OVC honors power-hitting Summers

Southeast Missouri State junior third baseman Michelle Summers earned first-team all-Ohio Valley Conference honors Thursday after setting the single-season school record for home runs.

Summers smashed 14 home runs, nine in OVC play, breaking the mark she set last year. Summers also led the Redhawks in batting with a .333 average and was second in doubles with seven.

Southeast junior and Central graduate Megan McDonald earned second-team honors, along with senior Lindsay Pickering. McDonald, a shorstop, hit .306 with eight home runs, seven doubles and 25 RBIs.

Pickering, a senior outfielder, capped her softball career by hitting .308 with six home runs, 19 RBIs and a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage. The two-sport star at Southeast was also all-OVC in soccer as a goalie.

Rounding out Southeast's all-OVC honorees was freshman first baseman Stacia Dopudja. Dopudja made the all-Newcomer team after hitting .327 with 12 home runs, and a team-high 11 doubles and 40 RBIs.

Beth Bodun and Bonnie Bynum of Tennessee Tech earned player of the year and pitcher of the year honors, respectively. Tennessee-Martin freshman Ashley Benbow was newcomer of the year and Tennessee State coach Joyce Maudie earned coaching honors.

Parham earns academic honor

Southeast Missouri State baseball player Josh Parham was named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic first-team all-district team for District 7.

Parham, a senior left-handed pitcher, has maintained a 3.81 GPA as a finance major at Southeast. The Jackson graduate earned the Ohio Valley Conference Medal of Honor last year, awarded to the the baseball player with the top GPA in the OVC.

This season Parham has a 4-3 record on the mound with a 3.29 ERA in 17 appearances.