Whitcomb named OVC Player of the Year, eight total Golden Eagles recognized with league honors
BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – Mack Whitcomb highlighted a group of eight members of the Tennessee Tech baseball team to be recognized by the Ohio Valley Conference Tuesday morning, taking home Player of the Year accolades as the league announced its annual postseason honors on the eve of the 2025 OVC Tournament.
2025 All-OVC Teams and Award Winners
By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – Mack Whitcomb highlighted a group of eight members of the Tennessee Tech baseball team to be recognized by the Ohio Valley Conference Tuesday morning, taking home Player of the Year accolades as the league announced its annual postseason honors on the eve of the 2025 OVC Tournament.
In addition to earning OVC Player of the Year honors, Whitcomb was selected to the All-OVC First Team at catcher, joined by utility man Jorsixt Jimenez and relief pitcher Juan Vargas. Senior outfielders Jackson Green and Nicho Jordan each earned selections to the All-OVC Second Team, while rookies Owen Lee, Logan Moller, and Landon Smelser all picked up spots on the OVC All-Freshman Team.
This marks the 15th straight season the Golden Eagles saw at least four student-athletes collect end-of-the-year honors from the OVC (does not include the 2020 season, which was cancelled after 15 games, and subsequently, no postseason honors were awarded during the year). It represents the 14th consecutive year Tech saw at least one student-athlete named to the All-OVC First Team.
Mack Whitcomb became just the fifth Golden Eagle to earn the OVC Player of the Year award, joining an illustrious group including Dave Pratt (1966), Todd Kemp (1988), Mark Maberry (1997), and Kevin Strohschein (2016, 2018, 2019). He represents the first Tech backstop to earn the honor and made it three straight seasons a Golden Eagle catcher earned an All-OVC First Team nod, extending the streak started by Hayden Gilliland the previous two seasons.
The sophomore slugger took home the league's top honor just one season after earning OVC All-Freshman Team honors, batting .362 with a .489 on-base percentage, a .657 slugging percentage, and a 1.146 OPS. Whitcomb racked up 75 hits, 12 doubles, two triples, 15 home runs, 55 RBI, 54 runs, 36 walks, 17 hit-by-pitches, and a 1-1 showing on stolen bases.
In his second year donning the purple and gold, the Mokena, Ill. native led the team in batting average, runs, hits, triples, home runs, RBI, slugging, hit-by-pitches, on-base percentage, and OPS. He led the OVC in on-base percentage, OPS, and hit-by-pitches, ranked second in batting average, hits, and RBI, and was third in slugging percentage, runs scored, and home runs.
The youngster's 15 home runs set a new program record for long balls by a catcher in a single season, topping the mark of 13 set by Gilliland last season. Whitcomb also became the 14th Golden Eagle to smash a school-record three round-trippers in a single game, crushing three against Lindenwood on May 11.
Twice during the season, Tech's top hitter was recognized as the OVC's Player of the Week, earning the honor on May 12 following the home-run outburst, and back on Feb. 17 after the season's opening weekend.
Joining Whitcomb on the All-OVC First Team as a reliever was fellow sophomore Juan Vargas. Effectively, Tech's closer throughout the season, the youngster finished 3-2 with eight saves and a 3.12 ERA, making 20 appearances while covering 40.1 innings on the hill.
The Panama City, Panama native surrendered just 14 earned runs while striking out 52 batters and limiting hitters to just a .217 average. He led the Golden Eagles in appearances, saves, and strikeouts and tied for the league lead in saves.
Vargas' eight saves on the year rank fifth in school history for a single season, trailing only Ethan Roberts and Seth Lucio on the list. He also ranks tied for sixth in a career in program history with the eight saves. In April, the right-hander was named to the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Midseason Watch List.
Rounding out Tech's trio of All-OVC First Teamers, Jorisxt Jimenez claimed the honor as a utility man, serving between right field and designated hitter throughout his first season in the purple and gold. The junior dropped a .316 batting average with 55 hits, 14 doubles, a triple, six home runs, 35 RBI, and 37 runs scored.
He walked 32 times on his way to a .427 on-base percentage and slugged .511 on the year. The Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic native led the team in doubles and was one of three Tech regulars to walk more than he struck out on the year.
Picking up All-OVC Second Team honors brought Jackson Green's career full circle after the outfielder earned OVC All-Freshman Team honors four years ago. The senior concluded his final year in Cookeville in tremendous fashion, claiming the league's final Player of the Week honor.
The Nicholasville, Ky. native concluded the regular season batting .321 with a .452 on-base percentage, .528 slugging percentage, 45 runs, 51 hits, eight doubles, two triples, seven home runs, 33 RBI, and a perfect 19-for-19 showing on the base paths. Green ranks tied for 14th in a single season in swipes and tied for ninth in their Golden Eagle career with Chad Malone, both boasting 39.
Joining his fellow senior outfielder on the All-OVC Second Team, Nicho Jordan made the most of his third and final year in the purple and gold, claiming OVC Player of the Week honors once while ranking among league leaders in steals and fielding percentage.
Boasting a perfect 1.000 mark in the field, the slugger was impressive with the bat as well, slashing .273/.415/.465 while tallying 19 stolen bases in 20 tries. He piled up 51 hits, 12 doubles, eight home runs, 45 runs scored 40 RBI, and a team-high 41 walks.
He also ranks tied for 14th for steals in a single season and tied for 22nd in a career with 29 swipes. Jordan's 23 career home runs rank him tied for 20th in school history with Daniel Miles.
Tech's everyday starter at shortstop, redshirt freshman Owen Lee earned a spot on the OVC All-Freshman Team after belting nine long balls with 37 RBI and 44 runs scored as a rookie. The Trenton, Tenn. native hit .251 with 48 hits, eight doubles, and 33 walks to the tune of a .368 batting average while finishing 5-for-5 on stolen base attempts.
One of the team's most-used arms on the year, rookie Logan Moller joined Lee on the OVC All-Freshman Team following 20 appearances and three starts to the tune of a 3-1 record, one save, and a 4.23 ERA. The Chelsea, Ala. native covered 38.1 innings while striking out 25 batters and limiting opposing hitters to a .250 average.
Completing Tech's haul of honorees with a nod to the OVC All-Freshman Team, Landon Smelser turned in a remarkable rookie season after earning an everyday spot in left field partway through the year. The Johnson City, Tenn. native batted .301 with 41 hits, 33 runs, four doubles, a home run, and 16 RBI. He finished 3-for-3 on stolen base tries and piled up four outfield assists.
