Two Skyhawks Named All-OVC; Grines Named Program’s First Player Of The Year
5/19/2026 10:05:00 AM | Baseball
BRENTWOOD, Tenn.- The Ohio Valley Conference released its postseason honorees this morning and the University of Tennessee at Martin baseball team claimed two honors. TJ Grines became the program's first-ever OVC Player of the Year and was named to the first team while TJ Dunsford earned second team accolades.
Grines' 2026 campaign has been one for the books and will go down as one of the best seasons in program history. The Alexandria, La. native claimed 56 RBI's and 65 stolen bases to become the first NCAA Division I player since 2010 and just the third player since 2002 to join the 50 RBI/50 stolen base club. His 65 swiped bags (most in NCAA D-I college baseball since 2007) are an OVC single-season record and have equaled the most in UT Martin history – a record that has stood for four decades. He's just the second Skyhawk to record 90-plus hits in a season and he's the first player since 2010 to have at least 20 doubles and 10 home runs in a single year.
A 5-10, 185-pound senior, Grines currently leads all of NCAA Division baseball in stolen bases (22 more than second place) while also ranking second in hits and sixth in runs scored (74, tied for the most in school history). He's the only player in the OVC that ranks in the top four in the conference in batting average (.388), runs scored, hits, doubles (21) and stolen bases. He had multiple hits in 33 of his 54 contests along with 20 multi-run games and 18 multi-steal outings. While also becoming the school's lone player of the year, he joins Jordan Stoner (2018) as the only outfielders to earn all-first team accolades.
Dunsford has been a force in the cleanup role in his debut season at UT Martin. The Grand Bay, Ala. native is just the second Skyhawk to drive in 60 or more runs in a single season (62, third in OVC and two shy of tying the program's single-season record) and owns a blistering .989 OPS. His 11 home runs are a team-best while he's captured 22 multi-hit games (second on the team) and 17 multi-RBI contests (tied for team lead). He ranks fifth in hits (38) during conference play and ranks seventh overall in doubles (15).
A 6-0, 210-pound junior, Dunsford is the ninth outfielder to nab All-OVC second team honors while this now marks the fourth straight season that Skyhawk head coach Ryan Jenkins has produced all-conference representatives.
The All-OVC duo will lead UT Martin into its first-round matchup in the OVC Baseball Championship against Lindenwood on Tuesday, May 19 at 12 p.m. in Marion, Ill.
Grines' 2026 campaign has been one for the books and will go down as one of the best seasons in program history. The Alexandria, La. native claimed 56 RBI's and 65 stolen bases to become the first NCAA Division I player since 2010 and just the third player since 2002 to join the 50 RBI/50 stolen base club. His 65 swiped bags (most in NCAA D-I college baseball since 2007) are an OVC single-season record and have equaled the most in UT Martin history – a record that has stood for four decades. He's just the second Skyhawk to record 90-plus hits in a season and he's the first player since 2010 to have at least 20 doubles and 10 home runs in a single year.
A 5-10, 185-pound senior, Grines currently leads all of NCAA Division baseball in stolen bases (22 more than second place) while also ranking second in hits and sixth in runs scored (74, tied for the most in school history). He's the only player in the OVC that ranks in the top four in the conference in batting average (.388), runs scored, hits, doubles (21) and stolen bases. He had multiple hits in 33 of his 54 contests along with 20 multi-run games and 18 multi-steal outings. While also becoming the school's lone player of the year, he joins Jordan Stoner (2018) as the only outfielders to earn all-first team accolades.
Dunsford has been a force in the cleanup role in his debut season at UT Martin. The Grand Bay, Ala. native is just the second Skyhawk to drive in 60 or more runs in a single season (62, third in OVC and two shy of tying the program's single-season record) and owns a blistering .989 OPS. His 11 home runs are a team-best while he's captured 22 multi-hit games (second on the team) and 17 multi-RBI contests (tied for team lead). He ranks fifth in hits (38) during conference play and ranks seventh overall in doubles (15).
A 6-0, 210-pound junior, Dunsford is the ninth outfielder to nab All-OVC second team honors while this now marks the fourth straight season that Skyhawk head coach Ryan Jenkins has produced all-conference representatives.
The All-OVC duo will lead UT Martin into its first-round matchup in the OVC Baseball Championship against Lindenwood on Tuesday, May 19 at 12 p.m. in Marion, Ill.
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