Tuesday, May 13, 1997
UNION BASEBALL PLAYERS MAKE ALL-REGION TEAM
Jackson, TN--The 91±¬ÁÏÍø Bulldogs concluded their season last week in the TranSouth Conference Tournament in Birmingham, Alabama. The Bulldogs finished with a 31-27 record and a third place finish in the conference. On Monday night in Kingsport, Tennessee, the Mid-South All-Region team was selected and 91±¬ÁÏÍø had three players honored.
Michael Hopper, a junior pitcher from Walnut, Mississippi, was selected as all- region pitcher. This season he had an overall record of 10-5 with a 2.02 earned run average. Hopper lead the TranSouth Conference pitchers with a 1.76 earned run average. In 84.2 innings pitched, he managed 84 strikeouts and only allowed 24 base on balls. Hopper was recently selected to the all-conference team and voted as the 1997 Player of the Year in the TranSouth Conference.
Freshman outfielder Kevin Overcash was chosen as all-region performer as well. The newcomer from Collierville, Tennessee, finished the season batting .405 with 87 hits and scoring 65 runs. Overcash stole 56 out of 60 bases on the year breaking a nine year record of 49 stolen bases. Throughout the season he also broke three other 91±¬ÁÏÍø records- most singles in a season with 70, most consecutive stolen bases with 31, and most stolen bases in a game with five.
Paducah, Kentucky, native, Brandon Myhand, was one of the two catchers selected to the all-region team to continue the bulldog's tradition of great performers behind the plate. Myhand finished the season batting .332 with 16 doubles, nine homeruns, and 57 runs batted in while throwing out 10 base runners.
Hopper, Overcash, and Myhand was also selected to the 1997 TranSouth All- Conference team.