By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Tech fans, staff and administration flocked to the Eagles' Nest in the Hooper Eblen Center Monday morning, awaiting the announcement from the NCAA Tournament selection show as to where the Golden Eagle baseball team would continue its magical 2017 campaign.
Those questions were answered as the Tech squad (40-19) will pack its bags and head for the campus of Florida State University in Tallahassee, Fla. for the Regional round of the NCAA Tournament. The Golden Eagles will kick off play in a 5 p.m. CT tilt against the Tallahassee Regional's No. 1 seed, Florida State (29-20). Also in the same region will be No. 2 UCF (40-20) and No. 3 Auburn (35-24), matching up at 11 a.m.
Tech is making its first trip to the NCAA Tournament since the 2009 season after becoming just the second team in program history to claim both the Ohio Valley Conference regular season and tournament titles (1997). The Golden Eagles clinched their bid to the NCAA Regionals with a convincing 16-4 victory over Belmont in the OVC Tournament title game Saturday afternoon.
The 2017 Golden Eagles destroyed the program record books along their way to the postseason, setting new season standards for at bats (2,178), runs scored (495), hits (698), extra-base hits (248), total bases (1,151), home runs (97), RBI (453), saves (19) and batters struck out (547). Tech also tied the school record for wins, posting its third 40-victory year in the past five seasons while leading the entire nation in use of the long ball.
Florida State comes into the Regional, red hot running through the ACC Tournament and defeating No. 2 national seed North Carolina in the title game. The Seminoles defeated the Tar Heels, 7-3, in the tournament finale after taking down Notre Dame, Louisville and Duke in previous rounds.
The double-elimination regional tournament is scheduled for June 2-5 at Dick Howser Stadium. The weekend's winner will then be one of just 16 teams from across the country to advance to the NCAA Super Regional, June 9-12. Beginning at 2 p.m. on May 29, fans can click here to purchase tickets via the FSU ticket office.
Photo by Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
