Four Little Rock baseball standouts were recognized Tuesday with postseason honors from the Ohio Valley Conference. Junior pitcher Brannon Westmoreland, junior infielder Nolan Freund, redshirt sophomore outfielder Kade Smith and freshman reliever Tag Andrews each earned All-OVC  second-team honors, while Andrews also picked up OVC All-Freshman Team recognition.
Junior pitcher Brannon Westmoreland, junior infielder Nolan Freund, redshirt sophomore outfielder Kade Smith and freshman reliever Tag Andrews were each named All-OVC Second Team selections. Andrews also earned a spot on the OVC All-Freshman Team after an impressive debut season on the mound.
The quartet played major roles in helping the Trojans secure the No. 4 seed in this week's OVC Tournament and continue the program's momentum heading into postseason play.
Freund developed into one of Little Rock's most dependable offensive and defensive players during the season. The junior third baseman from Kingman, Kan., hit .308 with 57 hits, eight home runs and 36 RBI while posting a .985 fielding percentage. Freund consistently delivered key at-bats in conference play and became a stabilizing presence in the middle of the Trojan lineup.
Smith enjoyed a breakout campaign and emerged as one of the league's top hitters. The Searcy native batted .340 with 70 hits, 13 doubles, 42 RBI and eight stolen bases while routinely igniting the Little Rock offense at the top of the lineup. His consistency throughout the spring helped fuel one of the OVC's most productive offenses.
Westmoreland anchored the Trojan pitching staff throughout the season and turned in one of the league's top years on the mound. The junior right-hander finished the regular season with a 2.98 ERA, two shutouts and 72 strikeouts across 84.2 innings pitched while routinely giving Little Rock quality starts in key conference series.
Andrews quickly established himself as one of the OVC's top young relievers during his freshman season. The Maumelle product posted a 3.86 ERA with four saves and 31 strikeouts in 33.2 innings while handling numerous high-pressure bullpen situations. Andrews was one of the few players in the conference to earn both All-OVC and All-Freshman Team honors.
Little Rock now turns its attention to postseason play as the Trojans open the OVC Tournament Wednesday night at Mountain Dew Park in Marion, Illinois. The Trojans will face the winner of Tuesday's matchup between No. 5 Morehead State and No. 8 Southern Indiana at 7 p.m.
ALL-OVC FIRST TEAM
C Micajah Wall, Southern Indiana
1B Ryan Niedzwiedz, SIUE
2B Chris Worcester, Eastern Illinois
SS Chase Bloomer, SIUE
3B Mike O'Conor, Eastern Illinois
OF TJ Grines, UT Martin
OF Jorsixt Jimenez, Tennessee Tech
OF Ian McCubbin, Morehead State
DH Aubrey Kearns, Morehead State
UT Joe Hall, Southeast Missouri
SP Bryce Riggs, Eastern Illinois
SP Josh Newell, Lindenwood
SP Tim Teixeira, SIUE
RP Easton Harris, SIUE
RP Nathan Mertens, Southeast Missouri
ALL-OVC SECOND TEAM
C Caden Sheridan, Morehead State
1B Liam Bushey, Western Illinois
2B Brooks Kettering, Southeast Missouri
SS Andrew Ramirez, Southeast Missouri
3B Nolan Freund, Little Rock
OF TJ Dunsford, UT Martin
OF Davis Germann, Morehead State
OF Kade Smith, Little Rock
DH Joshua Heyder, SIUE
UT James Love, Eastern Illinois
SP Brannon Westmoreland, Little Rock
SP Seth Benes, Lindenwood
SP Spencer Stearns, SIUE
RP James Geshel, Eastern Illinois
RP Tag Andrews, Little Rock
AWARDS
OVC Co-Player of the Year: Ryan Niedzwiedz, SIUE
OVC Co-Player of the Year: TJ Grines, UT Martin
OVC Pitcher of the Year: Bryce Riggs, Eastern Illinois
OVC Freshman of the Year: Will Geary, Lindenwood
OVC Coach of the Year: Sean Lyons, SIUE
