Semoball

Southeast Missouri State baseball standout Osborne earns preseason All-America status

Southeast Missouri State senior outfielder Chris Osborne earned preseason recognition Tuesday as he was named a National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Third-Team All-American.

A first-team All-Ohio Valley Conference and OVC All-Tournament pick in 2016, Osborne broke out as a junior and led the nation with a .741 slugging percentage.

The Edmonds, Wash., native led the Redhawks with a .367 batting average and 15 home runs, making 36 starts in 40 appearances. He was third on the team with 44 RBIs.

Osborne entered the SEMO record books when he became the first Southeast player in 13 years to hit for the cycle, going 4-for-5 with three runs scored, two RBIs, a double, a triple and a home run at Austin Peay on April 10 last season.

Jacksonville State second baseman Clayton Daniel is the only other OVC representative honored, garnering a second-team nod.

The NCBWA preseason list featured 18 different conferences, nine conference championship teams and 23 NCAA Regional participants.

Southeast opens its 2017 season on Feb. 17 against a pair of teams, UT Arlington and Stephen F. Austin, in a doubleheader in Nacogdoches, Texas.

The Redhawks' first home game is Feb. 24, opening a three-game series against Western Illinois.

— From staff report

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