CHARLESTON, Ill. (WCIA) – Eastern Illinois baseball secured the program’s fifth-ever OVC regular season title, and its first since 2009, over the weekend.

The Panthers went 17-7 in conference play to earn the top spot at the conference tournament.

Small ball has helped EIU produce runs in 2025. The Panthers lead all of DI baseball in sacrifice bunts, with 68.

It’s a fact which gets more interesting when EIU head baseball coach Jason Anderson admits he’s ‘not a small ball guy.’ It’s not his style, but one he’s been willing to adjust to with a group that bunts well.

“It’s not something that planned on going into the year,” Anderson said. “But just the way the season has been, the wind and the weather, these guys have really bought into it. We can play baseball in any weather against anybody. We’re not afraid. We just got to put it together and play good ball…. Just a very versatile group. Earlier in the year I think they told us we got the smallest group of right-handed hitters in the country, I was like ‘I’ll take every one of these guys, all day every day.'”

Ethan Rossi has led the way for Eastern in this category, he’s tied for sixth in the country with 13 sac bunts on the year. Brett Stanley boasts 11, tied for 18th in the nation.

EIU opens OVC Tournament play on Thursday, May 22. The Panthers will play at 11 a.m. against Southeast Missouri, Southern Indiana or Little Rock.