As of March 16, 2020, the remainder of conference play for spring athletics in the Ohio Valley have been cancelled.

The move comes as no surprise, as a vast majority of additional collegiate and professional athletic conferences have followed suit.

“I know whether you are a student-athlete, coach or an administrator we all share a collective sense of loss right now,” Conference commissioner Beth Debauche said in a statement. “But we must take solace in the fact our OVC community did exactly what we needed to do to help protect the health and safety of our student-athletes and the broader communities in which our institutions play such a large role.”

In regards to competition, the cancellation leaves a lot of “what could have been” for Governors athletics, with many teams still in contention for a conference title.

With that being said, listed below are the eight teams that were affected by the suspension and eventual cancellation of OVC play. Included with the sport is the team’s record and the potentially departing seniors on roster.

Football

The Governors’ football team is one that will experience a lighter affect of the cancellation, as the aftermath of such includes stoppages of the annual spring football game and the university’s pro day showcase. Practices were also suspended for all programs until April 3, where they will be further evaluated. The Govs begin their 2021 season Aug. 29 against Central Arkansas in the FCS Kickoff Classic.

Baseball

Travis Janssen’s team began to slowly find momentum before the season’s abrupt end, adding an impressive 10-1 win against Western Illinois to their resume March 11 in their season finale.

The Governors were still in a transitional period, as roles were continuously being carved out with conference play beginning. Pitcher Collin Loose received his first start against the Leathernecks, serving as the sixth pitcher to take the mound in the first for the Govs.

APSU baseball closes the books on 2020 with a final record of 7-10. The starting rotation for the Governors will continue to be in fluctuation, as two starters (Nolan Monaghan and Tyler Thompson) are expected to graduate at the conclusion of the semester. Eight seniors in total will now have decisions to make regarding the additional year of eligibility granted by the NCAA.

Softball

The Govs softball team impressed in their final seven games of the young season: the Governors won three of five as the host of the Governors’ Classic, then swept Siena with a combined score of 14-3 on a March 11 doubleheader.

The fight to break even for the season came just shy, as the Governors finished 11-12 in 2020. Sophomore Harley Mullins was a bright spot for the Govs young rotation, pitching four complete games throughout the final week of the regular season.

Six seniors are now faced with eligibility decisions for next season, five of which appearing in over 20 of the Governors 22 total games.

Beach Volleyball

In the first year of OVC competition, the beach volleyball team begun the season with an undefeated weekend in Conway, Ark. winning the UCA Beach Tournament. Eliza Dees and Caroline Waite were named the pair of the week in the OVC, emerging victorious from all four of their matches.

MiMi Arrington and Jenna Panning serve as the two seniors on the roster for the Govs, combining for a 28-18 record a season ago and a 56-42 record over their career.

Golf

Both men’s and women’s golf teams kicked off their spring seasons a month before the season’s cancellation. The women had most recently placed third in the Benbow Invitational, a 36 hole tournament held in Jacksonville Beach, Fl.

As for the men, the Governors finished with a ranking of 17th in the Tiger Invitational, hosted by Jason Dufner in Opelika, Al. Despite the poor finish, the men began their season strong by finishing second in the Presidents Day Match Play Championship at George Washington.

Four seniors from the men’s and women’s team are expected to graduate in May, all but one coming via the men’s team.

Tennis

The men’s tennis team was one of the final three teams in action the night before athletic director Gerald Harrison suspended sports for the spring, picking up their fifth victory in 16 matches. The Govs defeated Southern Indiana in Evansville, a 5-2 win against the Screaming Eagles.

As for the women’s team, Ross Brown’s club was poised for another OVC championship run: the Governors posted an impressive 9-3 record through their first two months of play. The top three singles players for the Governors had an impressive 28-6 mark through their first 12 matches. The women last played Feb. 28 and were unable to play a match in the month of March.

Both teams will have two seniors combined graduating at the conclusion of the semester, Hunter Sanders for the men and Ana Albertson for the women. Sanders and Albertson served in the sixth singles spot for their respective club.

Soccer

Although the regular and postseason has already come to a conclusion for the Govs soccer team, five exhibition matches remained slated on the schedule before their eventual cancellation.

Campbellsville, Lipscomb and FC London were scheduled to visit Morgan Brothers Soccer Field, along with road games at the University of North Alabama and West Georgia were slashed. The cancellation terminates the 2020 season and potentially the playing careers of Mary Parker Powell, Renee Seamaan, Meghan Dees and Melody Fisher.

The quartet of seniors started all but two games this season and played in 220 games over their tenure as Governors.

Track and Field

After winning the 2020 indoor track and field Ohio Valley Conference championship, OVC coach of the year recipient Valerie Brown will not have the opportunity of repeated indoor success on an outdoor track.

The APSU Invitational, which was scheduled in April, has since been removed from the schedule, along with every other outdoor track meet previously listed for the spring.

Seven seniors for the track and field team will face eligibility decisions at the conclusion of this semester, of which including graduate students Savannah Amato and Tymeitha Tolbert.

The All State would like to congratulate the coaches, student-athletes and additional staff that were integral to the success of these programs across the board in the shortened 2020 season.

It goes without saying the trying times and emotions most athletes are still struggling with and will continue to struggle with for weeks to come.

To those who are graduating: thank you for the memories you have created through your abilities on and off the field and for representing what it means to be an APSU Governor.