University of Southern Indiana Baseball senior outfielder Kyle Kempf (Evansville, Indiana) and senior third baseman Trent Gunn (Tell City, Indiana) were named 2016 Midwest Region Preseason All-Americans in the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper. Sophomore outfielder/first baseman Drake McNamara (Mt. Vernon, Indiana) was named a “Player to Watch”, while junior right-hander  Colin Nowak (Carol Stream, Illinois) was listed as a “Newcomer to Watch”.
Kempf enters the 2016 campaign after earning NCBWA honorable mention All-American honors as a junior. He batted a career-high .395 with 42 RBIs, 45 runs scored, 42 RBIs, and eight home runs, while posting a team-high 15 doubles. The three-year starter and two-time All-GLVC performer moved into the USI all-time rankings last year, beginning this spring in seventh in hits;Â eighth in total bases; 11th in doubles; and 15th in home runs
Gunn was named ABCA second-team All-Midwest Region and second-team All-GLVC East Division last spring. He started all 49 games in posting a career season, batting .356 with a team-high 57 RBIs and 10 home runs. The senior infielder also had a three-year high 30 runs scored and 10 doubles and concluded 2015 with a 19-game hitting streak, two short of the USI record.
McNamara battled through injuries to play in 31 games as a redshirt freshman, making 28 starts. He ranked fourth on the team with a .333 batting average with 10 runs scored, 19 RBIs, four doubles, and one home run.
Nowak joins the Screaming Eagles’ pitching staff after posting a 7-2 record in two seasons at Heartland Community College. He was 5-0 record and a 2.13 ERA in seven games and six starts during 2015 after going 4-2 with a 3.69 ERA in 39 innings of work as a freshman.
The Eagles start the 2016 campaign at the USI Baseball Field February 19 when they start a three-game series with Grand Valley State University.
