Golden Eagles set for Tallahassee Regional match-up with No. 15 Florida State

Golden Eagles set for Tallahassee Regional match-up with No. 15 Florida State

By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information

Tennessee Tech Baseball NCAA Regional Preview  (6/1)

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech baseball team returns to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2009, heading south for the Tallahassee Regional Friday, June 2-5 at Dick Howser Stadium. The No. 4 seeded Golden Eagles will match-up with No. 15 ranked and No. 1 seed Florida State in a 5 p.m. CT contest on ESPN3.

The first game of the regional will pit No. 2 UCF against No. 3 Auburn in a noon affair featured on ESPN2. Ever Tech baseball game in the Tallahassee Regional will be streamed on ESPN3 via the WatchESPN app and broadcast live on radio, by Dylan Vazzano, on either FM 106.1 The Eagle or FM 107.7 / AM 1400 The HUB.

Fans are encouraged to follow social media and the TTUsports.com website for updates concerning any game time changes or delays in case of inclement weather.

Twitter: @TNTech_Baseball | Facebook: TTU Sports | Instagram: TTUGoldenEagles

SERIES INFO
Date(s): June 2-5, 2017
Time(s): 5 P.M. CT | 11 A.M./6 P.M. | 12 P.M./6 P.M. | 6 P.M.
Location: Tallahassee, Fla.
Stadium: Dick Howser Stadium (6,700)
TV: ESPN3
Talent: Jason Benetti (pxp), Todd Walker (analyst)
Radio: FM 106.1 The Eagle, FM 107.7/AM 1400 The HUB
Talent: Dylan Vazzano (pxp)

SERIES HISTORY (FSU | UCF | AU)
Overall: FSU 3-0 | UCF 2-1 | 1st Meeting
Streak: FSU W3 | UCF W1 | 1st Meeting
Cookeville: None | None | None
Road: FSU 3-0 | UCF 2-1 | None
Neutral Site: 1st Meeting | 1st Meeting | 1st Meeting
Bragga vs: 1st Meeting | 1st Meeting | 1st Meeting

SERIES MULTIMEDIA
Live Stats: Seminoles.com
Audio: TTUSports.com
Video: WatchESPN
Twitter Updates: @TNTech_Baseball

TENNESSEE TECH GOLDEN EAGLES
2017 Record: 40-19
2017 OVC Record: 23-7 (1st)
Head Coach: Matt Bragga
TTU: 393-378-2 (14th season)
Career: 520-472-2 (18th season)
Since 2008: 321-242-2 

BATTING LEADERS
AVG: Trevor Putzig – .395
H: Trevor Putzig – 88
2B: Ryan Flick – 23
HR: Ryan Flick – 18
RBI: Ryan Flick – 70
R: Alex Junior – 66
SLG%: Ryan Flick – .735
OB%: Ryan Flick – .469
BB: Ryan Flick – 36
SB: Collin Harris – 13

PITCHING LEADERS
ERA: Michael Wood – 5.34*
WINS: Michael Wood – 8
APP: Ethan Roberts – 21
IP: Michael Wood – 84.1
K: Michael Wood – 78
SV: Ethan Roberts – 13
*1.0 inning pitched per team game played

FLORIDA STATE SEMINOLES
BA 15 | USA 17 | CB 18 | NCBWA 18 | D1 16
2017 Record: 39-20
2017 ACC Record: 14-14 (5th Atlantic)
Head Coach: Mike Martin
FSU: 1,937-691-4 (38th season)
Career: Same

UCF KNIGHTS
BA 22 | USA 24 | CB NR | NCBWA 24 | D1 23
2017 Record: 40-20
2017 AAC Record: 15-9 (T-1st)
Head Coach: Greg Lovelady
UCF: 40-20 (1st season)
Career: 164-77 (4th season)

AUBURN TIGERS
BA 23 | USA RV | CB NR | NCBWA 27 | D1 NR
2017 Record: 35-24
2017 SEC Record: 16-10 (T-4th West)
Head Coach: Butch Thompson
AU: 58-57 (2nd season)
Career: 97-69 (3rd season)

TEAM QUICK HITS
Tennessee Tech enters the Tallahassee Regional fresh off its first OVC Tournament title since 2009, sweeping the field in three games and in dominating fashion. Tech outscored its competition 38-19, allowing fewer runs in each contest.

Junior designated hitter Ryan Flick put on a show with the bat, smashing five home runs and driving in a whopping 16 RBI on his way to MVP honors. The highlight? How about a three-home run, nine-RBI performance against Southeast Missouri.

Sophomore slugger Kevin Strohschein kept his red-hot bat rolling, batting .488 with four home runs, 14 RBI and 12 runs over his last 10 games.

Tennessee Tech has really laid waste to the program's record book in 2017, breaking 10 team records with more in the horizon. Matt Bragga's newest edition of the Golden Eagles has tied the school mark of 40 wins and set new 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).

Still in view are the program records of singles (eight away), innings pitched (three away) and putouts (nine away), not to mention the OVC record for batters struck out (eight away).

Head coach Matt Bragga will need a deep run into the postseason from his team to meet his next major milestone at the helm of the Golden Eagles, but never-the-less, he is closing in on his 400th career victory, needing just seven more in the wins column to become just the second Tech coach to reach the mark. He led Tech to its third OVC regular season title under his watch this season, picking up his third career OVC Coach of the Year honors.

            1. David Mays (1974-98)                 554-620-8 (.472)

            2. MATT BRAGGA (2004-)             393-378-2 (.510)

            3. Aaron Carroll (2001-03)              89-82 (.520)

            4. Wilburn Tucker (1948-54)          71-41 (.634)

            5. W.A. Wright (1970-73)                 69-83 (.454)

Photo by Tony Marable