Watch List, with USA Baseball announcing its semifinalists on Tuesday.
• First baseman Justin Olson extended his streak of reaching safely to nine games with his 2-for-4 outing against Central Arkansas on May 11.
• Third baseman Brody Szako closed the regular season with a six-game hit streak and recorded a hit in 15 of his final 16 games. He is batting .356 with five home runs and 24 RBI in those final 16 games.
• Second baseman Ambren Voitik batted .375 with seven RBI, four doubles, and two home runs in the Govs' final four ASUN series with eight multi-hit outings in those 12 games.

FOLLOW ALONG

Keep up to date with all Governors baseball on the official website of Austin Peay Athletics - www.LetsGoPeay.com. Follow @GovsBSB on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram for all Governors Baseball updates and ticket information as they happen.