Baseball Picked to Finish 5th in OVC, Lee and McDuffie Named Players to Watch
Tennessee Tech baseball was selected to finish 5th in the OVC in a vote among league head coaches. Owen Lee and Reece McDuffie were named Players to Watch as announced today by the conference.
By Jeff Bowe, TTU Athletics Media Relations
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Tech baseball was selected to finish 5th in the OVC in a vote among league head coaches. Owen Lee and Reece McDuffie were named Players to Watch, as announced today by the conference.
Owen Lee and Reece McDuffie have been named Players to Watch by the OVC for the first time in their collegiate careers. The Golden Eagles were picked to finish fifth in the OVC in a vote amongst league head coaches.
Lee appeared in 56 games last season, hitting nine home runs and driving in 37. He slugged .430, reached base at a 368 clip, and hit .249 (48x193) with 44 runs scored. He recorded 13 multi-hit games with 17 extra-base hits. Lee earned 33 walks and struck out 30 times, with five stolen bases without being caught.
McDuffie leads all returning relievers with 54.2 innings pitched, while limiting batters to a .250 batting average and allowing 19 earned runs while walking just six. Over his three-year career, he has struck out 59 batters in 97.1 innings pitched, while walking 27, including a career-low six walks last season. In 2025, McDuffie posted a 3.13 ERA (19 ER, 54.2 IP) while registering a 4.61 K/9 IP and a career-low 1.10 WHIP.
Tennessee Tech Players to Watch
Owen Lee (INF, R-So.)
Reece McDuffie (RHP, Sr.)
Returning All-OVC Player
Jorsixt Jimenez (OF, Sr.)
2026 OVC BASEBALL PRESEASON POLL (First Place Votes)
Pos. Team Points
1 SIUE (10) 137
2 Southeast Missouri (3) 136
3 Eastern Illinois (4) 132
4 Little Rock (3) 122
5 Tennessee Tech 98
6 Lindenwood 86
7 Southern Indiana 70
8 UT Martin 54
9 Morehead State 37
10 Western Illinois 28
NEXT UP
The Golden Eagles open the 2026 season on Friday, Feb. 13, at Texas A&M at 6 p.m. CT. Watch live on SEC Network+. Tech opens at home against Lipscomb on Tuesday, Feb. 17, at 3 p.m. CT.
FOLLOW THE GOLDEN EAGLES
Fans can be sure to follow the Golden Eagles baseball team on X (@TNTech_Baseball), Instagram (tntech_baseball), and Facebook (TTU Baseball) for news, notes, and updates.
