SEMO baseball's Lennington named preseason All-American, Gibson earns award from Mo. Sports Hall of Fame

Two members of the Southeast Missouri State baseball team's Ohio Valley Conference championship team from last season are garnering recognition.

Third baseman Andy Lennington, who returns for his senior season, was named a third-team Louisville Slugger preseason all-American by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper on Friday.

Lennington, a three-year starter at Southeast, batted .312 during his junior campaign and led the Redhawks with 18 doubles and five triples.

Three other OVC players join Lennington on the list. Morehead State outfielder Brandon Rowe was named to the first team, Austin Peay utility player Alex Robles was second team and Tennessee Tech shortstop Dylan Bosheers was a third-team selection.

It was also announced Friday that former Redhawk Derek Gibson will be awarded the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame's Special Achievement Award at its Enshrinement Ceremony on January 25 in Springfield, Missouri.

According to a press release from the Southeast athletics department, "The award is given to a Missouri native who has been recognized in his/her sport on the national level."

Gibson, from Bonne Terre, Missouri, was selected for the award because he was a 2014 National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association first-team all-American.

Gibson, who signed with the St. Louis Cardinals organization as an undrafted free agent in June, also was named first-team all-conference, a Capital One Academic all-American, and a second-team all-American by Rawlings and the American Baseball Coaches Association following his senior season.