By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech baseball team will get plenty of action in against Bulldogs this week as the Golden Eagles hit the road for a Tuesday contest at UNC Asheville before returning to Bush Stadium for a Wednesday tilt with Alabama A&M.

Set for a 4 p.m. CT first-pitch, Tech will face UNC Asheville for the second straight year in the first of two meetings this season. The Golden Eagles will also play host to the Bulldogs on March 31.

Tech will then play host to another Bulldog squad on Wednesday, welcoming Alabama A&M to Cookeville for a 6 p.m. game. The Golden Eagles will return the contest with the team from Huntsville on Apr. 22.

SERIES INFO
Dates: Mar. 24, 2015
Times: 4 PM CT
Location: Asheville, N.C.
Stadium: Greenwood Field
Radio: None
TV: None

SERIES HISTORY
Overall: UNCA leads, 10-6
Bragga vs: 2-3
First Meeting: Unknown
Last Meeting: March 11, 2014

MULTIMEDIA
Live Stats: Tuesday
Audio: None
Video: None
Twitter Updates: @TNTech_Baseball

TENNESSEE TECH GOLDEN EAGLES
2015 Record: 10-11
2015 OVC Record: 4-5 (T-6th)
Head Coach: Matt Bragga
Career: 305-317-2 (12^th season)
TTU: 305-317-2 (12^th season)

STAT LEADERS
AVG: Dylan Bosheers (.352)
2B: Ryan Flick (8)
HR: Bosheers (4)
RBI: Flick (23)
SB: Bosheers/Cunningham (3)

UNC ASHEVILLE BULLDOGS
2015 Record: 10-13
2015 Big South Record: 1-5 (11th)
Head Coach: Scott Friedholm
Career: 10-13-0 (1st season)
UNCA: 10-13-0 (1st season)

STAT LEADERS
AVG: Joe Zayatz (.389)
2B: Joe Tietjen/Kyle Towles/Zayatz (6)
HR: Hunter Bryant (5)
RBI: Bryant (14)
SB: Towles (3)

SERIES INFO
Dates: Mar. 25, 2015
Times: 6 PM CT
Location: Cookeville, Tenn.
Stadium: Bush Stadium
Radio: None
TV: None

SERIES HISTORY
Overall: Tech leads, 9-0
Bragga vs: 9-0
First Meeting: Feb. 14, 2007
Last Meeting: Apr. 15, 2014

MULTIMEDIA
Live Stats: Wednesday
Audio: None
Video: None
Twitter Updates: @TNTech_Baseball

ALABAMA A&M BULLDOGS
2015 Record: 13-10
2015 SWAC Record: 8-4 (2nd East)
Head Coach: Mitch Hill
Career: 34-42-0 (2nd season)
AA&M: 34-42-0 (2nd season)

STAT LEADERS
AVG: Julio Nunez (.408)
2B: Nunez (11)
HR: Nunez (5)
RBI: Nunez (29)
SB: Trea Nelson (6)

STILL DEALIN'
Less than a week after turning in one of the most incredible pitching performances in program history (a one-hit, 17-strikeout shutout of UT Martin), senior hurler Chris Chism came back with seven strong frames on the hill against SIUE, scattering four hits and allowing just one earned run. He struck out nine Cougar batters, bringing his total in his two starts this season to a mind-boggling 26 Ks in 16 innings of work.

Fans at the series-opening contest at UT Martin got the chance to witness history as the righty unleashed the greatest performance of his career on the Skyhawks. Chism tossed a one-hit shutout in Martin, fanning a career-best 17 batters along the way.

After surrendering a hit to the leadoff batter of the game, Chism retired 23 straight Skyhawk players, amassing 13 strikeouts over that span. He allowed just one walk and a total of four base runners (he also hit a batter and an error allowed the other runner). With the victory, he moved to 3-0 on the year.

Just one year prior, Chism took on the Skyhawks in the friendly confines of Bush Stadium and enjoyed similar success. His first action against UT Martin resulted in a one-hit shutout with 10 strikeouts.

Chism's 17 strikeouts marked the most by a Golden Eagle hurler in nearly 30 years, falling just behind the program record of 19 tossed by TTU Sports Hall of Famer, Todd Kemp. The OVC-record holder for both single-season and career strikeouts, Kemp accomplished his single-game mark for Tech back in 1988 against Tennessee State.

Of his 17 K's on the night, Chism set down 10 swinging and the other seven looking.

DOWN MAYBE, BUT NEVER OUT
If there's been anything to learn about this year's version of the Golden Eagles, it's that you can knock them down, but don't you dare count them out. In 21 games this season, Tech has mounted four come-from-behind victories when trailing in the fifth inning or later.

In the second game of the year, the Golden Eagles headed into the bottom of the ninth, trailing 7-2 to a feisty Longwood squad. Six runs later, Tech walked off with its first victory of the year. A week later, the squad found itself trailing to a dangerous Davidson team in the fifth by two runs. Tech tied it in the bottom half before the flood gates opened up with an eight-run sixth for a 12-5 win.

Just last week, Morehead State mounted its own rally, taking a two-run lead in the top of the sixth while looking for a series sweep. Two quick runs in the bottom half of the frame led to an exhilarating 9-8, walk-off W in the ninth.

And last time out, the Golden Eagles looked sure to be done in the fifth, trailing in-state rival Lipscomb by six runs with two outs in the bottom of the fifth. The Golden Eagles proved they don't care, dropping a seven-spot to take the lead for good in an unreal 12-8 victory.

FRESHMAN FOCUS
Freshman Chase Chambers has really come alive after a slow start to the season, ranking second on the squad with a .324 average. He has drawn a team-high 13 walks and tallied a .535 slugging percentage and .437 on base percentage this season. The first baseman also ranks third on the squad with 15 RBI.

Fellow freshman Ryan Flick, Tech's designated hitter, has also been a huge boon to the offense. Number 11 leads the Golden Eagles with 23 RBI on the year, thanks to a slugging percentage of .458 and 10 extra base hits. He ranks third ont he squad with two home runs.

MR. 300
With a 14-2 win over Northern Illinois on Feb. 28, head coach Matt Bragga earned his 300th career victory, just the second coach in program history to accomplish the feat. He currently ranks second to Hall of Fame coach David Mays in total wins.

Photo by Jim Dillon