By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – For the third time in the past nine years, Tennessee Tech head baseball coach Matt Bragga has earned Division I Coach of the Year honors from the Tennessee Baseball Coaches Association.
An honoree in 2009 and 2013, Bragga took home the accolade for a third time after leading arguably his best team yet to the NCAA Tournament for second time in his tenure. Bragga has also been named Coach of the Year by the Ohio Valley Conference three times throughout his career.
"There are nine Division I baseball schools in the state of Tennessee, and there are some great ones," Bragga explained. "This state is full of great baseball programs, not only at the Division I level, but at all levels. Any time you get recognized for your program, it makes you very proud as a coach."
The 2017 Golden Eagle baseball team cruised on its way to a 23-7 league record and OVC regular season title. Tech then won three straight games to clinch its second OVC Tournament championship under the direction of Bragga, earning a bid to the NCAA Regional in Tallahassee.
"As cliché as it may sound, winning games, losing games – none of it matters without the guys in the locker room," Bragga said. "You can't accomplish anything as a coach without those guys buying into the system, being coachable, understanding what it is we're trying to get done, and, more important than anything, providing leadership. It's a combination of all of those things.
"It's great to receive the honor, because this is such a great baseball state, but we just have great young men that truly are the reason that leads to things like this."
In 2017, Bragga's team set a program record with 41 wins while ranking second nationally in home runs (99), home runs per game (1.60), hits (723) and slugging percentage (.520). The team also ranked in the top-five in the nation in doubles (144), doubles per game (2.32), runs (504), and scoring (8.1), as well as No. 11 in batting average (.317).
Tech earned a victory over No. 19 Vanderbilt during the regular season before moving on to defeat No. 15 Florida State in the first game of the Tallahassee Regional.
"I talked about the young men in the locker room, but there's a group of guys that we have that have to assemble that group of young men, and that's our assistant coaches," Bragga remarked. "What a great job they've done over the years. I think the consistency of our program speaks to that. That's those guys going out and recruiting and bringing in the right young men. It's those guys coming back and being the best coaches they can be to develop those young men in the locker room to be the best that they can be both on and off the field.
"This isn't a one-man staff. This is a team that revolves around our coaches and players, and when you have that, good things happen."
Photo by Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
