By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech baseball team officially kicks off Ohio Valley Conference play this weekend, making the trip north to Evansville, Ind. for a three-game series with Southern Indiana starting Friday evening.
First pitch is slated for 6:00 p.m. in Friday's opener while game two is slated for a 3:00 p.m. start on Saturday. The series finale on Sunday will begin at 1:00 p.m. at USI Baseball Field. All three contests are scheduled to be streamed live on ESPN+.
Friday's series opener marks just the fourth between the two programs, with the Screaming Eagles owning a slight, 2-1 edge in the series. USI took the bookends of last year's first series in Cookeville between the two sides.
The Screaming Eagles snuck by Tech in the opener, 8-7, before the Golden Eagles answered back with an 11-7 victory in game two. USI took the series with an 8-6 decision in the finale, holding off a late run by the purple and gold.
Tech enters the weekend after falling in its midweek battle against North Alabama on Tuesday, 8-4. The Lions set the tone early with three runs in the first inning. The Golden Eagles closed the contest to as close as 4-3 in favor of the visitors from Florence, Ala., but UNA pulled away down the stretch for the four-run win.
Southern Indiana also dropped a midweek tilt on Tuesday, a 5-3 decision at Western Kentucky in Bowling Green, Ky. USI took a 2-1 lead after the second, but the Hilltoppers responded with the tying run in the third, the go-ahead run in the sixth, and a pair of insurance runs in the eighth.
Twitter: @TNTech_Baseball
Facebook: /TennesseeTechBaseball
Instagram: TNTech_Baseball
Current Midweek Schedule
Friday, Mar. 22 | 6:00 p.m. CT | at Southern Indiana
Saturday, Mar. 23 | 3:00 p.m. CT | at Southern Indiana
Sunday, Mar. 24 | 1:00 p.m. CT | at Southern Indiana
TENNESSEE TECH GOLDEN EAGLES
2024 Record: 12-9
2024 OVC Record: 0-0
Head Coach: Matt Bragga
TTU: 509-462-2 (18th Season)
Career: 560-538-3 (21st Season)
STATS LEADERS
AVG: Tanner Shiver (.396)
2B: Troy Baunsgard (9)
3B: Austin Turner (3)
HR: Preston Steele (7)
RBI: Preston Steele (26)
R: Nicho Jordan (25)
BB: Austin Turner (28)
SLG%: Tanner Shiver (.868)
OB%: Nicho Jordan (.535)
SB: Austin Turner (11)
ERA: Peyton Calitri (2.59)*
W: Peyton Calitri (3)
APP: Jack Erdman (8)
IP: Peyton Calitri (31.1)
K: Peyton Calitri (31)
BAA: Peyton Calitri (.220)*
SV: Jack Erdman (3)
* minimum 1.0 innings pitcher per team game played
SOUTHERN INDIANA SCREAMING EAGLES
2024 Record: 9-11
2024 OVC Record: 0-0
Head Coach: Tracy Archuleta
USI: 553-362 (18th Season)
Career: 701-486 (23rd Season)
STATS LEADERS
AVG: Ren Tachioka (.379)
2B: Caleb Niehaus (7)
3B: Terrick Thompson-Allen (1)
HR: Tucker Ebest / Jack Ellis (3)
RBI: Tucker Ebest (16)
R: Caleb Niehaus (17)
BB: Ricardo Van Grieken (15)
SLG%: Tucker Ebest (.486)
OB%: Ren Tachioka (.471)
SB: Terrick Thompson-Allen (9)
ERA: Grant Parson (2.21)*
W: 3 players tied (2)
APP: Will Kiesel (11)
IP: Gavin Morris (24.0)
K: Gavin Morris (28)
BAA: Grant Parson (.197)*
SV: Tyler Hutson (3)
* minimum 1.0 innings pitcher per team game played
Photo by Jim Dillon
