RICHMOND, Ky. - Eastern Kentucky University head baseball coach Jim Ward has been named 2000 Ohio Valley Conference Coach of the Year in voting by the league's head baseball coaches and sports information directors.

Ward, in his 21^st season as coach of the Colonels, led Eastern to its first OVC regular season championship since 1989 and a No. 1 seeding in the OVC Tournament which starts Thursday in Cape Girardeau, MO.

Other noteworthy achievements came for Ward when he won his 900^th NCAA Division I game in mid-April and when he picked up his 600^th victory at Eastern in early May. His 32-year overall coaching record (which includes 11 years at Stetson) now stands at 913-680-5 and his coaching record at Eastern is 602-495-5.

Senior second baseman Adam Basil was EKU's representative on the first-team All-OVC unit. Basil led the conference in hitting most of the season and currently ranks third with his .414 batting average. He is also second in the league in stolen bases (22), fourth in doubles (21) and sixth in RBI's (52).

Basil has set or tied nine school records this year with the EKU record for most singles in a career just two hits away. He has never batted below .400 all season.

Second-team All-OVC selections for the Colonels were sophomore catcher Mike Schneider (.293, 6 HR's, 29 RBI's); senior first baseman Lee Chapman (.300, 12 HR's, 59 RBI's); sophomore shortstop Kiley Vaughn (.352, 2 HR's, 18 RBI's); senior lefthanded pitcher Corey Eagle (8-6, 5.08 ERA, 90 K's, one save); and sophomore righthanded pitcher Scott Santa (6-4, 4.32 ERA, only 12 walks given up in 77 innings of work).

Receiving honorable mention All-OVC notice were senior third baseman Jason Sharp (.313, 11 HR's, 47 RBI's) and senior lefthanded pitcher Mike Martini (three saves, 4.26 ERA).

Eastern, which will play the winner of the Austin Peay and Murray State game at 6:00 p.m. Thursday night in the opening round of the double elimination OVC Tournament, stands 29-25 overall and was 18-6 in league action.