By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – A challenging, 56-game schedule awaits the reigning Ohio Valley Conference champion Tennessee Tech baseball team in 2018, one that is sure to test a veteran-laden Golden Eagle squad searching for back-to-back titles.
"I believe this is a very challenging schedule, and that's on purpose," Bragga said. "This team is prepared for that. This is a veteran baseball team with a lot of guys back that played in an NCAA Regional last year."
A total of 30 home games are on tap for Bush Stadium at the Averitt Express Baseball Complex this season, including the program's first seven of the year. The 2018 campaign will officially kick off with a three-game weekend series against Little Rock, beginning Friday, Feb. 16 with a 3 p.m. CT first pitch.
Also making weekend trips to Quillen Field will be Illinois State, UT Martin, Austin Peay, Jacksonville State, Southern Illinois, Southeast Missouri and Eastern Kentucky. The Golden Eagles host midweek contests with a familiar slew of opponents, including in-state rivals Lipscomb and Middle Tennessee, as well as Alabama A&M.
Rounding out Tech's midweek home slate is a midweek match-up with Western Kentucky and a two-game series versus a preseason Top 25 ranked opponent, West Virginia.
Hitting the road on the weekends, the Golden Eagles will travel to Troy, SIUE, Eastern Illinois, Murray State, Belmont and Morehead State. The purple and gold will also make midweek appearances at Middle Tennessee, Lipscomb, Kennesaw State, Western Kentucky and Alabama A&M.
Additionally, as tradition has come to dictate, Tech will make midweek trips to Knoxville and Nashville. On Tuesday, April 24, the Golden Eagles will match-up with Tennessee in a 5:30 p.m. contest. May 8 represents Tech's annual battle with perennial national power Vanderbilt, a 6:30 p.m. affair.
One new addition to the 2018 schedule is a neutral site contest against Western Carolina. The Golden Eagles will make a midweek trip to Kodak, Tenn. on Wednesday, Mar. 21 to face off against the Catamounts at Smokies Stadium, the home park of the Tennessee Smokies, the Double-A affiliate of the 2016 World Series Champion Chicago Cubs. The contest is set for a 4:00 p.m. first pitch.
For the second straight year, Tech will close out its regular season with a three-game series against Morehead State, this time making the trip north to Morehead, Ky.
"We know we can't afford to overlook anybody and we have to go out and just play baseball," Bragga added. "We expect to have a target on our backs after winning a championship, and that's okay. That's the position we want to be in. That means we did well last year, knowing that last year has nothing to do with this year. We know we'll have to start over, get to work and get it done again; and we're working hard to make sure that happens."
Admission to all Tennessee Tech baseball home games is free of charge and open to the public.
Photo by Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
