COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – After a week's worth of rest due to a canceled weekend series at SIU Edwardsville, the Tennessee Tech baseball team is back in action on Tuesday against the Wildcats of Kentucky. The first pitch of the evening is slated for 5:30 p.m. central time.
The Golden Eagles will take on head coach Matt Bragga's alma mater in Lexington in the ninth ever contest between the two opponents. Kentucky owns the lifetime series with an edge of seven victories to one. This year, Kentucky has posted a .302 team average through its first 25 games, slugging 17 homers and stealing 43 bases. The Wildcats have posted a 3.93 ERA on the mound as a club and have fielding .973.
A foe out of the SEC, the Wildcats are currently 14-11 on the season, 2-4 in the Southeastern Conference, and are heading into Tuesday night's match-up having lost three straight in a swept series by the Alabama Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa.
Tech last played on Tuesday, March 22 in another SEC match-up against the Vanderbilt Commodores in Nashville, dropping an 11-2 game to the Dores. Zach Stephens has led the Golden Eagles thus far this season with a .384 average, adding eight doubles, one triple, five homers and 27 RBI. Zephan Guyear has hit .318 with three doubles and nine RBI, while Evan Frazier has added a .318 mark with two homers and 10 RBI. Chad Oberacker, the TTU top returning player from 2010, has hit .258 with four homers and 16 RBI.
Tristan Archer, a sophomore and usual weekend starter for the Golden Eagles, will take the hill first on Tuesday. He currenty holds the no. 2 spot in innings pitched for Tech, having worked for 30.2 so far this season, striking out 26 and walking only six batters on his way to a 3-2 record in five starts, six overall appearances. The Wildcats will turn to freshman southpaw Corey Littrell (3-1, 5.72 ERA) for his fifth career start. Littrell has tossed 28.2 innings with 30 hits allowed this season, walking 11 and striking out 24.
The game will be televised on the Big Blue Sports Network with Dick Gabriel, Doug Flynn and Ryan Lemond calling the action. Additionally, fans who can't tune in to the televised game or make it to Lexington can follow the LiveStats at the following link:
Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles vs. University of Kentucky Wildcats
